How to host a successful open house when selling your home

If you’re thinking of selling your home, one of the top marketing tools you have at your disposal is an open house. An open house is an event hosted by a homeowner and real estate agent that allows potential buyers to tour a home, ask questions, and see firsthand if they want to make an offer. And because open houses are often a major draw for buyers, open houses create demand because people can see the potential competition they face. What does it take to host a successful open house? Fortunately, it takes a little planning and foresight, as well as the right partner.

Before you take the plunge, here’s what you should know about helping your Triangle-area home sell fast with the help of an open house.

If you’re ready to sell, you should have already gone through the process of prepping your home for sale. That means you should have decluttered and depersonalized, deep cleaned, and made necessary repairs to list your home. The good news is that the hard part is done. If you’ve already done the work of adding curb appeal, staging your home, neutralizing the interior, and more, it’s a lot easier to host a successful open house.

If you haven’t gone through the work of making your home presentable to a general audience, then take the time to do that before you list your home with an agent. This work will create a great first impression from the moment the home is listed. Seeing the work that’s been done in advance through great photos and 3D tours will be a draw for potential buyers.

Depending upon when you list your home, where you are in the Triangle, and a few other factors, you might want to think strategically about when you host an open house. For example, if your home is in a smaller community in the Triangle, you may want to host your open house on the traditional Sunday afternoon. Weekends tend to be a good draw for people who are setting aside time to look for homes. And hosting an open house shortly after you list is always smart.

However, if you have a downtown Raleigh condo, you may want to host the open house at night when guests can see the lights of the city. Or, if you’re in an area with many other open houses happening at the same time, you may want to stagger yours so people have time to visit more than one location. And if you’re close to a popular work area, it might be wise to host a lunch-time open house. Take your specific situation into consideration as you set the time and date.

It’s always a nice idea to offer fresh baked cookies, coffee, or water at an open house. But you may be able to go the extra mile with something more personal to the space. For example, is there a bakery you love that’s close by? Offer their cookies or coffee so potential buyers know what’s in the neighborhood. It might help them fall in love with the location, as well as your home.

Don’t forget to put out fresh linens and towels to help bathrooms and kitchens feel bright and clean. Bring in fresh flowers, bowls of ripe fruit, and burn candles to help lighten up various rooms. And you can even add greenery like plants and succulents to help a room feel clean and bright. These small techniques can go a long way to help your house feel more homey.

Is there something specific about your home that you want people to notice? Maybe it’s a particular feature of the home’s architecture. It could be a historic fact about the home. Perhaps it’s a stunning view. Make sure those features are highlighted so that people know what they’re looking at.

Consider adding in artist-style placards or a small brochure that guests can carry around with them. You could highlight historic photography if you have an older home. Or you could talk to guests about what made you fall in love with the home. If potential buyers know what makes the home special, it will give them a more compelling reason to purchase the home.

The best way to host a successful open house is to work with the right real estate agent from the start. A good agent will have a plan for selling your home, which should include specific marketing tactics, one of which should be an open house.

Your agent will market your home on your behalf, and part of advertising your home is to get the word out about an open house. Before you hire an agent, take the time to interview agents to determine if the person has your best interest in mind. A good agent will present you with a plan to sell and provide you with the knowledge it takes to sell with confidence.

If you’re ready to sell your home with ease, follow these steps and work with the right agent to make it all happen. The Triangle is still a seller’s market. And that means the right tools and efforts will help you sell your home with ease.