The Best Time for an Open House

The “best” Open House times has been a constant debate among agents looking to maximize their Open House attendance and prospecting. Not only does the timing of the Open House matter for attracting visitors but it can be a key factor if you try any non-traditional Open House Ideas <- we have a massive list if interested.

Below we’ll detail every conceivable option for Open House days and times and compare them so you can pick the best time for any upcoming Open Houses.

Follow the herd

Following the herd is generally NOT good marketing advice but if you only have ONLY one day to hold your Open House, you should really pick a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

The weekend Open House is kinda like football on Sunday…its become tradition and people expect it which is actually a good thing when it comes to fitting your property into as many buyers’ schedules as possible.

Here’s why holding a weekend afternoon Open House is a good idea:

Buyers that are busy during the week usually carve out a time when they can see as many properties as possible and that’s the weekend afternoon <– that’s the “Open House tradition” at work
You can benefit from a “feeding frenzy” of buyers that are already in the neighborhood looking for property.

Generally speaking real estate agents planning a Saturday or Sunday Open House favor a 2-4 hour window between 11am – 5pm with the 1pm – 4pm slot being the best time for an Open House.

Shorten the Open House time if you’re into that kind of thing…

Logic dictates that the longer the Open House the more visitors will be able to attend therefore the more successful the Open House. Tough to dispute right? Well many agents (rightly) decide to defy logic by making their Open House just 1-2 hours. The reason is that buyers will cram into that smaller window and create a perception that there’s high demand for the property…thereby tricking buyers’ psychology into wanting the property more! That means more offers…and more competitive offers.

Shorten the Open House time to boost demand

Yes despite all our fancy logic, we’re simple creatures after all. So there’s definitely some benefit to jamming everyone into a short Open House time to boost the perception of demand. Plus it attracts more nosey neighbors when they see people lining up down the street. If you really want to play into this phenomenon, try using the Mega Open House strategy too.

However…it’s not just a Saturday and Sunday affair

Conventional wisdom says the best day for Open House is either Saturday or Sunday…but if you get creative there are many ways to hold an Open House on weekdays, evenings and even mornings:

Nighttime Open House: these are especially great for properties with ambiance or views that are well suited to evening hours. Of course sunsets, rooftops, city skyline views play especially well for an Open House night event…but if the property has at least one entertaining space like a spacious kitchen, high ceilings, or a big backyard, there’s a good case for holding an Open House at night.

Sunset Happy Hour: Just add booze and this becomes a short and sweet Open House. Consider making this just for the neighbors, which is a great way to get listing leads…and also check out our Open House scripts for getting seller leads.

Rooftop Soiree: Promote this for adults only and set a more formal tone. You can also make this an industry only event kind of like a broker’s Open House. Don’t have a rooftop? A balcony, patio, or yard will work just as well – just make sure to decorate with bistro lights and leave space for mingling.
Local Merchant Collaboration: If you have a restaurant nearby, arrange a discount or free appetizer/dessert promotion for all of your Open House visitors. That way they can swing by the property and grab dinner right after. Also if you use our Open House Sign-in app to text them the promotion, you’re almost certain to avoid getting fake phone numbers when they sign-in to the Open House.

Weekday Open Houses: Don’t assume everyone has free time on the weekend. Adding in a weekday Open House is a good backup option to make sure you can accommodate different schedules.

School Pick-Up/Drop-off Open House : This is a must-do if you’re near a school. Get the parents that may have a free moment either after they drop off their kids in the morning OR before they pick them back up in the afternoon. For the morning crowd, make sure you have some fresh, strong coffee. For the afternoon crowd, offer up some snacks to give to their kids.
Lunchtime Open House: 9-5 work schedules are tough to work around, but your best bet is usually in that lunch time hour. Provide some grab and go salads and sandwiches and you’re sure to attract those busy commuters.

Weekend Mornings: this is great to do right before the public Open House

Neighbors-only Open House: Want to amplify your geo-farming efforts and get more face time? Set aside time for an Open House that’s exclusive for the neighborhood. No one wants to admit it, but people are nosey about their neighbors…and even more so when they know their neighbor is about to sell their home. Why? The sale price and condition of that home provides immediate market intel on their own home’s worth. So door knock 50 houses in each direction and get the word out so it’s a neighborhood event. It’s a great way to get more listings in the area…and it doesn’t need to be a long window. Go for 11:30am – 1pm so you can transition easily into the public Open House (and give the locals the “exclusive” look). We’ve got an entire deep dive on neighbors-only Open Houses too!

So definitely work with your seller to coordinate as many days and times as possible for Open Houses. Because “the best time for an Open House” is whenever your target audience can attend.

Along those lines if you want to really maximize your prospecting, try Curb Hero’s free digital Open House sign-in.

Curb Hero Demo + Tutorial

Hosted by Ajay Pondicherry

In this interactive session we will show you how to use Curb Hero’s FREE digital sign-in to save time, capture better data, and look amazing at your next Open House.

Spreading your bets across a few day and time options will accommodate as many buyers as possible…and that is in both you and your seller’s interest. Plus, when you can deviate from the usual weekend afternoon time slot, you also get to be more creative with your Open House promotion.

FAQs

How long should an Open House be?

An open house should generally be between two and four hours long. This allows potential buyers a decent window to attend the Open House within their schedule. While a longer duration will typically provide visitors more options (thus bringing in more Open House visitors), anyone that’s highly motivated will arrange a showing if they aren’t able to attend the Open House. One psychological reason that realtors have for picking a shorter Open House duration is to give prospective buyers the appearance that the property is in high demand, boost interest, and potentially bring in more competitive offers.

Is an Open House on Saturday or Sunday better?

While agents debate the “is saturday or sunday better for an open house” question often…the best day for an Open House will depend on your particular market and the type of buyers you expect for the property. Saturdays work well especially during Football season. Also Saturday has an advantage because buyers may have religious services planned for Sunday. But there’s some game theory involved since other activities like youth sports and social events are planned on Saturdays for this same reason. So think about your target buyer and the types of commitments they’re most likely to have. If possible try and do an Open House on both Saturday AND Sunday. To appease your seller, you can make the Open House time shorter to make up for the additional day.