A confused mind always says NO. I tell everyone I encounter that saying and follow it up with the statement that if they don’t have the answers, they won’t feel confident about buying a home. I chose to make the change because I was not able to give my clients the service I would expect. Large teams are more focused on production, not service. Don’t be afraid! I was afraid for 10 years, which stagnated my career and made me into a robot. Understand that if you have a passion for the industry and want what is best for your clients, it will show through and you can succeed. Greg Fox, my broker, asked me to test pilot it as he knew I held open houses frequently. I love the automatic thank you email that is sent after the open house has ended, and also the ability to create custom questions in the form. Spacio allows me to deliver quick interaction, and people tend to fill out the form with real information, not fake. To obtain at least one “A buyer”, meaning they want to buy in 30 days or less. I list my opens on local Facebook pages, Craigslist and all the major real estate sites. I put out my directional signs on Friday evening with balloons. I promote the open house a week in advance through MLS and put a sign rider stating it will be open on a specific date and time. I print booklets with my contact info, as well as information about the house, in advance. At the property, I make sure the house is tidy and I will turn on all the lights to create a more welcoming atmosphere. I’ll spray a cookie scent and occasionally I have water bottles with my name and contact details on them for visitors to take. I tell them that I would like them to sign in before they leave. Most of the time I let them tour the house first and come behind them with my iPad, if they didn’t sign in at the beginning. I will call within 48 hours of an open house. I speak with them about where they are at in their house hunting journey and set up an appointment to:
a) Show them different open houses,
b) Sit down with them and go over the home buying process, or
c) Provide a free market analysis for their current home. I would estimate about 10% depending on my follow up, although it could be much more. Getting to talk to each visitor if more than one person arrives at the same time. I just ask permission to call them. Typically they say yes. If they say no, that’s okay too. Don’t hover! I jokingly tell people that I expect they know the difference between a bedroom and a bathroom. I encourage them to take a look around and then I’ll check in with them in a few minutes to answer questions. I also mention I would greatly appreciate them signing in and giving me feedback for the seller before leaving. I like to interact with visitors in a way that doesn’t make them feel pressure, and I use a little humor.