Keys to a successful luxury real estate open house

If you’re looking for greater success in the open house arena, the first thing you need to know is how to get prospective buyers to show up. These tips from the experts in Luxury Real Estate should help you make the most of an Open House.

Advertising – Make sure the open house schedule for your luxury home is well publicized and marketed to the right group of buyers. A professional online presence is key in this effort. Nearly 90% of buyers start their searches online so exposure on sites like Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Realtor.com and portals on Yahoo and Google are essential.

Good quality photos – A beautiful luxury home won’t catch the eye of a potential buyer online if the photos aren’t up to par. Professional photography ensures that your home will be presented in the best possible light for all to see. Don’t skimp here.

Signage – This critical marketing tactic should never be overlooked. Placing signs announcing your open house about a week in advance will let anyone driving by know that they can come back to see the house without the need for an appointment. Ideally open house times should be listed on the sign.

Create “mini-salespeople” out of your neighbors – Open your doors to the neighbors and let them tour your luxury home. They are the people who want their friends to move into the neighborhood. They are already experts on the community. Point out the best features of your house and they can get some serious foot traffic in the door for you. Be sure to arm your “mini-salespeople” with flyers and invitations to your open house so that they have marketing material to distribute.

Set the Stage – A luxury home sells best when a potential buyer can envision themselves living there. You want them to remember the home, not your personal effects in it. The five necessary steps to showcase your property are de-clutter, pare down, furniture positioning, color and lighting. Pay attention to each of these and you will create a space that makes buyers connect emotionally to your property.

Get Out – On the big day, you want to be out of the house. Give people a chance to see themselves in your house instead of associating you with the property. Prospective buyers want a sense of anonymity so that they can speak freely to each other and ask questions that might be uncomfortable to ask the seller.

Security – During your open house period be sure to lock up cash, jewelry, credit cards and personal effects. Two recent trends in real estate related crime are the theft of medication from bathrooms and the theft of identification bearing documents from home offices. No one should be permitted to use the bathrooms, but removing or locking up all medications provides a double safeguard. The same applies to financial and personal paperwork that could be used to steal identity.

Hosting the big event – Choosing the right people to represent your home is key. A good representative will not only be able to present a sales pitch but develop trust with potential buyers. They should have the features of your home memorized and be able to speak knowledgeably about the lifestyle of the community. An outstanding salesperson will be armed with inspection reports, surveys, tax information and improvement history. This due diligence enables the representative to answer questions on the spot and demonstrate a transparency to put buyers’ minds at ease.

Homes are frequently sold on emotion and a carefully orchestrated open house will increase your odds of getting your luxury home sold quicker and at the price you desire.