7 Things Great Agents Do Before an Open House

Preparing to host an open house for your listing? According to the NAR, a staged home will sell for 17% more on average than a non-staged home, and 95% of staged homes sell in 11 days or less.

Before you welcome buyers through your doors, a great agent will follow these seven best practices to prepare your home for the open house and ensure the event has a strong turnout.

#1. Market the Open House Event

To help make sure that buyers in your area are aware of the open house, the best agents always have a strong marketing plan in place.

The best agents will market the open house in advance of the event in multiple ways. They will get in touch with buyers in their sales funnel, promote the open house on social media, send out notices in their weekly newsletters, and inform other agents to alert their buyer clients.

The more power behind the marketing for an open house, the stronger the turnout. As soon as you set the date for your listing’s open house, the best agents will begin alerting the local market so buyers are informed and prepared.

#2. Set Appointments

If you’re scheduling walkthrough appointments for the open house to avoid crowding, great agents will help you book the appointments.

While they are marketing the event, agents will include a notice that RSVPs are required and the contact information needed to book an appointment. The agent will take care of arranging the schedule of buyers that will be coming.

Setting appointments is a good strategy because the agent may include a section where buyers can tell you a little about them and their real estate goals. This way, you can curate their experience according to their concerns.

#3. Help with Preparing Your Home

From decluttering, cleaning, and depersonalizing, an experienced agent will advise you on the best ways to prepare your home for buyers to tour.

They will remind you to clear out valuable items, clean out storage areas like closets and drawers, and remove all personal decor items that may be cluttering the space.

Great agents will help you set up the best lighting to illuminate and brighten your home, which may be through a mix of natural, overhead, and task lighting.

Great agents help their clients establish the best route for buyers to take through the home, as well. Even though buyers may be free to view the home independently, there may be subtle ways that you can establish the flow that visitors take while exploring the home.

#4. Create Staged Areas

Even if you don’t opt for full staging services, your agent will be able to help you create staged areas for the open house. Small staged areas will establish a narrative to attract buyers to your home which can help them imagine what it would be like to live there.

Agents may put a vase of fresh flowers and a fruit bowl on the kitchen table with a few plates and trays. Or, set up an intimate reading nook by draping a throw across a comfy chair and placing a book and glass of wine on an adjacent side table. They may decide to set a few pitchers of iced tea outside with an array of glasses on the patio table.

Creating these areas of experience throughout the home can make it come to life without the expenses and time of staging services.

#5. Set the Mood

The best agents know it’s important to set the mood before visitors arrive for the open house. Lighting candles around the home, refreshing any curtains or furniture,  and making sure that the lighting is right are just as important as cleaning the home.

Some agents go the extra mile and bake fresh cookies before guests arrive so the home smells inviting and cozy. Others may roast coffee beans in the oven to spread a fresh and rich aroma throughout the home.

Thoughtful agents may also prepare refreshments for visitors, such as coffee, donuts, and water. Making sure that buyers feel comfortable when they first visit the home is an important consideration to improve the experience that buyers walk away with.

#6. Plan to Have the Home Vacant

If you have pets and family members, you won’t necessarily want them present during the open house while buyers are touring the property. A great agent will help you create a plan to get pets, children, and other household members off of the property for the time dedicated to the open house appointments.

#7. Prepare You To Welcome Guests

When it’s the final moments before guests arrive, good agents will make sure that everything is ready for the perfect open house. Once all the preparations are completed, the agent will discuss some tips with sellers to prepare them to interact with buyers and conduct a successful open house.

Not all agents take these seven steps, but the best agents do. To get connected with a top agent in your area, click here.