{"id":8960,"date":"2019-02-22T13:14:54","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T21:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=8960"},"modified":"2024-03-21T06:56:57","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T13:56:57","slug":"open-house-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/open-house-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Creative Open House Marketing Ideas to Connect With Distracted Buyers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open houses are a century-old traditional real estate marketing event<\/a> but today’s consumers (including homebuyers) are pulled in a lot of directions. In a New York Times<\/i> article, the paper cites a study by market research firm Yankelovich, estimating an average person living in a city experiences about 5,000 ads every day<\/a>. We\u2019re inundated with voices trying to get our attention all day, every day!<\/p>\n

Prezi, a presentation platform company, conducted a 2018 State of Attention<\/a> report in which they conclude: it\u2019s not that our attention spans are capable of less than what they were years ago, it\u2019s that we\u2019re more selective about what we chose to turn our attention toward.<\/p>\n

If you and your agent decide to host an open house (we’ll get into why that’s a big “if” below), you’ll need to find interesting ways to draw people in or it could be crickets. One estimate puts the average number of open house attendees at a 6. So we scoured the web and consulted top real estate experts for the most creative open house marketing ideas that cut through the noise.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Source: (Jon Bilous\/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First, determine if your house is right for an open house<\/h2>\n

\u201cPersonally, I would rather eat a handful of gravel than host an open house,\u201d says Michael Winslow<\/a>, a top-selling agent in Colorado Springs.<\/p>\n

He laughs but he\u2019s serious\u2014 and other high-performing agents share his sentiment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In HomeLight\u2019s 2016 Top Agent Insights Survey, most respondents rated open houses a \u201c3\u201d on a scale of 1 to 10 based on effectiveness<\/a> (10 being the highest). That\u2019s because open houses often help agents drum up general leads but aren\u2019t a magnet for serious buyers.<\/p>\n

So before you dive into open house marketing, you need to decide if this type of event is right for your house. Let\u2019s dig into a few criteria that can help you make that determination.<\/p>\n

Is your home in a remote area or do you get a lot of passersby?<\/h4>\n

\u201cLocation, location, location\u201d is the mantra of real estate sales everywhere, and open houses are no exception. If your home is off a main street where it\u2019ll attract foot traffic and people will see signs as they drive by, your house might be a good open house candidate.<\/p>\n

It must also be easy for people to park. Avoid hosting an open house if you live in the boonies, on a main street with no parking, within a gated community, or if you have a guard troll or alligator moat.<\/p>\n

Do you or your agent have safety concerns?<\/h4>\n

Some agents may not feel comfortable hanging out in your house alone all day as random people waltz through. Or you<\/i> may not feel comfortable having random people roam your home.<\/p>\n

If the area isn\u2019t known for safety or the agent feels uncomfortable, there are plenty of other ways to market your home, such as with appointment-based showings<\/a> or broker\u2019s opens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Does your home have stellar curb appeal?<\/h4>\n

If there\u2019s nothing special about the outside of your house that makes you want to go inside, don\u2019t count on people wanting to come inside. It\u2019s that simple. Tract houses, condos and patio homes\u2014even if beautiful inside\u2014may not be good candidates for open houses. After all, you\u2019ve got to get people in the door.<\/p>\n

On the flip side if your curb appeal <\/a>is enough to turn heads with impeccable landscaping, pops of color<\/a>, beautiful flowers<\/a>, and tasteful decorative accents<\/a>, then the odds are in your favor for increased foot traffic.<\/p>\n

What does your experienced agent recommend?<\/h4>\n

Winslow says one of the main reasons for open houses is owner appeasement. Open houses make the homeowner believe the agent is going all out. This is sort of like that guy at work who comes into the office before the boss and leaves after the boss.<\/p>\n

He looks like he\u2019s working hard and putting in long hours, but it doesn’t actually mean he\u2019s getting anything done. If your agent is experienced and he or she says there are more effective marketing methods to try first, trust their judgement.<\/p>\n

Decided to do an open house? Use these creative marketing ideas to stand out<\/b><\/h2>\n

