If you are one of the new breed of agents who believes that weekends are for family, that business takes place only on the weekdays, and that open houses are passé, you will be playing right into the hands of sales superstar Jennie Ling. She knows she'll be getting the commission instead of you!

As the company wide top producer for Henry S. Miller, Realtors®, Ling ranks among the top five REALTORS in the city of Dallas which happens to be one of the top ten markets in sales volume in the United States.

Open houses are a tool, but not for everyone. Some people need a sales primer, according to Ling, who is baffled by agents who don't want to work when buyers are available to look.

"What have we got to sell except service? And how do you get inventory without meeting people?" she asks. "Weekends are when buyers are together as a family. If you can talk to the husband and the wife, that is always better. That is why I work weekends and holidays as well. While some agents were barbequeing Labor Day, I was with an out-of-town buyer showing houses."

Ling, a 27-year veteran, holds at least two open houses every weekend and one or two during the week. Sound like a lot of work? You bet it is, but the payoff is great, she says.

"When I first started, I held open houses during the week, on the weekends and I have never quit," maintains Ling. "That is how I built my referral system. I'd say 90% of my business originates with open houses held over the years."

"The key is people always see me working. I am always out in the public. They see my ads in the paper and they see "open house" with my name and picture beside the ad every weekend. They know I'm always working. They remember that when it comes time to sell their home."

"My clients know that I am either in my car, in my office, or at the title company," she laughs.

So what is the key to getting the most out of the open house? Two things, according to Ling.

The first key is use the opportunity to do business. "I use the home as an office while I've got the house open. I make calls and catch up on my paperwork when there aren't buyers present," says Ling, "and when they come through the door, I'm ready."

The second key is listen carefully to what the lookers say. "I ask a lot of questions, and sooner or later they will give me something I can work with - a way to help them buy or sell a home. The main things I want to know is do they own a home now, is it on the market, and what are they looking for."

"The first thing I ask is whether they saw the ad in the paper. If they did, that tells me that they are actively looking and in the price range and area of the home. Then we can go from there. Because I keep up a network system, I know the homes in the neighborhood and which ones are likely to come on the market. If they don't want the house that is open, then I can show them another home in the same area. I ask them what they are looking for? What features of the ad brought them in?"

"If they are just driving by, I ask them if they live in the area and are they thinking of selling their home or buying a home. I also know they don't know the price or anything about the home, so they are just starting from a different point. Maybe they are just thinking about buying or thinking about selling and they are exploring neighborhoods. I ask them if this is the neighborhood that they want to live. If they are neighbors and are just curious to see the inside, that is fine, too. I ask them if they are thinking of selling and would they like to see a market analysis on their home. I ask do you know anyone in your neighborhood who is thinking of selling?"

"I like meeting people on a one-to-one basis. I never hover over anybody."

"The point is people come to an open house for a reason. My job is to find out what that reason is. If they just want to spend the afternoon, that's OK, because in the back of their minds, they are looking for information that will ultimately lead them to buy or sell or both."

Ling says it is immaterial to her whether an open house brings in two people or twenty. "It is the quality of the customer who you meet that matters. If you can pick up one or two new clients from an open house that is wonderful, and if you handle it right, the lookers will call when they get serious about wanting to sell their home."

"Open Houses are where I get all my business!" exclaims Ling.

Published: September 11, 1998

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