REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Give Open Houses an Extra Bit of Oomph

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Daily Real Estate News | May 12, 2009 | Give Open Houses an Extra Bit of Oomph
Real estate professionals around the country are trying new strategies for holding open houses that bring in the crowds.

In New York City, as well as in suburbs of Connecticut and New Jersey, the popular way to get people through the door of high-end homes for sale is to throw a charitable luncheon, a cooking demonstration, or even an art show.

“Marketing is all about the number of people you can get into a house,” says Diane Dutcher, an associate with Coldwell Banker Curtis. “They might not buy the house — but they have friends.”

Meanwhile, in Charlotte, N.C., practitioners who representing many homes in the same general neighborhood work together to hold open houses simultaneously. They build interest with raffles, gift cards, and even progressive dinners.

Betsy Driest, an associate with Best Choice Realty, says this kind of promotion is particularly affective in established neighborhoods because it brings out potential buyers who might never have looked at these older homes.

Sources: The New York Times, Lisa Provost (05/08/2009) and Charlotte Observer, Cristina Bulling (05/09/2009)