Naples Florida Real Estate: Marketing Idea For Open Houses and More...My 100th Post

Shannon, I love the idea for a give-away at your open house, I really do.  The problem in our market is that no one actually visits the open houses.  I will work for a week before the open house, trying to publicize it, and yet only one or two neighbors show up.  Yes, I treat the neighbors well since they may some day want to list their homes, but what can you suggest for getting more people in the door during the open house?  I would love any suggestions!

Shannon, congratulations on your hundredth post and great ideas!  We typically get several visitors at our open houses, but find that they are typically looking for a house that is thousands of dollars less than the house they are visiting.

Congrats on 100th post.  Great advice and great handout!  Thanks Shannon brilliant!

Congrats on the post ... and a Fabulous idea there smart chick!!!     Very very nice....  can I steal it?

Shannon...

What a great marketing idea. Talk about branding :)

I know when I get those piles of whatever from the developers I don't keep them anymore.

I throw them in my lake :)

I would keep your little notebook just cuzz it's so darn creative.

Oh...Grats on the 100th post. That's a whole lot of blogging :)

TLW...ROAR!

MARLENE:  The absolute best way I've found to generate great traffic in light traffic locations is to do a neighborhood extravaganza. If you can't get people to come to one open house, you usually can get them to come to 5 or 10 open houses so call up the other agents who have listings in that neighborhood and collaborate....sounds weird I know but you are all on the same team, right?  Besides, it might be cheaper in the long run to share better advertising as well!  It's worked on several occassions for me.  On a side note, don't forget, consumers aren't fools anymore.  First key of course is making sure you're priced well. 

CHRIS:  Then that little listing book is an AWESOME way to show them what is available in their REAL price range!  Give it a shot! :)

MARGARET:  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your sweet comments! :)

DESIREE:  Thanks Chickie!  You can most certainly steal my idea...go kick some butt in NJ!!! :)

LOVELY WIFE OF BROKER BRYANT:  Whew, you're one to talk about "alot of blogging"  How many posts have the two of you written?  3,423?  Yeah, I think that's about right!  Thanks for your sweet words of encouragement and you can come see me tomorrow and pick up that cute little book.  For you, I'll give you two! :)

Shannon - I am glad to have you as a friend.  This is a terrific idea.  I think I may use this with my agents in 2008.  Great job!  Also, congrats on #100! 

Hi Jason!  Thanks very much my friend.  I just gone done about an hour ago with mine...please let your people know...it is so tedious but the results are pretty great! :)

Cool.  Congrats on getting featured, my friend!

I know how much work it takes to take the time out to write to us and bring wealth of information each time. Thanks.

Shannon - Fantastic idea on your book of listings in the neighborhood. Very smart girl that is going to get great results! You are living your tag line for sure!

As for open houses in slower markets, I recommend as well the extravaganza with other agents that have listings in that subdivision. Loving the pink and the energy from your posts.

Hi Shannon:  You have obviously put some great thought and analysis into this, and you've come up with some great ideas.  First of all... congratulations on your 100th post.  Secondly... thanks so much for sharing all of this with us.  Take care...    Karen Anne

Quite a complete work, I'll have to go and read some of the 99 other blogs.  Thanks for the tips. 

Congratulations on your 100th post.  You have the key ingredient to a successful open house.  You enjoy meeting people.

Shannon, I love that you are so enthusiastic about your Open Houses, your statement:  

" If you are not the life of the party at your own open house...who wants to come...who wants to stay"  tells it all!

An Open House is an Event, and it's important to show off the house in the best way possible, and keep your guest happy and entertained.

Congratulations on you Centennial Post!  :  )

Shannon-

Great post and a great idea! I'm tucking this into my "Brilliant AR Ideas" folder.

:-)

I hope your Open House was a huge success!

Oh, and cute picture. :-)

~Emily

The San Diego Real Estate Expert

Thank you for the marketing idea and congratulations on your 100th post. Good luck with your open house!

Shannon,

I find the most overlooked part of an open house is the signage to the open house.  Directional signs with balloons from the closest major intersection makes a huge impact on traffic for me......great post.....

