Hosting an open house is a phenomenal strategy that many sellers use to promote their property. By making the home available to view in a comfortable and friendly environment, sellers can increase the number of potential buyers who come to view the property. To make the open house a success, there are a few tips and tricks sellers can use to make the experience as pleasant as possible and yield the best results.
With years of professional experience in the real estate industry, Mike Ledzian is an expert in hosting open houses. Working with the Lake Country real estate, Waukesha real estate, and Brookfield real estate markets in the beautiful state of Wisconsin, Mike Ledzian has been involved in countless home transactions and has attended or hosted thousands of open houses with his team.
In preparation for your open house, check out this guide to hosting open houses by Mike Ledzian to discover six easy ways to have a successful open house so you can ensure everything runs smoothly on your big day.
Check Out Competing Listings
A wonderful way to get ready to host your own open house is by attending the open houses of similar properties throughout your community. Visit homes that are comparable in size and square footage to see how your listing measures up. You can also get inspiration and ideas for hosting your own open house by checking out how their home is staged. Look at the different aspects of their decor, such as how the couches are arranged or what the color scheme is. If you see something you like, make a note so you can incorporate the element into your property.
While attending open houses, pay special attention to what real estate agents are saying to potential buyers during the events. Real estate agents usually point out all of a home’s best features during open houses, and you’ll be able to find if your property offers the same amenities as its competitors. Observing the reactions from potential buyers as they view the property is an outstanding way to get an idea of what buyers are looking for and what they find most desirable.
Develop a Property Description Sheet
Developing a property description sheet to hand out to potential buyers who attend your open house is always a good idea. Professional real estate agents always have this sheet typed up and ready to go when hosting an open house. Providing potential buyers with a tangible item to take with them is a great way to leave a lasting impression. By having something to refer back to, potential buyers are less likely to forget about the property and its details.
A property description sheet typically includes photographs of a home’s interior and exterior. It contains a brief property description and lists facts about the home, such as its address, square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and any special features it has, like a cozy fireplace or a finished basement. It also contains financial information, such as the sale price and any HOA fees if applicable, in addition to providing information on the community.
Declutter, Clean, and Repair
When the day of your open house arrives, you want to make sure your property is in pristine condition. In order to do so, you need to declutter the space, deep clean each room, and make any necessary repairs. You only get one chance to make a first impression on potential buyers, and you want your home to appear spacious and tidy. As soon as you know you are going to sell your home, it’s never too early to begin preparing.
Walk around your property and take note of anything that could use improvement, then get started. Contact a plumber if there’s a leaky faucet in the bathroom or a painter if there’s chipped paint on the walls. Book a session with a professional cleaning service to do a deep dive into each room and scrub all the nooks and crannies. For bulky items and personal relics that you don’t have the space for, rent a local storage unit so there’s more room inside. If your yard is looking dull or there are patches in the grass, hire a landscaper to plant a few flowers and put down grass seed. Do anything you can to fix broken items or make decor improvements to ensure potential buyers view your property at its best.
Set the Stage
To ensure a successful open house, you want potential buyers to be able to imagine themselves living inside the home from the moment they walk onto the property. This means you need to create a welcoming environment that feels like home but is still neutral enough to suit the tastes of many potential buyers. Many people choose to work with a professional staging company.
Move furniture around to highlight the natural features of a room and make it appear larger. Choose neutral colors for curtains and bedspreads, swapping out those with overly bold patterns or colors. Place candles in the bathrooms and flowers on the tables to create a pleasant aroma and quaint decor. Having family photographs on the walls may be comforting for you, but it can distract potential buyers so it’s best to switch them with images like landscapes during the open house. By setting the stage of your home, potential buyers will have the perfect ambiance to view your property during your open house.
Get the Word Out
Once a date has been set for your open house, it’s time to get the word out to as many people as possible. Generating buzz around your listing is a fantastic way to spark interest in potential buyers and attract them to your home. Print advertising, social media, and word-of-mouth are all excellent ways to spread the word about your upcoming open house. Another useful tool for promoting properties is posting them on online listing sites. More people hearing about your property means more people walking through the door, thereby increasing the chances of a successful open house.
Those who choose to work with a real estate agent benefit tremendously from the agent’s professional network and marketing capabilities. Real estate agents know how to identify potential buyers and bring them in for viewings. They also have valuable tools that make it easy to navigate even the most competitive of markets, such as the Multiple Listing Service.
Be a Great Host
When the day of your open house finally arrives, do everything in your power to be a gracious host. Greet every guest with a smile as they walk through the door and maintain a welcoming demeanor throughout the event. Guests will be looking inside all of the cabinets, closets, and cupboards, so it’s best to keep valuables somewhere safe and secure outside of the home while the open house is taking place. For people with pets, keeping them with a friend or at the groomer for the day is a good idea in case of any guest allergies or fears.
A sign-in sheet is an outstanding way to keep track of which potential buyers have visited your open house. Create a sheet with spaces for potential buyers to fill in their names, phone numbers, and emails so the agent can easily follow up with them after the event. When the open house is taking place, allow potential buyers the opportunity to explore the property independently while making sure they still know you’re available to answer questions if they need you. You want to appear informative, but you don’t want to crowd them. Another excellent touch is to offer light refreshments near the sign-in sheet. Offering water bottles and baked goods to guests is an easy way to appear warm and inviting.
Selling a property can feel overwhelming at times, and hosting an open house can make even the most confident homeowner a bit nervous while getting ready for the big day. However, with careful preparation and well-thought-out planning using these tips from Mike Ledzian, you can make sure your open house experience is a success.
If you’re planning to sell your home in Wisconsin and are seeking expert guidance, Mike Ledzian and his team have years of professional experience and can provide you with valuable insight. Working across the Lake Country real estate, Waukesha real estate, and Brookfield real estate markets, Mike Ledzian and his team have hosted countless open houses throughout the region. Having been involved in tons of successful transactions involving homes for sale in Lake Country, homes for sale in Waukesha, and homes for sale in Brookfield, they know what it takes to ensure an open house goes as well as possible.
For more information, Mike Ledzian and his team can be contacted by phone at (262) 352-4575, by email at [email protected], or by visiting the contact form on their website.
