Food For Your Next Open House
Shortly after entering the real estate business in Florida, I listed a waterfront home on Treasure Island's fabulous Isle of Capri. I'm not going to say how long ago it was, but as I recall the asking price was about $195,000 for a three bedroom, two bath waterfront home with a two car garage and family room. Today, I'd guess that home would be valued at upwards of $750,000, perhaps a bit more.
I decided to hold an open house one Sunday afternoon and to serve food as an incentive to get people to visit. I decided to purchase a very large aluminum platter filled with salad from Pepin's restaurant on 4th Street North in St. Petersburg. Along with the salad came a few loaves of brown bread. As I recall, the price for this, including some soft drinks, paper plates, silverware and the like was about $60.00.
The mistake I made was including the fact that I was serving Pepin's salad in the advertisement. Dozens of people showed up -- many of whom had no interest in the house but they sure enjoyed my free salad. They devoured the huge platter of goodies in about 20 minutes. I called an associate who arranged to bring out more salad in about an hour. The second salad also disappeared.
It was at that point that I decided that serving food at an open house was a good idea. Free treats won't sell a house, but they will give propspective buyers a reason to linger, look around more, and ask more questions. It also creates a positive atmosphere for the property.
The other thing I've found out is that serving food can also be a huge hassle if you don't concentrate on ways to make it simple. It can be messy, difficult to manage, and requires clean-up. So, I've simplified my food service activities at open houses in recent years. The easier, the better.
Mark Nash, a writer and real estate associate at Coldwell Banker Residential in Evanston, Illinois, has recently published an on-line article about using food at open houses. He thinks pretty much the same way that I do, so I'd like to pass along some of his tips for using food at open houses ...
I decided to hold an open house one Sunday afternoon and to serve food as an incentive to get people to visit. I decided to purchase a very large aluminum platter filled with salad from Pepin's restaurant on 4th Street North in St. Petersburg. Along with the salad came a few loaves of brown bread. As I recall, the price for this, including some soft drinks, paper plates, silverware and the like was about $60.00.
The mistake I made was including the fact that I was serving Pepin's salad in the advertisement. Dozens of people showed up -- many of whom had no interest in the house but they sure enjoyed my free salad. They devoured the huge platter of goodies in about 20 minutes. I called an associate who arranged to bring out more salad in about an hour. The second salad also disappeared.
It was at that point that I decided that serving food at an open house was a good idea. Free treats won't sell a house, but they will give propspective buyers a reason to linger, look around more, and ask more questions. It also creates a positive atmosphere for the property.
The other thing I've found out is that serving food can also be a huge hassle if you don't concentrate on ways to make it simple. It can be messy, difficult to manage, and requires clean-up. So, I've simplified my food service activities at open houses in recent years. The easier, the better.
Mark Nash, a writer and real estate associate at Coldwell Banker Residential in Evanston, Illinois, has recently published an on-line article about using food at open houses. He thinks pretty much the same way that I do, so I'd like to pass along some of his tips for using food at open houses ...
- Forget Silverware. Serve finger foods. Silverware complicates the issue. Those circular deli sandwiches from Publix are perfect!
- Think small with cocktail-size plates. You're not serving a meal, just providing a "snack".
- Bottled water is a must. Guests-on-the-go will appreciate the portable pick-me-up -- especially in a warm weather place like St. Petersburg.
- Offer enough, but no too much. Plan for one beverage and three hors d'oeuvres per person. Keep some items out of sight in the refrigerator, just in case you start to run short or have a larger than expected turn-out.
- Select low-maintenance menu items. Visitors should be able to serve themselves. This allows you to concentrate on selling the property, not food service.
- Alcohol is a no-no. Open houses are business events, not parties.
- Cut Down On Clean-Up. Place a waste container in a very visible place adjacent to the food and beverage station.
- Leave The Leftovers. If you're a real estate agent reading this article, leave the leftovers for the owners to enjoy.
So, next time you organize an open house, include some kind of food service. It really can help separate your property from the competition.
-30-
posted by Terry Ward at 4:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home