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How to hold an open house day when putting your home on the market

Hosting an open house can be an excellent way to create a buzz around your property going on the market, and save you some time conducting viewings by getting several potential buyers through the door in one go.

Here at Bromley Property Company we look at all the advantages and disadvantages to an open house, tips for success and whether they actually work.

What is an open house?

An open house is a set day/period of time on a certain day that can replace the need for numerous separate viewings. It might be that anyone can turn up and take a look during that fixed time period, or estate agents like ourselves schedule back-to-back appointments (our preference) to fill the time that’s been allocated. We find that most of our sellers prefer the appointments to be scheduled, as opposed to any old Joe Bloggs to pop by unarranged (you’d be surprised how many people with no real intention of buying pop by to these kind of open houses just to be nosy!)

Having an open house doesn’t replace listing your property online with the top property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla – marketing your property on these sites through a high street or online estate agent is essential to getting your home seen by other prospective buyers.

What are the advantages of holding an open house?

Open days tend to be particularly beneficial to sellers, particularly ones with busy work schedules, or perhaps with young children. Using an open day means you can get a whole block of viewings done at once so you only have to get your home looking its best for that day (we know how stressful it can be to keep your house looking immaculate for viewings!), and you can either focus your energy showing everyone around on that day or let us handle the whole thing while you head out for a while.

The other benefit is that by having lots of people viewing your home at once it can build a sense of urgency among potential buyers. If interested parties see lots of other people viewing the property at a similar time, it may make them come to a decision faster, and possible put in a higher offer than they otherwise might do.

When is the best time to hold an open house?

You want your house to look its best without being near off-putting rush hour traffic, or when the light is fading and the place naturally starts to look dull. With that in mind, evenings probably aren’t ideal unless the height of summer. You also want as many people as possible to be able to attend, so don’t choose a weekday.

The best day to have an open day is on a Saturday. Allow enough time in the morning for you to get up, get the house sorted and get kids and pets out if possible. From 10am until around 2pm is a great time to get lots of people through the door. But if there’s more demand for viewing slots, your estate agent may want to carry on after lunch into the afternoon. Cramming appointments in will give the open day ‘energy’ and make your home appear nice and popular!

To get your house ready for an open day, you can follow some of our decluttering tips on our blog.

What to do on the day of your open house

On the morning of your open house make sure you tidy and give a final clean if possible. Have your brochure with property details available for viewers to take away or to have to hand as they walk around, along with any other information you might want to showcase.

Are there any disadvantages of holding an open house?

Obviously open days can restrict potential buyers who perhaps can’t view on that specific day (although post-open day we would always, with the owner’s blessing, arrange another suitable time for them to view the property)

Whether you remain in your home during the open house or not depends on how much you trust us to do a good job (we hope you would do!). If in doubt, we would recommend being present to answer questions from potential buyers and you can also push the positive points of your home. If during the first viewing we deliver an excellent service, you may decide to leave us to it.

We are ALWAYS disciplined with ticking viewings off our list of booked viewings, or registering unexpected ones. We understand that you may feel concerned about security, and for this reason you may want to be present on the day. If you wish, you can then keep an eye on visitors in your home, and can also be on hand to answer questions.

Another disadvantage of an open house approach to marketing your home is the argument that some buyers make rushed decisions because of the pressure of the day. They might be tempted to overstretch themselves and realise later on reflection that the price they have offered isn’t workable, so any offers made in haste could fall through later on (although thankfully we find this to be rare). On the flip side, other buyers may be put off from visiting altogether because they don’t want to put themselves into a high-pressure situation or end up in a bidding war.

If you’re considering an open day, we’re always happy to to have a chat and give advice on whether we feel holding one would be beneficial to the sale of your property. Give us a call on 020 8462 7155.

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Lewis McKale

Director, Residential Sales, Lettings & New Homes

lewis@propertycompanygroup.com

lewis@bromleypropertycompany.com

07507 656 668

020 8462 7155

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Lewis has over 20 years experience in the property industry. As a young negotiator he worked for large South East London Estate Agency and he also worked his way up to Associate Director at a City based Estate Agency by the time he was 25.

He jointly owned and sold a successful business in the East End of London before deciding to come back to his roots and set up Bromley Property Company in late 2016.

Lewis is a life long Bromley Borough resident and hails from West Wickham where he attended Wickham Common Primary School and then Hayes Secondary School.

He's married with three children, all of whom attend local schools. Both himself and his wife are very active with local autistic charities helping with various events.

Football plays a big part in his life, playing for Charlton Athletic youth team in his early days and he is an avid supporter of Bromley FC.

The competitive drive that pushes him on is what helps fuel his passion for the business. This and his in-depth knowledge of the borough is a great combination which helps deliver the results his clients have come to expect.

