The short answer
Good open house tips for realtors come down to one idea: you're there to meet people, not sell that house. Prep a week out, knock on neighbors' doors, get every visitor signed in, ask two questions that matter, stay safe, then enter every name and follow up the same night. Judge it by appointments set.
Below: the full plan from seven days out, a checklist of what to bring, what our own test showed, the words to use and the follow-up sequence.
Step by step: how to host an open house that generates leads
Seven days out 1. Get written permission. From the listing agent and seller, with the date and time. 2. Post it. MLS, your website, social. 3. Plan signs. Six to ten directionals, not two. Check HOA and city rules on placement. 4. Invite a lender to co-host. A lender in the room answers the payment question better than you. Follow RESPA and your brokerage rules.
Two days out 5. Knock on 40 neighbors' doors. Invite them. You're also finding the next listing on the street. 6. Print. Flyers, cards, and a sign-in tablet or QR code.
Day of 7. Arrive 45 minutes early. Signs first, then the house. Lights on, blinds open, no pets. Park on the street. 8. Get everyone signed in. Name, phone, email, and whether they have an agent. 9. Stand near the kitchen. Not in the doorway. Greet, then let them look.
Within two hours of locking up 10. Enter every sign-in in your CRM. Neighbors too. Tag them "open house" with the address, set the stage and build a saved search. 11. Text each one that night. Call every one within 24 hours. 12. Send the listing agent and seller a recap. How many came, what they said, what you heard about price.
Open house checklist: what to bring
| Bring | Why |
|---|---|
| Sign-in tablet or QR code | Cleaner contact info and faster CRM entry than paper |
| Six to ten directional signs | Most traffic finds you from the signs |
| Flyers and business cards | Something to hand over when you ask for contact info |
| Two or three similar homes nearby | Gives you a reason to follow up |
| A seller net sheet | For the neighbor who asks what their home is worth |
| Phone charged, a teammate who knows where you are | Safety |
| Water, paper towels, shoe covers | Small things that keep the house showing well |
What our own open house test showed
Brian Lee Burke's own test, The Kenna Group (Denver metro): 100-plus open houses in one month. Method: every guest signed in (tablet, QR form or paper), and we counted guests and the leads or offers that came from them. Counts as recorded: 444 guests (just over 6 per open house) and 89 leads or offers (nearly 1 in 5 guests).
What we learned:
- They still work. 444 guests, just over six per open house, and 89 leads or offers. That's nearly one in five guests.
- Saturday wins. Over half of all traffic came on Saturdays. Sunday was second. Weekdays lagged far behind.
- The listing matters. The best turnout was a well-located home with main-floor living, strong curb appeal, staging and a competitive price.
- Digital sign-in beats paper. Tablets and QR forms gave cleaner contact info and faster follow-up.
- Bring a co-host. Agents who partnered with a lender or teammate got more traffic and more energy in the room.
Brian Lee Burke's own test with The Kenna Group, in one market. Your numbers will vary.
How do realtors get leads from an open house?
They get sign-ins, ask questions that sort visitors, and follow up fast. Sort the names that night:
- Hot: looking now, no agent, asked specific questions. Call tonight or first thing tomorrow.
- Warm: looking in the next few months. Saved search plus a call within 24 hours.
- Neighbors: may sell, or know someone who wants to move in. Offer a home value, and ask.
The follow-up sequence - Day 0: thank-you text, that night. - Day 1: a phone call. Offer a consult or a second showing. - Days 2 to 5: market info and homes they'd like. - Day 7: last touch, then into long-term nurture.
The same-night text: "Hey (first name), (your name) with (brokerage). We met at the open house on (street) today. I'll send a couple of others like it in the morning. Anything in particular you want me watching for?"
The words
At the neighbor's door: "Hi, I'm [you] with [brokerage]. I'm holding the house on the corner open Saturday and wanted you to hear it from a person first. Know anyone who's been wanting to move into this neighborhood?"
The greeting: "Come on in. Grab a flyer. I'm [you]. Out looking today, or neighbors being curious? Either one's fine with me."
The two questions: "How long have you been looking?" and "Is there a home you'd need to sell before you buy?"
If they have an agent: "Good, you should have someone. I'll stay out of it. If anything changes, keep my card."
How to explain it to your client
To the seller:
"Open houses rarely sell the house that day, but they do two things for you. They bring in neighbors who often know someone who wants to live here, and they show us how buyers react to the price in person. I'll send you a recap that night with what people said."
Watch-outs
- Safety isn't optional. Tell a teammate where you are and when you'll be done. Let visitors walk ahead of you. Stay between them and the exit. If something feels wrong, step outside and call. See open house safety.
- Secure valuables and medications. Ask the seller to put them away.
- Sign rules. Some HOAs and cities pull signs.
- Fair housing. Welcome everyone the same way. Talk about the home, not who lives nearby.
- Lender co-hosts. Follow RESPA and your brokerage policy on co-marketing.
- Don't misrepresent. If you're not the listing agent, say so.
Keep going
- All lead pages: Leads and scripts training
- Next: open house safety, the day-2 text follow-up, the saved search click, showing etiquette
- Follow-up written for you: Prompt Pack: Open House Follow-Up gives you same-day texts and emails for every visitor, sorted by what they told you.
- Coming soon: Open House Sign-In, a tablet or QR sign-in that drops every visitor into your CRM with a saved search.
This is training for real estate agents. Follow your state's rules, RESPA and your brokerage policy.
Questions
How do realtors get leads from open houses?
Get every visitor signed in, ask how long they've been looking and whether they need to sell first, then text that night and call within 24 hours.
What should I bring to an open house?
A sign-in tablet or QR code, directional signs, flyers, cards, a few similar homes nearby and a seller net sheet for curious neighbors.
What's the best day for an open house?
In our test, Saturday drew over half the traffic. Check your own market's patterns.
What if visitors won't sign in?
Politely ask again: "The seller asks everyone to sign in." Offer to email the flyer as a reason.
Do I need permission to hold someone else's listing open?
Yes. Get written permission from the listing agent and confirm the seller agrees.
Do open houses actually sell homes?
Sometimes, but rarely that day. Their bigger value is meeting buyers and neighbors and hearing how people react to the price.
Brian Lee Burke is the founder of PadLeaders, a Colorado real estate broker licensed since 2003, team leader of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (formerly Kenna Real Estate Group) and the author of Mastering Real Estate and The Real Estate Playbook. More about Brian.