Tag Archives: open house

The Great Debate-Open Houses-Yay or Nay

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So when you get into this business many things are thrown at you, especially being at a young age.  It is ten different social networking sites you must be on, a webpage, a Facebook fan page plus running an ad, blogging and the list goes on.  Then add to that you need a slogan, a mission statement and of course a business plan (which is hard to do when you have nothing to really go on.)  And did I mention all the non-social media marketing you need to do-farming, FSBO’s (I have not had any luck with that), expired listings (haven’t had much luck with that either), post cards, expos, networking events, committees you must join, floor duty and this list goes on as well.  As you can tell there is a lot thrown at you that you are told you must do in order to succeed.  However there is one other marketing and lead tool that I have realized stirs up much debate-Open Houses.  Do they or do they not work?  I have done many open houses in this past year and a half, and while I still want to stay positive and say that they will work I have not had much luck with them.  People do come by and take a look at the listing, but when I follow-up with them it is like they have no idea who I am and what I am talking about or I just never hear from them again.  I have yet to gain a lead that actually goes anywhere from an open house.  But many people reading this will completely disagree with me and say that they have gotten a lot of business from open houses.  And some reading this will say that open houses are just a waste of time.  However, there was one open house I did where this nice, sweet old woman accidentally brought me pot brownies and got me higher than a kite.  But of course I did not get any business from her either.  Brownies where good though.  Some days I think I should go and get her recipe and serve them to my clients who are sticks in the mud and the people who stop by at my open houses.  But back to my point-do open houses really work or not?  And if they do work for some-how do you make them work? I would love to know other people’s opinion on this, because I myself am not at the point where I can answer this question.

Got doped on Pot Brownies by a 75 year old little woman

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So doing an open house last week in the nice small neighborhood near the beach and with a nice neighborhood private pool.  Perfect location, great home and the neighbors just seem so sweet. Everyone came by to meet me and speak to me.  This dear, LITTLE, older woman who was in her mid to late 70’s comes over with a plate of brownies for me.  I had seen her at the pool with her grandchildren earlier and she told me that she just hated thinking of real estate agents at open houses getting hungry.  So I am thinking what is the harm; I have seen her with her grandchildren; and the brownies looked to die for.  And yes I was hungry.  So while talking to her and showing her the house I eat 4 of them, then she gives me 2 more to take to my husband and well I ate those too.  Small problem, eating them was the last thing I remember and according to my husband came home stoned off my rear end.  He was worried and called his uncle who is a doctor and his uncle confirmed that I was stoned and those must have been hash brownies I ate.  The only thing I can think is that she could have something like glaucoma and puts the pot in brownies and then having her grandchildren staying with her for the week made a regular batch, but brought me the wrong ones.  She had grandchildren, so I doubt she was feeding them pot and she was so sweet I don’t think she would really try to poison me nor if she knew they had pot in them would have let me eat so many.  So yes another crazy story-I got doped at an open house.  I am glad I didn’t get pulled over because how would I explain my behavior to a cop.  Especially since I don’t remember getting home and kept swearing to my husband that nothing could be wrong with me.  They were REALLY good brownies, pot aside.  I work with some strange customers and seem to end up with the craziest stories.  I really thought I had seen it all in sales with an engineering firm and in life insurance.  However, I have been told that the craziness just doesn’t ever stop coming.  Pot brownies are a new one in my office, but crazy stories are part of the job. Lesson Learned, I will just know in the future to NEVER take food from someone no matter how old and sweet they seem.

Whose Advice Do You Listen To

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For me when starting out in real estate there is no end to the questions about the best way to getting up and running in this business; that is how I found this blog in the first place.  So if you are like me, you get a mentor, get some books, join networking groups, get on the internet and start asking questions.  Small problem-everywhere you turn someone has a suggestion that counters the one you just heard.  Open Houses work; open houses don’t work.  Expireds work; expireds are a waste of time.  FSBO’s are a great source of possible clients; FBSO’s will get you nowhere.  There is more do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t do that and this will be a waste of your time than I ever imagined.  So the question is who do you listen to?  Everyone’s ideas are good ones and all have a valid points as to why things do and do not work.  The problem is if you are like me, you are so busy with so many other aspects in your life that you can’t try it all at once.   I have tried Open Houses during the week and one during the weekend, but they are not panning out.  Although our office weekend one was on the same weekend as the men’s basketball ACC Championship; so that could have affected no one turning out.  I am trying FBSO’s but aren’t really going anywhere, and I don’t know where to begin with expireds.  I have to agree-aren’t they expired for a reason?  Do I want to get caught up in that mess? I am not sure, I will keep searching the internet and asking questions about this one. But despite my wondering if I know what I am doing, I am learning that you have to least try everything a few times to see if what you are hearing is right or wrong.  One way or another you have to find the time to make it happen.  Which means may be losing sleep and being overloaded, but you still have to try. I have been told that once you figure out what works and what doesn’t, your time can become more manageable.  And hopefully instead of spending your time trying different things, you are spending a lot more of your time selling homes.  I may question if I can make it in this business.  Based on a LinkedIn group I am in, it seems everyone in these past few in these past few years has thought at one point or another about throwing the towel in, especially in the beginning of their career.  So my wondering if I should quit seems quite normal. But I am not a quitter.  I never have been. So I am going to keep doing Open Houses for people in my office, posts other agents’ listings on Craig’s list, keep reading How to List and Sell by Danielle Kennedy and other books and follow their suggestions, keep trying FSBO’s and try to figure out how to market to expireds and see where this all leads me. If some of this works, than great; if it doesn’t, then I will move on. Plus I will still keep in touch with my target market every 90 days, my Facebook fan page, my LinkedIn groups, my church activities, my Realtor committees, my young professional committees and going to Chamber Members Nights Out.  Sounds like a lot but when you do break it down it can be managed. Although I am not doing as much social media to the extreme as you are told to-it was getting to be too much and not really getting me anywhere.  Although I do still have a strong presence out in the world of social media. I am still new, so all I have is to try a little bit of everything.  So who do you listen to-everyone.  You ask questions, hear what they have to say, keep it in the back of your mind and go out and try it.  If it doesn’t work, then that person was right and you move on. If it does work, then that person was right, and you keep doing it.  A few things to new agents I would suggest is getting involved with LinkedIn groups about real estate, finding a mentor or two with different levels of experience in the field and handing out about 10 or more business cards a day in the process of networking.  And of course where your Realtor pin when you are not working (yes, everywhere you go, even on the weekends) and wearing your name badge as much as possible. With the LinkedIn groups, I have gotten a lot of great ideas on how to get started and thoughts on what works and what doesn’t. Plus I have gotten into a few exclusive referral groups that has given me at least 1 referral so far. And well, when it comes to mentors-you cannot have enough in the business to help you out.  I have chosen someone who has been in the business for close to 30 years now, and then someone successful in my office who has been doing this for four years now. I have gotten great ideas from both. And with networking, between going to networking events and getting involved in the community and wearing my name badge or Realtor pin and handing out cards, I have gotten some leads. Yes like I have said before and will probably say again, this is the hardest sales job I have ever had. There seems to be more upfront work with no pay than any other sales job I have had before.  But from what I am told by more experienced agents I am now in a business where hard work up front pays off in the long run. So yes, I may finally have a listing (which surprisingly already has an offer on it) but I still do wonder if I know what I am doing and just got lucky with the listing. Although, from what I am learning wondering if you know what you are doing in the beginning or thinking about quitting is normal.  So listen to everyone-all the people am listening to have been in the business longer than me, so someone is bound to be right.  Or at least that is what I am hoping.