Excellent post Shannon!Although I am partial to the cookies:) I am a firm believer in giving the customer something they can use!This also shows why you are very successful in this business!

Congratulations on your 100th blog!

Great Post!  Thanks for sharing the marketing book idea, what a great way to distinguish yourself from the competition!  Congratulations on 100 posts!

Shannon, this is one of the most innovative ideas I've seen here yet.  Thank you SO much for sharing it with all of us.    It still amazes me how open people are here to sharing their ideas - I am grateful for it.

Shannon - congratulations on your 100 post. This is a very creative idea and has your brand all over it which is great. Like for Marleen, the issue is getting people to come to an open house. There are many agents who don't do them anymore for this reason. I do, on the thought that even when one person comes, potentially it can be the right person and buy (statistically chances are slim). There are times, when no one comes.

The little book sound like a unique keepsake for the prospective buyers to browse.  Sounds a bit complex to assemble though,  I'll have to give this some thought.  Do you use a mini photo album or something to hold all the information together?

Shannon - congratulations on your 100th post and thank you for this work. I also do Opens and I work hard to make them special. I do get listings and buyers from my efforts. I like your idea about the carry away book and I like your branding. I do a 100/300 direct mail piece out to my SOI, appropriate farm (that might be buying up) and the property....100 each. I get a good turn out and great energy for the property. We visit and generally people remember the busy activity, the property and me. Good post!

Congrats on your 100th. Big Milestone...And good luck on the house sale!

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your idea.  I actually really enjoy doing open houses.  I bring a notebook which I update for each one that has everything from school info to the competing listings to recent news articles about the market.  I find everyone loved to talk about the current market so having some stats there is always great.

Great idea.  I'll try to put one together later to see what they would look like...  Congrats on 100!

What a great idea.  100th post and featured, too!  Congratulations! 

 

GO GIRL>>>>> 100th post... Grea job...... I like your idea...I'll have to work on the cost ...... I like the idea......

Congratulations Sharon on number 100 !! Sounds like the little books are working for you as people pass them on.

hi Shannon, Excellent post and refreshing ideas!  Greta job and thanks for sharing so much. Happy 100th!

Hi Shannon, nice post.  I like the idea of the little book.  Do you put that together yourself?  What software do you use?

Congrats on the feature!

Shannon - Congrats on your 100th post!  And your marketing idea is terrific - thanks for sharing!  I am also curious on how you put it together?  Spiral or photo album?  Marketing really is fun!

JASON:  Thanks!  Being featured was a pleasant surprise and a GREAT way to start the day!  :)

GARY:  The days of an agent being able to say, "nobody told me" are over.  A real estate agent can get their PHD in real estate just by reading the posts in Active Rain.  We ALL WIN! Thanks for your comment! :)

CANDACE:  Hello Girlie!  Thanks so much for your continued support.  I'd love to see if you do something like this with all your computer skills!  I bet it would be AWESOME! :)

KAREN ANNE:  Thank you for your comments!  Sometimes it's that one little thing that separates you from the others! :)

TERRYLYN:  You're welcome, thanks for the support! :)

ARDELL:  Thanks for reading my post!  It's good to see you! :)

DEBORAH:  Isn't it true though?  Haven't you been to a colleague's open house and you couldn't wait to get out because they were boring you to tears....yawn! :)  Thanks for your comments! :)

EMILY:  You have a "brilliant idea" folder?  Now that's brilliant!  Thanks for all your sweet words and support! :)

MICHAEL:  Thanks for the good vibes!  In fact, I need to go get ready for it right now!

SHANNON:  Nice job on this one.  I must admit that I haven't done extraordinary things at open houses, but you've given me some food for thought.   Give me a call later on, I wanted to talk to you about something in this post, but not in the comments section.  Congrats on the feature, Shannon.

I always did something similar, but you take it to another level that I will have to try.  Thanks for the info.

You're a great marketer and one of the professionals in the business. I wish everyone had your outlook.

Hi Shannon,

     Congrats on your 100th!  Keep on blogging! Goiod luck with the open houses, great marketing!

