What is an Open House? Everything Home Sellers Should Know
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Lauren Vella, Contributing AuthorClose
Lauren Vella Contributing AuthorLauren is a writer based in Rhode Island. She attended Brown University, where she earned a B.A. in History with a concentration in East Asia. Her work can be found in Southern Rhode Island Newspapers, Brown University's Next Generation, and Awkward & Out.
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Taryn Tacher, Senior EditorClose
Taryn Tacher Senior Editor
Taryn Tacher is the senior editorial operations manager and senior editor for HomeLight's Resource Centers. With eight years of editorial and operations experience, she previously managed editorial operations at Contently and content partnerships at Conde Nast. Taryn holds a bachelor's from the University of Florida College of Journalism, and she's written for GQ, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Allure, and Variety.
Selling a home comes with plenty of big moments, and opening your doors to a crowd of potential buyers is one of them. For a few hours, your living room becomes a tour stop, your kitchen gets admired, and every detail is on display. But what’s an open house, exactly, and what purpose does it serve?
Simply put, an open house offers a chance to showcase your home to multiple buyers without scheduling individual appointments. For some sellers, it helps build excitement and attract serious interest right away. In this guide, we’ll cover how open houses work, their benefits, and when they’re worth hosting.
Step one: Talk to an expert!
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What’s an open house?
An open house is a scheduled event where anyone can stop by and tour a home that’s for sale. Most open houses last two to four hours and are typically held on weekends, though some take place on weekday evenings. Unlike a private showing, buyers don’t need to make an appointment. Guests simply walk in during the scheduled time and take a look around.
The open house is usually hosted by the listing agent, who represents the seller. They’ll welcome visitors, point out the home’s standout features, answer questions, and share details about its condition, updates, and history. It’s their job to help buyers learn more about the property while making a great first impression.
The goal of open houses is to attract as many interested buyers as possible. More foot traffic can create excitement around the listing, encourage competition, and potentially lead to stronger offers. While an open house doesn’t guarantee a sale, it can be an effective way to get more eyes on your home and generate interest early in the selling process.
Open house vs. private showing: which is best for sellers?
If you’re selling a home, choosing between an open house and a private showing comes down to how you plan to market your property and what kind of buyers you want to attract. Both can be useful, but they work in different ways depending on your goals:
- Convenience vs. privacy: Open houses let multiple buyers tour your home at once with minimal scheduling, while private showings give you more control and privacy since only one buyer party comes through at a time.
- Exposure vs. buyer intent: Open houses can bring in more foot traffic and broader exposure, while private showings usually signal stronger interest from more serious, motivated buyers.
- Casual browsing vs. focused conversation: Open houses are more casual and self-guided, while private showings allow your agent to have deeper, more focused conversations with motivated buyers.
For many sellers, the right approach is a mix of both, depending on how quickly you want to sell and the level of interest your home is getting.
How did open houses start?
Open houses have been around for more than a century, making them one of the oldest home-selling strategies still used today. The tradition dates back to the 1910s, when real estate agents began offering open houses as part of exclusive agreements to sell a homeowner’s property.
Back then, selling homes looked very different. Almost anyone could call themselves a real estate agent, and there was no broker’s license required. As more agents entered the business and competition heated up, exclusive listing agreements became a way for agents to secure the right to represent a seller and earn the commission when the home sold.
Once those exclusive agreements became more common, agents started advertising homes as “open for inspection” and inviting the public inside. Unlike the few-hour events we’re used to today, these early open houses could stay open for days or even weeks. They were especially popular for showcasing newly built homes and introducing buyers to the latest architectural styles and neighborhood developments.
What happens during an open house?
When buyers arrive at an open house, they’re usually welcomed by the listing agent. The agent may hand out flyers or information sheets with details about the home, such as its features, square footage, and recent updates. Many open houses also have a sign-in sheet where visitors can leave their names and contact information for follow-up questions or feedback.
From there, buyers are free to walk through the home at their own pace. They might open closets to check storage space, test the water pressure, peek out the windows, or imagine how their furniture would fit in each room.
The listing agent is there to answer questions, point out the home’s best features, and share information about the neighborhood, nearby schools, and local amenities. Some sellers also go the extra mile with light snacks, soft music, or professional staging to help the home feel warm and inviting.
