Here is a great question I heard recently, with all of the information available on homes on the internet, why would anyone take the time to get in the car and go to an open house?
For all the real estate agents sitting in an open house for a Sunday afternoon, this is a great question. Fortunately, I read this article by Andrea Siegel with some excellent answers on how to turn the boring open house into an event that will bring people out.
Have you ever tried a non-traditional open house? What were your results?
They are holding parties, providing car washes, including prize drawings and more. Efforts range from luxury VIP-only events to DIY tours open to all – and they don’t just take place on Sundays as agents seek to sell if not this house, another house, or at least pick up clients.
Whether creativity or exclusivity makes a difference is debatable; some agents say clients want to assess a house in peace, while others say the extras make a house inviting and show off the lifestyle it offers.
“When football started, we did a tailgate party. We grilled hot dogs at one of the houses,” said Tracey Lane, an associate broker with Keller Williams Flagship in Millersville. “I have seen clowns out on the street, and when the kids go in, they get hot dogs and face-painting.”
“We set up a car wash right at the property,” said Anthony Corrao, a Coldwell Banker agent in Ellicott City, recalling a warm-weather open house in Columbia. via baltimoresun.com.
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Back in the 90's I had a client that purchased 60 open house directional signs from me. When I asked what she was going to do with that many signs she simply responded "Get some attention".
I really didn't think that much about it until I saw a photo on the front page of the real estate section of her home and another photo inset showing the abundant signs with balloons attached literally every 100' in both directions pointing to here open house.
She could not pay for that type of publicity. And, in one of the worst real estate markets in recent memory (excluding this one, of course), she sold her home in 1 day.
She, as they say, was crazy like a fox.
Tough times call for creative measures. There are people who succeed even in the worst of times because they decide to succeed. Albany Real Estate has given a wonderful example. What a great idea.