How to Host My Open for Inspection

Open for Inspections are designed to showcase your home at its best. They’re scheduled in advance, so you’ve got plenty of time to prepare and present your home well, and to ensure it looks as good in real life as it does in the photos.

Your goal is to make potential buyers love what they see and form an emotional attachment to the property. Your home must be warm and inviting — but not too personal, as you want your buyers to picture living in the property.

It’s not as scary as it seems

It’s natural to feel uncomfortable at the thought of having your house open for inspection and open to the public. But remember that selling a property is a numbers game. The higher the number of people who visit your property inspections, the more likely you’ll find a buyer who falls in love with your property and is keen on making an offer.

What if they just want to look? 

Some of the people who attend your open house inspection will be merely browsing rather than serious buyers. 

This is nothing to worry about. In fact, having more people attend your open home makes people assume your property is a hot commodity. Showing multiple buyers through an inspection opening at the same time — even if only a few are serious buyers — creates a sense of urgency, and it may influence people to act quickly to beat the competition. 

Follow these five simple steps to host successful Open Inspections. 

Step 1 - Be prepared

You’re selling privately, but there is still the expectation that you will be professional.

We recommend you purchase an open for inspection sign to make it easy for prospective buyers attending your property open for inspection to find your property open for inspection.

You can download the Buymyplace Open for Inspection Contact Form and Letter of Intention to help keep you organised. Make sure you have a clipboard and a pen ready to go.

Take down the name and contact details of everyone who comes through your property open for inspection. You can also insist on seeing some form of ID, like a driver’s license, or make note of their car’s license plate.

This gives you a list of people to follow up with, but it’s also a safety measure.

Step 2 - Be ready to answer questions

Some people will ask simple questions like ‘What’s the walking distance to the shops?’, or ‘Are there primary schools in the area?’ Others may ask more specific questions like ‘When was the last time the air conditioner was serviced?’

Many more will enquire about strata fees and rates costs.

Do some research and make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. If someone is looking to purchase for investment purposes, you’ll want to be able to give them an educated guide on potential rental amount, too.

Step 3 - Be punctual and take the time to talk to buyers

If you want potential buyers to respect your time, show them that you respect theirs.

You’re allowed to share what you like most about the property and point out the unique features your home has to offer. Remember that not everyone will want to engage with you, some might just want to take a moment to look at the property on their own.

As buyers are leaving the inspection, think about asking them a few questions, such as:

• A conversation starter – ‘Do you have any other questions?’
• Find out how committed they are – ‘Have you looked at a few properties in the area?’
• Try understanding their motivation – ‘Are you buying a property to live in, or for an investment?’
• Work out if they’re a strong lead – ‘Would you like me to email you a copy of the contract?’

Step 4 - Review and reflect 

Take a moment to read back over the notes you’ve taken about each of the buyers who came through the property.

If you said you would email someone the Contract of Sale, follow through. If someone posed questions you didn’t have an answer for, find out the answer and get back to them. They’ll appreciate the dedication and diligence.

Step 5 - Follow up 

Just like real estate agents follow up, you should contact the buyers that visited your open inspection.

This will also help you figure out your next steps. If you’ve got some great leads, then maybe it’s worth allocating your time to chasing them up. If not, then seek feedback from the people who attended your inspection and adjust your approach accordingly.

Your follow up questions might include:

• ‘What did you think of the property?’
• ‘Would you like me to send you a copy of the contract?’
• ‘Would you like me to inform you if we receive any offers?’

Some food for thought 

• Purchase professional property brochures through Buymyplace. Having something tangible people can hold onto when they leave reminds them about your property’s best features. It will help your property stand out when they review all the open properties that they’ve seen that day and will also help them be able to contact you, as it includes your contact details. 
• Be patient. A clever buyer won’t say much if anything at all. Don’t confuse silence or minimal feedback for lack of interest.
• Consider holding an open inspection with a trusted family member or friend with you for safety measures.
• Consider the playlist. Soft music can stop a home feeling a little empty. Nothing too loud or polarising, just enough to set the tone.
• Let the house do the talking by de-personalising your home. Take down family photos and neutralise the rooms in your home. Fresh, neutral colour pallets always make a room more inviting.
• Make sure your property smells good. That doesn’t mean you have to light candles in every room, but make sure you air the property out and perhaps add some flowers with a subtle scent.
• If possible, have someone take care of your pets during your inspections. Not everyone is an animal lover and you want every potential buyer to feel as comfortable as possible in what could be their new home.