The Ultimate Open House Marketing Checklist
Did you know that 90% of home buyers begin their search online, yet only a small portion actually make it to open houses? This means that simply having a great property isn’t enough—you need a comprehensive marketing approach to stand out. Our open house marketing checklist offers a step-by-step guide to maximize your property’s exposure. You’ll learn how to create professional printed materials, design eye-catching signage, and use high-quality visuals that make your listing memorable.
In addition, we cover the latest digital marketing techniques, from targeted social media ads to email campaigns, ensuring your open house reaches the widest possible audience. By implementing these strategies, you’ll not only attract more potential buyers but also showcase your listings at their absolute best. Plus, you’ll discover how professional photography can strengthen your brand and set you apart from the competition.
Let’s dig in and explore how you can make your next open house a success.
Why This Open House Marketing Checklist Matters
You’ve staged the home, set the time, and sent invites. Now, this open house marketing checklist helps you tie it all together. Whether you're planning in‑person flyers or digital posts, having every detail sorted builds credibility—and listings that stick in people’s minds.
1. High-Quality Print Materials
Print materials lend credibility and visibility in a way that digital just can’t match. They feel tangible and trust-building, giving your audience something physical to hold and remember. High-quality printed brochures, business cards, and flyers can leave a lasting impression, reinforcing your brand’s professionalism and reliability. Unlike digital content, which can be easily overlooked or forgotten, print materials often stand out and foster a sense of legitimacy and connection with potential customers.
Essential Print Pieces:
Flyers & Brochures – Feature crisp listing photos, essential details, and your contact info.
Door Hangers & Postcards – Perfect for targeting the neighborhood.
Feature Sheets – Hand out at the door for easy home recall.
Business Cards & Branded Gifts – Keep your branding top-of-mind.
Why It Works
Studies indicate that printed brochures are not only easier to read but also more memorable than digital advertisements. This is because physical brochures offer a tangible connection, allowing readers to engage with the material directly. The presence of takeaway materials, such as brochures that customers can keep and refer to later, further enhances this connection and reinforces the message, making it more likely to be remembered.
2. Effective Signage & Directional Tools
Attract more potential customers by increasing foot traffic to your business and make it easier for people to find your listing by using smart, strategically placed signage that provides clear directions and information.
Must-Have Items:
Yard Signs & A-Frame Signs – Clear, branded, and visible from a distance.
Directional Signs – Placed at busy intersections and school corners to guide visitors.
Window Posters – Simple rentals or sales signage can grab instant attention.
Tip: Roughly half of buyers discover homes through signage, making them a low-cost yet impactful tool.
3. Visual Display and Digital Extras
Your visuals set the tone for your event. Incorporate eye-catching printed materials, such as flyers and brochures, alongside innovative digital tools like interactive presentations or virtual tours to ensure your open house stands out and captures attendees' attention.
Visual Strategies:
Property Photos – Let your photography speak for itself; clash-free visuals build trust.
Digital Slideshow or Screen – Let visitors scroll through the listing visuals while they wait.
QR Codes – Link print items to virtual tours or digital listing pages—modern and contactless.
Extra Tip: Put a tablet or screen in the entry, looping through a slideshow or drone highlight reel. It’s eye-catching and elevates perception.
4. Online Marketing & Social Media Push
Don’t just rely on walk-ins. Promote your open house where your audience spends their time—online—by utilizing social media platforms, targeted email campaigns, and real estate listing websites. Engaging your audience through these channels increases visibility and attracts more potential buyers to your event.
Key Promotion Techniques:
Open House Landing Page – Easy to share and track interest.
Targeted Social Media Posts – Local Facebook groups, Instagram stories, Nextdoor, and MLS feeds.
Email Blasts to Contacts – Past clients, neighbors, and leads with your engaging visuals.
Boosted Ads – Targeted ads to hyperlocal audiences can move the needle fast and social media marketing can pay big dividends in customer reach.
Why This Helps
Digital tools amplify your reach fast—especially when paired with strong visuals and local targeting.
5. Engage Guests & Collect Leads
Transform your open house into a memorable event by creating an engaging atmosphere, offering refreshments, and providing informative materials, so visitors experience more than just a simple walkthrough.
Ideas to Keep Agents Memorable:
Sign-In Sheets or iPad Check-In – Capture leads and follow them up promptly.
