IN Peters Township December 2019/January 2020 | Page 45

INDUSTRY INSIGHT REAL ESTATE SPONSORED CONTENT Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty’s LISA MCLAUGHLIN Where Client Trust Comes First Let’s talk about…Open Houses T he thought of having an open house while your home is on the market may seem painful, nerve wracking and maybe even a little nauseating. Yet there is still the hope that maybe the buyer, your buyer, will walk through your front door and make an offer over your asking price. After watching my clients go through the hard work of preparing their home for the market and then to asking them to leave for 3 hours on a Sunday afternoon was a tall order unless of course the house is vacant. Plus we’ve all heard the stories...open houses are a way that agents get more clients for other properties, the dreaded nosy neighbors will attend and how do you know if the buyer has been qualified by a mortgage representative. After 27 years of going through this exercise with my clients I knew something needed to change and the change had to start with me! I love to entertain; I enjoy having family and friends over for dinner and special celebrations. I know it’s a success when I plan ahead of time with a happy heart and deliberate preparation...picking the date and time, making my guest list, cleaning, preparing the menu and—my favorite part— setting the table such that each guest feels like I made a place at the table especially for them. Now, I do the same for all of my Open Houses. My clients and I pick a date and time that is convienent for them then they leave the rest up to me.  I decide who our target guests will be and who our target agents will be. I reach out to our world-class marketing professionals through Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty who create print collateral and social media posts that are target marketed to the areas where the buyer for my clients home might be found. The day of the Open House I set the table (so to speak) for the Open House guests...I pick a strategic area in your home--typically an island in the kitchen or area where people tend to converse comfortably. This area is accessorized with a fresh flower arrangement or seasonal item and the  professionally created property brochures will be displayed as well.   The menu is light fare along with a beverage. I also provide each open house guest with a chance to enter a drawing for a gift card as a way of saying thank you for attending the open house. As often as possible I invite a mortgage representative to provide financing options for your home and to answer any lender related questions or buyer qualifying questions. Last but not least I have “Your Story” featured...all the reasons why you loved living in your home are hand written or typed and placed in a nice frame for each open house guest to read.  This is the good stuff...this is what the guests relate too because its your story not mine and they feel it was written especially for them. While there is no gurantee that your home will sell that day, the potential buyers/open house guests will remember the pleasant experience at your home, which could make all the difference in them choosing your home over other competing homes...and that’s a WIN for my clients! PETERS TOWNSHIP Coming Soon: Peters Twp. 4 Bedrooms, 3 1/2 Baths on Cul-de-sac Street, $489,900. Lots 5-7, Sundust Road in Eighty Four… Located on 28.66 acres with a 2.3-acre pond, gorgeous grounds. 3 separately deeded parcels. $995,000. For more information on Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty’s Lisa McLaughlin, including all of her current listings, find her at piattsothebysrealty.com. You can also reach Lisa at 412-301-7000 or direct 412-491- 2938. Email is [email protected]. She is experienced in new construction and land acquisitions as well. Her office is located at 325 Southpointe Boulevard, Suite 200, in Canonsburg, 15317. ❘ DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020 43