Objective Of Hosting An Open House:

1. To sell the home & satisfy the seller.
2. To meet prospective buyers who are also sellers.
3. To market the home to buyers & meet buyers.
4. To generate more business & retain listing appointments. If the open house is from 1 pm to 4 pm, the goal is to have listing appointments after the open house.

Tip: Hosting an open house is your opportunity to have buyers (which are potential clients) come to you. This is your storefront – be ready with self-promotional items and a list of other active properties in case this listing does not pique their interest once they tour the home.

Listing Opportunity

Allow the guests to enter the home for the open house, greet them and allow them to circulate the home for a bit until you sense they are comfortable, then approach them and ask questions such as:

1. Are you from (insert town or city)?

• If the answer is no:

» Where are you currently living?

» Are they looking to move down?

» What brings them to the area?

• If the answer is yes:

» Where do you live now? How long have you lived there? How do you like it?

» Why are you looking to move?

» Have you seen any homes you particularly like?

» Do you own or rent now? − If you own, will you be needing to sell your home to purchase a new home?

2. “Would you like to have a current market home evaluation to see what your home could sell for in today’s market? We can also review what closing costs may be & how many net dollars you will have from your home sale to buy a new home. I get off at 4 pm, I can swing by after and help you with a price opinion. It will only take a few minutes & there is no obligation. It will help you know how many net dollars you are working with to buy a new home.”

Secured Appointment

Once you secure the listing appointment, you will follow the tips below upon arrival:

“Hello, nice to see you again! Would you give me a quick tour of your home?"

Tip: While the tour takes place, make sure to ask questions to the homeowner that build your relationship. Some great conversation topics would be about their family, occupation, recreational activities they may enjoy, or future goals/dreams.

Family Examples

• You don’t need to be overly creative; simple ideas such as “Do you have a spouse? Do you have children? Do you have pets?” are great starters.
• Ask questions to learn more, such as, “How did you meet your spouse?” or “How long have you been together?” if you know the person is married.
• If the person has children, ask related questions such as, “How old are they?” “What schools do they attend” or “What sports do they play?”

Occupation Examples

• Asking about a person’s occupation is great to start a work-related conversation. Questions might include “What line of work are you in?” “How do you like your job?” or “That’s interesting, how did you end up doing that sort of work?” 

Recreation Examples

• Examples of questions you might ask include “What do you like to do for fun?” “What do you do on the weekends?” or “Do you go on vacation often?

Dream Examples

• Don’t be afraid to get creative with questions like “What have you always wanted to do?” “If you could travel anywhere, what place would you visit?” or “Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?”
• Be sure to listen and reflect on what you hear

Fill in the Open House Listing Appointment Form

1. Intro Info Questions:

a. When did you purchase this home?

b. What sold you on this home when you purchased it?

c. Have you made any upgrades over the time you have owned this home?

d. Do you know your loan amount for this home?

e. How many properties have you sold?

» What were your experiences with that sale?

2. Are there any items in the house you would like to exclude from the sale during showings? Ex. Chandeliers, mirrors in the powder room, etc.

3. Are there any items you would be open to including in the sale? Such as the playground or jacuzzi, etc.

4. What do you believe your home is worth & why?

5. Do you have any other properties you may need to sell

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today and allow me to learn more about your home. Based on the information you’ve given me; I will create a home evaluation of the current market and showcase what we will most likely sell your home for. What is a good time & date for us to get together to review this?”

Tip: Make sure to leave behind a CMA of the neighborhood of recent solds, actives & pending listings as well as a flyer with your bio, testimonials, and business card for them to use or pass along to a friend!

Real Estate Open House Listing Appointment Form (PDF Download) 

Downloadable template incorporating all of the content in the section above.