Open houses are often lonely affairs for agents. But for The Phelps-Hanson Kardosh Group at @properties, teaming up can make all the difference.
Partners Robin Phelps-Hanson and Amber Kardosh generally don’t host open houses together, since that’s not the most efficient use of their time. But there are some less visible benefits to teaming up on open houses.
One clear strength is the magnification of marketing efforts. Phelps-Hanson noted that often, one of them will post about an open house on social media, and the other will share the post with their network, helping to boost the audience. “You double the exposure for the sellers,” she said. “The team structure is like another eye on your inventory.”
Because team members often cover for each other when schedules overlap, open houses also benefit from the increased flexibility that comes with a partnership. However, it’s not just about having a warm body in the listing. “We’re able to give everyone on the team the same knowledge about the home,” Kardosh noted, adding that, even if it’s not technically your listing, “you sound like the expert.”
Furthermore, being members of the same team adds a motivational factor that doesn’t exist when brokers simply ask another unaffiliated agent to cover their open house. For fellow team members, “their primary goal is to sell it,” Kardosh said. “That part of having a team is very beneficial to the client and us.”
Whether you’re with a team or selling solo, The Phelps-Hanson Kardosh Group has some advice for making the most of open houses.
If your main goal is indeed to sell the listing, concentrate your efforts on the soft sell when it comes to getting prospects to show up. Phelps-Hanson just started using a relatively new tool on Facebook ads that gives potential buyers the option to contact her through WhatsApp, a messaging program owned by the social media giant. Using such outside platforms can open the door to further conversations without agents having to be pushy about obtaining contact information. “It’s all about people not feeling pressure at all, feeling comfortable coming to the open house,” Phelps-Hanson said, noting that she’ll tell open house attendees that she plans to reach out to them for feedback later, but that it feels more natural because “we’ve established that relationship” already.
For those working open houses mainly to meet new clients, Kardosh recommends turning on the charm for everyone, no matter who shows up. “Be super nice,” she advised. “Even if an agent walks though, I pretend it’s a personal showing.”
Phelps-Hanson agreed, noting that many high-end sellers head out to luxury open houses just to scope out the agents hosting them. “They’re interviewing brokers; that’s why they’re out,” she said. “If you’re about to close up [and someone walks up to the listing], turn the lights back on and tell them to take their time. You never know who’s walking into that house.”