8 Tips for Holding an Open House During the Holidays

Many people — industry veterans and sellers alike — think that winter isn't the ideal time to put a home on the market. But you’ve convinced your clients to go ahead and list their property, and now you feel a responsibility to sell the home quickly and for top dollar. What can you do to make your wintertime open houses a slam dunk?

Here are 8 tips for holding an open house during the holidays.

1. Market early, market broadly, market creatively

Remember that the people who venture out in the wintertime might be the most serious buyers of all, so you should be extra-prepared to host a stellar open house. Start your event marketing as soon as possible, and be sure to feature it in your blog and social media messages. If there’s a nearby holiday fair or festival, put up your signs in that area to attract even more attendees. And don’t forget to advertise for free on Zillow; simply go to the listing and add your open house information.

You never know where a buyer can come from, so think creatively. Why not invite the neighbors into the home an hour early for a sneak preview and turn it into a holiday block party? Let them have a look around; maybe they’ll pass the word along to family and friends. You never know: People often host out-of-town relatives during the holidays, and perhaps some of them are interested in moving closer to family. If a buyer is relocating, they might be already planning a trip to your area, so make sure you post your open house information to as many online outlets as possible.

2. Stay safe outside…

Keeping the driveway, curbs and walkways clear of snow and ice is not only a safety tip, it makes the home approachable and inviting. Solar lights along the walkways illuminate the path for visitors, and a layer of sand keeps attendees safe when the walkways ice over. Knock any icicles off the overhangs and brush off any precarious clumps of snow that could fall on an unwitting buyer. Set a timer on the porch light to ensure that buyers can easily spot the house number. On the porch, provide a welcome mat for wet or muddy feet, along with a floor runner and coat rack in the entryway, to help keep the floors clean and dry.

3. …And inside

Although the seller’s beautifully wrapped gifts and collectible seasonal decorations can create a festive ambiance, these items are prizes for sticky-fingered baddies who sometimes target open houses. Keep all valuables out of sight, including jewelry and prescription drugs. If you decide to have seasonal items as part of the décor, wrap empty cardboard boxes and use mass-market decorations as decoys — but keep it tasteful; you want buyers to focus on the features, not the festivities.

4. Update the exterior

The dead of winter is no time to paint the exterior of a home, but you can still make some off-season updates in preparation for your open house. Wash the paint or siding with warm soapy water to immediately spruce up the outside. Polish the windows to keep them bright and clean, and allow more natural light to shine through.

Prune the shrubbery and trim any tree branches that might be laden with snow. Not only does it make the home look maintained, it’s a safety measure against potential damage caused by limbs cracking under the weight.

5. Incorporate minimal seasonal décor

While most people will not be offended by seasonal décor, there’s sense in not going overboard with it: Less décor can be more elegant, doesn't distract buyers from seeing the real features of the home, and is easier to clean up after the holidays. A tasteful evergreen wreath on the front door adds style, and a few white lights inside the home offer simple, but classic sophistication. Remember the shrubbery trimmings? Repurpose some of it as décor by arranging it in urns on the porch.

6. Keep it cozy and inviting

Vacant or not, it’s a good idea to keep the thermostat set at a comfortable heating level. Buyers aren't likely to look around very long if the home is freezing; plus, you don’t want them wondering if there’s a problem with the heating system.

A plate of cookies and mugs of hot cider or cocoa are great incentives for buyers to stay and explore the home. Twilight comes sooner in the winter, so leverage as much natural lighting as possible by opening the curtains for daylight events. For security and curb appeal, use timers on the inside lamps. A crackling fire and candles also help to light up the home and add warmth.

Keeps scents to a minimum and stick with one; having pine, gingerbread, peppermint and vanilla scents battling each other can be overwhelming and might make visitors think the seller is trying to cover up bad odors.

7. Handle owners with care

Although it was ultimately the seller’s decision to put their home on the market, people typically have some time off work around the national holidays and want to spend it with family and friends. Be respectful of their time and as flexible as you can when trying to schedule your open house.

You might need to remind sellers, however, that an open house is an opportunity to show the home to many people at one time, improving the odds of finding a buyer sooner rather than later. You can also point out the benefit of scheduling one longer viewing window rather than requiring them to clean and vacate their home multiple times over the course of a week to accommodate private appointments.

8. Timing

You and the seller have to work around each other’s schedules, and it might be extra challenging during the holidays when weekends can be jam-packed with get-togethers. Holding your open house at a time other than a late weekend afternoon might better accommodate both you and the seller and attract more traffic. Consider a weekday evening — perhaps catching the attention of commuters heading home. If you decide to keep your open house on the weekend, earlier in the day — when you can take advantage of natural light — is better. Try a Saturday morning and offer brunch snacks and have cartoons playing for the kids. Another idea is to hold it during a football game and give the event a tailgate party theme. Don’t forget to add your open house guests to your CRM; following up with every single guest is a great excuse to add them to your holiday card list.

Not many people can take the entire winter off — not even real estate agents with low inventory. If you happen to have clients motivated enough to sell their home during the holidays, pulling off high-traffic, well-staged open houses can be the key to staying busy and maybe even increasing your listings. Motivated buyers don’t care what month it is; they just want to find their next home and sign the papers. An open house during the holidays should showcase a warm and inviting home that can attract buyers willing to pay premium prices and act quickly.