An open house allows any buyer to walk through a listed property without making an appointment, and about half of all home buyers attend at least one during their search. This guide explains what sellers need to do to prepare and market the event effectively, what buyers should bring and ask, and how virtual tours are reshaping the traditional open house format.
A stubborn myth is going around in the real estate world right now. People keep saying that open houses aren't helpful anymore. That they should be in a different decade, before 3D tours and drone videos changed everything. People at work tell me. I read it in the comments. And I don't agree with you.
People look for homes in a very different way now. Most buyers start looking at homes on their phones before they even go inside. That part is right. An open house can do something that a screen can't, though. It lets someone picture what it would be like to live there while standing in the living room. You can't get that from a photo gallery, no matter how many filters the photographer used.
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) says that about half of all home buyers go to at least one open house while they are looking for a home. That's not a mistake in rounding. That is half of the people who come in and are interested in buying. They form opinions and decide where to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars.
So, what's the point of having an open house? And what do sellers and buyers need to know before that door swings open on a Saturday afternoon? That's exactly what we're going to do here. No fluff, just the facts and the plans that really work.
A seller and their listing agent invite the public to walk through a home that is for sale during an open house. Most open houses last between two and four hours, and they usually happen on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. You don't need an appointment. No official screening at the door. Everyone is welcome.
The listing agent is in charge of hosting. They welcome guests, answer questions about the property, and get their contact information by having them sign in. If a buyer comes with their own agent, that agent usually leaves a business card so the listing agent knows who to contact next.
You need to set up a private showing through your real estate agent, which is different from this. Private showings are more focused. Open houses reach more people. Both of these are important parts of a good sales strategy, and experienced agents will often suggest using them together.
It's easy to see why home buyers like it. You can drive through a neighborhood, see a sign, and go in without having to do anything else. Open houses are a relaxed way to look at your options if you're still in the early stages of your search and trying to decide which neighborhoods feel right.
This is where things start to get interesting. If you ask ten agents if open houses work, you'll get ten different answers. The data tells a fuller story.
According to NAR surveys, only about 3% of buyers say that an open house was the first thing they did in their search for a home. That looks bad at first glance. But think about this: more than 80% of buyers start their search online, with an agent, or through friends and family. Almost no one finds a property without first using the internet. That 3% number only counts the first point of contact, not the part an open house plays later in the decision-making process.
A different study found that the average buyer looks at about 7 homes before buying one and goes to about 2.6 open houses along the way. Putting those numbers together, it looks like about 37% of purchases involved an open house at some point, even if it wasn't the first thing that happened. That is a number that matters.
The truth? You probably won't be able to sell your home with just an open house. But it can definitely make a difference for a buyer who is unsure. Getting people to come in builds momentum. And momentum is what makes offers happen.
I think of it this way. The best conversations I had when I worked in sales for my first mortgage company were in person. People believe what they can see and touch. A buyer might look at your listing online ten times and not feel anything. But if you take them inside and let them stand in the kitchen and look out the window, things change. That's the real point of an open house. It makes a moment that pixels on a screen can't copy.
Listing agents promote open houses across multiple channels. The MLS, social media, neighborhood signs, real estate apps. All of that promotion creates a visibility spike for your home that a standard listing update cannot match. Even people who do not attend will see the marketing and may remember the address for later.
Setting up private showings can be a pain, especially in a market where buyers are looking at a lot of properties in one weekend. An open house gets rid of that problem. Come in, look around, and leave when you're ready. That low barrier is important for buyers who are still narrowing down their options. AmeriSave often helps people buy homes after they've looked at a lot of open houses and decided on a neighborhood.
A professional photo can make a galley kitchen look like a cooking school. But when a buyer is in the space, they really think about it. In the morning, they notice the natural light. They can hear how quiet the street is. From the kitchen window, they can see the backyard. These sensory details are what make someone go from looking to buying. That experience can't be fully replaced by a virtual tour.
Many people who want to buy a home plan their weekends around open house times, going to three or four homes in one afternoon. This kind of shopping around helps buyers feel more sure about their choice. If your home stands out in that lineup, you've already beaten the competition without spending any money on extra ads.
Open houses are not only about the buyer walking through the door. They serve as informal meet-and-greet opportunities for REALTORS® who may have qualified clients looking for exactly your type of property. A well-attended open house can generate referrals that lead to private showings later in the week.
