WITH MIKE STOTT 2015 Edition Open House SuccessfulSuccessful How to Host a

In the world of , Facebook, Linked in twitter, sly dial, and non-personal communication – here’s a chance to meet people face-to-face!

They actively search out listings online. They aggressively shop the swelled ranks of homes for sale by owner, known as FSBOs. They spend their weekends doing home shopping "leg work". They attend open houses in droves. When do-it-yourself home shoppers drop into your open house, you're safe to bet on two things: They're serious about finding a home for sale An Agent doesn't represent them In other words, they're great Buyer prospects. A high-touch opportunity in a high-tech world They actively search out listings online. They aggressively shop the swelled ranks of homes for sale by owner, known as FSBOs. They spend their weekends doing home shopping "leg work". They attend open houses in droves. When do-it-yourself home shoppers drop into your open house, you're safe to bet on two things: They're serious about finding a home for sale An Agent doesn't represent them In other words, they're great Buyer prospects. A high-touch opportunity in a high-tech world

Pick a well-priced well trafficked house (bargain if you have to – lower price then open) BEST is new on market and shows GREAT. Prepare the seller for open Prepare A Buyers Package (Plat maps tax info, lender sheet, fact sheet, disclosures) Know the Market Stats. Bring fact sheets with neighborhood comparable sales/listings. Preview the comps in advance and talk to the listing agents. Have comps set to show after your open… or during if have a partner with you. Be sure to cancel if not showing.

Know the advantages of buying right now and financing options available on this home. Low interest rates, tax advantages, and possible higher prices coming make now the best time to buy! Get a lender to sit with you and/or provide financing sheets. They can do a pre-qual right on the spot. Create a bulletin board of seasonal house photographs so buyers can see what the home would look like at another time of the year. This is especially helpful to showcase gardens during the winter.

Advertise online (MLS, Craigslist etc) Door knock 25 neighbors On Friday –What an opportunity! Invite the neighbors by personally knocking on their doors (best day-of, if very big, a few days before) and letting them know about the open (when the home sells you can go back around with the good news and they’ll remember you). OK to mail invite but more likely they come from a door knock or simple invite on the door day-of. Also OK to cold call the neighborhood beforeAsk for their HELP with your open (tell others about it, avoid parking in front of the home, etc)… Ask if they have any questions about the market to open some conversation. Tell them about a drawing and get them to come by.

Old Expireds and FSBO’s Put out lots of signs (some do up to 70) on Saturday Put balloons on signs Sunday Morning Consider posting an invitation on craigslist, facebook, etc. the morning of the open house. Use your social media. Stage the home – lights, smells, clutter! Use Open Home Pro to get sign ins

Serve drinks (water bottles are fine) and snacks that won’t stain the carpet. This encourages people to stay and have conversation. Be a great salesperson – enthusiastic and cheerful and asking for the business! One additional question! Stand up and greet each attendee by saying: “Welcome! How long have you owned in the neighborhood?” This will start the conversation as they give an answer (so you know they are a neighbor) or say “Oh, I don’t live here”…. To which you can say “YET!” with a big smile. Question #2 – Do you own or rent now? Have standard questions you can use to get conversations going. DO show them around.

Use a drawing to get everyone to sign in and give full contact info. A great gift basket is an eye catcher and you can DELIVER it to them if they win… My best ever: Signed cookie bag from Wally Amos. He even came by the open house… Bring a list of prospects and hot leads to follow-up with when you have slow times, or your PC/COI list. Tell them you’re at an Open in case you have to get off the phone quickly. Ask the FSBO how their open house is going and let the hot leads know you are working today. Ask them to come by. Leave a nice note for the owners of the house letting them know how it went and give them appropriate feedback.

What’s the goal? Keeping Seller Happy? Getting them to get it really nice and staged? Finding a Buyer for the Home? Finding Buyers for OTHER homes? Meeting potential Sellers (most look at homes BEFORE they list)? Meeting the neighbors to create a 2 nd listing for that neighborhood?

Hi, I’m Donna with NW Atlanta Properties… We have your neighbor’s home for sale and we are Actively looking for a Buyer for the home. We often find that someone in the neighborhood knows someone else that might want to move in. Who do you know that might want to move into the area? (you’ll get “no one”, or “how much is the home” MOST of the time) Thank them for thinking about it, give them the price and bedroom/bath details and then tell them it will be open Sunday from 2-5 and you hope to meet them there… they just have to see the _______ (some feature). Before you get off the phone say... “You know, when one home sells in a neighborhood, very often another one sells soon after because of the additional activity. Who do you know in the area that may want or need to sell? How about you, when do you plan your next move?”