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Does an Open House really help sell my Phoenix Home?

Real Estate Agent with HomeSmart Real Estate AZ Broker BR030809000

November 03, 2013 05:13 AM

Does an Open House really help sell my Phoenix Home?

The short answer is Yes and No. Yes if they're set up properly beforehand - and No if the agent just plops a sign up and sits at the house hoping somebody will show up. There is a lot of pre-planning that goes into getting a lot of people interested in coming out to view an open house. And then the day of the open it's important to make it very easy to find the home with good directional signs along with colorful balloons to get peoples attention.

For instance today we held an open house in the Pointe Tapatio area of Phoenix. We mailed out over 800 postcards to the closest neighbors and advertised it well in advance of the day. We had at least 8 parties come to the Open House with the postcard in hand - always a good sign as it shows the postcards got the attention we had planned for. Many other parties came because we planted A LOT of directional signs along wih a Welcome Home and a Heart balloon waving in the wind. Kind of a nice, personal touch on the balloons I think! Home is where the heart lives!

As the people were viewing the home there were two of us to answer questions and ask questions without 'getting in the way of allowing then to view the hone'. People don't want to be followed around! The point is to strike up a genuine conversation and find a few things in common so we have a point of reference. Some of the people looking today have friends and family thinking about moving to the Phoenix area and of course their plan is to have them move to their neighborhood. Another couple own a big house in the area and are thinking of selling and finding a smaller home they can lock up and leave for several months a year. There were also several sets of people that are currently renting and thinking about buying a home and saw our signs - which is great. Gives us a chance to understand where they are in the buying process and how we can best assist them if they're not already working with an agent.

Today the weather also co-operated as it was gorgeous outside and people all seem to be in a good mood because they know we've got 9 months of great weather ahead! All in all a very good day to hold a successful open house in Phoenix Arizona!

Does an Open House really help sell my Phoenix home?

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Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

An open house AND and open mind equally help the cause. :)

Nov 03, 2013 02:57 PM

Bob Crane

Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI

Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Great post Anna, open houses as with all marketing ventures can be successful if done right, or failures if not taken seriously.

Nov 03, 2013 03:49 PM

Kat Palmiotti

406-270-3667, kat@thehousekat.com, Broker/REALTOR® - Kalispell, MT

Helping your Montana dreams take root

With proper preparation, open Houses can be useful in driving traffic to the home and the area.

Nov 03, 2013 08:03 PM

Caprice Couselle Realtor Morristown Homes For Sale

Keller Williams Realty - Morristown, NJ

First Time Home Buyers,Relocation,Horse Farms

Hi Anna,

Great Marketing Tips. That is what I like to do as well,l make it like an Event for the home. Especially if it's the first time it was held open. It is also very important for buyers to realize they are not the only ones looking to buy a home.It creates interest and urgency. I can also see it selling, if not at the open house,then shortly after from all your effort.

Nov 03, 2013 09:18 PM

Nina Hollander, Broker

Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC

Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Good open houses need lots of advance planning and coordination for sure. So many agents seem to think it's just a matter of shoving a sign in the ground a couple of days prior. But I still see that some parts of the country depend on open houses more than others in terms of exposure.

Nov 03, 2013 09:23 PM

Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®

Lewisburg, WV

Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Hi Anna, I agree planning for an open house is essential...although we do not do many here in this small town.

Nov 03, 2013 10:02 PM

Morgan Evans

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Manhattan, NY

LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

Here in Manhattan, when we have our first open house with a marketable property and lots of people show up, it helps to guage the interest in the property right away and get immediate feedback.

Nov 03, 2013 10:03 PM

Michael Setunsky

Woodbridge, VA

Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Anna, glad to hear with preparation, Open Houses are working for you. Good points!

Nov 03, 2013 10:33 PM

Suzanne Otto

Six Twenty Designs - Lansdale, PA

Your Montgomery County PA home stager

I go to open houses every Sunday as part of my marketing plan. There have been quite a few houses that only have the sign out front, but no directionals to lead you to it. I only found the house because I looked for it first online. That agent is missing out on a lot of drive by buyers!

