Open House Checklist for Real Estate Agents: Before, During & After

The open house that converts is won the Thursday before, not at the front door.

Most agents treat the open house as a two-hour event. The agents who get clients out of it treat it as a one-week project with a two-hour middle. Use this checklist as your system: copy it into your notes app, print it, or follow the links to the free tools that handle each step.

What should you do one week before an open house?

• ☐Confirm the date and hours with your seller and get written permission to host.
• ☐Pull recent comps so you can answer "Is it priced right?" with numbers.
• ☐Walk the home and list every room that looks empty or dated.
• ☐Stage vacant rooms, physically or virtually. In NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Staging, 83% of buyers' agents said staging made it easier for buyers to picture the home as theirs. StageVibe stages an empty room in about 60 seconds (2 free images).
• ☐Label any virtually staged photo as "Virtually Staged" before it goes on the MLS or social media.
• ☐Prepare neighborhood talking points: transit, dining, shopping and schools. AI Location Insights builds them from the listing address.
• ☐Create a QR code for the listing and put it on your flyer with the free Flyer Studio.
• ☐Promote the open house on the MLS, social media and to your sphere, with the date, time and one standout photo.

What should you do the day before?

• ☐Charge your iPad or phone and a backup battery.
• ☐Set up your digital sign-in sheet and add your custom questions (see the next section).
• ☐Print flyers, a few paper sign-in sheets as backup, and directional signs.
• ☐Check your outfit for the forecast. ShowVibe suggests outfits in your colors for the date and ZIP code.
• ☐Confirm with the seller: pets out, valuables and medications put away, and when they will leave.

What questions should your open house sign-in ask?

Keep the form short so people actually finish it. Name, email and phone are the basics. Then add one or two questions that help you follow up well:

• Are you working with an agent? This is the most useful question on the form. It tells you who you can offer to help and who you should leave to their agent.
• How did you hear about this open house? It shows which marketing worked.
• Are you looking to buy in the next 3, 6 or 12 months? It tells you how soon to follow up.

Visitors to an open house do not need to sign a written buyer agreement. We explain the 2026 rules in Do Buyers Need to Sign a Buyer Agreement at an Open House?.

What should you do on the day of the open house?

Setup (arrive 30–45 minutes early)

• ☐Open every blind, turn on every light and set a comfortable temperature.
• ☐Place the sign-in tablet near the entrance, where every visitor passes it.
• ☐Put out flyers with the QR code, and set directional signs at nearby corners.
• ☐Tell someone where you are and when you expect to finish. Keep your phone charged and on you.

During the open house

• ☐Greet every visitor and invite them to sign in before they tour.
• ☐Ask one open question ("What brings you in today?") and listen more than you talk.
• ☐Use your neighborhood talking points when people ask about the area.
• ☐Note what each visitor liked or asked about; you will use it in your follow-up.
• ☐If a buyer has an agent, be helpful about this home and direct further questions to their agent.

What should you do in the 24 hours after?

• ☐Export your leads the same day (CSV export, or Export to Contacts in the iOS app).
• ☐Send every visitor a thank-you email the same day. On Pro, it can go out automatically when you end the open house. See our 7 open house follow-up email templates.
• ☐Offer unrepresented buyers something useful: similar listings, a neighborhood guide or a staged version of a room they liked.
• ☐Send your seller a short report: number of groups, feedback on price and condition, and next steps.
• ☐Add visitors to your CRM with a follow-up date.

How can you make your next open house easier?

Use the same checklist every time, and reuse what worked: the same sign-in questions, the same flyer template, the same follow-up emails. After three or four open houses, the prep takes far less time and your follow-up becomes consistent.

For a detailed strategy for the NJ and NY markets, read our step-by-step guide to a high-converting open house.