Leo Namiot

Benchmark Mortgage

Connecticut & Florida Mortgage Specialist

http://www.leolends.com/

Shannon, congratulations on your 100th post!  Great idea with the little book of listings.

Thanks for sharing this brilliant idea with us and the little book - it's something that people are less likely to throw away than just the flyer.  Congratulations and hopefully many more to come:)

Your tagline doesn't say "smart girl" for nothing! :)

Congratulations on number 100! That is one heck of an acheivement!

I always keep a list for people that come to my open house of homes for sale in the same neighborhood. I like the idea of the little book instead of print outs.

If they want something else a little smaller, bigger, more bedrooms etc.

If time permits, I also try to have showing instructions to a couple of these homes, just in case.

Congradulations on you 100th post.  I just had mine a few weeks ago.

Keep them coming.

J.

 

Excellent points.  I am a huge fan of Open Houses ... but my line has always been Prospecting is About the Preparation ... if all an agent does is put up a sign than they should expect nothing in return.  An Open House Requires an AD, A Email Blast to ALL your database, Door Knocking around the property (if allowed) ... invite your own friends over just to say HI ... traffic begets more traffic

Shannon, Congrats on your loot post AND getting featured. what you've Suggested is a great inspiration. We all need for remember the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over & over expecting different results." Too many are setting their open houses while you make it a party! Good for you girlfriend!

I also love your logo

Shannon, great job on the 100th post.  I think that you are spot on when it comes to the giveaway at the Open Houses.  I think if you treat every open house as an opportunity to actively prospect for clients then you can't help but be a success at it.  I have 'setup shop' at open houses in the past and displayed not only the regular info book and home flier, but have what I can best describe as a micro-book-store of free stuff for real estate.  Free info books available from title/escrow companies or lenders make up the majority of the 'offerings' (i.e.- 'a users guide to home purchase', 'A sellers handbook' , 'real estate terminology', etc.).  Notepads, pens and a single sheet cma make up the rest of it.  I often write them the note I want them to remember and then give them the notepad. :) That being said, I like the idea of putting together an easy to carry, currently on the market booklet.  Great idea and great luck to you at your open houses!

An excellent idea.  Something that everyone could add a little something extra to the presentation is a little information about what the mortgage payment would be.

Definitely an important piece is capturing everyones name that comes through the door to continue to drip market to until they purchase a house with you.

Your post came at the right time!  I'm starting my 2008 strategies now and re-INVENTING my Open House events is just one of the items on my to do list.  I'm going to start working on my little book!  THANK YOU

Congrats--keep those creative ideas coming our way.  I'm your newest subscriber. Open houses are one of my favorite things to do because I have fun doing it and usually get a good response.  Your little book will be a nice addition to my arsenal of hooks!  Thanks for thinking of us on your milestone day!

Shannon, 100 posts, congrats!  My first response, a newbie. If this is what I have to look forward to-thank you to all.

Shannon... I thought your last post was 100... oops.. Great Post and Congrats!!

How about this for an idea.  A 30 foot high gorilla in the front yard.  I know a Realtor who pulled it off.. and sold the home! 

Shannon:

I absolutely love it!  How cute and creative!  I agree....I would keep it.

Congrats on your 100th post! 

Great, Great stuff!

You have some great Ideas that i will introduce to my team. Thanks for sharing.

It is a great idea... and if I could get people to show up, it would be phenomenal.  But, it seems that getting people to an open house requires a whole house give-away...

great idea for the little listing book. it is like a mini listing portfolio for every person who attends an open house and maybe they will buy one of the home you have rather than just the one you are doing the open on. thnaks, trevor

I LOVE this idea!  I work mostly with buyers but I can see how this would be useful to me too.  I'm so inspired, I'm going to start working on one right now!  (Well, maybe I'll look through a few more of your posts first!)  Thanks. 

Greart idea, Most of open houses I have done lately don't have many people showing  up, but I sure will try soemething new next time, thanks

Hi Shannon - what a great idea with this book of yours, and clearly the shelf life is great on these, since they get passed around.  That kind of PR is PRICELESS!!!  I may just borrow your idea, too, if I might?

