Blog contributions are provided exclusively from Luxury Real Estate members throughout the world.
Courtesy of of Michael Saunders & Company
In the circles of real estate professionals, there are few issues that conjure more nuances and opinions than the effectiveness of hosting and holding open houses. Among the discussions, you will discover that some agents love hosting open houses and consider them a necessity to locate the right buyer for any property. Conversely, some rely on other means to ultimately produce a closing.
When done correctly, hosting an open house can be a significant step on getting your property sold. Before you decide on your preference when listing your home, we present the top 10 reasons why hosting an open house is a good idea
1. In the House – When you host an open house, you are using the most effective means of getting the client through the door and making contact. From here, you can gather necessary information and get a feel for how the prospective buyers are responding to the market.
2. Get Serious – One of the biggest advantages of hosting an open house is that serious buyers overwhelmingly use open houses in their research. According to a recent study, 95 percent of people looking to buy a home visit an open house within three months of buying. That’s a pretty convincing percentage.
3. Decent Exposure – While exposing your home to the largest number of buyers is of great importance when selling your home, getting buyers inside to preview your property can be a huge hurdle to jump. Hosting an open house clears that obstacle and widens your pool of interested buyers.
4. Catch a Buzz – Opening your home to prospective buyers is a great way to generate a “buzz” amongst people in the real estate industry, both buyers and agents alike. Agents in the area can experience what your property has to offer and recommend it to their contacts looking for a comparable home.
5. See to Believe – Not all homes are camera friendly, and the photos featured on MLS and real estate websites may not be able to do them justice. Getting people in the door to experience the unique charms of your property can do wonders that no other method can achieve.
6. Feedback – Hosting an open house can be a valuable opportunity to get feedback about what is and isn’t attractive about your house. Ask each buyer what they thought of your home and would they consider buying it. Agents and sellers are hesitant to ask for a buyer’s opinion, so just grit your teeth and ask. It’s the only way you’re going to get a direct answer, and the answer just might astonish you.
7. Sense of Community – Not only does hosting an open house give your agent new prospects for your home, it also gives the listing agent a chance to really show the property and all the other reasons why the buyer should choose your home, including the nearby schools, parks and amenities. These can be the deciding factors for many prospects.
8. Prospective Gathering – An open house also benefits your agent because he or she doesn’t have to go anywhere to find new prospects; they come to him/her. Most open houses last between two and three hours, during which time up to thirty or forty people might show up. By gaining the information of these prospective buyers, your agent can do the work necessary to close the deal.
9. Fall in Love – Part of the reason for having an open house is you just want to find someone who falls in love with it. And by seeing the home in person and imagining themselves and their things inside, they can do just that.
10. michaelsaunders.com – When listed with Michael Saunders & Company, your open house gets weekly attention on michaelsaunders.com complete with in-depth information, mapping tools, extensive pictures and more to help open house hunters on their personal tour of your home.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Patricia Choi – Choi International
The list of nominees are….
Best Brand Integration
Gulf Coast International Properties
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Best Industry Networking
Diane Turton – Diane Turton, Realtors
Ann Chiasson - Sea to Sky Premier Properties
Bob Nathan – Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
Jim Walberg – Keller Williams Danville
Tim Murray – Alain Pinel Realtors
Bonnie Smith – Exclusive Mountain Retreats Real Estate
Liane (Li) Read – Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring)
Rollie Jordan – Kentwood Company
Antonio & Jose Ribes – Rimontgo
Karen Bigos – Towne Realty Group, LLC
Best New Community
Devonshire House
One Hanson Place
Best Overall Marketing Package
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Print Marketing
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Website Design
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Website Innovation
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Billionaire’s Club
Elizabeth Stribling - Stribling & Associates
Vicki & Bill Mitchell - Carmel Realty
Glennis Beacham - Beacham & Company, REALTORS
Patricia Choi - Choi International
Extraordinary Philanthropist
Jack Cotton – Sotheby’s International Realty
Travis Reed – Harry Norman, Realtors
Jim Walberg – Keller Williams Danville
Saul Cohen – Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Most Impressive Listing
Diane Turton – Diane Turton, Realtors
Dixi Applegate - Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate
Manyee Lui - Macdonald Realty Group Inc.
Elizabeth Stribling - Stribling & Associates
Brian Hazen - Mason Morse Real Estate
Kelly Drum – Drum Realty
Peter Butler – Carmel Realty Company
Lynn Brown Knoop – Carmel Realty Company
Most Innovative Marketing Technique
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Jack Cotton – Sotheby’s International Realty
Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estate
Luxury Real Estate New Zealand
Outstanding Rookie
Courtney Jones – Carmel Realty Company
Outstanding Social Media Savvy
By John Brian Losh of LuxuryRealEstate.com
Another addition to my ongoing discussion of the principles I believe are required for success.
Hard Work: Preparation is extra work and pays dividends. Being prepared to work with a buyer or seller puts you miles ahead of the ‘ad-libber’.
Passion: Decide what you enjoy the most and build your practice to make yourself the expert. Your passion is apparent the moment an individual meets you.
Community: Go out of your way to make your new neighbor feel welcome and that neighbor will be forever grateful.
