A recent National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) survey found that nearly half of buyers used open houses as a key part of their home search. 

Plainly stated, if you’re not holding open houses, you’re not opening doors — literally — for your business. And why not hold open houses? When hosting an open house, you kill two birds with one stone: you meet prospective buyers (and sellers) face-to-face, and you increase the chance to sell your listing. 

Believe it or not, there was a time when neighbors actually knew each other and even spent time in each other’s homes. Today, not so much. But an open house opens things up and breaks the ice. Plus, an open house makes it fair game for curious people to find out about their neighbors — to learn what the house looks like inside, and of course, the asking price. 

I suggest you hold a separate open house just for neighbors that’s a little more folksy and relaxed by throwing some hotdogs and burgers on the grill. This helps put people more at ease where they can let down their guard ... and that helps you get to know potential sellers and perhaps even set up new appointments.

Here are three more tips to open doors with open houses: 

Be prepared: Those who know me know that I was a Boy Scout, and as such, I really like the Boy Scout motto: “be prepared.” Part of being prepared means taking time to think through all the details. A good open house is a true investment, and it takes time. If you do it right, you get a nice return on your investment. A key goal is to get as much traffic as you can, so piggyback on other events occurring nearby — a little league baseball game or a neighborhood yard sale. And another tip: get there early, at least 30 minutes. Nothing’s more of a turnoff for buyers who show up only to watch an agent running around doing last-minute duties instead of paying attention to them. 

Make the ugly home beautiful: You’ve been there, I know it. The seller simply refuses to update or upgrade before putting the house on the market. You don’t have to be embarrassed — either for yourself or for your seller — because you can let prospective buyers see the house in a much better light with Obeo.com. With a few simple clicks, you can show buyers what the house would look like with new carpet or hardwood floors, freshly painted walls, new drapes — whatever you want to update, you can do it on your laptop. You can also use Obeo on your own website for your other listings, too. 

Be an educator: People come to open houses to learn; your job is to help them do that at every turn — literally — they take while they tour the house. Offer a diagram of the house and post notes with details of all the amenities. Let the property show itself. Also, share a list of local properties you’ve listed and sold and your other current listings along with a condensed version of your buyer presentation — three to four pages double-sided should do it. You don’t want to oversell to the potential buyers, just tantalize them. And finally, have a prize drawing next to the sign-in sheet so you receive the visitors' actual information. Make it a winner-doesn’t-have-to-be-present-to-win deal. You can get local businesses to give you a discount on, for example, one-hour massages, dinners and movie passes. 

Have you been hosting your open houses in a way that opens the door to more sales? With these tips, and you'll find new success in your business, thanks to your open houses!

Bubba Mills is the executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc., an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into real estate companies, mortgage companies and small businesses.