Whether you are the listing agent for a property or you have decided to take on the daunting task of selling your own home, an open house is an extremely important tool for drawing the interest of qualified buyers. Even in high-demand markets like San Diego and Orange County, simply setting a date and opening your home to potential buyers is not enough. Here are a few steps you can take to ensure that your open house will leave attendees with an ideal impression of your residence and get you an asking offer that you deserve.

Deep Cleaning and Maintenance

C-Ville

This one should be the most-obvious step in the staging process, however, too often is it overlooked. Walking into a dirty, cluttered home in desperate need of repairs is an immediate red-flag for potential owners who are often making one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Searching for a place that you will hopefully call your own for the next 30 years of your life causes you to view everything differently. Anything that sheds negative light on the property lowers your chances of a sale.

• A common issue during open houses is determining what stays in the home and what can be constituted as clutter. Clutter does not mean that something should be thrown away. Clutter is simply personal items and home décor that are not essential to the ambiance of the home itself. It can make a clean home seem messy and should ideally be packed up before the open house.
• Hire a cleaning service to make sure every nook and cranny looks good as new. While many homeowners would rather save the money and go through to clean the home themselves, a cleaning service will ensure that no stone goes unturned.
• The first impression potential buyers will take away from your home is the front yard. Make sure that before they walk into the home they already love what they see. Touch up the paint job, clean the windows, mow the lawn, or plant fresh flowers along the walkway. Anything you can do to make your home more visually-appealing will go a long way towards finding the right buyer.
• For homeowners, de-personalize the home as much as possible. Potential buyers need to be able to envision themselves in the home and the best way to do this is by removing personal items. Things such as family photos and children’s school projects. Generic linens should be placed on beds, fresh towels should be hung in the bathroom, and any unique odors from pets or otherwise should be neutralized.

Marketing the Property

After all of your hard work, the house is sparkling clean and ready for buyers to start a bidding war. Now how do we get people to show up?

Properly marketing your open house is the most important step in the process. You must know who you want to reach and exactly how you are going to reach them. In the current state of real estate, posting your home online is an absolute necessity. From Zillow to Trulia to Realtor.com, even Craigslist…the list goes on and on. When potential buyers begin their home search, these websites are inevitably the first place that they will go. Make sure your property is easily discoverable on every relevant site, equipped with beautiful pictures and walk-through videos.

After listing your property and the open house date on all of the high traffic real estate sites, it is important to utilize a unique customer pipeline that only you have access to: Friends and Family. In the real estate business, referrals can make or break a home sale. While they might not be the ones in need of a property, the people closest to you have the highest interest in your success. Reach out on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Send out a mass email. Meet up for coffee. However you choose to reach them, the message should be clear and consistent. Anyone that they know that may be searching for a home needs to know that you have one available.

The next step to take in marketing your property is reaching neighbors and passersby. Potential buyers have often narrowed their home search to a general area or specific neighborhood. Many buyers will often take a walk or a drive through their desired location to get a feel for the area and to keep an eye out for “OPEN HOUSE” and “FOR SALE” signs. An easily-legible sign with all relevant details (open house date, contact information, etc.) should be prominently placed in the front yard.

For those with a home in a secluded area or in a place that does not receive high foot-traffic, a simple, affordable way to reach neighbors is through direct mailers. Walk door-to-door with flyers or send out an informative postcard to the neighborhood. This provides information to a large number of local residents. These residents may potentially spread the word and can increase the perceived demand for you property.

Enhancing the Viewing Experience

BHGRE

The final step in the preparation process takes place on the day of the open house. The main goal is for customers to leave the showing in the best possible mood, with the best possible impression of your home.

• No one wants to view homes on an empty stomach. Make sure there is something for people to snack on. This can be as simple as cheese and crackers or a tray of cookies. This may seem like a minor detail, but anything that will keep potential buyers in the house for a longer period of time can increase your chances of a sale.
• Make sure that all lights are working and all window blinds are open. Natural light is important for many buyers, and a well-lit home will be viewed much more favorable than one that appears dark and secluded.
• Provide the buyers with an attractive, informational brochure when they leave the property. Buyers will often view multiple homes in the same day. By the end of it, properties that are viewed early on can get lost in the search. Give the potential buyers something to look back on and remember how much they loved your beautiful home.
• And the last step to take as the homeowner: Leave. Aside from the fact that it will be harder for potential buyers to see the home as their own with the current tenant there, clients will be less comfortable walking through a home when they know the owner is sitting in the other room. Let the listing agent handle any questions buyers might have and give yourself a couple hours to relax.

Kevin Darchuk is a Real Estate Professional at Class Realty Group’s San Diego office. Reach him by email at kdarchuk@classrealtygroup.com or by phone at 408-483-6668.