Congratulations! You’ve got the listing, advertised your open house, and today is the big day.
Don’t forget the best way to capture leads: the open house sign in sheet.
Why Use an Open House Sign-in Sheet?
In the digital age, it may be hard to believe that open houses still work. But according to successful real estate agents, they do.
Open houses are great for both selling that specific property and garnering leads for the future.
You have your yard sign out front, but what’s the best way to capture the leads inside? An open house sign in sheet.
Click Here for a Printable PDF Open House Sign in Sheet
What to Include
Go with the age-old “KISS” and keep it simple! Ask visitors to give their contact information, including name, phone number, and email. List your property address and the date at the top.
This helps reach potential buyers, not just for this property but for future sales as well. There are lots of sheet templates available, but this simple open house sign is all you need.
If you have more specific details you’d like to list, make your own with Microsoft Excel or Google Docs. Usually, basic contact information is all you need.
But you can make more specific questionnaires for captive buyers if you think they are interested. While it may be difficult to get visitors to spend time on these complex question sheets, simplicity is always better.
Don’t Forget to Follow Up
After the open house, be sure to follow up with these potential clients with a phone call! Ask them what they liked or disliked about the home and what they were looking for in a property.
Add them to your email marketing campaigns to keep in touch in the months to come.
You already know these potential home buyers are interested in your local area. It’s important to incorporate them into your marketing strategy moving forward.
Sign-in Sheet Alternatives
Along with paper forms, there are also electronic methods available. However, remember that your client base will be widespread, so don’t assume everyone is tech-savvy.
Online Open House Sign in Sheet Apps
There are many apps for sign in sheets you can use on your iPad or smart phone.
- Open Home Pro offers a free version with a sign in sheet you can export to your email.
- AM Open House allows you to create more complex questionnaires with your own branding.
- Open House ToolKit offers custom sign-in sheets and customized follow-up emails.
Detailed Questionnaires
If you come across very interested buyers, it is wise to offer them a more detailed questionnaire. This is also smart for realtors who use a CRM to distribute marketing materials to segmented email lists.
You can divide these potential buyers by preference, pre-approval, and timeline. Include some multiple-choice or yes-or-no questions, like:
- When are you looking to buy?
- What types of properties are you seeking?
- Are you pre-approved for a mortgage?
- Are you working with any other realtors?
- How did you hear about our open house?
- Do you currently rent or own?
How to Get More Signatures
You’ve got bodies in the room. Now, how do you get them to fill in your sign in sheet? We’ve included some tips and tricks that have been proven to work by successful realtors.
Get Them on the Way in
Once they’ve seen the property, visitors may want to hightail out of there. People are busy! Introduce them to your real estate business and ask that they please sign in before a tour.
Even if they choose not to leave their email (you can’t force it, after all), at least you have their name if you encounter them in the future.
Create a Dedicated Space
Make sure your sign in sheet has its own table or counter. Maybe there is a platter of cookies next to it or a vase of fresh flowers.
Include signage with your social media handles and brochures for visitors to take with them. Keep it appealing and easy for visitors to sign in. No one wants to balance the paper on their thigh!
Fill in the First Line
It sounds silly, but no one wants to be the first name on the line and question if they’ve filled it in correctly. Fill in the first line with your information so others can follow suit.
Offer Incentives or Giveaways
People will do a lot for some free perks. Offer a $5 Starbucks or Dunkin’ gift card for their name, number, and email address. If you have 20 visitors that day, it will only cost you $100 for many valuable leads.
If you use direct marketing, you can ask that they leave their address to mail the gift card. Follow up with a nice thank you for attending and the card. It will be worth the extra effort!
If you’re expecting a lot of visitors and $5 per signature is too expensive, try a giveaway instead by raffling off a $100 Target gift card, for example. But a sure thing is definitely more enticing than a giveaway, if you can afford it.
Keep It Simple
An honest “The seller has asked that all visitors sign in” is a simple, straightforward way to request the sign ins.
You can’t force guests to include their phone number and email, but chances are, once they have the pen in their hand, they’ll fill it out.
Integrate Social Media Marketing
Along with your sign in sheet, leverage social media at your open house. Encourage visitors to post an Instagram story with your handle or hashtag or to check in on Facebook. Offer a giveaway or incentive for guests who post.
Then, connect with them on social media and monitor their comment sections for friends who might be interested as well. Maybe someone will comment, “That house would be perfect for us!” or “You’re looking? We’re browsing too!” Reach out to those prospects as well.
If you’re still trying to build your following, ask guests to follow you. Include signage near the entry with your social media handles. Again, include a perk or giveaway (like a $5 Starbucks gift card) for follows and posts.
Then, post a tour on your Instagram stories of the home, encouraging your followers to come check it out! A live video on Facebook or Instagram is also smart, as your followers will receive a notification that you’re posting.
People want to be where the action is, so they may be encouraged to come if they see a large crowd. Or maybe they were planning on coming and forgot—a live post is a friendly reminder.
How to Follow Up
Once you’ve captured the sign-in sheet information and the open house is over, go ahead and follow up with these potential clients.
Make sure you don’t miss your time window, as these visitors may be looking to buy right away. Here are some easy steps for following up in a timely manner:
- Update your database — The first thing to do is to update your list. If you use CRM (customer relationship management), manually import these contacts and their information.
- Send a thank-you email — Send an e-blast to all who attended and tell them thank you for coming. Be sure to take note of visitors who came who you may already have on your list.
- Make a phone call — Give these visitors a day or two to respond to your email. Then, follow up with a call. Say it was nice meeting them and that you wanted to offer your services and learn more about their needs and interests.
- Collect and analyze data — About a week after the open house, analyze visitors and interest to determine the success of your open house. This can help strategize your real estate marketing going forward, for this property and others.
Tip: If you don’t already use a CRM, check out Follow-Up Boss. The simplicity and affordability of the product make it our favorite program.
Should You Use an Open House Sign in Sheet?
The bottom line is that open house sign-in sheets can deliver a lot of value when it comes to selling this listing and future properties. You can easily connect with potential buyers in the local area.
Be there to greet them on the way in and ask for their information. It’s always wise to offer an incentive.
Then, incorporate their information into your database and keep in touch. Be sure to act quickly so you don’t miss their window of interest.