Have an Extreme Open House Instead of an Extreme Home Makeover to Sell Your Home

The Same Old Gimmicks No Longer Lure Buyer in a Tough Housing Market. So What Does? These Techniques

Yes, they smell good. However, even freshly baked cookies don't cover up the smell of cat urine and may even get people into a kitchen which isn't updated. Cookies taste good but won't necessarily get people to spend thousands on a home.I won't go too far out on a limb when suggesting that people give up serving cookies, however, because buyers have come to expect them. So if you want to serve them, go ahead but consider adding an updated idea such as....

Updated open house technique: gas cards

I think this is brilliant. Home buyers often feel a bit grumpy about the gas they are spending to go to various open houses, anyway (since everyone feels grumpy about paying for gas these days) Some agents take the sting out of some of that that driving by giving gas cards that help pay for the cost of getting to and from the open house. If the home price warrants it, consider spending the extra money to lure prospective clients and create good will.

Best for these potential home buyers: those on a budget, worried about paying for gas and looking for the average to slightly above average home.

Outdated open house technique - pens, pencils and magnets

They get stuck on refrigerators or thrown into the bottom of purses. But how often does the recipient remember the home - or the agent - who gave those magnets or pens to them?

Updated way to use an open house to sell a home: free gallon of ice cream

Yes, some agents use this technique . Why is this a smart move? Because many buyers will go right home to get that ice cream in the freezer, bypassing other open houses and upping the chances that they'll recall the last open house. Besides, ice cream doesn't generally get lost in the bottom of someone's purse, as a pen or pencil might. Other home sellers simply offer free ice cream, a nice break on a hot day. Here is an example of an open house where someone did just that: cosprings.craigslist.org/rfs/712108870.html

Think about it: you are hot, tired and grumpy from driving around in hot weather looking at homes. Would you rather eat a freshly baked hot cookie or a cool bowl of ice cream? You'd probably linger a bit longer over that ice cream, not eager to go out in the hot sun. To make sure the home is remembered, consider using a rubber stamp or address label to add the home address or real estate agency name to the outside of the ice cream container. Simple, memorable and tasty, too!

Best for these potential home buyers: anyone shopping for a home in hot weather and likely to be used and remembered better than a pen or magnet. The home address can be put on the ice cream container with address labels.