How to Conduct an Open House

Video Transcript

"Hello, my name is Penny Smith, and I'm a North Carolina real estate broker. I'd like to talk to you today about how to conduct an open house. If you are conducting this open house as a real estate agent obviously you know that you are required to disclose, disclose, and disclose. But if you're a homeowner you need to know that you are also required to disclose to every person that walks in that door that you are indeed the homeowner, and this house is sold with these stipulations. You are required to provide a property disclosure. If you do not have a property disclosure you need to go online and find it. You cannot go down to Office Depot and buy a property disclosure. You can get one if you cannot find it online from your real estate attorney. He'll be more than happy to provide you with that. The way to conduct an open house is to advertise, advertise, and advertise. Put balloons up, fliers, all sorts of signs that say that I am open. The best possible time, of course, is on the weekend, but you need to be choosy about your times. People like to go look at houses, but when it comes to their Saturday they're not looking in the mornings. They're going to go and take a look at houses in the afternoons or late afternoons. I highly recommend two o'clock to maybe five o'clock in the evening. Come five o'clock they're going home to cook supper for their children and their husband. They're not going to be looking at houses. When they do come through be sure to give them a way to contact you, but also, capture their contact information. Have a form for them to fill out that says first of all, may I call you? May I contact you? Please leave me your name and Email address. People are more willing to give an Email address than they are a phone number, so go ahead and just ask for that, and if they're very serious they'll actually contact you instead. Be sure you give them your Email address. And that is my recommendations on how to hold an open house. Thank you, and I hope you have a good day."