How to prepare for an open house: 5 tips

There are two condominiums in the French Quarter that I am excited to prepare for an DOUBLE Open House.  On Saturday, May 13 from 11am to 2pm, I will be welcoming ​all interested parties in the French Quarter to view Condos #5 and #6 in hopes to sell for a price that is exciting for the buyer and seller.  Each condominum is terribly charming: overlookng a well-kept courtyard with a fountain that keeps water and air moving throughtout the center social area.  It is a quiet, peaceful and serene place amongst the noisy, exciting French Quarter bustle.  Yet, having a charming house is simply not enough to guarantee a well-prepared and well-attended Open House.  There are many other details that need attention!  Prepare for an Open House using these five tips:

1. MARKET EVERYWHERE
From Facebook to Zillow, a well-attended Open House will be seen on as many of the online marketing networks as you can manage.  Take advantage of the free marketing tools that social media sites offer: Free Facebook posts can gain your largest number of views.  Create an Event page and post pictures, answer questions, invite friends.  A step further are paid ads: $20 and your post views can grow from 100 to 4,000!   Include Instagram, Craigslist, Zillow, MLS, your website and all other sites you manage are tools to say that you are hosting an Open House.

2.  GIVE FULL INFORMATION
As you tell your circle of influence that your property is having an Open House, make sure that all the information they need to get there is right in front of them.  List the day of the week, time, exact address.  For example, a well informed one-sentence, "Include me in your Saturday, May 13 plans: Join me at 836 St. Peter Street on Saturday, May 13 for an EXCITING DOUBLE OPEN HOUSE of condos #5 and #6! "  

3. GIVE SOMETHING AT THE DOOR
It is a matter of great professionalism and hospitality when you offer guests of your Open House something at the door.  Your guest will be at ease if you offer them a beverage or lite bite.  It shows how prepared you are when you instantly offer a floor-plan or brief history of the house when your guest arrives.  Hand out cards to every guest after shaking their hands and asking who they are.  No matter what special offer you and your team want to give the guest, make it a worthwhile trip for them.  You are showing you appreciate that they came to your event, and it makes them comfortable to ask you questions.  

4. PREPARE YOUR MATERIALS
Your event should showcase how professional and serious you are about making a sale.  Arrive at your house with your preferred marketing materials: print, digital, tablets, pamphlets, drones, photography, stereo, pens, business cards.  Gather these items night before and collect it in a box to make sure you did not forget anything.

5. CLEAN AND ARRANGE 
The guests of your Open House must be able to see themselves in this house, and having your particular style (while surely enjoyable to you) will not be the best environment for an Open House.  Prepare your house by clearing the clutter, arranging furniture in a way that allows flow, dust and clean all surfaces, bathrooms and kitchens must be seem clean of daily usage, curtain and blinds drawn to allow as much natural light as possible, animals off-site, music playing, clean smells or no smells at all.  Prepare your house a day or two before the Open House and get an opinion from a trusted friend or neighbor.  

​All houses are unique and offer exactly what someone is wanting.  Make sure your guests have all the advantages of a visit and enjoy coming and talking to you about the house.  If you are interested in seeing how I host an Open House, then please join me in the historic French Quarter on Saturday, May 13 from 11am to 2pm at  836 St. Peter Street for a RARE DOUBLE OPEN HOUSE of condos #5 and #6.