When visitors walk through your home, their reactions tell a story. If multiple people comment on the dated kitchen or ask about the backyard size, that feedback helps your agent adjust the marketing strategy. Maybe a small price tweak or a staging update could shift buyer perception. This kind of live market data is difficult to get any other way.
When a buyer sees other people walking through the same home, it triggers a competitive instinct. Nobody wants to lose out on the right property. That sense of urgency can push serious buyers to submit offers faster than they might have otherwise. Agents at AmeriSave regularly see this pattern: a buyer attends an open house, realizes others are interested, and accelerates their timeline from browsing to making an offer.
If I only talked about the good things, I wouldn't be doing my job. You should go into open houses knowing that there are real trade-offs.
First, not everyone who comes to your store is there to buy something. People who live nearby come out of curiosity. People who just want to look around stop by for design ideas. Some people are just passing the time on a Sunday afternoon. It can be annoying to get your house ready for an event only to find out that most of the people who came weren't serious buyers. Your agent should have a way to tell the difference between serious buyers and people who are just looking.
Second, there are real-life problems. You need to clean up, get rid of things, and maybe even stage the property. During the showing, you will need to leave the house and make sure your pets are somewhere else. This can feel like getting ready for a small evacuation for families with young kids. And if you still live in the house while it's for sale, doing this every weekend gets old very quickly.
Another thing to think about is safety. People you don't know are walking through your personal space. It doesn't happen often, but theft does happen at open houses. Agents with a lot of experience say to take valuables out of the house, lock up the medicine cabinets, and keep a close eye on the guest sign-in sheet. Those steps help a lot. You should also talk to your agent about whether a digital sign-in system makes sense. These systems keep track of more information and make an electronic record of who came.
Finally, buyers may also feel rushed at open houses. It's hard to ask detailed questions or get a good sense of the layout when a lot of people are touring at once. Some buyers like the peace and quiet of a private showing, where they can take their time. If you are a buyer who gets stressed out easily, you might want to come early when there aren't as many people around, or ask your agent to set up a private follow-up visit.
Most of the work is done in the preparation phase. A home that is well-prepared looks very different from one that was put together the morning of the event.
First, set the stage. The NAR Profile of Home Staging found that 29% of real estate agents said staging led to offers that were 1% to 10% higher than offers on homes that weren't staged. That could add $4,000 to $40,000 to the final sale price of a $400,000 property. Nearly half of agents surveyed also said staged homes spent less time on the market. Those numbers say it all.
The living room is the most important room. The same NAR report says that 37% of buyer agents thought the living room was the most important room to stage, followed by the primary bedroom (34%) and the kitchen (23%). Put your time and money into that first.
Pay attention to the little things as well as the staging. Air fresheners with strong scents don't work as well as neutral ones. Fresh coffee or cookies can make visitors feel welcome without being too much. For curb appeal, you need clean windows, trimmed landscaping, and a swept front porch.
AmeriSave also suggests that sellers get all the important property documents ready ahead of time. Having recent utility bills, property tax records, and any disclosure statements on hand shows buyers that you are organized and honest. That kind of planning makes people trust you before you even make an offer.
How you prepare for the event is almost as important as when you host it. Most markets still have open houses on Saturday and Sunday afternoons between noon and 4 p.m. That schedule works with when buyers are actively looking at homes, and it gives them enough light to see the property and the neighborhood around it.
The time of year also matters. The most buyers are usually active in the spring and early summer, which means more people may come to your open house. But don't completely rule out fall or winter. In some areas, having fewer homes for sale in the winter means there is less competition for your listing. Less homes for sale can actually help you, because buyers who are looking during the off-season are usually more serious.
Don't plan your open house for the same day as a big local event, a holiday weekend, or a big game day. You don't want buyers to be distracted by your living room and a football tailgate. Before setting a date, your listing agent should look at the local event calendar. That little thing can make the difference between a full open house and an empty one.
If no one comes, all your hard work was for nothing. Using both online and offline methods together is the best way to get people to come.
The MLS is a good place to begin. Your listing agent should add the date, time, and new photos of the open house to the MLS entry. Updating the information in your listing will make it more likely that your home will show up higher in search results on major real estate sites. This means that a lot more people will see it.
Social media is the second part of the plan. Post pictures and a short video tour on sites where people who want to buy a home hang out. Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, and even groups for your neighborhood can all get a lot of people to look at them. You don't need a crew to film the movie. It's fine if your agent talks to you for a short time over a well-lit video on your phone.
