13 Last-Minute Halloween Events That Will Sweeten Your Business

Halloween is right around the corner. It is a perfect way to bring fun, sweets and treats to your community and build your business.  Many real estate agents wait until the big holidays. Why not begin now? Want to get known in the community or a neighborhood? This is a great time go begin.

Here are 13 spooktacular ideas that are fun and can be put together quickly:

1. Halloween Costume Party — Invite parents and kids to dress in their scariest costumes and come out for a fun time. You can host this evening with appetizers and fun food at a local restaurant or at your brokerage with vendors that can contribute to the food costs. Have a small area where people can vote for the scariest or most unique costumes. Kids can read or act out from one of their favorite books or movies. Winners can win a dining certificate or gift card to your local bookstore. All the promotional materials could have your name on it along with the name of your brokerage.
2. Horror Movie Screening — Host a movie at your brokerage or a local venue. Put some candies in a bag and tie it together with your business card. Dress up in costume to greet everyone and give out the treats.
3. Host a Monster Run — Hold a costume-themed run at your local school. Kids can run around the gym or outside track. When they are finished, they can lay down on the ground and be gifted by candy-in-a-bag courtesy of you and your team. Donations can be made to the local school or a kid’s charity, so it benefits everyone.
4. Face Painting — Hire a face painter to paint the kids’ faces along with providing fun appetizers or creepy desserts. This can take place at your brokerage, local school, homeowners association market or restaurant. Everyone loves face painting!
5. Thriller Dance Class — Help your local dance studio or community where you want to grow your business host an evening of dance, featuring some of the steps done by the infamous Michael Jackson in his hit, Thriller, or any other song that inspires the kids in your local area. Have drinks and bags of candy with your branding on the bags.
6. Host a Halloween Lunch-and-Learn — Have the presentation done by one of your local inspection companies or title companies. ex. Avoid Anxiety When Purchasing A Home.
7. Trunk or Treat — This has become a popular and quick-and-easy event to put together. Families bring their decorated cars and children in costume to a local parking lot. Preferably this is in a secure homeowner or condo community or local community venue. Participants will need to register with someone to be able to participate so you know everyone who is there. Trunks are popped, filled with decorations and a candy basket or large witches’ cauldron. The kids then go from car to car collecting treats!
8. Halloween Pop-By Gift — Give a Halloween-themed gift to your in-town Past and Current Clients and Leads. This is a face to face opportunity, and it is a fun way to stay top-of-mind. Some ideas include candy or chocolate bars in wrappers from a local store, supermarket or something fun for their home.

For Those Who Prefer to Promote Via Social Media & E-Mail

9. Send a Halloween E-mail or Video campaign — Prior to Halloween, send out to your database some interesting facts and local history about your area. Also, include events that are happening in your community. As an example, one city each year in Florida hosts a pirate and mermaid event which gets a lot of attention. Which events are big in your community? Find out and include them in your e-mail. Either send out a second e-mail reminder with other events or a video in costume to engage your audience. (The scarier, the better.)
10. Have A Social Media and E-Mail Costume Contest — Post a trivia contest and ask your followers to post photos of their children’s costumes. Post the fun responses to all your social media platforms. The winner could receive a gift certificate, discount or free service provided by you or one of your vendors. It’s a great way to get local businesses involved also.
11. Create A Social Media Costume Contest for Pets — For your followers who don’t have children or prefer showing off their beloved animals, create a pet costume contest. Birds and reptiles included. Winners could receive a gift certificate or free service.

 For 55 + Communities

 Think Halloween is just for kids? Think again. You are never too old to play!

13. Howl-O-Ween Adult and Pet Parade — This fun and furry event can be held at your clubhouse if there is one in your community. Other venues include a nearby park, church or synagogue. Prizes can be awarded for Best Dog/Owner Costume, Best Dog Costume and Best Senior in Costume. Invite local pet vendors that service pets and have some fun pet contests. Invite a member of the community to sing, dance and entertain the many guests. It could be a fun event for all!
14. Scary-oke And Halloween Bingo — With a lifetime of experience under their belt, hold a contest for the best scary story. How about a Halloween Bingo Game? Winners could receive gifts with your business card and those of the vendors you have invited to the event who are part of your team. No team yet? This is a perfect time to invite a local attorney, tax advisor, and mortgage banker to be one of the vendors at the event so you can share the costs. Everyone wins!

All of the events above are designed to be creative and fun. It is also a perfect opportunity to introduce yourself, attach your business card and your personal branding to the items being given out at the event.

Don’t have time to put together an event? No problem; look at the ones being offered in your area and become one of the vendors there. It’s another great opportunity to become known and to market yourself.

Pick an opportunity and run with it. You will be howling when you see how much fun everyone is having and all the new people you are meeting.

As part of each event, have a sign-in sheet for each attendee’s address and contact number. Send follow-ups to everyone who participated in one of your events.

Happy Halloween!

Written for Form Simplicity by Janice Zaltman, a Realtor, LEED AP, Marketing Coach and Writer with more than 20 years of experience in the sales, marketing and media fields.