Contributed by real estate practitioner Raphael Wong

The literal meaning of an open house is “a place or situation in which all visitors are welcome”. It is a period when sellers or real estate agents open their property to potential purchasers so that they can swing by and have a look at the property without any appointments. An open house is an ideal method of concentrating an extensive number of showings into a constrained period.

7 Tips for an Effective Open house

1. Select an Appropriate time

It is important to choose an appropriate time during which most people can visit your open house. Among the best times to organise open house are weekends and off-peak hours.

Preferably, an hour or two in the early afternoon would be effective in attracting visitors to the open house. It would also do good to provide limited time access to the open house as it will gather heavy traffic and develop more interest among the potential buyers and passers-by.

2. Cleaning and Repairing

It is highly necessary to clean your property before staging it for an open house.
Renovations, refurbishments and repairs to make it visually and functionally appealing will increase the market value of any property.

Dirty windows, stained walls and peeling paints off the walls will draw the attention of people and result in a negative impression. It is crucial to make a good first impression to keep the potential buyers attracted to the property.

Hence, hiring a cleaner, painter and plumber to make the necessary changes to the property will go a long way into making it attractive.

3. Illuminate your House

What can be more lovely and homely that sunlight streaming into your house? Draw the curtains and let the natural light in. This will increase the appeal of the house during open house as well as create an open and airy look.  

On the other hand, if the open house is held in the evening or at night, it is wise to turn on all the lights in the house. This will enable you to showcase every part of the house properly.
Keep in mind to not turn on any appliance that creates noise since it will leave a bad impression on the visitors. Remove all vehicles from the driveway and keep the driveway clear.

4. Soothing Environment

It is important to create an environment that will be soothing and well-loved by the visitors. When it comes to home, many people would want it to be calming, soothing and energising.

Place fragrant flowers in beautiful arrangements at various corners of the house. Play slow and calming music in the background. These will create a soothing environment while buyers roam around and make decisions regarding the property.

5. Put up Signboards

Putting up signs in the vicinity of your house for the open house is one of the creative ways to attract large traffic. Apart from a big attractive signboard in front of your house, you should also put up signs with the necessary details at busy corners around your house. Make sure the board is filled with attractive colours and words to draw the attention of the public and passers-by.

6. Serve Snacks

It is crucial to extend warm hospitality to the visitors to make them feel at home during the open house. So depending on your budget, serve some refreshments and snacks. Set the dining table with the snacks and encourage the visitors to enjoy them. This would leave them in a good mood and create a feel-good vibe about the house.

7. Invite Neighbours

Next, do not forget to invite your neighbours to the house before opening it to the public. Call them for a private lunch or a party. Apart from strengthening the bond with them, this move will develop curiosity among the other neighbours and might result in increased number of visitors during the open house.

All the steps above will result in a successful open house and give a glimpse of the house to the visitors. It will also pique the interests of many others in the house. Consequently, the closing rate of the property can be increased.

About the Contributor

Raphael is a Real Estate Coach, Trainer & Entrepreneur. He is recognized as the authority on how to make big money through real estate agent business. In less than 3 years, he has built a 7 figure business through his business. Over the years, Raphael has refined his 7 step system that has influenced well over thousands real estate professionals to increase their wealth. His system has been regarded as the most strategic and innovative approach to growing a real estate empire.

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