Make your open houses zing with holiday cheer. 🎄
Follow these handy Do’s and Don’ts!
1. DO: Make an entrance
Whatever the climate, make sure the entrance to the property is presentable. If your clients live in a cold climate, all walkways and stairs must be free of ice and snow. If you’re based in the desert (Dubai Brokers out there!), a quick sweep up of sandy doorsteps will go a long way.
2. DO: Control the temperature
Make sure the AC is turned up or heating turned on, when it’s time for the open house. If buyers are uncomfortable due to the temperature of the room, they are less likely to enjoy their viewing.
3. DO: Track the weather
If there’s a sandstorm or heatwave forecast to hit, it may be best to reschedule the open house. Make sure to keep an eye on upcoming weather warnings and be prepared with a new date.
4. DO: Deck the halls
Get into the spirit of the season. Take advantage of the holiday period by encouraging sellers to incorporate holiday décor into their open house. Twinkling Christmas lights or a scented holiday candle can welcome buyers and lift spirits.
5. DO: Write a powerful listing description
Listing descriptions these days are more than just point form lists. You need a powerful listing description! You want to engage your clients to feel excited about the home — especially about what the joy of purchasing a new home during the holidays will mean for them. Try to capture the excitement of the holidays to drive interest. Don’t have time to think of engaging words and carefully constructed sentences? This can easily be achieved using an AI writing assistant, specialised for real estate marketing.
Don’ts for holiday open houses
There are some things you definitely want to be careful of over the holidays when it comes to open houses.
1. DON’T: Overdo the holiday spirit
Holiday decorations will create a cozier atmosphere in the home, but you don’t want to overdo it. It can have the opposite effect. Anything that may distract from the home’s curb appeal – giant Santa and Rudolph inflatables, for example—should be put away until after the showing.
2. DON’T: Forget to declutter
Try not to go overboard and keep clutter to a minimum. Put away personal items, such as family photos, as they tend to distract potential buyers.
3. DON’T: Emphasize religion too heavily
Remember not everyone celebrates Christmas. There are many religions that don’t celebrate this time of year. Going overboard on religious symbols can be off-putting to some, so remind your clients to keep it tasteful despite their personal convictions.
4. DON’T: Leave presents out in the open
‘Tis the season of giving, but not to potential buyers. Make sure you pack expensive gifts and treasures away. Not only do many presents clutter the home, but they can be awkwardly personal for a new family trying to imagine their own future memories in the home.
Yes, you can sell homes over the holidays
The bottom line is, the work doesn’t stop just because the holidays are here! Use this time of year to brighten your home opens, not as an excuse to give up.
Remember, some buyers and tenants specifically look to this time of year to shop for a new property, and you might have just the one for them.
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