Check out these tips to help you stand out from the crowd when someone is looking at multiple properties in one afternoon.

Open houses can be a great way to get new clients, but only if we can stand out from the crowd when someone is looking at multiple properties in one afternoon.

One way to make yourself memorable:  interesting and relevant handouts.  A fancy 4-color, multiple-fold brochure might make your sellers happy, but it’s often the first thing that gets thrown in the recycle bin.

Here then are handout suggestions that while easy to put together, are a unique departure from the standard brochure or buyers guide:

• Mortgage Loan Breakdown – Helps prospects understand the potential costs of financing the property – sometimes, buyers can actually afford more home than they think once they see the monthly payments.  Ask a trusted mortgage broker or mortgage consultant to put a piece together for you – make sure that he/she includes your name on the document as well.
• Glossary of Home Ownership/Mortgage Terms – The home ownership process becomes more complex every year. A single sheet of key terms and phrases can be extremely helpful to both first-time buyers and move-up buyers who haven’t purchased a home in a while.
• Home Buying Process Flowchart– A graphic depiction of how the loan, offer, inspection, repair and title process occur. Your Title Rep, Escrow Officer, or lender may wish to partner with you on such a handout.
• Vendor List – A list of any vendors (include contact information) who helped to fix up the home that’s open – landscapers, painters, etc., can be a great resource sheet.  Including discounts/coupons for mentioning your name to these vendors can help prospects remember who you are when they’re ready to decide on an Agent.  See our blog from 2 weeks ago for more information about this.  
• Neighborhood Information – Note local schools, grocery stores or restaurants and the “walk score” of the home. And don’t forget today’s buyer concerns such as  the best cell phone carrier/coverage for the area (very important in hilly, mountainous and coastal areas).
• Real Estate Agent Checklist/Interview Guide – Selecting the right real estate agent is critical to buying or selling a home, so this checklist identifies key questions to ask an agent.    Click here to download one that you can use.

With these interesting and relevant reference tools, your open house can be more successful:  Not only can they help a prospect remember you, but they can be conversation starters as well!

And, if you have a prospect that comes through your open house who isn’t the right fit for you, or the property that they’re selling is outside your market area, consider using ReferralExchange.  We’ll match your prospect with 3 great agents and pay you a 25% referral fee when the deal closes.  It takes less than 10 minutes to get started.