What are the benefits of hosting an open house?
An open house isn’t just about showcasing the home. It’s also a chance for the listing agent to meet potential buyers, answer their questions, and see how they react to the property in real time. The feedback they gather can help sellers understand what buyers like and what might need improvement. Since anyone can stop by during the event, an open house also gives your home exposure to a larger pool of buyers in just a few hours.
According to Marine Yoo, one of Madison, Wisconsin’s top-selling real estate agents, an open house can be used as a tool to heighten the appeal of your home and motivate buyers to make an offer quickly. If an interested buyer knows your property is hot and will draw lots of traffic, they’ll be more inclined to make a competitive offer before the open house even takes place.
“There are two ways that an open house can spur interest in a house and really help a seller,” says Yoo. “One of them is to basically spark a fire under a buyer. If a buyer knows that a home is available for sale, and they see an open house is coming up in five days, they know there’s probably decent traffic coming to the open house. So the advice we give all our buyers is, see the property privately right now before all these potential buyers come on Sunday.”
Yoo says an open house can also serve as the only scheduled opportunity for buyers to tour the home. That lets serious buyers see the property while also getting a sense of how much interest it’s attracting before they decide what offer to make.
“Realtors may opt to decline any showings until the open house, and that strategy drives more traffic,” explains Yoo.
What are the drawbacks of hosting an open house?
Open houses can be a great way to get more eyes on your home, but they’re not the right fit for every seller. Before adding one to your selling strategy, it’s worth understanding what comes with the territory. Here are some potential drawbacks to keep in mind before opening your doors to the public.
Open houses don’t guarantee buyer turnout
Open houses have fallen down the list of effective marketing tactics for home sales. Only 3% of buyers attended an open house as their first step in the homebuying process, and just 5% ultimately found their home through one.
That’s largely because most buyers now start their search online, where they can browse listings, photos, and virtual tours before ever visiting in person. By the time they do step into a home, they’ve usually already narrowed down their options and are booking private showings for properties they’re seriously considering.
Open houses can present a security risk to your home
Some sellers have reservations about hosting open houses because they fear that they’re exposing their home to possible damage or theft. If the house doesn’t sell quickly, your real estate agent may end up hosting multiple open houses, exposing your home to a lot of people, in which case private showings may be a better way to go.
Open houses cost time and money
Open houses can cost sellers time if their home continues to sit on the market. All of that money you’ll spend on premium upkeep, pet and childcare, heating and cooling the home on the day of the open house(s) can start to add up.
»Learn more: If your open house isn’t bringing in serious buyers, it might just be eating up your time and money. Use the Home Seller Mistake Mashup Machine to spot what’s not working and find smarter ways to sell your home.
When is the best time to host an open house?
The best time to host an open house is on the weekend when potential buyers are available and have time to check out your home after running their morning errands.
In larger metro areas, traffic tends to pick up in the afternoon, so if your property is in the city, you’ll likely want to host your open house anywhere between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. In the suburbs, traffic is not as much of a concern. Host your open house between noon and 4 p.m.
Keep your open house to about two hours. According to Yoo, you want potential buyers to know that there is a limited amount of time for them to see the home. Your home is valuable, and by providing a short window to view it, you’ll be giving buyers what they’ll think is an exclusive look at an in-demand house.
What can a seller do to guarantee a successful open house?
Getting your home ready for an open house can feel like a lot, especially when you know buyers will be walking through every room. From curb appeal to little finishing touches inside, every detail can shape how your home is perceived. Here are a few smart moves that can make a big difference in how much interest your home gets:
Deep clean and declutter your home
A clean, clutter-free home makes it easier for buyers to focus on the space itself instead of what’s in it. Deep cleaning helps everything feel fresh and well cared for, from floors and countertops to corners people don’t usually notice. Decluttering also makes rooms look bigger and more open, which can help shape a buyer’s first impression.
The goal is to create a simple, neutral space where buyers can picture themselves living there. If you need to, hire a professional cleaning service for $25 to $50 per cleaner per hour to get the job done.
Invest in home staging
Staging your home is all about making it feel intentional, welcoming, and easy for buyers to connect with. A professional stager can rearrange or bring in furniture and decor to highlight the best features of each room.
