An open house fills a sign-in sheet with names. What happens next decides whether any of them become clients. Here is a simple plan: what to ask at the door, what to send the same day, messages you can copy, and who to call first.
In short
Follow up the same day while the home is fresh in their mind: thank them by name, answer what they asked and send the details they wanted. Then send one useful message a few days later, such as similar homes, and a short check-in after a week or two. Stop when someone says no.
Start before they leave
Follow-up is easier when you know who you are talking to. Instead of a paper sheet, put a tablet at the door with a short welcome video and three quick questions:
- Are you working with an agent? So you know who to follow up with, and who to leave alone.
- When are you hoping to move? Within 3 months, 3 to 6 months, later, or just looking.
- What would you like from us? The listing details, similar homes by email, or a call.
Then ask for name, email and phone, with a box to agree to calls and texts. The kiosk mode guide shows how to set up the tablet so it starts over for each guest.
Ask every visitor the same questions, and only contact people the way they agreed to. Check your brokerage’s guidance and your local rules on texts and emails.
The same day: a short thank-you
Send it the evening of the open house, while the home is still fresh in their mind. Keep it short and personal, and include what they asked for.
- Thank them by name and mention the home: “Thanks for coming to 12 Oak Street today.”
- Answer their question if they asked one, or say when you will have the answer.
- Send the details they wanted: the brochure, photos or the floor plan.
- Offer one clear next step, such as a private showing or a quick call.
Match the message to the visitor
Their answers at the door tell you which message to send.
- Buyers without an agent who want to move soon: call or text the same day if they agreed to it, and offer a private showing or similar homes.
- Buyers who are just starting to look: email new listings in their area if they asked for them, and check in now and then without pressure.
- Buyers working with another agent: a short thank-you only. Don’t pitch someone else’s client.
- Neighbors: some visit to see what homes nearby are like. Thank them, and offer a short market update for their street if they would like one.
Follow-up messages you can copy
Change the details in brackets, keep each one short, and send it from you, not from a no-reply address.
- Text, the same evening: “Hi [name], it’s [your name] from [brokerage]. Thanks for stopping by [address] today. Here’s the brochure: [link]. Happy to answer any questions.”
- Email, the same evening: subject “[Address]: the details you asked for”. A thank-you line, the brochure or photos, the answer to their question and one next step.
- Email, two or three days later: “Here are three homes like [address] that just came on the market in [area].” Only if they asked for listings.
- Check-in, one to two weeks later: “Still looking in [area]? I can send new listings as they come up, or set up a quick call.”
Stop when someone says they are not interested, and make it easy to unsubscribe from your emails.
Let the answers decide who to call first
With a tablet funnel, each visitor becomes a lead with their answers attached, so you are not deciphering a sign-in sheet on Sunday night. Leads from the tablet show Kiosk as their source.
- Lead alerts email you the moment someone signs in, so the same-day thank-you actually happens. See get an email when a new lead arrives.
- AI lead briefs sum up each person: what they want, how soon, and how to open the conversation. See read a lead’s AI brief.
- Call the soonest movers first, then send everyone else the same-day email.
A simple follow-up schedule
- At the door: welcome video, three questions and contact details.
- The same evening: a personal thank-you with the details they asked for.
- Two or three days later: something useful, such as similar homes, if they asked for listings.
- One to two weeks later: a short check-in.
- After that: new listings by email for those who opted in, and nothing for those who did not.
For the questions worth asking buyers before a first call, see questions to ask real estate buyers. The real estate guide covers listing videos and buyer funnels, and there are more ideas on the real estate page.