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Creating Successful Open Houses in the Winter, One Hay Bale at a Time

By Janelle D. 3 min read | Selling, Marketing

I just chatted with a friend in Palm Springs, California, who is remodeling a house. It's a slow process with limited contractors and product availability. The remodel has been a burden, and we discussed the possibility of selling the house as-is. He mentioned a significant number of the open houses in his area and asked about them in my area, the frozen tundra of Montana (exaggerating just slightly; we don't have tundra). 😄 

 

Open houses are almost non-existent this time of year in Montana because few people tend to buy homes when it's freezing outside (we have to stick our for-sale signs in hay bales because the ground is frozen solid!). So how can you, as a real estate agent, attract people to your open houses when selling in the freezing temperatures? 🥶  Let's take a look.

 

  • Hay bale (for your sign)
  • Creativity (something people have to see)
  • Theme (make it an event)
  • Marketing (social media lead-up)

 

Hay Bale

 

A hay bale is necessary when selling a house in Montana because you can stick the for sale sign in it when the ground is frozen. You could get more creative and make a family of snowpeople holding the for sale sign. WARNING: if the weather changes, you might have to reconstruct them because they'll eventually fall over… with the sign. ⛄  What creative ideas have you come up with to post the for-sale signs in the winter?

 

Get Creative

 

Around these parts, it's cold, and we're tired of being cooped up inside. We northern folks need a creative open house to get us out of our homes. So, what can you do to get creative? What about hiring a popular food truck? I would consider hiring a local bbq food truck that got so popular the owners decided to open a restaurant recently (a good problem to have, right?). Neighbors helping neighbors comes to mind. 

 

Hire a food truck and give them free advertising while driving traffic to your open house. My mouth is watering! Please plan ahead and schedule the open house when their restaurant isn't open. Around here, people would flock to an open house with a bbq. FLOCK! Something to consider, my friends.

 

Open House Theme

 

A theme will also drive traffic to your open house in the winter. How about an ice-skating theme? You and your team could dress up like ice skaters. ⛸️ Here's a fun fact: the whole Tonya Harding debacle was in full swing when I was in college, and I happened to look similar to her. I considered dressing up as a figure skater with broken laces for Halloween (it didn't happen because I didn't want to run around in a leotard and skates in the cold, wet weather). Back to my point, a winter-themed open house can generate more interest from homebuyers.  

 

Tonya-Harding-crying-open-house-theme-Reazo-real-estate-leads

A tearful Tonya Harding.  Photo compliments of Giphy and ABC

 

  • S'mores
  • Sledding
  • Snow cones (get it?!)

 

Does the property you’re selling have a hill? How about offering a sledding party? 🛷 You might need a disclosure with the open house sign-in sheet to protect you from being liable for sledding injuries, but it will be worth it. 📜 Consider providing a handful of snow suits and boots in different sizes. Remember to offer warm cocoa and hand warmers to keep open-house guests happy.

 

pexels-ron-lach-9212508Does the house have a fire pit? Offer a s'more-themed open house. 🔥 

 

Snow cones aren't just for the summer months. Add a twist to your open house and offer snow cones to attract families. Kids love snow cones, and adults do too!

 

Marketing

 

When you come up with a good theme for your open house, it's time to get creative with your marketing. Don't be afraid to get a little crazy with your social media posts. Remember the snowpeople? You could create a video of your team making snowpeople, snapshots of the snowpeople holding the open house sign, or a wide shot of the front of the house with the snowpeople in front of it. A quick video toasting the open house with steaming mugs of hot cocoa will also get followers' attention. Are you getting a feel for this?

 

The s'mores theme can be promoted on social media with a video of a roaring fire in the fire pit and trays of s'more goodies. Photos of kids smiling and goofing around as they eat s'mores, a video of a family sitting around the firepit as they roast marshmallows, and snapshots of the s'more toppings (remember Reese's peanut butter cups please) will help to attract homebuyers to your open house during cold weather. Themed open houses make it easy to market them by creating emotional social media posts.

 

Conclusion

 

Hosting an open house in the winter up north can be easier than you think when you get creative with the theme and marketing. If the outdoor space is beautiful, set up outdoor heaters to make the environment more comfortable for open-house visitors (another photo opp!). Whatever you do to promote your winter open house, take lots of photos and videos during the open house, and use them for marketing future open houses as well as yourself (just sayin' you could be the go-to Realtor for the best open houses!). I'm excited to see what you come up with for an open-house theme! We hope you'll share your winter open-house ideas in the comments! 

 

Janelle D.

I've worked in the real estate sector for more than a decade and enjoy sharing my knowledge on the subject and researching the latest trends. In my free time I like to craft, spend time with my family and dog, participate in outdoor activities like hiking, and I'm passionate about photography.

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