Refreshments & Branded Giveaways – Help visitors linger and leave with a positive impression.
Interactive Stations – Tablet-driven tours, neighborhood maps, or school info—extra value.
Local Partners – Include a lender, escrow rep, or stager—increases credibility and usefulness.
Make It Stick
It’s not just a listing walk-through—it’s a memorable experience. Create moments that engage visitors, spark conversations, and leave a lasting impression. By providing something unique or personal during the tour, you give visitors a reason to remember the property and to talk about you long after the visit is over.
6. Follow-Up That Wins
Your open house doesn’t end when the doors close. After the event, you can continue to engage with attendees by following up, answering their questions, and providing additional information about the property. This ongoing communication can help maintain interest and build stronger relationships with potential buyers.
Follow-Up Steps:
Email attendees a “Thank You” with more photos, property links, or next steps.
Sync contacts to your CRM and start drip campaigns with property updates.
Prompt follow-up shows you’re the agent who cares—and closes deals.
Summary Checklist
What to Include:
High-quality flyers, brochures, business cards
Bold yard signs and directional signage
Photo displays, screens, QR codes
Social posts, landing page, emails
Lead capture, refreshment area, interactive tools
Prompt email follow-up and CRM nurturing
Download Our PDF Checklist
Get organized and stay on track with our comprehensive PDF checklist.
Download it now to ensure you don't miss any important steps and make your workflow more efficient.
Why Great Photos & Visuals Matter
As a real estate photographer, I’m here to make your listings shine. Beautiful, well-lit photos and engaging visuals are your best marketing allies. High-quality imagery helps showcase each property’s unique features, attracting more potential buyers and generating greater interest. These photographs fit seamlessly into every item above—from print brochures and flyers to digital listings and social media posts—making everything more memorable, professional, and saleable. By investing in professional photography, you enhance your brand’s reputation and increase the likelihood of a faster, more profitable sale.
Open House Timeline: What to Do Before, During & After
Getting Started:
Before you even begin marketing your open house, make sure the home is photo-ready. Clean, decluttered spaces not only show better in person, but also shine in listing photos that help drive foot traffic to your event. If you need a step-by-step guide, check out our full post on how to prepare your home for real estate photography.
1 Week Before:
Confirm date/time with sellers
Schedule professional real estate photography
Print flyers and brochures
Start social media promotion and email campaign
2–3 Days Before:
Deliver door hangers to the neighborhood
Confirm open house signs are ready
Post listing and landing page online
Test QR codes and digital links
Day of Event:
Set up signage and directional arrows
Turn on lights, open curtains, adjust temperature
Light candles or use subtle scents
Play low background music
Place sign-in sheet or tablet at entry
After the Event:
Follow up with leads within 24 hours
Send thank-you emails
Share feedback with the seller
Debrief: what worked, what didn’t?
Lead Capture & Segmentation: Convert Visitors to Clients
Not all open house leads are equal. To maximize your follow-up efforts, segment your leads based on their level of interest. For example, identify which attendees are actively searching for a home, which are just browsing, and which may be curious neighbors. This allows you to tailor your communication and prioritize those most likely to convert into clients.
Hot leads: Ready to buy soon — follow up immediately with listings.
Warm leads: Interested but not urgent — add to your nurturing email drip.
Cold leads: Just browsing — send market updates or newsletters occasionally.
Lead Tools to Use:
Digital sign-in apps (Curb Hero, Spacio)
QR codes linking to digital forms
Post-event CRM tagging with notes from the conversation
Pro Tip: Use a digital sign-in app to instantly capture and organize leads for follow-up.
Engaging Sellers & Neighbors
Keeping the seller informed and involving the neighborhood is a smart and often overlooked part of successful open house marketing. Sellers feel more confident and valued when they’re part of the process — sharing previews of your marketing materials and giving feedback after the event shows you’re proactive and professional. At the same time, neighbors can be powerful allies. Inviting them to a private preview not only builds goodwill, but it can also uncover referral opportunities—someone next door might know a friend or family member who’s house-hunting. Engaging both groups helps build trust, expand your reach, and turn one open house into future business.
