When sellers think of hosting an open house, they may think of strangers walking through every room of their house and the costs incurred in the preparation of the event. They can often forget the many benefits that come with an open house.
In a competitive property market such as Regina, an open house is a tried and tested method of generating needed visibility for your property. In this article, I, Jennica George, offer my take on the benefits of hosting an open house.
The Benefits of Hosting an Open House
Set Your Property Apart
While creating an appealing online listing for your properties, complete with photos is an important step in the marketing process, it doesn’t allow people to fully envision themselves living in the space.
From my experience as a realtor and interior designer in Regina, an open house is a perfect opportunity to convince the prospective buyer that your property is their new home. The idea behind a professional property showing is to allow prospective buyers to get a better idea of what they could do with the property if it were theirs.
If you are worried about the time and effort required to host an open house, you can leave it up to me. I have the experience and resources to implement a professional staging and I’ll be by your side through the entire selling process.
Breaks Down the Tension
Having an open house allows prospects to see the space in real-time and it allows them to ask any questions they may have about the property. Being able to address their concerns head-on helps them feel more secure when deciding to make an offer. Getting an appraisal for your home is also a good idea.
I can offer tours of the property, highlighting the standout features and amenities, and answer questions. Before the day of the open house, I will conduct several walked through the home to familiarize myself with the layout and the various amenities.
An open house also allows prospects to see how much interest there is in the property. This allows them to assess what kind of offer to place.
Calm First Time Buyers
The home buying process can be a daunting experience for a first-time buyer. They don’t know where to start and at times, would like clarification on certain details. By attending the open house, not only can they envision themselves living there, they can learn more about the buying process.
As your property partner, I’ll make sure to guide them through how the process works. You can rest easy knowing that your prospective buyers are in the most capable hands in Regina.
Meet and Greet Opportunity
Have you built up a good rapport with your neighbours? This is the perfect time to have them swing by. You can ask them to introduce themselves to a few ‘serious’ buyers. The introduction will work wonders. Your neighbours can sell the neighbourhood better since potential buyers will be more inclined to take their word.
If you have great neighbours, it’s only a matter of time for the potential buyers to become excited with the idea of living next door to them too.
Save on Marketing Costs
The costs of marketing and property showings are a common concern for many property owners. However, a solid investment in the market can reap wonderful rewards. With an open house, you can forego having individual showings that typically involve calling up a professional cleaning service and incurring the cost of utilities.
To guarantee a high attendance on the day of the showing, proper advertising of the open house is necessary. Many buyers make use of brokerage websites and social media platforms to search for property deals in an area. Some of the websites that I use to advertise my Regina properties include Kijiji, Realtor.ca as well as Instagram, Facebook ads, and Twitter.
Speaking of high attendance, I advise my clients to schedule their open houses on the weekend. Your potential buyers are likely people who have jobs and tight schedules during the week. It’s only on the weekend that they have the time to go looking for a home.
Potential for Free Advertising
Speaking of neighbours, they could offer free advertising and marketing of your property. Your neighbours will be concerned about your departure and would only want a neighbour as good as you. Your neighbours will likely know of someone looking to buy a house so they can help with getting the word out there too.
Show Off Neighbourhood Amenities
A property is only as good as the neighbourhood it’s in. People want to know that the community they’re setting up roots in is safe, comfortable, and filled with opportunity.
An open house is a perfect opportunity to sell the locational benefits of your property. I include printed takeaways that contain information on the top schools, transportation routes, and highly rated eateries and establishments in the area.
If prospects are excited about living in the area, there’s a better chance that they’ll put an offer in on the house.
Conclusion
Holding an open house comes with many benefits to sellers. It’s an opportunity for people to envision themselves living in the home, learn more about the neighbourhood and ask questions about the property and buying process.
Serving areas in and around Regina as well as Emerald Park/ White City and Lumsden, I, Jennica George am an experienced realtor that you can call upon for property brokerage services.
Get in touch with me today and book an appointment. We can discuss your need over a cup of tea or coffee!