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Kyle Peters

Director, Land & Commercial

kyle@propertycompanygroup.com

020 8462 7155

07801 577 782

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In a career spanning more than 20 years Kyle has bought, sold and let Real Estate of all types and sizes in every sector of property industry. Throughout this time he was a long serving founder member of one of the South East’s most successful Commercial & Development property agencies. In addition to a successful agency career he has held senior client-side positions in asset & property management and investment and development acquisitions affording Kyle a holistic viewpoint and greater understanding of the entire process than some agents.

Technically knowledgeable and with a keen eye for detail he has a deep understanding of how to effectively market a property and revels in getting amongst the strategy of a transaction to ensure his clients expectations are regularly exceeded.

With a natural flair for identifying development opportunities and adding value Kyle works regularly with a number of clients on acquisitions and development & planning consultancy and has specialisms in the retirement, care and affordable housing sectors.

Born and raised in the Bromley area, outside of work Kyle enjoys spending as much time as possible with his young family, travelling and all things car related.

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Stuart Jackson

Sales & Lettings

stuart@bromleypropertycompany.com

020 8462 7155

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Stuart has worked in the property industry for 10 years now.

Previously working in the East End of London specialising in Shoreditch and The City but deciding to come back to his roots and work in Bromley, Stuart brings his enthusiasm, knowledge and hard work to the company and local Bromley residents will all benefit from this.

Stuart is also a local lad that grew up in Keston, attending Keston Primary School and Hayes Secondary School so his local knowledge is second to none. Currently living in Shortlands Stuart prides himself on his excellent customer service levels and is always available to talk about property and will accommodate viewings whenever he can 7 days a week.

Stuart works very close with Lewis in ensuring that Bromley Property Company offer a customer service unlike any other local estate agent making sure all of our clients be it Vendors, Landlords, Buyers or Tenants are all looked after and dealt with in the best way possible.

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Angela McKale

Admin & Marketing
 

angela@bromleypropertycompany.com

020 8462 7155

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Angela has worked supporting Lewis and his team for the last 5 years now and has taken the admin side of the business over and helps to ensure that our clients are given a service that is as efficient as possible.

She is responsible for that majority of the companies marketing and she also looks after the properties on our website as well as ensuring our clients are written to promptly.

Helping to run diaries for the team and ensuring everyone is kept on their toes is a real help and she helps keep things organised and ensures the business runs as efficiently as possible.

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Trevor Doran

Head of Property Management

management@bromleypropertycompany.com

07740 055 025

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Trevor has over 30 years’ experience in maintaining and managing properties.
20 years in the home improvement industry rising to director level served him well as a landlord and since 2009 owning and running his own business specialising purely in property letting and management.
A lifelong Bromley borough resident Trevor runs Bromley Property Company’s letting and management department and continues to operate at the highest possible levels of professionalism and service as the portfolio grows.
Sport and fitness play a big part in Trevor’s life as he tries to keep up with two athletic children currently in sixth form and university. He also follows the fortunes of the ever-improving Bromley FC.

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Amy has worked in Lettings and property management for 10 years starting as a Lettings Negotiator for a corporate Estate Agents in Dartford.

She then worked for an independent Estate Agent in Bexley as a Property Manager and then as Branch Manager for 3 years.

She took some time out when she had her daughter and started working again in Property Management 3 years ago.

Amy has a BA (Hons) Degree in Fashion and enjoys making clothes and she is also classically trained to Grade 6 in Piano.

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Becky Freeman

Digital Marketing & Social Media

becky@bromleypropertycompany.com

020 8462 7155

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Becky brings with her nearly a decade of digital marketing and multi-award nominated lifestyle blogging experience, and has worked with both household names and smaller companies to create content and enhance their social and online presence. She has appeared in various Interiors & lifestyle magazines, written for publications including The Guardian, and appeared on Channel 4’s ‘Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas’ winning her category of Christmas table styling!

After a disappointing experience trying to sell her house with a local high street agent, West Wickham-based Becky had heard great things about Bromley Property Company, swapped to us and quickly sold, and says she couldn't rate Lewis and his team's knowledge of the area and honest valuation highly enough.

As a bit of a property geek with a background in both business and lifestyle marketing, Becky is now on board to oversee all things digital for us through her agency Becky Freeman Digital.

Living and raising 3 children in the local area, Becky loves Bromley and all it has to offer a young family.

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Mary Radovanovich

MAAT, MICB PM.Dip., Accounts
 

mary@bromleypropertycompany.com

020 8462 7155

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Mary has been in the accounting industry for over 23 years and has a license with the AAT and ICB. Mary prides herself on excellent customer service and strongly believes in building a close working relationship with her clients.

Mary deals with the invoice payments and tax for the group as well as assisting with all aspects of accounting.