Congrats on 100 posts!
Ann

JULIE: You are so right about the signs!  Unfortunately we can't do anything to them to grab attention down here & we get them taken away if we put them in the "wrong" place but if you don't have good signage, you're sunk!  Thanks for adding your comments! :)

BLR Guy:  I believe in giving people something they can use too...but chocolate and carpet at 200.00 an inch don't mix! :)  Thanks for your continued support! :)

TONY AND DARCY:  Thanks for your positive feedback!  Hope you give it a shot!  It was a great hit today! :)

KRIS:  If it means we all get better we still win, right?  Thanks for your comment! :)

FAINA:  I know what you mean, not every location or every house has oodles of traffic.  If you think you can, I would try to get other agents involved even if they're not in your office and do the group extravaganza thing.  It's interesting to see how much more traffic everyone gets when those happen!  It's like us, down here you're hard pressed to get us to see a broker's open if there's only one home but if the neighborhood is open on the same day, you're a moron if you don't go! :)  Good luck to you my friend! :)

DAN:  I actually print it on my color laser computer.  I will write a post about this tomorrow that might help you figure it out. :)  Thanks for commenting! :)

JEANEAN:  That's going the extra mile and from the sound of it, you've been well rewarded for your extra efforts!  Congratulations to you and thanks for contributing in the commenting section! :)

KEITH:  Thanks for the high five!  Best to you too! :)

DIANE:  The color hand out that I did on the real estate statistics for Pelican Bay was a real hit with  the people who were really curious, the neighbors who like to keep up to date and even the know it all's who pretend they know what's going on but zip it when they see you have it all right there in writing...priceless! :)

JOSETTE:  I'll be putting a post together tomorrow so you can see how I did it if it helps!  Keep your eyes out for it! :)

DOREEN:  Thanks for your words of encouragement! :)

DONNA:  It really didn't cost much...depending on how crazy you want to get.  I'm writing a post about how I did it tomorrow, keep an eye out for it! :)

MISSY:  Thanks for commenting! :)  By the way...it's Shannon (not Sharon) :)

DENISE:  Thanks for your kind words! :)

ANONYMOUS:  I did put it together myself.  To try to have it printed is ridiculous only because it's based on listings and in this market, new listings and price reductions are an everyday deal.  I'll be writing a post tomorrow about how I did it...tune in! :)

MARGARET:  Tune in tomorrow my friend and I'll share all on my next post! :)

ADAM:  Hey sorry I didn't get you called back today.  I'll give you a shout tomorrow so we can talk about your brainstorming :)

CHELLE:  It was so cool to see people's faces and hear the comments when I told them what it was...AWESOME! :)

GIL:  That's a really sweet thing to say!  Thank you! :)

LEO:  Thanks for stopping by.  :)

DAVID:  Thank you very much.  I have two nieces in Omaha going to school!  :)

ED:  You're right and we don't care who's hands they fall into just as long as they're buying or selling...right?! :)  Thanks for your comments! :)

KELLY:  HEEEYYY Girl!  Good to see you!  Thanks for your continued support! :)

JACKIE:  I think of it this way...if you can make it easy for them and answer every question and perform without hesitation..the odds of winning have increased dramatically!  Thanks for contributing! :)

JEFF:  CONGRATULATIONS on yours!  As soon as I get done responding to everyone and contributing on their posts, I'll read it...can't wait! :)

ALLEN:  You said a mouth full!  I have even camped out in the yard while talking on the phone if the house is empty because I think people driving slow through a neighborhood feel even more compelled to stop!  Whatever it takes...right?

