Did you know that 88% of people purchase their home through a realtor? 

A realtor can make selling your home a whole lot easier and let you get on with your life while the offers come in. But, shifting a property is no easy task! There is a lot that your realtor will have to do before you can move on to your dream home.

One common way that a realtor will help move the sale of a house along quicker is with an open home. By letting viewers pop by without a scheduled viewing, you could see an offer in no time, but the open house does have to be perfect if you want to drive a lot of interest.

Even with a realtor helping you, it can be good to know what you can do to improve your open house. Read on to find out more!

What Is an Open House?

When you are looking into tips for selling your home, marketing is a must. One of the best ways to spread the word about your home and grow the number of people viewing it is by throwing an open house, which your realtor will do for you.

This is where you designate a period of time where your house can be viewed by the public. Keep your fingers crossed that they will all be potential buyers, but you might get a few nosy neighbors too!

There are plenty of benefits to having an open house. You can save time by allowing many visitors to view the property at once, gain more potential buyers from people who think why not take a look?, and increase your chances of securing an offer.

If you have a lot of interest, you could even ignite a bidding war and get more for your property than you initially expected.

But, you will only see these benefits if you know how to sell your home through an open house. That is where our tips come in.

Fix Any Property Issues First

When it comes to selling your home, advice is going to start at the basics. For open homes, that means fixing any property issues that you may have, especially those that are obvious. For example, if you have patches of mold or dampness, then you should address them before scheduling your open home. 

If you leave these issues unaddressed, it shows viewers that there are problems they are going to have to fix, which is not exactly what you want to see.

These viewers will likely either not put in an offer if the issue is very off-putting or will offer you below the asking price so that they have money left over to fix it. Either way, it is going to leave you with less competitive offers and, in the end, less choice of buyers.

So spend some time fixing up any visible issues, even tiny ones. This is also a good time to make home improvements to your property that are looking a little worse for wear, like peeling paint on a door frame or stains on the carpet. While they might not lower your asking price, they could put buyers off if they think the home has not been maintained. 

Clean and De-Clutter

Alongside the larger projects, you also have to make your home look its very best concerning the smaller stuff. That means cleaning. Not many people enjoy cleaning, but if you are trying to sell your property, then a deep clean is an absolute must.

A clean home looks more presentable and inviting, and also shows that you have looked after the property. For potential buyers, those are all perks.

Make sure all of your clutter is out of sight (if it is time for a de-clutter, then make sure you leave enough time to do that, too), clean any dirty dishes, clean the floors and surfaces, and just generally make sure your home is looking tidy and clean.

Spread the News of the Open House

Once you have cleaned your home and fixed all of your issues, you can set a date for your open house. But, even with brilliant ideas about selling your home, if no one knows about them, then they won't count for anything. You and your realtor need to start advertising your open house if you want a shot at securing an offer.

There are a host of ways you can do this. Word of mouth is a great way, so start by letting all of your friends and family know, so that they can spread the news to any potential buyers they might know. It is a cheap and effective way to start sharing news about your open home.

You can also post on local social media groups. There may be Facebook pages for home-hunters in your area, for example, or even just local news pages that will allow you to advertise your open house. 

You may want to pop signs up outside your home and around your neighborhood, too, with details of the upcoming open house. Check out online listing services, too, which your realtor can help you navigate.

The more people who know about your property, the more likely you are to get those all-important offers, so take marketing seriously. You only need one right person to shift your property.

Remember, if you do not have a clue about how to market your open house, then you do not need to worry; your realtor can take complete control if you do not want a part in it.

Get Out of the House

In every guide to selling your home, you will be told to leave your property during an open house, and for good reason, too. When people are viewing your home, they do not want to see it as your home, they want to see the possibilities it holds as their own. If you are there going about your life, that is going to be a lot harder.

Rather than being able to imagine themselves cooking in the kitchen or studying in the office, they will just see it as your space. They also will not be able to talk honestly and openly about the property while moving around, which can be very frustrating.

You should also remove anything too personal, such as pictures of your family, calendars, and chalkboards with your family memos or meal plans, and take any pets out of the home. Try and create as much of a showroom feel as possible, and you will boost your chances of a sale.

Let Your Real Estate Agent Do the Work

You might be wondering who is going to watch your open house if you are not there? What about if people have questions? That is where your real estate agent comes in. 

Your realtor will stand in for you, looking after your home and being a guide for any potential buyers. They will be able to help people with any queries and give them information on how to stay in touch if they would like to schedule a private viewing or even make an offer.

Having your realtor hosting the event looks much more professional and will give your viewers the peace of mind that this is a legitimate open house.

Be Prepared to Schedule Private Viewings

An open house can definitely bring in real offers, and you may even have people willing to start the buying process on the same day. But be prepared to do a bit more groundwork; not every sale is that easy. 

It is normal for viewers to get a first feel at the open house, but they may need a private viewing with your realtor to understand more about their interest in the house.

This is particularly common if the home is busy, as that can distort people's view of the space. Be open to arranging private viewings and know that you are one step closer to getting that sale.

Have a Virtual Open House 

With Covid-19 cases on the rise again, people might still be weary about going to open houses, especially if there are other people there. When your real estate agent works with companies like Hommati, they have the resource available to have a 3D tour of your house that is like having an open house 24/7. 

Sometimes, people are not able to make an open house due to personal or work commitments. This makes it difficult for them to shop around for houses. When people have the ability to look at your house from the comfort of their own couch, it makes their house searching much easier. They can view your house as if they are their and look around every aspect of your space. 

3D tours also provide more details about the house more than photographs can. You are able to zoom in to different points in any of the rooms and have a clearer image of the size of the space that is not easily translated through pictures alone.  

Communicate With Your Agent

Because your agent will take the lead on your open house, you will need to have brilliant communication with them. Of course, that starts when you choose your realtor and are careful to find one you have a rapport with. But do not forget to be on call throughout the day and keep in touch with them.

If they have any questions they do not know the answer to, they are going to need your help. They may also receive offers throughout the day, which they can run by you and give you general updates on the progress.

It is also important to communicate with your realtor before the open house. Make sure they know if you have any requirements for potential buyers and how low of an offer you would accept below your asking price.

Also, it can be a good idea to walk them through the house They can ask you any questions they can see potential buyers asking, and you can clear them up to avoid any confusion during the day.

Start Selling Your Home With an Open House

Selling your home can definitely be a scary process, but these tips to help you with an open house should make it a little easier! Remember to trust your realtor and you should be absolutely fine.

If you are on the hunt for an agent, be sure to use our search tool to help you. You can find licensed, local realtors who you can trust with your journey.