Massive Open Houses with Michael Hellickson

Planning a massive real estate open house that will attract 25-150 visitors is both easier than you might think AND an affordable/profitable lead generation source! Open houses are like client events: they take planning, and you need to follow the checklist in order to have a massive turn out!

Always remember that 66% of buyers and 72% of sellers work with the first agent they come in contact with! AND 80% of open house attendees have NO AGENT! This is your chance to shine and show people what it’s like to do business with you!

Picking your target home is key to your success with an open house. Pick a home in a large neighborhood, within a half mile of a busy intersection or grocery store. The ideal home will be in a neighborhood near others, or one that has connecting neighborhoods. If there are more than 3 dominant agents in that area, pick another neighborhood. This is all about YOU and your brand. If you are in the market to sell $500,000 homes, then hold an open house in a $500,000 home. You can even borrow another agent’s listing if needed. (Etiquette tips on this situation go to www.ClubWealth.com/OpenHouse and opt in for the FREE download.)

Post on social media religiously! Video the home and post it on Facebook and YouTube. Tell everyone the who, what, when, where and why of the open house to grab their attention.

Calling the neighbors 1-2 weeks in advance and letting them know about the open house can give them a chance to tell friends and family about the house for sale near them!

Daily, before the open house, you will want to syndicate on Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, the MLS, and Craigslist. Omit details like bedrooms, bathrooms, price or square footage. This leaves the beautiful home a mystery and gets people interested! Focus instead on things like the beautiful backyard and gourmet kitchen.

Have your buyer’s agents door knock the 500 closest neighbors. This is a good way to advertise as well as let people know what is going on in their area. Let them know they are welcome to attend and check out the home, as well as to invite friends and family looking for homes in the area!

Dress for success! This is a job interview, own it! The setup of the open house will be the eye catcher. You will want to set up your table in the entry way, NOT the kitchen. Have your flags, balloons, and signs up making it very clear where the open is being held. Make it look like a circus!

Be prepared. You will need to set out 60-80 signs around the open house location. This is too much for one agent to put out and pick up alone, so bring your lender! 50% of the signs you will want at local intersections and stores, pointing their way to you. Your sign spinners (or mannequins) will need to be on the nearest large intersection in order to attract lots of attention!

Always come early and prepared to set up before the open house starts. You may need extra time to prepare the home itself!

Open house safety is something some of us overlook, and yet is very important to keep in mind JUST IN CASE. Always keep your cell phone on you and establish a check-in schedule with friends or family. Make every attendee sign in with photo ID, and NEVER be alone at the open house.

When finished, the house needs to look the way it did BEFORE you came in. Take down all signs, balloons and flags. Before you leave the house, you will want to take a video of yourself in the house, thanking all the attendees for coming out and participating! Don’t forget to turn off the lights and lock up the house as well.

As for the attendees, send them the video via text. You will want to set up an MLS/IDX search for them and send off. Make sure to follow up with all the attendees within 24 hours of sending the MLS campaign!