Hosting an open house event that showcases your latest development is a great way to amplify interest in your builds. But, the most successful open houses are also memorable, and here are some ideas you can use to wow potential buyers and real estate agents.
Feed your crowd
Putting out a spread of food and drink is always a good idea, but you can step it up from cheese and crackers, veggie trays and cookies. Why not hire a food truck or an ice cream wagon to be on site during your open house hours to wow your hungry visitors. Or have a grill master on hand to grill up burgers and dogs on demand. Visitors will get a little something to stick to their ribs and you’ll stick in their memories.
Find a food and drink partner
One of the best-selling points of any new development is the neighborhood and its amenities, so why not showcase some of what the area has to offer at your open house. Find local cafes, boutiques or other small businesses to team up with you and showcase their wares. Local craft coffees, tasty desserts and handmade goods are a great way to highlight the appeal of an area while also highlighting your homes.
Think of a theme
Make your open house an experience rather than a tour through your various floorplans. Seize the opportunity to throw a themed party. “An Afternoon Matinee” with popcorn, candy and kid-friendly videos looping on the TVs, or maybe a fiesta with tacos and margaritas. Find a theme that works for your development and run with it. Be creative and have some fun.
Find a good cause
Teaming up with a local nonprofit and collecting donations, whether they be goods or money, can be a great way to make your open house memorable. Choose your charity wisely, though. Make sure you don’t choose a controversial organization. Safe bets are always animal-related charities or food banks.
You also can choose a charity to be the beneficiary of your generosity based on attendance. For example, donate $1 for every visitor who attends your open house. Or pledge to match any financial donations made by open house visitors.
Make sure to collect email addresses for attendees. Not only is this a great follow-up tool to reach out to prospective buyers, but it also will allow you to share with them how much money was raised or how many donations were collected and to ensure they don’t forget the difference you — and they — made.
Get trendy
An open house also can be a great opportunity to showcase new design trends with your home as the canvas for creating an artful space. Team with an expert stager or a local interior designer and highlight new or emerging trends in design to illustrate the potential of your houses as amazing homes.
Be a real estate resource
Before your open house, do your research on competitive listings so you can speak knowledgeably about what homes in similar developments are selling for and how quickly they are selling. Such research also can help you highlight the strong points of your development — good schools, low crime rates, local tax rates, etc.
For more resources to help you stand out as a developer, check out our blog posts for builders.
