Tips to help you host a successful open
house
Make your home presentable, spotless from top to
bottom. Please see our Home Selling Tips for suggestions.
Advertise online (today newspapers are a waste
of money). Write descriptive ad and place them in web classified or
open house directories.
Map Your Open House Signs, find the busiest
intersection closest to your home and put an open house sign at that
corner.
Attach strings of balloons to each open house
sign.
The arrows should point buyers in the right
direction.
Place a sign every few blocks until you end up
at your house.
Remove all vehicles from the driveway. Ask your
neighbors to help out by not parking in front of your house.
Open all the drapes, blinds and window
coverings, turn on all the lights.
Light some scented candles, preferably spices
like cinnamon or vanilla, serve refreshments, snacks or freshly
baked cookies.
Turn on soft music on each floor to help set a
mood.
Create a bulletin board of seasonal house
photographs so buyers can see what the home would look like at
another time of the year. This is especially helpful to showcase
gardens during the winter.
Be upbeat, cheery and greet each buyer who
enters the home. Find out what the buyers are looking for and, if
possible, show them why your home fits those requirements without
being too pushy.
Have a mortgage calculator handy for
negotiations!
Ask each buyer what they thought of your home and
would they consider buying it.
Agents and sellers are hesitant to ask for a buyer’s
opinion, so have a Feedback form ready – available after you list your
home – next to your flyers and ask every visitor to fill one out. It’s
the only way you’re going to get a direct and honest feedback. They
might decide to sit at the kitchen table and write an offer. It happens
more often than you would think!