In the real world, signs are still important. Directional signs at busy intersections can get the attention of people who are driving by, especially those who may not have seen your online listing. NAR data shows that 4% of buyers found their new home through a sign in the yard or an open house sign. It may not seem like much, but when you look at it on a per-home basis, it is a big channel.
Some sellers also ask their agent to send email blasts to groups of buyers in their area. When AmeriSave helps people who are actively looking for a home, their agent or lender often sends them alerts about open houses. People who are ready to buy will see your property on those lists.
Don't forget about talking to people, either. Tell your neighbors about the open house. They might know someone who is looking in the area, even if they aren't buying. More people have found homes thanks to a casual mention at a block party or in a neighborhood group chat than most people realize.
The pandemic made a change that was already happening happen faster. Virtual open houses, where a real estate agent shows you a house in person or on video, are now a real part of the process of selling a house.
Virtual tours can help buyers from other states who can't come in person decide whether or not to set up a private showing. Military families moving to a new city, remote workers choosing a new city, and retirees looking into smaller markets. These groups rely on digital walkthroughs a lot to help them decide where to go before they book their trip.
But virtual tours can't replace real tours. They are used for different things. You can use a virtual tour to check out people. It helps buyers decide which homes are worth seeing in person. The emotional connection that makes someone want to buy still happens when they are in the room, opening closets, and checking the water pressure.
At AmeriSave, we help buyers with every step of the process. Some people take a virtual tour first and then come in for a weekend of private showings. Some people go to open houses in their area and look at homes in other neighborhoods using virtual tours. You shouldn't use each tool by itself.
Talk to your agent about the quality of the video if you're a seller who is thinking about having a virtual open house. A shaky phone video with bad lighting will make things worse, not better. Get good lighting, a camera that doesn't shake, and a script for the walkthrough that highlights the best features of the house. The listing agent should talk about the tour like they would if they were actually there, pointing out recent improvements, room sizes, and neighborhood amenities as they walk through the property.
The event itself is only one part of the whole thing. The 48 hours after an open house can be just as important.
Your listing agent should get back to everyone who came to the event. A short phone call or email to check in on their level of interest keeps the conversation going. If buyers felt a connection to your home, they may need a little push to make a second visit or an offer.
Talk to your agent about the feedback they got. Were there always worries about the prices? Did more than one visitor bring up the same repair problem? You should use that information to decide what to do next, whether it's lowering the asking price, making a quick repair, or just staying put and waiting for the right buyer.
Don't be discouraged if you didn't get any offers right away after the open house. It may take several showings of a home before the right one comes along. Your agent might suggest having another open house in two or three weeks with different staging or prices. Being persistent and open to change is part of the process.
This is also a good time to talk to your agent about your whole marketing plan. Does the price of the listing match what similar homes have sold for in the area recently? Are the pictures of the home in the listing good? The problem isn't always the open house itself; it could be how the property is being marketed. A small change in price or how something is presented can bring out interest that was already there. At AmeriSave, we see this happen a lot with buyers who come back to a listing after the price has changed and then go ahead with financing. Sellers who listen to feedback get more business.
If you want to buy something, open houses are one of the best things you can do. This is how to get the most out of them.
Get preapproval before you go to open houses. This shows sellers that you are not just looking around; you are a serious buyer. At AmeriSave, we can help you get preapproved quickly so you can act fast when you find the right property.
Write down what you see at each property in a notebook or on your phone. After looking at three or four houses in one afternoon, the details start to fade. Write down your first thoughts, any questions you want to ask later, and the things that stood out.
Ask the listing agent about the property's history, the neighborhood, and what the seller wants to do. Agents usually give out this kind of information at open houses to speed up the sale. If you already have a buyer's agent, make sure to leave their business card so the listing agent can get in touch with them right away.
Look at things that pictures don't show. What does the area sound like in the middle of the day? How is the parking? Do the rooms that are most important to you have enough windows? These are the things that make a house a good place for you and your family to live.
One last thing to say. If you really like a house after the open house, tell your agent right away. You could lose the house if you wait a few days to follow up in a competitive market. When there are multiple offers on the table, it's important that buyers who have already been preapproved by AmeriSave can move quickly. The sellers and their agent want to work with buyers who are ready to close, not buyers who still need to figure out how to pay for the house.
There is no magic in open houses. They won't guarantee a sale on their own, and they do take a lot of work to do well. But the data is clear: half of all buyers go to them, staged homes get higher offers, and the in-person experience still affects buying decisions in ways that technology can't.
