3 Easy Online Marketing Tips to Step Up Your Open House Game

Ask a handful of agents or brokers if open houses are an effective marketing tool and you might get a few moans and groans. Today's real estate environment is online driven. Real estate agents need to think beyond a few strategically placed signs on a street corner to make their open house event a success.

Do you want to use online marketing to "step up" your open house game? Consider these three easy tips to gain more exposure and prospects at your next open house event.

1. Take full advantage of Facebook advertising

There are on average 1.3 billion active daily users on Facebook. This means that your target consumer is likely on Facebook at some point during their day.

Facebook advertising is affordable and ads are easy to change. Once you have created a Facebook Business Page, you can begin any advertising campaign.

Boost your open house post or event a few days before your open house. A nominal budget of $10-$15 will give your open house event great exposure. As a bonus, if you have an Instagram account, you can run the same ad there.

2. Make your post pop with video

Its no secret today's consumers have short attention spans. Use an attention grabbing video to promote your event.

The options for video are as simple as using a tool many of you carry around in your back pocket—your cell phone. Video is a great way to showcase your personality and your market knowledge. Post your video to your social media account, email your video to your client database or use Facebook Live to showcase your event.

3. Nurture prospects using a solid follow up system

The "cookie cutter" drip campaigns of yesterday won't cut it with today's real estate consumers. Consumers want to work with people they trust and connect with. One way to build trust and your pipeline over time is to use email marketing.

Every real estate agent should have a system in place to manage their contacts and email marketing. Many real estate CRMs offer an email marketing component to their program.

Create a special email campaign to nurture your open house prospects. This will allow you to send this group specific targeted information and items of value based on their needs. Use email your email marketing campaign along with your CRM and track where your future customers are coming from.

Remember to get your prospects' permission before adding them to your email campaign. Also offer them a way to opt-out of they decide they don't want your emails any longer.

Give one or two of these tips a try during your next open house!

Kellie Tinnin holds a full-time position as the Training Administrator for the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® in Albuquerque, NM. Kellie embodies a passion for the real estate industry. Before accepting the position with GAAR, she was a top-producing real estate broker and real estate trainer.

On a personal note, Kellie is one of those "dog" people, and her English Bulldog Momo is her fur child. When she is not working, she can be found relaxing with Momo and her husband, exploring many of the excellent eateries and attractions that Albuquerque offers. Reach Kellie at [email protected].