Even small changes, like better layout, neutral tones, and thoughtful accents, can completely shift how a space feels. The result is a home that feels polished and move-in ready, which can help buyers form a stronger emotional connection.
Advertise your open house on the internet
About 52% of buyers find their homes through online searches, so getting your open house in front of them digitally is key. Your agent will typically list it on the multiple listing service (MLS) and major real estate sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Redfin, where open house details are widely shared. You can also boost visibility by posting it on platforms like Nextdoor, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace to reach even more local buyers.
Promote the event with physical signs
Even though the internet is a great way to spread the word about your open house, yard signs on the day of the event are still a must. Make sure you’ve got clear, easy-to-follow signage set up so buyers can actually find your home without getting lost or frustrated. The smoother it is for them to get there, the more likely they are to show up and walk through.
Keep your messaging simple. For example, your sign might say “Open House Next Left.” Signs should also be in bright colors, so they stand out.
What’s an agent’s job during the open house?
An agent’s job during an open house is to be the steward of your home. That means that they’ll welcome guests into the house, answer questions about the home, and keep track of guests who enter and exit the property in order to follow up with potential buyers who seem interested.
“Visitors have to sign in no matter what, or else they’re not getting to tour the house,” says Yoo. “Any good Realtor worth their salt will hunt that buyer down, and I use that obviously in a joking manner, to the ends of the earth to see if they have any further interest.”
Leave the actual open house to your agent. When the owner of a home is present during an open house, potential buyers can find it difficult to be fully honest with the real estate agent about what they find displeasing.
“People just do not feel comfortable talking about a property and being critical about a property, even if it’s just being constructive, if the homeowner is there,” Yoo says.
Broker’s opens: An alternative to the traditional open house
Unlike a regular open house where anyone can walk in, a broker’s open is just for real estate agents and industry professionals. It’s usually held on a weekday and gives agents a chance to preview the home for their clients. Because everyone there knows the market, the conversation tends to be more direct, and the listing agent can get useful feedback on pricing, staging, and anything that might turn buyers off.
A broker’s open comes with a couple of key perks. For sellers, it can help spark faster offers if agents walk through the home and think it’s a good match for one of their buyers. For agents, it offers an exclusive look at a listing, allowing them to quickly narrow down options for their clients. Overall, broker’s opens give a home early exposure to the real estate community, which can help speed up the selling process.
An experienced real estate agent can help you decide whether an open house or a broker’s open makes the most sense for your home.
Turn Open Houses Into Real Results
Open houses can bring buyers through the door, but a great agent helps turn that interest into serious offers. Partner with an experienced real estate agent to make the most of every open house and position your home for a successful sale.
Should you host an open house?
An open house can be a simple way to get more eyes on your home, but it’s just one piece of a bigger selling strategy. It gives buyers a chance to explore the property in person and helps sellers generate early interest. Still, results can vary depending on your market, pricing, and how your home is presented.
Knowing what open houses can and can’t do makes it easier to set the right expectations when you’re selling. If you’re planning to list your home, a trusted real estate expert can help you decide if hosting one is worth it.
Use HomeLight’s Agent Match tool to connect with a top agent in your area who will help you get your home ready, market it to the right buyers, and handle the event from start to finish.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about open houses
While open houses can increase exposure for a property, they aren’t mandatory. Some sellers find success without them, relying on online listings and private showings. The effectiveness of an open house can vary based on the local market, property type, and price range.
Preparation includes decluttering, deep cleaning, and staging the home to make it appealing to potential buyers. Personal belongings should be minimized to allow visitors to envision themselves in the space. Some sellers also invest in professional staging or make minor repairs based on agent recommendations.
It’s a good practice to remove or securely store valuable items like jewelry, electronics, and personal documents. Some sellers choose to install temporary security cameras for added peace of mind. Your real estate agent will generally be present to monitor visitors, but it’s a good idea to take extra precautions.
Typically, the listing agent or a member of their team will host the open house. They will guide potential buyers, answer questions, and gather feedback. It’s also a chance for the agent to meet potential clients.
Feedback can be immediate, with some agents and potential buyers providing insights during or right after the event. However, offers might take a bit longer, ranging from a few hours after the open house to several days, depending on the buyer’s interest level and market dynamics.
Header Image Source: Markus Spiske / Unsplash
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