Impossible to Fail: A System for Open House Success
In this blog, Julie Morris, a 25-year Member with Buffini & Company, shares part of her Impossible to Fail Open House strategy that has helped her and tons of other agents turn open houses from a seller pacifier to a leader generator. Julie will be diving deeper into her strategy as part of Derek Jones’s new “Community Connections” webinar series on Thursday, Dec. 18. Learn more here.
By Julie Morris, Scottsdale, AZ
A few years ago, as the manager of an office of over 900 agents and the leader of a Scottsdale-based real estate team, I came to the realization that if I asked ten Realtors what they thought about open houses, at least nine out of ten would say, “Open houses are ineffective.” In fact, I know of a nationally recognized trainer who shares statistics showing that open houses are the source of only 3% of leads leading to closed sales.
If I asked those same agents whether they’ve ever attended formal training on how to conduct an effective open house, most would say no.
And if I asked them, “Do you think it’s possible to capture the majority — say, six out of ten — of your visitors’ cell phone numbers?” Ten out of ten would probably say, “No way!”
Well, I’m here to tell you — it’s not only possible, it’s impossible to fail when you follow the right system. My Impossible to Fail method includes nine steps that guarantee success, and it generated an additional $150,000 in GCI for me last year.
Here’s one of those key steps:
Create a Professional Check-In Experience
Every successful open house starts with clear expectations — and it begins the moment your visitors walk through the door. Before they ever step inside, I post a simple sign that says: “Welcome In! Check-In Required.”
That one step changes everything.
It establishes that I’m in charge, sets the tone for professionalism, and instantly differentiates my event from every casual, unstructured open house they’ve ever attended. I greet each visitor warmly — “Welcome in! How did you find us today?” — and then guide them through the check-in process using a QR code or manual entry if needed.
By checking in, they agree to receive a code via text, which verifies their phone number instantly. This step not only ensures 100% accuracy, it also creates a moment of engagement — a chance for me to listen, connect, and begin building trust.
When you handle check-in the right way, you’re no longer chasing leads after the fact. You’re establishing a professional relationship from the first interaction — and setting yourself up for meaningful follow-up that converts.
If you’re not already doing this at your open houses, try it at your next one. I promise you’ll see a big change in the effectiveness right away!
Julie Morris will be sharing more about her Impossible to Fail Open House strategy on our very first Community Connection webinar Thursday, Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. PT. Register here to join and learn more.
