If your home staging client wants her home staged before the Real Estate Caravan, would you know what she means?
In the real estate industry, a “Caravan” refers to an event where a listing agent invites other real estate agents to tour a group of homes that are listed for sale.
The goal of a Real Estate Caravan is to launch a new listing to the maximum number of local Realtors.
The listing agent hopes that visiting Realtors will have clients who would be interested in the property. Making it easy for fellow Realtors to see the listing in person keeps it more “top of mind” than if it’s just one of many they pull up on their computer.
Some Realtors will serve lunch or refreshments to entice agents to visit during the Real Estate Caravan.
Buyer’s agents occasionally bring clients to these events, rather than scheduling a private showing.
You’ll sometimes see Open House signs on a Thursday morning for example. That’s because the house is part of a Caravan for Realtors, but the listing agent is hoping potential buyers drop in too.
Find Out Local Real Estate Caravan Days and Times
Real estate is a competitive industry. Most agents would prefer to sell a listing from their office than from a competing brokerage.
Many real estate offices schedule regular Caravans after their weekly staff meetings. Their agents commonly tour several new listings from within their office in a one or two hour window on the same day.
Real Estate Caravan days and times are different in different cities. As a home stager, it’s good to know what’s common in the areas you serve.
If you don’t know or you’re embarrassed to ask a real estate agent, simply call any local real estate office and ask the receptionist when the next Caravan is. Try it with a few different brokerages and see if you get the same answer. You can ask follow up questions like: Do Caravans happen every week at this time?
A listing agent may also have a “broker’s open house” where they’ll invite a number of real estate agents to view one of their listings in the hopes that someone will have a client who may be interested.
If you’re a home stager, make sure your client’s home is in tip-top shape for these events! This is your chance to make the best first impression among Realtors. They’re an important gateway to potential buyers.
If the listing agent invites you to attend their brokers open house, or to be present during the Caravan, it’s a great way to meet other agents while you’re literally standing in your home staging portfolio.
However, don’t be discouraged if not that many agents stop to talk to you.
Typically they breeze through each house in a few minutes. Which is why some listing agents serve food/beverages — to get them to stick around longer and appreciate the property!
Have You Been on a Real Estate Caravan?
Home stagers, have you ever attended one of these events? Did they ever lead to future home staging projects? Please share in the comments below.
Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash