Showing a model home...

[shariok]

I'm a newbie... and on Sunday I'm sitting in a model home from 1-5. It's a higher end home. Do you have any pointers or advice for me on showing it? Things I should / shouldn't do? This is my first "showing" ever! I'm really excited about it!

(Note: I have talked to my broker, etc about getting ideas, but I would also like to see what you have to say as well.)

Thanks in advance!

[coastal]

The excitement will soon die. Sitting model homes sucks. Bring a good book or your laptop.

Other than that a good home will usually sell itself. Don't point out the obvious but if there are special features let the potential buyers know about them.

[Ryan Ward]

Remeber to talk in terms of benefits. Buyers (people) want to know why something will benefit them.

[Calgary Agent]

Shariok -

Here's a couple of basic "hints" (aside from taking your laptop and a good book)

1/ Print up all of your own feature sheets on the listing (YOUR contact info ... not the listing agents)

2/ Print / have access to (laptop?) all current listings in the neighbourhood

3/ Print up all recent sales (comps)

4/ Educate yourself about all local amenities (schools, recreation facilities, shopping, schools )

Have fun

[Goknights]

take a case of beer, you will need it! 4 hours in a model is very boring.. Hopefully you are in a high traffic area.

[ericbramlett]

Your #1 goal is to find out if the prospect is working with a Realtor, & to get their contact information. The chance of selling the home is pretty low. Be knowledgeable about the home & the neighborhood (I used to print off every active listing in the neighborhood & bring it with me) and try not to be pushy. It's a #s game - you might sit 10 open houses before you pick up one prospect, but you eventually will pick up a prospect.

[new_webmaster]

Bring business cards. Offer to set up a search by email for these people, so they can get updated when new listings show up. If your MLS allows, you can also tell them about other open houses.

[Nickie]

Not everyone coming to the Open House will be Buyers. There may be a few soon to be Sellers too, stopping by to get a few decorating ideas/inspiration.

Having those comps in hand and knowing those numbers so they just roll off your tongue will make you look like the neighborhood expert.

And like the others said, it's a numbers game, but you never know when you'll get lucky.

When I was a brand new agent, my first sale came from a buyer who came into an Open House I was holding on Labor Day weekend. He was frantic, his home was in Escrow and he said to me, "I have to find a place this weekend and nobody's working!" I said, "I am... I'll be finished here in 15 minutes and I can take you to see some properties then."

So we met at my office 20 minutes later and opened Escrow on my first sale a few days later. I had my license two weeks at that point.

So go with a good attitude and be prepared. Even if it seems to go nowhere this weekend, you never know who will remember you as the one who was on top of things and call you later.

[Eric Blackwell]

I would HIGHLY recommend Eric Bramletts and Calgary's advice. Don't (IMHO) prepare for failure (boring / no traffic)...rather prepare as if there are going to be plently and treat each one with care.

Bramlett is spot on about your main objective. Main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. And Calgary's advice about knowing amentiies and etc. (schools esp.) is HUGE in being prepared to capture them if they are available. That is after all, why you are there.

Best of luck with it and do let us know how it goes...

Eric

[ericbramlett]

One other interesting tactic we teach our agents is to ask the question "Do you currently have a realtor that you refer to. You'll get a lot of neighbors coming by to scope out the home, and a lot of agents just ignore them. If those neighbors don't have an agent they refer to, then you can become that agent...put them in your database, and start building a relationship.