The ramp-up to the spring real estate season brings several things every year, an increase in postcards, reminders of daylight saving time and yet another article proclaiming the death of the open house. The arguments don’t vary much from year to year. Open houses don’t attract a buyer; they are a waste of time; they are only a benefit to the real estate agent who uses your house to get more clients.
The arguments have some merit; certainly not every open house yields a buyer, and one of the reasons junior agents sit open houses is to meet new potential clients. However, there’s something magical about face-to-face marketing and about getting potential buyers to experience a home. One of the things that has increased in popularity is event marketing. What is event marketing? It’s any event you hold that puts you in contact with your clients, potential clients and sometimes, but not always, buyers for properties you are listing.
Event marketing can take many forms. A client appreciation party is a form of event marketing. The agents I work with have hosted cocktail parties, bowling nights and afternoon get-togethers. Some have held classes in wine appreciation, food and coffee tastings, design or staging, and others have held events that raise money and awareness for a particular philanthropic cause. The overall idea is that the event is both something with true value independent of the house or agent, and that it is fun. In markets where getting rival brokers in to preview a luxury home for their clients is key, these events can provide a true enticement. Read more.