So, you\u2019re thinking: If so many agents say open houses are a waste of time, why should I care about these open house marketing ideas? Because open houses do have their place. If you and your agent decide to host an open house, you\u2019ll have to go all out to make it successful and that\u2019s going to take some creativity in promotion, execution and follow up.<\/p>\n

1. Engage and invite the neighborhood with candy boxes and door hangers<\/h3>\n

Deliver candy boxes or door hangers to the neighborhood. Check out Printing Specialty, Inc<\/a>., for information on printing and folding candy boxes, and ProspectsPlus<\/a> for door hanger ideas. Use the leave-behind to ask what neighbors love about their hood and what attractions in the area may be appealing to buyers. Consider these questions a way to start a dialogue <\/a>and invite the block to your open house.<\/p>\n

Whatever means you\u2019ve decided to use for your leave-behind, be sure the text is easy to read and in a clear font. If you\u2019ve decided to leave a handwritten note (a nice personal touch!) make sure it\u2019s legible.<\/p>\n

You might try your hand with a creative theme, for example: Using playing card graphics, include 100 Grand bars inside the box; on the outside use text like \u201cMissing this open house would be a gamble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"open<\/a>
Source: (Roberto Cervantes \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Cater your open house marketing to target demographics<\/h3>\n
\"Nextdoor's<\/a>
Source: (Nextdoor<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Advertising an open house largely depends on location, demographics and distribution. For example, if the neighborhood is primarily older, advertising in the local newspaper and with door-knocking may be your best bet. If the house is in a younger area, post on Nextdoor<\/a> and create social ads. Your agent may have resources too, depending on the agency or broker with which they work. Berkshire Hathaway for example, has a local book with its listings, which sells in grocery stores.<\/p>\n

No matter where you\u2019re promoting, use images to your advantage. Chelsey Robertson<\/a>, professional designer, says to include photos of the kitchen, living room and master bath if possible and always include \u201cone good image of the front exterior.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Make MLS listings and events public<\/h3>\n

On the multiple listing service<\/a>, agents can indicate the hours of the open house, as well as provide information about prizes and treats available during the event.<\/p>\n

This is a great way to promote an open house to other agents, who might send their clients to see the space.<\/p>\n

4. Develop eye-catching signage<\/h3>\n

While a lot of people search for open house information online, you also want to catch the attention of spontaneous passersby who want to check out your house. A small drab sign isn\u2019t going to turn heads.<\/p>\n

The good news is you\u2019re not limited to sandwich board signs to get attention. Get out the craft supplies and poster board. Be creative! Get inspiration from these agents who use top-notch design and clever messaging<\/a> to get buyers\u2019 attention. Just remember to stay on the professional side of glitter (ahem).<\/p>\n

For directional signs, Robertson says \u201cOPEN HOUSE\u201d should be the main words on the sign (not your agent\u2019s name or the house address), along with arrows. If agents opt for generic signs they can reuse them for multiple events.<\/p>\n

\"open<\/a>
Source: (Artem Bali \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Have a refreshment or swag strategy<\/h3>\n

Wine and cheese are often big crowd pleasers. However, sometimes this strategy attracts a bunch of people who aren\u2019t serious about buying a home and instead just come by for the free snacks and alcohol. This makes many agents avoid serving alcohol completely. Instead they opt for cookies or something useful like water labeled with their information on them.<\/p>\n

Or they stay away from food and drink altogether by offering a practical takeaway, like hand sanitizer during flu season!<\/p>\n

Your agent likely already has a strategy that works for them and their branding, but if you have a brilliant idea, share it.<\/p>\n

\"open<\/a>
Source: (flickr \/ Nicki Dugan Pogue via CC BY-SA 2.0 license<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Stream the open house online<\/h3>\n

Facebook, Instagram and even YouTube allow for live streaming. Meet buyers where they are, which isn\u2019t necessarily at your open house, but online.<\/p>\n

Consider these statistics, according to the National Association of Realtors Real Estate in the Digital Age 2017 Report<\/a>:<\/p>\n