Why Doing Your Homework Before An Open House Can Greatly Increase Your Lead Conversion

Shannon Quagliata

Open Houses Direct

For the last 18 months we have found that more and more people are moving to Arizona from outside of the state. These buyers are coming from all over the country and are coming from climates very different than Arizona. They are also coming here over a week or weekend to look at what homes are available for sale. Many of these buyers do not have Realtors when they get here, so they begin their home search by driving around on the weekend looking at open houses. This is one reason why we have so many unrepresented buyers now walking into open houses and buying the open house from the agent holding it open. These buyers are the easiest ones to convert into clients, if and only if, you can present yourself as not only the neighborhood expert but also knowledgeable on Arizona in general. 

Since many of our buyers are coming in from other climates, being able to explain to them the different communities and different landscape options that each offer is a great way to show your knowledge of the area.  A few things to do your homework on in general are the water issues in Arizona and the different landscapes that have been implemented in our newer communities to preserve water. Many neighborhoods for example in the North Scottsdale area have implemented Xeriscape Landscape which is the practice of landscaping with minimal use of water. Neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch and other North Scottsdale neighborhoods have implemented this landscape design which uses rocks and native vegetation such as cacti in the front yard landscapes to minimize water consumption. This is a good selling point to someone moving from outside of the state who is concerned about their water bills and having to water real grass. Other buyers who want more green lush landscape, who may be coming from states like California or Illinois, may want to move to different neighborhoods that offer the more traditional landscape with grass and mature tree lined streets.  Since most buyers from out of town are just wandering in to a neighborhood that they might not know anything about, being able to show them their different options are a great way to convert them into a client. 

Other questions you may want to know the answer to as well are: Does Arizona have a water problem? Will Arizona run out of water? What is causing the water shortage in Arizona? These are all questions that will come up with buyers walking into an open house and meeting an agent that they want to engage in a conversation with. Knowledge converts in this market, especially with buyers having to get creative as to where they are going to live. With interest rates rising rapidly, buyers may have been able to afford a particular neighborhood 2 months ago, but are now having to look at other options. Being that resource for these buyers is one of the best ways to convert them into a client. The Open House Masters 3 Week Coaching Course, teaches new and experienced Realtors important practices like these on how to convert more leads at their open houses. The more knowledge you have at an open house about your surrounding communities and the more options you can offer potential clients who come in the door, the more leads you can convert. For more FREE training on how to convert more at your open houses, Open House Masters also holds in person workshops all over the Valley. Realtors who have taken our course and who have attended our workshops are converting more at their open houses than they ever expected to. With our inventory increasing, getting in front of potential buyers is going to be more important than ever. For more information on these workshops, go to www.openhousemasters.com/workshop.