| Have you ever wondered what it would take to | | | | the Open. |
| have a Successful Open House first time, every | | | | 23. Have multiple agents in attendance to assist with |
| time? Well you don't have to wonder any more! We | | | | your Open For Inspection. |
| have taken the hard work out of conducting Open | | | | 24. Ask a Mortgage Broker to be present at the |
| Houses by breaking down all the key components to | | | | Open For Inspection, to be available to talk to buyers |
| success and came up with a list of 40 Must Do | | | | about repayment levels and pre qualify them for |
| Actions, a Step-by-Step Guide. | | | | purchasing the property. |
| What You will Need | | | | 25. Arrive at the property early. |
| In a previous article entitled To Conduct a Successful | | | | 26. Open all doors, blinds, curtains and windows and |
| Open House You Will Need These Top 16 Tools of | | | | turn on all lights throughout the home. |
| Trade, we discussed What You Will Need to conduct | | | | 27. Play soft and gentle welcoming music. |
| your Open House. You can search for it here on this | | | | 28. Arrange flower display. |
| site. | | | | 29. Burn some fragrant but not over powering |
| Step by Step Instructions | | | | candles. Vanilla is always best. This saves having your |
| | | | Seller make coffee, bake cookies, bread etc. |
| 1. Educate the Seller and/or Tenant on how best to | | | | 30. Prepare your Property Display Area within the |
| present the property. | | | | home. |
| 2. Have the resident of the home clear the entire | | | | 31. Have bottled water ready to offer your Open |
| property of clutter, clear off benches, tidy up | | | | House Guests. |
| cupboard contents (sometimes buyers will look) | | | | 32. Greet each Open House Guest in a warm, |
| remove personal items of value from view, remove | | | | friendly, open manner and offer to answer any |
| prescription drugs and firearms (if applicable), | | | | questions they may have. |
| thoroughly clean the entire home inside and out | | | | 33. Record the Name, Address, Phone and Email of |
| (paying particular attention to kitchens, bathrooms | | | | every guest, in your Open For Inspection guest |
| and toilets) mow and manicure lawns and gardens. | | | | register. |
| 3. Organise professional photography as soon as | | | | 34. Maintain a watchful eye over all guests. |
| practical. | | | | 35. At the conclusion of your Successful Open House, |
| 4. If the property is tenanted, provide the tenant | | | | close and secure the property leaving it the way you |
| with the correct amount of notification in accordance | | | | found it upon arrival. |
| with laws in your State. | | | | 36. Ring the occupant of the home (be it a Tenant |
| 5. Write advertising copy and book all advertising | | | | or Seller) and advise them the property is now |
| mediums, both online and offline. | | | | secure and ready for them to return. |
| 6. Organise a professional signboard for the property | | | | 37. Ring the Seller (if not already done in Step 36) |
| as soon as photography is finished. | | | | and provide the results of your Open For Inspection. |
| 7. Be sure to include the unique property URL | | | | 38. Ring EVERY Buyer who attended your Open |
| (Website Address) on the Signboard. | | | | House, before you finish work that same day! If you |
| 8. Order Virtual Tour CDs and have Floor Plans | | | | cannot reach them on the day of the Inspection |
| produced. | | | | then you MUST call them the following business day. |
| 9. Prepare keys, guest register, property brochures, | | | | 39. Provide both a verbal and written report to your |
| property presentation folder and property display | | | | Seller with the results and feedback from your Open |
| board for the property display area within the home. | | | | For Inspection after speaking with each Open House |
| 10. Prepare a Sale Contract and supporting | | | | Guest. |
| documentation or perhaps you may need to engage | | | | 40. Present your Seller with any Contracts and |
| a Solicitor/Attorney to prepare these (in accordance | | | | Offers to purchase the property. |
| with the laws in your State). Take this to all Open | | | | In summary, if you follow our Step By Step Guide |
| Houses and include as part of your property display | | | | above, it will be very easy to have a Successful |
| area. | | | | Open House every time. |
| 11. Advertise the property and the upcoming Open | | | | Of course, if you want to ensure you are knocked |
| For Inspections in Newspapers, Magazines and other | | | | over in the rush each time you open up a property, |
| forms of print media (local, state and national) and | | | | then remember to Sell the Sizzle in your advertising |
| Online with available Real Estate Portals. | | | | copy. For instance, if the property is cheap, then say |
| 12. Prepare Directional Signage, Inspect Now | | | | so. If it has unique features, then say so. If the Seller |
| A-Frames, Flags, Banners and Helium Balloons. | | | | has a specific motivating force driving the sale, that |
| 13. Contact HOT Buyers and inform them the | | | | would benefit the buyers by knowing, then say so. |
| property will be Open For Inspection. | | | | Concentrate on benefits more than features. |
| 14. Prepare and distribute Open House Invitations to | | | | Remember your job is to be a Real Estate Agent, |
| all residents in the immediate surrounding suburb. | | | | not a Secret Agent! |
| 15. Advise family and friends of the owner about the | | | | It is now considered Best Practice to have multiple |
| upcoming Open For Inspection by sending them a | | | | agents (two or three) in attendance at each Open |
| personal invitation to attend. | | | | For Inspection. If you cannot find other agents in |
| 16. Door knock 50 properties directly surrounding the | | | | your office that are available to assist you, then |
| listed property and conduct a neighbours only Open | | | | there are services available that can help. |
| for Inspection immediately prior to your public Open | | | | A word of caution! If the property is tenanted during |
| For Inspection. | | | | the time you are marketing it, then be sure to |
| 17. Be the Expert! Know your property and the | | | | provide the tenant with the correct amount of prior |
| surrounding area like the back of your hand. | | | | notification, in accordance with the laws in your State. |
| 18. Prepare your Demographic Report and Current | | | | A lot of agents simply neglect this important item |
| Market Appraisal for buyers (at the express written | | | | and fail to understand the severity of their actions. |
| consent of the owner) in accordance with the | | | | They may be in breach of the Act by failing to |
| relevant laws in your State. | | | | follow the correct procedure! |
| 19. Stage the property in accordance with the style | | | | One very important point I wish to make is that it is |
| of home you are marketing. | | | | YOUR responsibility to make sure you contact |
| 20. Erect Directional Signage, Inspect Now A-Frames, | | | | EVERY buyer who comes to your Open House and |
| Flags, Banners and Helium Balloons. | | | | report the results back to your Seller. You are obliged |
| 21. Contact the Owner or Tenant, two hours prior to | | | | to do this! After all, the Seller pays you a lot of |
| the scheduled Open time to confirm all is ready. | | | | commission to do just that! |
| 22. Have the owner or tenant remove pets | | | | Finally, have fun with it all and remember this is your |
| (especially dogs) from the property for the period of | | | | time to shine! |