Is the real estate market slowing down? Are you doing all you can to capture the attention of potential buyers? Real estate marketing is about combining forces with knowledge and technology. Everyone loves a Saturday or Sunday open house to see what is happening in the neighbourhood and developing communities. The weekends are great for getting the attention of hard working 9-5 buyers but there are plenty of other great open house ideas that you can incorporate into your marketing plan every day of the week. Here are some creative ways to increase leads and make the sale.
Like, Share, Tag
Social media sharing and advertising speak volumes to avid followers in your niche market and according to CREA are a must for all agents. Facebook ads can target the right audience to get potential buyers to check out your live-streamed virtual open house. By using proptech tools like 3D tours and floor plans you can share content on Instagram and all your social channels to engage with potential clients. Staying up to date on open house marketing ideas get your listings trending, sharing, and hashtagged #virtualopenhouse to generate viable leads.
Stage the setting
Virtual staging allows buyers to see the potential in a property. Kick-off your open house ideas with a couple of accessible tablets showcasing the home through the magic of virtual staging. Visitors can check out 3D tours and floor plans to visualize a completely different look compared to the existing seller’s décor. A good-looking open house can conceivably lead to a good pay off according to a recent article in Realtor® Magazine.
Tell a story
Everyone loves a good story and one of the open house marketing ideas you can engage in is using a snippet of a home’s features on your Instagram story. Choose your open house video walk-through as an introduction to your latest listings. Your current social media followers promote your featured property by engaging and sharing the link to that “perfect starter home” or “open floor plan” from your virtual open house.
A brand new gift
It is better to give than to receive, but what if you could gift potential buyers a reminder of your brand and receive referrals as a reward. Branded promotional items can range from coffee mugs to clothing and can be used as part of your open house ideas to generate leads. Tie in your brand logo, contact information, and brokerage name to match the personalized virtual tours, floor plans, and 3D videos on your website. Building your brand increases awareness and leads to more sales.
Hang with the neighbours
OK, so you know the neighbours are curious about the property you just placed a new listing sign on. Why not invite the neighbours to your virtual open house by using door hangers in the immediate vicinity? Though the neighbours are probably more curious about the floor plan and price, you may just snag a lead from that open house marketing idea and sell the property to one of their friends or family members who have been longing to move into the neighbourhood. You will be able to monitor the browsing time of the 3D tours and interactive videos all through analytics offered by companies like iGuide®.
The Realtor® connection
Real estate marketing is more than just showing off your own listings. Promoting your listing through a Realtor® caravan creates awareness among your fellow agents who are working with buyers in the same area. Use this leverage for great open house ideas by sharing a day with your fellow agents. Banding together to create an easy to enjoy tour of listings in a particular area brings in more potential customers. Open houses are still a great tool in the homebuyer’s search and the 2021 generational report from NAR states that more than 50% of buyers look at open houses on their quest. Don’f forget to give the buyers proptech tools like virtual tours and accurate measurements to keep your listing at the forefront of their minds.
Proptech showcase
Leverage your time by enlisting the services of real estate photographers to provide the latest proptech like interactive 3D tours and accurate floor plans to make your listing stand out in the crowd. Open house marketing ideas need to connect to the consumer’s emotions and showcasing your listings using proptech makes that happen. Virtual open houses allow buyers to spend more time at a property while being uninhibited to explore each space intimately. You can choose to guide them through the online tour with subsequent virtual showings introducing them to features they may have missed.
Win the contest
Generating leads and winning listings are the results of good open house ideas. Sponsoring a contest or initializing one of your own is a way to create engagement with the consumer. A short contest entry form requesting the participant’s name, phone number, and email are the perfect ways to add potential buyers and sellers to your list of leads. Pair up with a local business for a fun giveaway to a local restaurant, spa, or one-night stay at a nearby resort. Be sure to announce the winner of the contest at your next virtual open house to keep everyone tuned in to your website and social feeds.
Feature focus
Stand out by highlighting 3 main features of your listing. Open house marketing ideas benefit you by getting the attention of the consumer. Sellers will rave about your use of virtual open houses to eliminate the inconveniences to their daily lives and buyers will appreciate your knowledge and expertise as you zero in on the things they are looking for. Focus on kitchens, bathrooms, and garage spaces as the features homebuyers want most.
As long as the real estate industry exists there will be a reason to have an open house. The trick is to adjust your modus operandi and focus on the technology trends currently demanded by the consumer. Today’s virtual open house is making way for virtual reality as one of the next great open house ideas for the future.
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