JOEANN:  I'll never forget the first multi-million dollar open house I attended.  My husband and I knocked on the front door...the lady screamed come in...we opened the door and she was sitting in a 2 dollar lawn chair reading the paper.  She never put her paper around just waved one hand over the top of it and said, "take a look around".  HOLY COW! :)  Thanks for your fun comment! :)

JASON:  Those are all great ideas...over half of our sales are cash and first time home buyers are alot like unicorns down here so thanks so much for adding that for the rest of the gang!  :)

JEREMIAH:  YOU ARE SO RIGHT!  What is the point of getting names if you're not going to do anything with them.  Some people say they can't get them to do it...oh really?  I don't have any trouble! :)  Thanks for including that! :)

DEBBIE:  GREAT JOB!  I'll be sharing just exactly how I do mine in tomorrow's post if you'd like to check it out! :)  Thanks for commenting! :)

NORMA:  I'm glad you enjoyed it!  I'll be doing a post on the exact "how to" make the little books tomorrow!  Thanks SO much for subscribing...I'm honored! :)

SUSAN:  CONGRATULATIONS & WELCOME TO ACTIVE RAIN!!!  You're going to LOVE IT HERE!  You'll find lots of tips, advice and fun.  Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to help! :)

DANIEL:  I love it!  If I did that here, they would string me up by my hair and burn me at the stake but how fun is that...really! :)  Thanks for commenting! :)

JESSICA:  It really is all about what people want. Right?  The cookies and wine are ok but they're really not expecting or looking forward to desert or free booze.  They want to see something they haven't seen before that they might like or perhaps something they like before that they want to see again and they want to know what we "should" know.  Not that we always do.  Thanks for commenting! :)

STEVE:  Don't forget to warn them about the tediousness...if one of them gets into the middle of it...the first thought is they're going to hate your guts...tell them, putting it together, STINKS the results you get from it...ROCK! :)

LANE:  Then make some up for your clients...mail them to expired listings...drop them off at Starbucks...the opportunities for these things are really ENDLESS!

TREVOR:  That on top of all the market statistics...are a sure bet.  How many times do people ask us what's going on?  ALL THE TIME, RIGHT?  Today there was a couple and their friend walking through.  The friend is in the market to purchase a home in my neighborhood, the friends live in a different neighborhood.  When I gave them all that information it was if the Red Sea had parted.  I fully suspect something to happen with them!  YAHOOO!

KATHY:  If you are a Buyer's agent, you can have SO much fun with this!  I'll be writing a "how to" post on this tomorrow...you might wanna tune in! :)

MICHAEL:  See if you can't get other agents in your neighborhood to do a big group open house.  That works really well for us down here!  Good luck and thanks for commenting! :)

ANN:  You're welcome to it my dear.  I'll be writing a "how to" post tomorrow if you're interested in getting a jump on it!  It's really not that hard! :)

This is good stuff, Shannon.  One thing that I have had success with in the past is previewing properties in the area that are just above and just below the price range of the house I am holding open.  As we all know, most open house visitors will be looking for something different that what you have, so I prepare for the objections in advance.  I'll have my laptop prepped with pictures I have taken of a few of the better listings.  So when the prospect tells me that he really wants something in the area for 100k less, I'll call up the slideshow I have prepared for that price range.  If I am working the open house with my partner, it's even better.  I can put them in the car right then and there.  Even if they don't move on the switch off property(ies), they tend to remember the effort.  I've picked up some of my most loyal clients this way. 

Congratulations on big numero 100, I might add!

PAUL:  That is a REALLY great idea...obviously, your customers feel the same way!  I am a true fan of "knowing" your neighborhood...when you're not an authority then why would someone seek your expertise?  Thanks for the high five too my friend! :)  I noticed today that you are in the top 100 bloggers like many of our Active Rain addicts!  CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU! :)

Shannon,

Great post. As a loan officer I am always on the look out for creative ideas that agents are missing that might help generate more business for them, thereby giving them a reason to want to work with me. The idea of the book is great, but honestly I think the colaboration with other agents to do 5-10 open houses in one neighborhood is flat out awesome! I an imagine a potential buyer would be drawn to that and the agents can only get better results! I may call a few new agents with this one!

Thanks
Ed

Here in NJ, im finding it very difficult to get people to even come to the open houses unfortunately. There are many Realtors that have cut their open houses down to 2 hours.

Anyway, this is a great idea shanon and I will certainly try this. Thank you

 

 

Dave Sulvetta REATOR-Associate
Century 21 Hearst
Camden County Real Estate, Gloucester County Real Estate, Burlington County Real Estate

www.davesulvetta.com
www.camdencountyrealestatenews.com

 

Thanks for the neat idea.  I like it.

