Get ready. Get set. Go. Your house is on the market. Are you ready to show? Have you done everything you’ve needed to open the proverbial floodgates?
House is clean. Check.
Notices sent. Check.
Social media strategy set. Check.
Coordination with realtors in play. Check.
Here’s the thing: If you’re putting your home on the market in the Tampa or St. Pete area, you are going to get traffic—both via digital home tours and in-person. Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg is among the most attractive home markets in the country right now. That is not going to be an issue at all.
The thing you want in your corner—the part of the process that really kicks everything into gear—is that “wow” factor. What does your home offer that no other home does? What are you doing to let more people know—that enticement factor—to get your open house on their to-do list? And not just on their to-do list, but the first stop on that list.
To help get you into the open house “wow” factor mood, here are some things you can do to get people excited about seeing your home:
Be Strategically Creative
Holding an open house during the typical Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., 3 p.m.-5 p.m. is too cliched. Think out of the box. Go early or go late. Do both. Set your schedule around what most people’s typical weekdays and weekends look like. If you really want to jump into the game, try a Happy Hour house tour. If you are on the waterfront, invite people onto your boat to show off the scene. Get creative and you’ll generate a vibe.
And the Winner is...
What better way to engage with prospective home buyers than to have a little fun. Hold a raffle or trivia game contest where you ask the question over social media and have people give you the answer in person. You could offer some cool gifts as prizes and they get to see the house.
Get Social
Nothing spreads the word like social media. Make sure you use some cool and fun ways to get your home in front of Tampa, St. Pete area buyers. Provide a snapshot of some of the fun things about your house online and tease a more in depth look. Show off that cool backyard. Your waterfront view. The in-house bar. Nothing will promote your house better than cool teasers on Instagram and TikTok. The more creative, the better the traffic. Be your own open house influencer.
Make it a Block Party
One of the coolest things about the Tampa Bay/St. Pete area is the people and businesses that make it such a great community. Partner up with some other home sellers and agents to hold a block party-type open house day. Think of the whole process as everyone is in it together. If you strategize your showings, people can see a number of houses on one trip.
Go Live
Remember when live streaming at the local rock concert was a thing? Why not do it for your open house? Muse with potential buyers, answer questions and give them a walk-through via a livestream. And here’s the best thing: Even after it goes live, you can regularly run the recorded version. You can host your very own open house talk show and cross out that talk show host bucket list item of your list.
Give ’em a Leave Behind They’ll Remember
Box of chocolates. Candies. A little grab bag for the kids. Let’s face it: Everyone loves swag. For example, have some paraphernalia from the local school (elementary, middle, junior, high school) on hand to give to the kids. There is no better way to leave your mark on prospective buyers than sending them off with something to remember your house or the neighborhood by.
If you give your visitors something to remember, they will remember you. Standing out in a competitive housing scene should be at the top of your list.
Posted by Smith & Associates Real Estate on
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