Online Buyers - How to Fill Your Open Houses

 So you have a new listing and you want to hold an open house but you have been told by many of your peers that open houses are a waste of time. No one wants to waste a Saturday or Sunday afternoon sitting at an empty open house.  These days with new digital tools it makes it easier than ever to get buyers in the front door. Here are some great ways to get home buyers out of their cars and in to your open house.

Attract the “Tire Kickers”

Encourage these seemingly unmotivated home buyers with your online marketing by mentioning that you will have a gift for all the folks who attend and complete your sign in form. Get these folks excited and have them post on sites like FoureSquare or Twitter.  This way everyone on their networks will know they are at your open house, and you will expand your marketing reach tenfold.  A good give might be a gift card or a scratch-off lottery ticket. Print fliers and remind your visitors to check in for a chance to win.

Update Your Open House Listing Information

Many DFW real estate agents mistakenly think that the details about their open house are automatically updated from one site to the next. It is paramount to make sure your open house times are updated on real estate websites like Realtor.com and other popular real estate sites. Make sure that your listing information is mobile friendly and will load properly on smart phones that are so popular today. This is important because many people are out and about running errands on the weekend.

Invite on FaceBook

FaceBook is all the rage today. It only takes minutes to set up a FaceBook Event for your open house even if you are holding Dallas foreclosures open. Make sure that you include photos of the home and selling details on the event page that will make people want to come to your open house.  Once you have set up the event, you can advertise it on your FaceBook Business Page. Google + and Pinterest are great places to market your open house as well.

BackPage and Craig's List

More and more home buyers are searching for homes on BackPage and Craig's List to find open houses in their area. Marketing your open house on these sites is another simple way to spread the word online. To make sure your event stands out and increases your post’s appeal, add photos or upload your online ad or property flyer.

Shout and Spread the Word

Tell everyone you know about your open house on social networks. Try making some minor modifications to your message to help keep it from getting shut off. Try some messages like these: “Baking cookies to bring to my open house at 423 Maple St today” or “Bummer, it’s raining; I have my towels to protect the carpets for the buyers who brave the weather and come to my open house at 423 Maple St this afternoon.” With so many people engaging online and accessing information on mobile, it’s essential to use all the modern tools in your arsenal to communicate about your open house. Of course, there are many other ways to market online. Wherever you are – spread the word!