If you're selling, talk to your agent about how to plan an open house that is well-publicized, professionally done, and timed just right. If you're buying, open houses are a great way to get to know neighborhoods, narrow down your options, and feel more sure about what you want.
AmeriSave can help you with the money side of things, whether you're buying or selling. We do everything we can to make the mortgage process as clear and easy as possible, from preapproval to closing. There won't be any surprises along the way because our team will guide you through every step. When you're ready to move forward, get in touch with AmeriSave online.
A good open house usually gets between 10 and 20 people to come by in two to four hours. The exact number depends on where you live, how much the house costs, and how well the event was advertised. In competitive markets, listings that are well-promoted can bring in 30 or more people. Remember that quality is more important than quantity. Five buyers who have already been approved are worth more than twenty people who just look around. Your listing agent should keep track of who signs in and follow up with people who asked a lot of questions or stayed longer than expected. If not enough people show up, you might want to change how you promote the event. You can get more people to come by changing the photos on your listing, posting on social media, or moving the time of your next open house. AmeriSave helps buyers get preapproval for a mortgage quickly, which means that more people who come are ready to make serious offers.
Buyers are most interested in the living room, the main bedroom, and the kitchen. NAR says that 83% of buyer agents said staging makes it easier for buyers to imagine themselves living in the house. Even small changes, like clearing off surfaces and adding new linens, can change how people see things. According to NAR data, the average cost of professional staging is about $1,500. If that seems like too much, focus on getting rid of things and making them less personal. Take down family pictures, bold art, and anything else that makes the room feel like someone else's home instead of a blank canvas. Most of the work is done by neutral colors and clear sightlines. Your agent may have specific ideas for your property and what buyers in your area expect. If you want to know more about the money side of selling, check out AmeriSave's home buying tips to see how being ready can change the outcome.
Yes. Anyone can go to an open house, with or without a real estate agent. You don't need an appointment, and the listing agent will be happy to see you whether or not you have a lawyer. They will only ask you to sign the guest book and give them some basic contact information. That being said, it can be very helpful to have your own buyer's agent. They can tell you things you might not notice, like maintenance that has been put off or prices that don't match up with recent sales in the area. If your agent can't go with you, give the listing agent your agent's business card so they can get in touch with you directly. This keeps any possible conflicts of interest from coming up later in the process. AmeriSave's first-time home buyer guide shows you how to build your team if you haven't found an agent yet and are still in the early stages of your search.
A virtual open house is a video tour of a property that a real estate agent hosts, either live or recorded. People who are interested in buying can watch from anywhere, ask questions during live events, and watch recordings again as needed. More and more buyers are starting their search online before going to see properties in person, which has made this format more popular. Virtual open houses are great for getting in touch with buyers from other states, military families who are moving, and anyone who wants to see a property before making a commitment to visit it in person. Instead of replacing traditional open houses, they add to them. According to NAR data, buyers now look at an average of 7 properties before making a purchase, and digital tools help them quickly narrow that list down. If you're looking for a home and also looking into your mortgage options, AmeriSave can help you figure out how much of a down payment you need before you start looking at homes in any way.
It's true that open houses are risky because strangers come into your home, but taking some simple steps can make the risk much lower. People are most worried about losing small valuables, prescription drugs, or personal papers. Before the event, experienced agents suggest putting these things away or locking them up. Lock up any rooms or medicine cabinets that you don't want people to be able to get into. Make sure to write down the name and contact information of everyone who comes on a sign-in sheet. Some agents also use a digital check-in system that gathers more information, which can keep bad people from doing bad things. If you have a security camera system, keep it on during the event. Talk to your listing agent about the safety rules that apply to your property and neighborhood. You can show off your home with confidence by following these steps. Sellers see buyers who are financially ready through AmeriSave's preapproval process as serious and trustworthy.
Anyone can come to an open house, which is a public event that lasts for a set amount of time. A private showing is a one-on-one meeting between a buyer (usually with their agent) and the listing agent. Private showings are quieter and more focused, which gives the buyer more time to ask questions and look around. Both formats are useful for different parts of the sales process. Open houses get more people interested in a home and bring in buyers who might not have made an appointment to see it on their own. Private showings usually attract more serious buyers who have already done some research and are closer to making a decision. Combining both methods is the best way to sell things. Based on the state of your local market and the interest your listing has gotten so far, your agent can help you find the right mix. AmeriSave helps both first-time home buyers and people who have owned homes before make sure they have the money they need before the showings.
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