Today I did my first and last agents open house

They really need to be marketed correctly.  It's a great thing when they do show up because you can network with them as well.  I hope you sell this home soon!

You have to offer the right free food.  I've seen steaks and drinks offered.  Agents are cheap, offer good food and drinks and they will come.  :)

 BTW...I don't do them either, waste of time and money.

In my market in Oak Park, IL (just west of Chicago), Tuesdays are Broker Open days... Many of the agents spend the day touring new listings or price changed listings.  I've found that advertising a $25 restaurant gift certificate raffle has helped bring agents through the door.  Best of luck!

Laurie Christofano, Realtor with the Kyra Pych Team @

RE/MAX in the Village, Oak Park IL

www.KyraPych.com 

Debbie- we do them here also.  Usually on Tuesday's and that is when the carvanning is going on.  Also in addittion to lunch we have  a drawing for gift cards, gas cards and cash. 

I also see Agents in the same house do open houses on the same day, one would do lunch and the other realtor open house would do dessert.

I go and visit the open houses , get to network and preview the home.

I do a lot of agent's open houses - in fact I would rather do them than open houses for the public. 

I have the open houses for an hour in the morning, like from 8:30-9:30 and I serve breakfast - a breakfast casserole, homemade coffee cake, fruit, coffee, juice, pretty simple.  People come because they can stop by on their way to the office, before they start to get busy.  I do lots of reciprocating (which means I go to everyone else's agent open) and then I specifically call a day or two before and invite all those agents.  I always send out email invitations to the other local offices and agents and then call the agents I personally know and invite them a couple days ahead of time.  Then, the night before the open house, I fax or email the agents reminding them of the event.  And I write "Don't forget - and you have to eat anyway, so come on over - I'll see you there!".  The personal calls and the reminders are what seem to make the difference.  And I offer a nice door prize (usually a $25 gift certificate to a local popular restaurant).  It works well and I usually have lots of people there.

I'm in the Bay area. In my home of Alameda, we have great broker's tours that are exceptionally well-attended. As such, I make it a point to serve refreshments. And my choice was always Chinese dim sum appetizers --- since I serve it every time, it's sort of become my "signature" refreshments. Whenever I have a new listing, the agents in my area know to come. It's not unusual to have 40-50 agents come through. But that's Alameda. It helps that we live in a small island, and we all know each other.

I have tried doing this in other cities in the East Bay. I've sent out electronic flyers inviting agents to come but very few come. I was told to advertise on Ad Review (print ads for realtors), and to attend the marketing meetings that immediately precede the tours. Nonetheless, the results are the same.

Therefore, I will only do brokers tours in my island city, and rely on internet marketing and open houses elsewhere.

We had one for my personal home that is for sale and it was a great success, at least 40 people.  My realtor felt strongly that it was the menu that did it!!  It was a great menu and was done as a cocktail hour with wine and a pomegranite punch.  Exotic menu did it tho...

oh, plus my wonderful home tee hee hee

Debbie,

I have held them successfully and unsucessfully. Generally, it is the same bunch of agents...and that is not a complaint; I am glad to see them.  I do question, however, if there is any bearing on the agent opens and selling a property. After all, an agent has a client interested in the kind of property you are holding open, wouldn't they see it in the MLS?

I will sometimes hold them for my sellers--they like what they feel is 'extra exposure.'  I have learned to only buy food that my family can eat for dinner that night!