Thanks so much for reading and commenting on Why I Unsubscribed from Your Blog

Thanks Shannon for the suggestions. Some good pointers here...

Thanks for the ideas Shannon, I always have the list of other homes for sale available to hand out, but I love your idea of taking it one step further!

ED:  I'm glad you got something out of the post that you think you can use!  Good luck and I hope it brings more business your way...by the way, Smart Guy for providing a service to the people you want business from.  That's thinking out of the box! :)

DAVE:  You might consider getting a bunch of Realtors together and doing a group open house.  We call them Extravaganza's down here.  It might encourage some more activity! :)  Good luck!

DAN:  That post was great!  Thanks for commenting! :)

AL:  Stay tuned for my "how to" build your book post.  Coming out later today! :)  Thanks for your support!

LISA:  It was great talking with you today on the phone.  As promised I am getting ready to post my "how to" build your book.  Keep an eye out for it and hope to see you at Inman! :)

Shannon, wow, 100. Congratulations. And you did it in style. Great job.

Thanks Danny!  You are such a great support for me! Hugs! :)

Congratulations on the 100th post. That is a good 100. 100 open houses might be a few too many. Good luck and thanks for the great tips.

Just came upon your post and thought the marketing book was a great idea. I plan on making one of my own for my next open house.

Thanks!

KARL:  Thanks for your comments! :)

Danial:  Good luck to you!  I hope you get a great response! :)

Shannon- Congratulations and I look forward to seeing a more in depth post about your little book!  Good job!

Wonderful idea and congratulations on #100.

KIM:  I actually already posted the in depth "how to" guide click here to read more:  Thanks for commenting! :)

KIM:  I actually already posted the in depth "how to" guide click here to read more:  Thanks for commenting! :)

MARSHA:  Thanks for reading my post and for your support! :)

Wow Shannon, I think that I am your 133 comment, so after I leave my comment then I will go back and read some of the other great comments. One thing, when you give out your nifty little booklet, are you asking them to sign your guest register first. What method do you use to get their info

ROB: You've been busy reading all my stuff tonight, THANKS SO MUCH!  Now as far as the register goes, that's the first thing I have them do when they enter the house.  I'll say something to the effect of, thanks so much for coming, while you're filling out my guest register I'll tell you some secrets about the property that you're going to want to know.  Works everytime and then that's when I go into my spill about why the seller's are moving.  Doesn't have to be that exciting but it's usually the first thing someone asks...they want to know the story!  Thanks again for all of your support! :)

Congratulations on your 100th post.  I'm sure it's been a long journey for you and you've benefeted greatly from AR.  Keep up the good work.

Shannon, another great post!  Thank  you.  I've bookmarked it, and I think this is an excellent idea for my 2008 business plan.  I'm still not sure how you made the book, but I bet I can come up with some ideas of my own...

Thanks for sharing a great idea.  Do you use shutterfly or something similar to make the books?

Kim Dillon, Creative Eye Home Staging

I offer a list of the foreclosures in the area.  Without the addresses of course.

TRACY:  It has been a long journey Tracy but it has been a great ride! Thanks for your support! :)

NATALIE:  I wrote the follow-up how to guide which I have also included at the bottom of this post. Good luck with it! :)

KIM:  I actually don't use shutterfly, I use adobe photoshop and you can read all about if you click on the link at the bottom of this post! :)  Thanks for commenting! :)

ADAM:  There's using your noggin!  It's certainly a buzz word in the industry isn't it???

Well, I'm a Johnny come lately but I LOVED this post.  And I will incorporate your suggestions in my open house next week.

I will now peruse some of your other posts...   Thanks!

Hi Shannon, Congrats. Keep posting. Good job. All the best for your success & business.

 

Best -Sash

Some great ideas, Shannon, especially the listing book. Wow! Imissed this post somehow but foudn my way here from Lisa's in the AR newsletter. Off to check out the How To.

Thanks

Jeff

I love it! Thanks for the great description and a fun post!

Cheers,

Robin