Why skipping the neighbours at open homes could be costing you thousands

Picture this: You’ve just listed a beautiful property, and you’re planning your open house.

Your thoughts turn to the neighbours.

Do you invite them? Yes, they might be just being nosy, but chances are they often know potential buyers looking to move into the area and can be your best word-of-mouth marketers. And the neighbours might become your sellers in the future.

Many agents resort to using the same templated invitation they’ve used for years, maybe just changing the address and date.

Or worse, they skip neighbour invitations altogether, missing the potential for valuable community connections and potential referrals.

But there’s a better way.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)¹ says that 40% of buyers find their homes through a referral from someone they know – a friend, relative, or neighbour.

This makes sense – when neighbours pop into your open house, they’re not just being nosy (well, maybe a little), but if you play your cards right, also become your best ambassadors for both the property and your services.

Here’s a fun fact that might make you rethink those generic “Just Listed” postcards gathering dust on kitchen counters everywhere: The Direct Marketing Association (US) found that personalised marketing gets 29% more responses than the one-size-fits-all approach.

NAR’s data also backs this up: agents who build these genuine neighbourhood connections pull in 47% more referral business than those still stuck in the “Dear Neighbour” template trap.

Finally, if you’re a numbers person:

• The average commission on a $500,000 home at 2 per cent is $10,000
• Typical number of referrals from an engaged neighbour over 5 years: 2 (NAR says it is actually 2.3)
• The potential lifetime value of one strong neighbour relationship: $23,000+

The Neighbourhood Letter Prompt

What You’ll Need:

• Property address and open house details
• 3-5 unique selling points about the property
• Any interesting historical facts about the neighbourhood (if available)
• Recent comparable sales data for the area

The Prompt …

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*Read this original story as published on AI Powered Agents.