An open house is a proven way to showcase a property, engage with potential buyers, and generate new leads. However, hosting a successful open house involves meticulous planning, strategic marketing, and excellent execution. 

Here are some tips for hosting a successful open house that will generate new leads:

1. Start preparing well in advance

If you want your open house to bring in prospective buyers and generate new leads, it's best to start preparations as soon as possible. Here are a few steps to take to get the ball rolling:

• Choose an optimal time: Selecting the right day and time is crucial for maximizing attendance at your open house. Weekends tend to be better, considering most people are off from work. The best time to host your open house is typically around late morning or early afternoon, as these are convenient for most people. Before choosing a time, check the local city or neighborhood calendar to ensure there won't be any major events conflicting with your open house.
• Start cleaning and staging: The next step in preparing for your open house is to get the house cleaned and staged. There are likely several reputable professionals in your area who can handle these tasks for you. Don't wait to call them until the last minute as doing a proper job may take some time.
• Make a plan for food and beverages: A great strategy to lure in potential buyers is offering complimentary food and drink at your open house. After all, who turns away free food? Simply having a batch of fresh-baked cookies or fresh-ground coffee on hand can go a long way in getting buyers to not just walk in the door but to stay and explore the property.

2. Spread the word through digital marketing and communication

In today's climate, the greatest strategy for marketing your open house and communicating with prospects is through technology. The majority of buyers begin their home search on the Internet and expect to accomplish much of the process digitally. These are a few tried-and-true digital strategies for spreading the word about your open house:

• Capture high-quality photos and videos: The quickest way to pique buyers' interests is through high-quality photography and videos of the property. Hire a professional photographer and use video technology, such as Delta's Properties in Motion®, to highlight the home's best features and bring the open house to buyers' attention online.
• Advertise on social media: Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with prospects. By running a paid advertising campaign on social media, you can expand your visibility and easily spread the word about your open house. Simply post a graphic, photo, or video and optimize your campaign to reach your target audience.
• Take advantage of email marketing: You can also send your entire contact list a personal invite via email. Make the invitation engaging and include all necessary details, such as the open house's date, time, and address. Plus, include a call-to-action (CTA) encouraging recipients to RSVP. 
• List your open house on real estate websites: Listing the open house on your real estate website, along with providing all the necessary information users need to attend and an option to RSVP, can gain the attention of buyers searching for homes across the Internet. You can share this information on other websites such as Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com as well for greater visibility.

3. Welcome and engage with attendees 

Once the day of the open house has finally arrived, it's time to welcome your attendees. Make sure to engage with them as much as possible, share your knowledge, and collect their contact information. Here are some tips for engaging with customers at your open house:

• Create a welcoming atmosphere: You want prospects to feel comfortable and welcome in the home as soon as they walk in the door. You can accomplish this by displaying a welcome sign on the front porch or in the home's entranceway, playing soothing background music, and offering guests refreshments they can sip or munch on as they browse. 
• Be ready to answer questions: Buyers will rarely come to an open house and not have any questions about the property. So be ready to answer some questions on the spot and continue chatting.
• Offer them informational materials: Another effective way to engage with visitors is by handing out brochures that contain all the details of the property. This will not only help them determine if the home is the right fit, but it will also limit the number of questions you have to answer, which can be especially helpful if there is a large number of guests present at one time.
• Capture visitor information: A major step in using your open house to generate leads is to collect contacts and other relevant information from the attendees. The best way to do this is by bringing an iPad or other tablet with you and asking visitors to input their email and phone number into the device upon entrance or before they walk out the door.

4. Follow-up post open house

If your goal with the open house was to generate new leads that will ultimately turn into a sale, the work isn't over even when your guests leave. The final step in capturing new leads from your open house is to follow up. These are some simple suggestions for following up with attendees:

• Send a thank you message: Make sure you send an email or text message to all attendees within a few days of the open house. In the message, be sure to include all your contact information and let them know you are available to answer any further questions regarding the property. You can also let them know that even if this property wasn't the right fit, you are equipped to help them find one that is. For more serious prospects, take the time to include a personalized message.
• Share a survey link: Surveys are a great method for getting more insight into how attendees felt about the property and the open house. This information can help you better understand the property's strengths and weaknesses as well as what the attendees are personally searching for in a home.
• Subscribe attendees to your newsletter: A weekly or monthly newsletter is an excellent way to stay in touch with customers post-open house. Through a newsletter, you can remind prospective buyers and sellers that you are available for service and keep them informed about what you have been up to.
• Share market updates: This allows you to not only keep in touch with customers but also provide important information on the state of the real estate market and what's for sale and recently sold in their neighborhood.

To Make These Tasks Easier, Use Delta's Open House Connector®

Hosting an open house can help you generate new leads not only for the listing you are currently marketing but also for your real estate services and future listings as well. With Delta Media Group's Open House Connector, you can do everything from enabling prospects to RSVP to signing in on the day of the event and sending a follow-up message with a survey. Integrated into your CRM platform, it collects customer data and contact information, creating new leads in the system automatically. Open House Connector is an IOS app designed to be used on mobile devices so you can easily transport it to your open house and anywhere else you need to go!