Chapter 4: How to Host an Open House & Win Clients
Open houses are your gateway to meeting serious buyers, making clients, building your pipeline, and practicing your market knowledge. Done right, they’re one of the most powerful tools for a new agent.
As soon as you feel confident in your neighborhood knowledge, start doing open houses. When you’re starting out, most likely you won’t have your own listings. Get friendly with top agents in your office so you can host open houses for them. Look for an open house at the beginning of the week — this gives you time to prepare properly.
In this chapter, you’ll learn:
How to prepare for an open house
Open house scripts and starter questions
How to assess potential buyers
How to turn potential buyers into clients
A method to ask for contact information
How to show up with confidence
Most people don’t buy the open house they walk into. The point is to find out what they want and be their real estate go to person.
Preparing for Open Houses
Preparation is everything. Here are my top tips before you open that front door:
Research recent sales. Look at the last couple of months in the area. Know what sold, for how much, and whether it was over or under asking.
Make notes. Create a cheat sheet of comparable homes that you can refer to. Even better, put together a “comps sheet,” make it look pretty, have your name on it and place it next to your listing sheets. People love to pick things up — it’s a great conversation starter: “Thought it would be helpful to see what’s sold in the neighborhood.”
Preview the neighborhood. Visit other homes in the area so you can talk about them with confidence. Being able to offer comparisons makes you look professional and knowledgeable.
Highlight features. Be ready to point out anything special about the property, especially things people might miss (like extra storage).
The Goal is to Start a Conversation
Always introduce yourself first:
“Hi, I’m [Your Name]. Welcome in!”
Ask the person walking in the door if they don’t mind signing in and point to the sheet. The sheet will ask for a name, number, and if they have an agent.
Then pay attention to body language. If someone barely acknowledges you, focus your time on other guests. Otherwise, keep the conversation light and natural:
After they’ve had a minute to acclimate themselves and they’ve walked around a bit, ask “Have you been looking for a while?” This simple question gives you a lot of information.
If they’ve made offers, they already have an agent.
If they haven’t, ask what neighborhoods or styles they like.
Listen closely — what they’ve seen gives you insight into price range, taste, and wish list. Plus, it gets them talking.
If someone has just started to look, great! That’s your time to ask them what they’re looking for.
Ask about their “approximate” price range so you can mention properties that might appeal to them.
Once you have a general idea of what they're looking for, ask: “Are you working with an agent?” If yes, move on. If not, this is your chance to impress with knowledge and ask them more questions about themselves and their real estate needs.
Here’s where preparation matters most. Reference homes in their price range, talk about charm versus mediocre properties, and share why “charming” homes hold their value better. This makes you memorable.
Finally, ask: “Have you spoken with a lender yet?” Emphasize how important it is to work with a great local lender. I have a chapter about the importance of lenders. If they’re not ready to talk to a lender, let them know it’s never too early to learn the market — you can be the one to educate them.
Making Progress
Once you have them talking, go deeper:
How many bedrooms/baths do you need?
Do you work from home and need an office?
Do you need to be near schools or transportation?
Do you prefer more space in a less expensive area, or less space in a premium neighborhood?
And don’t forget: toot your own horn. Without being a braggart, let them know:
You know the neighborhoods inside and out.
You’re obsessive about checking new listings.
You preview properties in person.
You can get the “scoop” from other agents.
You have access to MLS data that buyers can’t see on Zillow or Redfin.
This shows your value and sets you apart.
Getting Contact Information
Once they’re engaged, just ask:
“I’d love to get your contact info if you don’t mind so I can send you properties that might work for you as they come on the market.”
Use your phone or a piece of paper to have them write down their contact info. Make sure you can read their writing
Following Up
Open houses are exciting in the moment, but life gets in the way once buyers leave. That’s where follow-up comes in.
Use an email tracking tool so you know if your messages were opened.
Send emails late afternoon or evening when people have more time.
Send a follow up email that evening or the next day. Track to see if they are reading your email.
If they have not written you back, contact them after 2 days with a friendly text: “Hi, it was great meeting you at the open house. Did you get my email? I’d love to send you more properties when they come up.” You can also send them a listing that you think they might like. Make sure it’s a pretty property if you send it so it will get a good reaction. Otherwise don’t send.
Don’t be afraid to nudge one more time. Say you don’t want to pester but ask if they’d like to stay in touch and if not, no worries. This usually gets a response.
And remember: if they need a lender, this is an easy excuse to reconnect. Share your trusted referrals and explain why the right lender matters — it’s often the difference between a smooth transaction and a nightmare. (More on that in the mortgage chapter.)