Do you know what an open house is? Have you ever used this strategy to showcase your properties? Properties in your portfolio? If you organise it properly, this system can help you to be more efficient and to sell a property in less time and with less effort. Take note of what to keep in mind - you'll thank us for it!
What is an open house?
One of your main strengths as a real estate agent is your ability to get a message across to buyers and potential buyers. Working as an intermediary, your core value is precisely that: bringing together two people whose interests intersect at a given time. This sales strategy helps you capitalise on this convening power.
When you organise an open house you are creating an event where buyers can visit a property without restrictions. In this way, you will achieve the following effects in one go.
Helping prospective buyers to visualise the life that awaits them in the property
In this type of live visits it is important that you take care of every detail and facilitate this visualisation, creating a favourable atmosphere with furniture, music, aromas, etcetera. In this way it is easier for those who see the house to feel that they are living in it and see it as their future home.
FOMO
As this is an open door session, as long as COVID restrictions allow it, several buyers can come together at the same time. This makes those who are undecided afraid to pass up the opportunity, and more open to making up their minds quickly.
Resolving possible doubts
Throughout the duration of the open day it is important that your real estate agency staff are always available and contactable. In this way, visitors will be able to go beyond inspecting every detail by themselves, and it will be possible to solve all the visitors' doubts on the spot with the help of a professional.
What is sensory marketing?
As you probably already know, at these events it is very important to create a welcoming atmosphere where visitors feel welcome. For this you will have to make use of sensory marketing. We have already mentioned above that you should take care of the aesthetics, the music, the temperature and even the smells, but now we will tell you why.
In addition to consciously perceiving information, our brain picks up on signals that trigger emotions and irrational reactions. A very common example is bakeries, which use the smell of freshly baked bread to make us want to buy more. Well, within the real estate sector, your objective is that your clients visualise themselves creating a home in the properties in your portfolio, so you have to resort to resources that allow you to create a welcoming environment.
First and foremost, the temperature of the room is important. A house that is too cold in winter or too hot in summer can scare off buyers. Use air-conditioning systems and, if you can't, hold your viewing day at a time that suits you best.
On a scent level, some property agents seek to create a homely atmosphere by baking biscuits or other treats in the property. An advantage of this strategy over traditional scents is that, in addition to the fact that you will be able to offer something to eat to guests, you will be betting on a pleasant and fairly universal smell. Avoid artificial fragrances that are too heavy or have a strong personality.
Also take care of the lighting. Depending on the light that the house receives, you will have to take advantage of the most favourable hours of sunlight or use artificial lighting.
Home staging
A very important part of selling a property is precisely the visual aspect. In addition to the light, you have other elements to create a scenography that invites you to stay: the arrangement of the furniture and the decoration. To use this resource successfully, as in everything else,
you can't just do it any old way... But you must apply some basic principles.
- Go for timeless decoration and neutral colours. Remember that you are trying to help users to visualise themselves inside the house, and not to make it your own. Each visitor will have their own preferences, so you have to look for the most cross-cutting style possible.
- Choose the right size of furniture. If you choose pieces that are too large, the space will look cluttered and appear smaller. Furniture that is too small will make the space look drab. It is in your interest to have a basic knowledge of decorating to know what is most suitable.
- Take care of all the details, but don't overdo it. It is important that the setting you create is realistic. Don't forget to include decorative objects, cushions, blankets, pictures on the walls, etc. Remember that, again, it should be as universal as possible.
Other real estate marketing strategies
There is no doubt that open houses are effective, but current circumstances make it inadvisable to gather several people in an enclosed space. Fortunately, you can use other strategies that will not only serve as a substitute now that meetings are more difficult: they will also be an ideal complement when the pandemic is over.
Videovisits
Virtualisation is here to stay. That's why you can arrange video calls with buyers and show them properties remotely, while you talk to them and answer their questions. You will still be able to use this system to work with all those clients who live far away or have difficulty far away or find it difficult to have a face-to-face interview.
Virtual tours
Capturing 360° photography with the help of Floorfy you will be able to create a virtual tour of your portfolio properties automatically. Not only will you have quality content to help potential clients get a more realistic idea of the houses they want to visit, but it will also allow you to organise several tours in a single meeting and save a lot of travel time.
Social media advertising
By buying ads on networks you will be able to reach population groups perfectly segmented according to your interests. This will help you gain visibility and increase the reach of your work with less effort.
Now that you know everything you need to know about the open house, you just need to start integrating them into your real estate strategy. What are you waiting for?