By John Brian Losh of LuxuryRealEstate.com
Community: Give back to your community everyday. Thank God for our many blessings.
By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty
Jim Walberg and his fellow Rotarians completed another map of the USA on the playground of Tassajara Hills Elementary School - 40 feet long and 25 feet high! It is part of our continued support of education projects in our community.
Since our local Rotary Club was founded in April 1989 it has been serving the many needs of our East Bay communities. During the past 20 years, we have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of people hours to address these local needs. Many of our Rotary Club’s community projects have been focused on educational needs of our school districts. We call one of them “The Maps Project”. Several years ago we learned of a map painting kit that was painted on elementary school playgrounds to assist kids with their understanding of our country’s geography. It sounded as if it was a winner of addition to any school.
We contacted our local school district and opened a discussion with them regarding how it could be of benefit to school kids to better understand the geography of our country. They accepted our invitation to paint this map on all of the elementary schools in the district. Yesterday we completed our eighth USA map on the playground. It has evolved into a very organized operation which now allows us to pull it off in just one day. Yesterday we are done from start to finish in must under six hours because of many volunteers showing up to help.
One of the ways that “Service Above Self” is learned by our younger generations is by modeling it. We invited local high school students and students from Tassajara Elementary School to assist us with yesterday’s project. So, you had young and old working together to create a magnificent end result. There were smiles and high-fives all around as we admired the finished product. The last step of any of the maps we have painted is having the Mississippi River painted along its entire route with it ending at New Orleans. What a great day.
During yesterday’s project I overheard many conversations among the adults and students about when our next project would take place because they wanted to make sure they helped us again. The “virus” of community service continues to be spread as we are always on the lookout for the needs within our community that need to be addressed. Our “army” of volunteers has now expanded to include high school and elementary students who also want to give back to their community.
You may remember my daily mantra, “To whom much is given, much is required.” As long as we are still breathing our work is not over on this earth in order to make it a better place. So, what does community service have to do with East Bay real estate? The quality of life of a community is a key factor as to why people want to live in our region. We want to make sure we are doing our part to improve the life experiences of all who live here. Contact me anytime if you would like to join us on any of our community projects. Until next time…your lifestyle detective remains on duty in the East Bay.
By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty
Jim Walberg and his fellow Rotarians completed another map of the USA on the playground of Tassajara Hills Elementary School - 40 feet long and 25 feet high! It is part of our continued support of education projects in our community.
Since our local Rotary Club was founded in April 1989 it has been serving the many needs of our East Bay communities. During the past 20 years, we have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of people hours to address these local needs. Many of our Rotary Club’s community projects have been focused on educational needs of our school districts. We call one of them “The Maps Project”. Several years ago we learned of a map painting kit that was painted on elementary school playgrounds to assist kids with their understanding of our country’s geography. It sounded as if it was a winner of addition to any school.
We contacted our local school district and opened a discussion with them regarding how it could be of benefit to school kids to better understand the geography of our country. They accepted our invitation to paint this map on all of the elementary schools in the district. Yesterday we completed our eighth USA map on the playground. It has evolved into a very organized operation which now allows us to pull it off in just one day. Yesterday we are done from start to finish in must under six hours because of many volunteers showing up to help.
One of the ways that “Service Above Self” is learned by our younger generations is by modeling it. We invited local high school students and students from Tassajara Elementary School to assist us with yesterday’s project. So, you had young and old working together to create a magnificent end result. There were smiles and high-fives all around as we admired the finished product. The last step of any of the maps we have painted is having the Mississippi River painted along its entire route with it ending at New Orleans. What a great day.
During yesterday’s project I overheard many conversations among the adults and students about when our next project would take place because they wanted to make sure they helped us again. The “virus” of community service continues to be spread as we are always on the lookout for the needs within our community that need to be addressed. Our “army” of volunteers has now expanded to include high school and elementary students who also want to give back to their community.
You may remember my daily mantra, “To whom much is given, much is required.” As long as we are still breathing our work is not over on this earth in order to make it a better place. So, what does community service have to do with East Bay real estate? The quality of life of a community is a key factor as to why people want to live in our region. We want to make sure we are doing our part to improve the life experiences of all who live here. Contact me anytime if you would like to join us on any of our community projects. Until next time…your lifestyle detective remains on duty in the East Bay.
By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty
December 26th the Kwanzaa celebration begins in the Caribbean. It is an annual celebration in December that lasts seven days - ending on January 1st. Each day focuses on a principle that reaffirms the African commitment to themselves, their families, their community, and their black struggle for equality.
- December 26th - Umoja - Unity
- December 27th - Kujichagulia - Self-Determination
- December 28th - Ujima - Collective Work & Responsibility
- December 29th - Ujamaa - Cooperative Economics
- December 30th - Nia - Purpose
- December 31 - Kuumba - Creativity
- January 1st - Imani - Faith
The seven principles are collectively referred to as the Nguzo Saba, and are intended to serve as guideposts for meditation and daily living. The greeting each day of Kwaanza is Habari Gani, and the reply is Habari Gani, followed by the principle of each day. Kwanzaa is celebrated by people of African descent in North America, the Caribbean and other part of the world connected to African heritage. It was created by M. Ron Karenga in 1966.
