The complete open house checklist

A great open house isn't luck — it's a checklist run well. This is the full sequence working agents use, organized by when each item needs to happen. Steal it, adapt it, run it every weekend.

One week before

• Pick the time slot: Saturday or Sunday 1–4 PM is the classic for a reason — after lunch, before dinner plans. Avoid competing with major local events.
• Get it on the MLS and the portals (Zillow, Realtor.com) as a scheduled open house — portal traffic is most of your turnout.
• Post it on your social channels and neighborhood groups, with the property photo that performs best.
• Confirm access, alarm codes, and pets-out-of-the-house with the seller.
• Set up your digital sign-in (or print sheets) so lead capture isn't an afterthought at the door.

The day before

• Walk the property like a buyer: smells, burned-out bulbs, cluttered counters, closed blinds. Flag anything to the seller tonight, not at noon tomorrow.
• Stage the entry: the sign-in spot needs a clear surface near the front door — kitchen island or entry table.
• Charge the tablet you'll use for sign-in, and print your QR door sign as backup.
• Load your car: directional signs (6–10 of them), flyers, water bottles, business cards, shoe covers if needed.

Morning of

1. 1Place directional signs at every turn from the nearest major road — buyers follow arrows, not addresses.
2. 2Arrive 45 minutes early. Lights on in every room, blinds open, soft music, comfortable temperature.
3. 3Set up sign-in at the door: tablet kiosk front and center, QR sign propped beside it for visitors who prefer their phone.
4. 4Put out flyers and your business cards next to — not on top of — the sign-in.
5. 5Text the seller a reminder to be out 15 minutes before start.

During the open house

• Greet every visitor at the door and ask them to sign in before touring — "the sellers ask that everyone signs in" works every time, because it's true and it's about security.
• Don't hover. Open with one good question ("What's prompting your search?"), then let them tour.
• Watch for the second-lap visitors — anyone who walks the home twice is a real buyer. Find them before they leave.
• Note repeat visitors and neighbors; both are future business (neighbors sell homes too).

Within 24 hours (where the money is)

• Text every visitor the same evening while the home is fresh in their mind — a short thank-you with an offer to answer questions.
• Call the hot ones (pre-approved, short timeframe, no agent) the next morning.
• Send the seller a traffic report: visitor count, interest level, feedback themes. Sellers judge you on this follow-through.
• Collect the directional signs (the neighbors will thank you), and log every lead into your follow-up pipeline.

💡 Tip: The whole checklist falls apart if the sign-in step fails — illegible handwriting and skipped phone numbers turn a packed open house into four usable leads. A digital sign-in (tablet + QR) makes the capture step automatic, which is exactly what Open House Console does.