Open House Protocol

by Shawn Lackie

When I started in the wonderful world of Real Estate, there were two things I had to focus on. Since I was new to the business and had no sphere of influence, I needed to build one to get clients, and fast. So I jumped on two things: Cold Calling and Open Houses.

Cold Calls were really tough and also something I really didn’t feel comfortable with, and for good reason. I always put myself in their shoes. How would I feel about someone calling out of the blue, asking if I wanted to list my home? Ummmm no.

Now, Open Houses were an entirely different animal. The people you meet there are either out looking because they are genuinely going to make a move, or they are people just filling in time and looking for something to do on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I would stage these religiously every weekend. What better way to meet possible new clients and just interact with people about this great business?

Many agents bristle at the thought of doing Open Houses. They say it’s a waste of time and you’ll never sell the home that way. A few of my credos include, “expect the unexpected” and “never pre-judge a situation.” If you keep an open mind, almost anything can, and sometimes will happen.

Over the first ten years, at least 30 percent of my business came from staging open houses. I would make sure they were properly advertised and had my signs out, well in advance of the event. I did one unadvertised Open House, on a Saturday afternoon (usually Sunday was the best day), and fully expected a small turnout. I was disappointed because I didn’t have time to get the ad in. However, in true unexpected fashion, one person and his brother showed up.

Turns out, he was just driving around and saw the signs. He wanted to move out this way from Oakville, to be closer to his brothers. He bought the place. I also got his listing for a home in old Oakville. In both cases, I double-ended the deals, so what started out to be a possible waste of time turned out to be most beneficial, indeed.

I would do Open Houses for other agents' listings because they couldn’t be bothered, and on a few occasions I ended up finding new buyers. Like the song says, “One Thing Leads To Another,” and in these cases, it certainly did. I don’t bug people when they come in; I greet them at the door and hand them a business card, a gift for visiting. I explain a little about the home and ask if they have any questions. Then I let them go on tour, with the proviso, if they have any questions, just ask. Nobody wants an over-eager agent hovering over their shoulder. I learned early on, from one of the other agents, not to do that. She would cling onto the people at the front door and fire questions at them nonstop. That was definitely a no-no. Since the pandemic, doing Open Houses has become a lost art but you still see them from time to time. All I can add is, the agents who are still doing them will be surprised at the outcome.

Feel free to check out this story and more on my blog site, at https://slackie14.wixsite.com/buy-sell-and-more