Nov 03, 2013 10:39 PM

Richie Alan Naggar

people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA

agent & author

It is no different than putting on a high school play. However, it does need some direction to get going

Nov 03, 2013 10:45 PM

Gary Meek

GM2 - Roseville, CA

(916) 995-9385

I have to disagree. I do not think an open house sells a home. Right now in my area, the inventory is so low, the house will sell if priced right, even if it is not the bet house. I do believe that the person doing the open house can market correctly, place out a ton of signs, (our team recommends between 20-25. We also teach the agent to blast the open house on their social networks, through their CRM platform and y passing out a minimum of 100 flyers. But really all of those things are not to sell the home, they are o show the neighbors what our team does to market a property. It help us to get more listings. Very rarely do we sell the house we are holding open.

Nov 03, 2013 10:46 PM

Bryan Robertson

Los Altos, CA

You've got the whole value of an open house completely figured out. When they're properly marketed with online and offline promotions, then the response if good and agents get both buyer and seller leads.

Nov 04, 2013 12:32 AM

Mike Sibbald

Elevations Real Estate, LLC - Fort Collins, CO

Broker/Owner Elevations Real Estate, LLC

Good morning Anna! Thank you for the great reminders for an open house! It always helps to see the things that get the potential buyers into the home! Have a great day! Mike.

Nov 04, 2013 12:51 AM

Tracy Oliva

West USA Realty - Arizona - Fountain Hills, AZ

The Oliva Team Arizona Agents

Good Morning: And these are some great thoughts!! Keep up the good Info and good luck with your business, E

Nov 04, 2013 02:02 AM

Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573

MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME

Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Videos for the on demand open house delivery no matter where your buyer is... for the ones not local and where they like the price, wished they could take a gander walk through. To show and tell, see and hear about this one, and six just like it you have listed means videos. Real full motion with sound make the couple hour showing option one that is an open house that never closes, is missed. On the buyer's time frame. Not the seller, the agent, broker, REALTOR's. Now that's service.

Nov 04, 2013 02:08 AM

Jason Wright

Keller Williams Advantage - Golden, CO

Associate Broker

Thank you for the great tips!!

Nov 04, 2013 02:45 AM

Tamra Lee Ulmer

Arizona Resource Realty - Payson, AZ

NRBA ~FORCE~ Over 1000 REO Assets SOLD!

Anna, thank you for the great tips! Yes, I believe Open Houses are so very important for a Home to sell, of course, like you said if it's done right. Balloons are a great idea, and Water Bottles with your Company Logo on them or a variety of refreshments in an Ice Chest.

Nov 04, 2013 03:43 AM

Anna Banana Kruchten Phoenix Broker

HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ

602-380-4886

Richard there are many reasons to make a wise choice of which homes to hold open and why. Chosen wisely over the years Opens have been of tremendous value to my business. To each their own and it's all good - whatever works.

John - that is a guarantee. I am loving this weather!

Lou - glad to see you are getting my point exactly.

Sussie yes there are a few of 'those' areas here one of which used to be in the one we were at yesterday. A law was passed and they can't control that anymore, thankfully.

Christine - plan or why do one is my vote!

Debe - isn't that interesting how some areas of the country Open's just don't work.

Sandra - yes Cole's is a good resource as well.

Regina - people are out and about and enjoying the weather for sure - and in such a good mood.

Christina - anytime!

Laura - ah yes and there is that too!

Bob - do it right or go home as they say!

Kat - indeed.

Caprice - we have had luck selling a home at opens this past few years.

Nina - I don't do a lot of open's, just some that make sense and that I know will be a big hit in the neighborhood.

Rebecca - I imagine it's all different in a small community.

Morgan - I bet it's entirely different in your town!

Michael - yes they do work out well.

Suzaane - that's just crazy! And lazy too!

Rich - exactly. Set the stage and people show up.

Gary - you've got a good plan in place for your team.

Bryan - you would hope so after 25 years in the business!

Mike - my pleasure.

Ed & Tracy - and to you as well.

Andrew you are awesome!

Jason - you bet.

Tamra - I prefer to have items of value that there is a high likelyhood that people will hold on to it and not just throw it away.

Nov 04, 2013 06:39 AM

Teresa Cooper

Home Solution Real Estate Services - North Charleston, SC

SC Lowcountry - Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley

Yes M'am! Open Houses DO work, but like everything else in the world, ONLY if you DO them right!

Nov 04, 2013 12:09 PM

Jill Winchel

Royal Shell Real Estate - The Koffman Group - Cape Coral, FL

We make it easy. You make it home.

I agree, Anna. It takes planning to have a successful open house. I advertise online and put up balloons, as long as it isn't too windy! Hope you get a quick sale.

Nov 04, 2013 09:33 PM