Calgary-based realtor Renata Reid has an inspired way with open houses that’s helping to reshape the traditional format and kick this timeworn marketing tool up to the next level.

As senior vice president of sales for Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Reid believes that open houses should tell a story and sell a lifestyle. Her brokerage has done a number of marketing videos featuring her techniques, hoping to fire the imaginations of agents across the country.

Are open houses still worthwhile in this fractured, digitally-driven market? And what, you may ask, could Reid possibly be doing in this threadbare milieu to attract that kind of attention?  

 

The world of extreme open houses: An ‘immersive’ experience with the ‘Martha Stewart’ touch

 

Welcome to the world of extreme open houses, where superior enticements such as catered refreshments, entertainment and prizes are used to generate buzz about a property, stimulate the senses and create an unforgettable “elevated” experience. 

Envision an open house held by Martha Stewart, if she was a realtor.

The home has a gourmet kitchen? Have a chef at the open house cooking up a storm. There’s a gorgeous deck? Throw an epic barbeque. The idea is for potential buyers to see the home sizzling with life and energy, making it easier for them to imagine themselves living there. 

“If you don’t do anything out of the ordinary, people won’t come,” insists Reid, who maintains that potential buyers are attracted to the “immersive experience” she creates.

Of course, there also continues to be a need for quieter open-house experiences.

But if you’re going all-out, a paper plate of cheese and crackers won’t do. At Reid’s open houses, depending on the asking price and the package the sellers choose, there’s live music — everything from a violinist or wandering professional singer to a jazz band. There may be games and prizes set up in the backyard to keep the kids occupied, white linen tablecloths making the event more reminiscent of a wedding than an open house, floral displays and fresh baking scenting the air, elaborate trays of food (and wine, if allowed) and waiters smoothly circulating with canapes.

Once, to symbolize “iconic luxury,” Reid had an Aston Martin on display in all its glory. “I have sponsors for my open houses — mortgage specialists, architects, interior designers — who may be there to give advice to potential clients,” Reid adds. 

 

Creating hype with advance advertising and a warm welcome

 

Creating momentum leading up to her “grand open house weekends” is a key part of the hype, with plenty of “coming soon” advertising, she explains.

Wife and husband team Kelly and Michael MacKendrick concur that “a lot depends on advertising in advance.” Without going to the radical lengths that Reid does, the couple, with Sutton Group Heritage in Ontario, recently managed to pack the open houses they held for the sale of their own home in Markham, prior to moving to the small town of Meaford. 

“Even during COVID we’d have people lined up out the door for open houses, once they were allowed again,” recalls Kelly. 

It can’t hurt that you’d be hard pressed to find realtors more hospitable than these two. We’ve all been to open houses where the agents barely acknowledge visitors. That’s not the MacKendrick’s style, nor do they feel it’s constructive. 

 

It’s about ‘the art of selling’

 

“A large part of whether or not you’re successful at an open house comes down to the art of selling,” asserts Michael. “If you’re not engaging, I can see why an open house wouldn’t be as effective.” 

He and Kelly like open houses because they maximize exposure for their clients — which is the name of the game, they point out — and also have potential to be a source of new clients, thanks to those who come through unrepresented or bring along friends and family. Unlike many agents, they’re not adverse to extending invitations to people who aren’t in the market to buy, as it can be helpful in getting the word out.

This includes neighbours — nosy and otherwise. “Some of your best advocates are the neighbours. We’ve gotten clients that way,” says Kelly. “And they give you great intel on the neighbourhood.”

 

Look for out-of-the-box opportunities and strategies

 

Thinking outside the box, the duo have occasionally held open houses at odd times, including in the evening and when school is about to let out. “You never know what will work. Look for opportunities,” they advise.

Taking that kind of strategizing further, realtors could consider timing open houses to coincide with events in the area, such as street fairs, neighbourhood-wide garage sales, concerts and other community gatherings. 

 

Another perspective: Don’t ‘water down’ the experience

 

Re/Max top producer and real estate advisor Tim Hill of Greater Vancouver cautions though, that the sellers’ interest in open houses tapers off after the beginning stages. “Open houses are most effective when a property is just listed,” or has recently had a price reduction, he’s observed.

Hill explains that holding too many open houses tends to “water down” the experience for everyone, especially sellers, who grow tired of all the cleaning and the amount of time they’re required to remain away from the house.

In his opinion, open houses “are not the most effective tool,” due mainly to the attendance of “looky-loos” and potential buyers who haven’t been prequalified. 

 

Make seller expectations clear and give buyers plenty of notice

 

This familiar beef notwithstanding, Re/Max broker Akash Bedi, a past president of the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board, has found that recent open house “traffic counts” have increased now that summer is over.

Bedi advises making it crystal clear to sellers what’s expected of them, and allowing at least “four to five days of pre-marketing” to help ensure that people who want to attend an open house are available and up to speed.

Many realtors get new agents to help with open houses and with marketing them, he adds. From what Bedi has seen, the majority of agents and their clients “still use open houses as a listing and marketing tool.”

 

Most clients, although by no means all, still seem to like and expect them … elevated experience or not.