Transform Issue Two.pdf Apr. 2014 | Page 16

Effective Open House Techniques It’s no secret that open house marketing has been branded as old-school and not very effective. However, there are quite a few agents who beg to differ. These agents have a great track record and are situated in various areas, perfecting their marketing strategy that has kept their sales intact. You can join the skeptics in simply keeping the seller happy or you can actually turn an open house event into profit. The Internet There is no reason why you shouldn’t use a modern tool to improve an old trick. According to Wendy Cutrufelli, a sales associate at Alain Pinel, at least half of the people who show up for an open house event got the information from the internet. To 16 her, Sunday is the most important day of the week and she regards these events as highly important, because it gives a chance for more personal interaction between the seller, buyer and ultimately the agent. Don’t wait till the last minute to start promoting. The moment you can put a date on when the event is going to take place then spread the word as far and wide as possible. A large amount of people prefer to window shop on the web and catering to them will definitely get more feet in the door so-to-speak. This involves blogging, tweeting and emails to those who have signed up on listing sites. If you want to know how successful each marketing strategy is then simply ask the buyer how they knew about the event. Attention Grabbing Signs A number of realtors including Rita and Brian Burke, broker associates at Kenna Real Estate in Denver, still make use of good old signs. In addition to marketing on the internet, they have invested in 80 signs with different colors, sizes and shapes. A typical event for them will see at least 20 signs, if not more, strategically placed. Even though it does sound rather excessive, they swear by the amount of attention it gets. You can make it more inviting by offering a free coffee or snack while the buyers consider their options. Never underestimate the power of