Our State Police also like us to have an idea of who has been visiting our Listed properties. Usually, most people are just curious . . . . but others are actively casing joints for subsequent "un-escorted" visits, and while they may leave a name, it's often bogus.

Even with a name, a License Plate number is a valuable piece of data, along with the kind of car.

[quote=Kjmendy]I've tried to do this before, but it was very rare that anybody would actually sign in, and rarely would a copy of my newsletter get taken.

Do you have any specific methods you use to motivate people to sign in? [/quote]

I just ask as they wander through the area I have the signup sheet sitting in, usually the dining room or kitchen. I don't stand over the sheet bu sort of wave towards it, "If you wouldn't mind, could I get one of you to sign in for me please so I have a record for the homeowner. Oh, and I don't really need anything more than a name unless you want a copy of next months newsletter." I can count on one hand the number of people who haven't at least given me a name. If they seem hesitant, I jokingly promise not to spam their email or call them a dozen times the next day. That usually diffuses the hesitation.

When they come back by me on their way towards the door, I'll have a property flyer or newsletter to hand them. They won't take it off the table but they won't give it back if I hand it to them.

re: clothing: I always dress "business casual" and usually wear my name badge. Sometimes I wear "company colors." Sometimes I may wear a dress/skirt but even that is "casual"....NOTHING about me is EVER fancy. I do not believe in trying to portray myself as something I am not. Once in a blue moon I'll wear jeans with a dressy blouse.

The only jewelry I ever wear is my simple wedding band...one realtor around here wears so much jewelry she looks like a walking pawn shop. Blech!

Ugh. I don't wear jewelry ever really but if I did, well.. I wouldn't want to out bling the house I'm trying to show!

LOL "out bling the house" I like that.

I'm just a simple country girl. Never want to be anything else.

Must be a characteristic of the local market that "buyers" don't want to leave their names.

It's a characteristic of a public that has been inundated with unwanted phone calls, mail, and email spam...and doesn't want it any more. If they don't leave their real name, then you can't pester them.

Or at least, you can't pester them as a direct result of their visiting an open house. They may be serious buyers but they want to look at homes on their terms, not some real estate agent's.

I know my style is very different from many other agents, to the point that some of the people in my office are probably horrified at the way I sell real estate. :)

Kjmendy, and everyone else, what is your approach when people come in? What do you say to them and how do you handle the sign in part?

The way I get them to leave their names and contact info it I don't have them sign a sign in page with everyone else's name. Then all it takes is one person to scribble or only write their name and no contact info, they all follow suit. I print out, 3 up on heavy stock, a form with the company logo at top, and a form to fill out with their info, and are they working with another agent. At the bottom it asks for their opinion of the house. After they look through the house I ask them to fill out an opinion card. 9 out of 10 times they do write their full contact info, including email. Then I pick it up and if I can't read it, I ask them "this email address, is it blah blah blah.com?" Some very few people walk IN the door with an attitude and say, "I'm not filling out anything, I know I don't have to" and if they do, I tell them I'm sorry, they can't come in unless they do, because the owner would like to have a record of who came in their home. I heard that some agents in the Hamptons ask to see a drivers license. I always put a sign on the door "If door is locked, please knock. Agents may be escorting other visitors." I want people to think there is more than one agent in the house, and I don't want to leave the door unlocked all the time so just anyone can sneak in on me.

Three hours of open house today, in the middle of our heat wave (y'all don't laugh but it was in the upper 80's and that makes us miserable up here in the PNW). I had a total of 8 people through so I had a lot of time to think!

I've gone back and forth about whether to ad a check box on my sign in sheet asking if they are working with an agent. I think I've finally decided that I don't want to because I like talking to people and that gives me one more thing to talk about.

I like that idea Paceryder!

It's funny I have 8 different e-mail accounts.I always put in the junker accounts and not my main for these promotions and info gathering things.

Usually I will remember to check my junk e-mails every few months.On a phone I put a random number I think up! LOL

When I first started I had a nice book laid out for sign-ins, along with some newletters etc right beside the feature sheet. It was implied that I wanted people to sign in, however I rarely asked people do. I try to spend my time talking with people in the house and don't stop those conversations to ask people to sign in.

Very quickly I realized that the sign-in book was a waste of effort, so now I'm like 90% of the other open houses in my market with no sign in sheet.

However I do like the idea of a feedback form.

I simply, and very nicely, ask people to sign in. Does not need to be on a fancy dancy peice of papers or book or anything. Just need 3 peices on info - name, number and email.

Make up 2 or 3 names/contact info at the top so that people coming in will follow suit.

[quote=super realtor]It's funny I have 8 different e-mail accounts.I always put in the junker accounts and not my main for these promotions and info gathering things.

Usually I will remember to check my junk e-mails every few months.On a phone I put a random number I think up! LOL [/quote]
And that's precisely why I only ask for a name/email/phone # from anyone who seems genuinely interested. The number of leads I get from open houses is pretty much the same compared to asking everyone to sign a registry. Most emails/phone numbers are bogus. I don't tour other agents' open houses, but I do exactly the same thing when I'm touring model homes at new subdivisions!

On the other hand, a full guest book helps the sellers feel as though it was worthwhile for you to boot them out of their own house for an afternoon.