Keep Sellers Informed
Share a preview of marketing materials
Brief them on staging, traffic expectations, and next steps
Offer post-event feedback (who came, what they said)
Invite the Neighbors
Send door hangers or handwritten invites
Host a 30-minute “neighbors only” preview
Ask for referrals — they may know someone looking
Creating the Right Open House Atmosphere
First impressions are very important when selling a home. Make sure the space is clean, tidy, and inviting so that buyers can easily picture themselves living there. Adding small touches like fresh flowers or a pleasant scent can help create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Opsen House Preparation Tips:
Play soft instrumental music
Set a comfortable temperature (68–72°F)
Use subtle scents (baked cookies, fresh linen)
Offer snacks and water bottles
Smile and greet everyone personally
Post-Event Feedback & Agent Debrief
Don’t just pack up and forget it — take the time to reflect on your experience by reviewing what strategies were effective and which ones fell short. This will help you learn from both your successes and challenges, making it easier to improve your approach in the future.
Right After the Event:
Jot down everything you remember about each guest
Record who asked questions, who lingered longest
Tag your CRM with notes and next steps
Day After:
Email the seller a short recap
Analyze attendance, lead quality, and marketing reach
Adjust for next time (maybe better signage or a different time of day)
Pro Tips & Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced real estate agents can benefit from fine-tuning their open house process. These pro tips go beyond the basics to help you stand out, create a stronger impression, and make your marketing efforts more efficient. They’re simple to implement but can make a big difference in how your event is perceived — and how many leads you walk away with
Pro Tips:
Use your branded colors on all materials
Create a Canva template for your open house flyers
Take a selfie video walk-through for Instagram before guests arrive
Prep a short “about the home” script to confidently answer FAQs
Keep extra printed brochures in your car just in case
Running an open house involves juggling a lot of details, and it's easy to overlook a few. These common mistakes can hurt your event’s success or make you look unprepared. Being aware of them means you can avoid slip-ups, stay polished, and maximize the value of every open house you host.
Common Mistakes:
Waiting more than 24 hours to follow up with attendees—strike while the interest is fresh!
Not capturing enough lead info
Skipping the email invite
Leaving personal items visible in listing photos
Neglecting to prep the home’s exterior and yard
FAQs: Ultimate Open House Marketing Checklist
What print materials should I bring to an open house?
Flyers, brochures, feature sheets, door hangers, postcards, and branded business cards—beautifully designed and easy to take home.
How important are yard signs and directional signage?
Very important. Nearly half of buyers report discovering homes through signs placed in front of properties, making them a key tool for attracting attention from potential buyers. These signs serve as a direct guide, leading interested individuals right to your door and increasing the chances of selling your home.
Should I post my open house online?
Absolutely. Creating a dedicated landing page, running targeted social media promotions, utilizing platforms like Nextdoor, and sending out well-crafted email campaigns can all work together to significantly increase attendance at your event. These strategies help reach a wider audience, generate interest, and provide clear information, making it easier for people to learn about and attend your event.
How can I collect leads during the open house?
Collect attendee information by providing sign-in sheets, displaying QR codes that direct people to online signup forms, or offering tablet check-in stations at your event. After gathering their details, make sure to follow up with them promptly to maintain engagement.
What makes guests remember an open house?
Providing refreshments, offering branded giveaways, using strong visuals, and ensuring professional staging all contribute to making a positive and lasting impression. These elements not only help people remember the home but also ensure that you, as the agent or host, stand out in their minds.
Final Thoughts
This open house marketing checklist offers a comprehensive and strategic approach to planning and executing successful open house events. By following this checklist, you can ensure that your events are well-organized, effectively promoted, and memorable for potential buyers. Each step, from pre-event preparation to follow-up, is designed to not only attract serious buyers but also strengthen your reputation and brand within the real estate market. When combined with high-quality photography, every element of your marketing efforts works together to create a positive impression, engage attendees, and increase the likelihood of converting leads into clients.
Need high-quality photos or drone footage for your next open house?
We offer fast, professional real estate photography packages tailored to your needs. Our team can help you prepare your listing with standout visuals, including stunning photos and captivating drone footage, ensuring your property makes a lasting impression on potential buyers.
About the Author
Bryan Delohery, BSD.Photography
Real Estate Marketing Expert, Professional Photographer
With over 10 years of experience in real estate photgraphy, Bryan Delohery specializes in creating compelling visual content and strategic campaigns that drive results. His expertise in photography and digital marketing ensures properties stand out in a competitive market.