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Open House in the RED context typically refers to an event during which a property is available for public viewing by potential buyers. It is a scheduled date when the property is open to the general public for mass viewing, and interested individuals can walk through the space to gain a better understanding of its layout, features, pricing options and overall condition.

The Real Estate Database (RED) now empowers its subscribers to schedule, organize and promote Open Houses as a marketing strategy to attract potential buyers and generate massive interest in specific listings. This approach allows a larger number of people to view the property in a more interactive or casual and flexible setting compared to scheduled private showings.

During an open house, visitors have the opportunity to explore the property, express interest, ask questions, and gather information about the home. Open houses are specifically designed for individuals currently contemplating home ownership. They offer a valuable chance for RED agents to showcase specific listings and create a positive impression on potential buyers.

Open houses have not been a common occurrence in Uganda's real estate sector despite the fact that they are very popular in the USA Europe and South Africa, This could be attributed to the lack of large-scale efforts to schedule and promote them. However, considering that RED is the largest platform of agents and properties in Uganda, who else do you expect to spearhead such an initiative if not us?

The best houses to schedule as open houses are those for which RED agents have exclusive listing mandates or those about which they possess detailed and accurate information in order to avoid speculation, ensuring that potential buyers are not discouraged from attending. Additionally, its also advisable to schedule properties with very competitive pricing, often referred to as the best-deals or priced-to-sell homes. The RED agent is only required to wait at the property for potential buyers to arrive for the open house at the scheduled date/time.

A RED agent can only schedule four open houses at a time, and preferably that's only on days that are free of any other open house schedules by a RED member. It is advised to keep the open house duration as short as possible, especially if you do not have an exclusive listings mandate, avoid incurring unnecessary costs of hosting guests for extended hours. For example, a typical open house should last no more than one hour (e.g., from 4 pm to 5 pm) or the normal duration spent showing to one buyer, eliminating the need to offer drinks and food.

To schedule an open house, simply click on the "Open House" link in your ListingsAdmin account. Enter the code of the property you wish to schedule, then specify the best date and time for your open house, and finally, submit. The property will then be listed with an open house label and placed in the section for open house listings on the RED platform and other related plartforms in the RED network.

 

Remember to provide a visitor's book to register everyone who attends the open house. This way, you can later follow up with those who showed up and expressed interest. If 10, 20, or 100 people turn up, you cannot fail to close the sale with at least one of them. In the event that any of them is not interested in the property they viewed, you can offer alternative options that are similar. Alternatively, you can invite them to another open house showcasing a property with similar features.

All open house listings will be highlighted, published, distributed, and promoted across the entire RED network and all key social media platforms to enhance their visibility. Potential buyers can then save any of the event dates and attend the showing, or they can make an inquiry directly to the RED agent for a private showing.