The St. John gathering is held in Cruz Bay in a small park near the ferry dock. Lucinda Parsons, Sigma Theta Omega Chapter President welcomes the audience of local residents and tourists each year.
The Love City Pan Dragons play the America National Anthem and the Virgin Islands March. The “3 Sweet” trio sings the Black National Anthem and South African Anthem. There are also student performances, as well as the St. John Cultural Dancers.
There are celebrations all week on St. Thomas and St. Croix. Also check out the local celebrations held in all of the Windward and Leeward islands. Habari Gani! My family and I send you our best wishes for an unforgettable Kwanzaa celebration!!!
By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty
There is an increasing number of East Bay families at risk during these challenging times. The One Warm Coat project is a critical service provided to these families.
For the past 13 years we have organized our local real estate community to participate in the One Warm Coat project. We spent the last two weeks collecting any type of good warm clothing; coats, sweaters, blankets, sleeping bags, socks, hats, etc. This year there was over 15,000 pieces of clothing collected in the East Bay for this critical project. Giving back is critical for all of us who are alive.
What we have discovered is that people in our community want to help with the needs of those less fortunate. Often times the reason they don’t participate in giving is because they have not been given an easy way to do so. We passed out over 1,000 large plastic bags on the front porches of the neighborhoods for whom we serve their real estate needs. We made it very easy for individuals to help, and they did in overwhelming
ways. You would not believe how many truck loads of pick-ups I made. It is as if the community as a whole are reordering their priorities and giving back even more during these difficult economic times. “If you have a loaf then at least share a slice.”
We even invited other friends of ours to take up the challenge to gather warm clothing. Dean Langston from Milestone Mortgage and Ashley Provost from ROI Home Services decide to through a Holiday party at Dean’s home as the “hook”. The ticket to the party was a warm coat. They collected over 660 coats the night of the party!!! They even involved our local community vendors to supply the party’s needs. For example, The Peasant & The Pear supplied all the food! And they passed out coupons for a free dessert the next time you go their restaurant. It was an inspiring result from two people dedicated to giving back to the community.
Several community organizations are benefiting from the collection of all these warm clothes. Two of them are Sheperd’s Gate, and Contra Costa Family Services. The impact these two organizations have in serving families at risk is unbelievable. Contact me if you would like to find out more information as to who you can help in serving the community needs of the East Bay. Until next time.
By Michael Edlund
The Luxury Lounge is an exciting project we’ve been busy working on over here at Luxury Real Estate.
The Luxury Lounge is a gated social-networking community for professionals within the LuxuryRealEstate.com affiliate network to make connections with quality peers all over the world. Initially, you will be able to search and connect to people, send private messages and write public comments to others, write and comment on blog posts and discuss topics in forums.
We’ve also implemented online purchasing of Luxury Real Estate conference tickets and the Luxury Lounge will over time grow in to a hub for everything related to Luxury Real Estate. From managing your listings and exposure on LuxuryRealEstate.com to tracking your leads and much more. Rain or shine, noon or midnight. In the lounge, luxury professionals can utilize the full power of their Luxury Real Estate affiliation at the time and convenience of their choosing.
We have already started sending out invitations to a limited number of members, but will expand their reach over the coming weeks to the whole LuxuryRealEstate.com network. When you see an email with the subject “Invitation to Luxury Real Estate’s VIP Lounge” you know what it is all about. It is about embracing and empowering your interaction with the global Luxury Real Estate network.
Thank you for your participation!
Editor’s Note:
Michael Edlund is the Director of Technology with LuxuryRealEstate.com. He is in charge of all of LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Web projects, including website creation, software updates and implementation, and much more. Big changes are afoot here at Luxury Real Estate. The Luxury Real Estate Blog is gaining in popularity on Google, Yahoo and MSN searches, and now the Luxury Lounge is gaining momentum! With the rise of social-networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Naymz, many people are starting to see the possibilities opened up through them. This is a great chance to build relationships in creative ways online. Happy networking!
By Brian Langhorst
As in luxury real estate, sometimes selling and parting with something close to your family is tough. This example easily extends over to the situation of the Seattle Supersonics, a National Basketball Association team, being sold and now moving to Oklahoma City, as you can read in this Seattle Times article.
Unfortunately a deal has been struck and the Seattle Supersonics are no longer going to be playing in Seattle. The former Sonics ownership group sold the team a few years ago to another group based out of Oklahoma City. The new ownership group has decided to move the team to Oklahoma City to play as a new team.
It is frustrating to see something that has been a large part of the Seattle culture and community just packed up and shipped to the Midwest. The final decision came yesterday as the City of Seattle agreed to settle out of court with the new ownership group on the move to Oklahoma City. The city did receive a substantial payout, but money does not replace what is being lost.
R.I.P. Sonics Basketball
Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. This whole situation is quite silly, in my opinion. It could have been easily avoided if everyone involved had simply been honest about their intentions from the start. The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/yannickcarer/426046468 and it is the copyright of Yannick Carer
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