Are Open Houses a waste of time ?

Hey William! Open houses aren’t necessarily a waste of time. While they may not always attract serious buyers, they can create exposure, generate leads, and provide valuable feedback on the property. That said, an open house should have a purpose and a follow-up strategy. Sign-in sheets and flyers can help, but they’re not the only way to generate or track leads. What matters most is how the open house fits into the overall marketing plan. If you’re selling, ask your realtor what they’re doing to attract buyers and how they’re measuring the results of each open house. Thinking about selling? Let’s put together a marketing strategy that goes beyond just putting a sign in the yard.

No, I don’t think open houses are a waste of time. Will every person who walks in be a serious buyer? Of course not. But an open house gives your property more exposure, lets buyers experience the home without scheduling a private appointment, and gives the agent valuable feedback. In NAR’s 2025 buyer survey, 43% of buyers rated open houses “very useful” and another 50% “somewhat useful.” As a seller, though, I would expect my agent to have a plan. That means promoting the open house, having property information available, talking with visitors, identifying genuine interest, and following up afterward. A sign-in sheet isn’t what sells the house, but I personally like having a way to capture visitor information and follow up with interested buyers or their agents. So I wouldn’t say, “Open houses don’t work.” I’d say an open house without good marketing, engagement, and follow-up can become a missed opportunity. Even the California DRE recognizes open houses as a useful way to market a property, highlight its selling points, and gather buyer feedback for the seller.

William, your agent is broadly right about open houses and still wrong about how he is running them, and those are two separate issues. Let me take the second one first, because it is the one you actually asked about. There is no defensible reason to hold an open house without capturing who walked in. None. Registration does three things for you: it gives your agent someone to follow up with, it gives you a record of traffic so you can tell a slow weekend from a busy one, and it is a basic security measure, since you are inviting strangers into your home and you should know who came. Running an open house with no sign in is a two hour event that produces no information, and information is most of what you are paying for. Ask him to switch to digital registration. A QR code on a sign by the door, or a tablet on the counter, and most people fill it in without friction because it looks routine. Paper sheets get ignored, walk off with someone, or become illegible. Then ask him for the list, plus a short written recap after each one: how many groups came through, what they said about price, and what they said about the condition. That recap is the actual product of an open house, and you are entitled to it. Now, on whether they work. Your agent's underlying point has real data behind it. According to the National Association of Realtors' Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, only about 4 percent of buyers found the home they bought through a yard sign or an open house sign, while roughly 52 percent found it online. That share has been low and stable for years. So as a way of producing the eventual buyer, an open house is a long shot, and an agent who tells you that is being honest rather than lazy. But that is not the whole case, and here is where I would push back on treating them as pointless. An open house on the first weekend is worth doing almost regardless of the odds. Your listing gets its largest burst of online attention in the first several days, and an open house converts some of that attention into bodies in the house while interest is at its peak. It also concentrates traffic, which occasionally creates the useful impression among visiting buyers that other people are interested. The feedback is worth real money to you. Twenty strangers walking your house and all wincing at the same thing tells you something no amount of online activity will. That is how you find out in week one that the price is off, or that the odor you stopped noticing is the first thing everyone notices. Weekly open houses after the first two or three weekends are a different matter. That is where the "waste of time" verdict usually becomes correct, and where you are mostly hosting neighbors while your agent collects contacts. Which brings me to the uncomfortable but fair thing to name: open houses are also a lead generation tool for agents. That is not automatically wrong, and the interests genuinely overlap, but it does mean an agent's enthusiasm for holding them is not by itself evidence they help you. So here is what I would ask for, concretely. Hold one on the first weekend, with digital registration and a written recap. Hold a second the following weekend if traffic was strong. After that, judge by attendance rather than habit. And if he holds them, he registers people, every time, no exceptions. One honest caveat. Whether open houses are worth it varies a lot by price point and by whether the house is occupied. At the top of a market, or on a vacant home, or in a neighborhood with heavy foot traffic, the calculation shifts, sometimes considerably. If your agent has a market-specific reason for his position, ask him for it. A good answer will sound like your neighborhood. A bad one will sound like a general opinion. I am Zoltan Peresztegi, a real estate professional in Los Angeles and the South Bay, including the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Torrance, Redondo Beach and San Pedro, and I register every visitor at every open house I hold and send the seller a recap the same evening. If you are in this area I am glad to tell you what I would expect from your first weekend. Elsewhere, tell me where you are and I will connect you with a strong agent in my network. Zoltan

William, Your agent is mostly right about the first part and clearly wrong about the second. On whether open houses sell houses: they rarely do, directly. NAR's annual buyer survey has shown for years that buyers overwhelmingly find the home they actually buy online or through their agent, not by wandering into an open house. Most open house traffic is neighbors, people who are six months out, and buyers who are not approved yet. Your buyer is almost certainly coming from a scheduled showing that a buyer agent booked off the MLS. But no sign-in sheet is not a defensible position, and the reason has nothing to do with lead generation. It is your house. Strangers are walking unescorted through your bedrooms while one agent stands in the kitchen. That sheet is the only record of who was inside your home. If something goes missing, it is what you and your insurance carrier have to work with. I would not hold an open house without one and I do not know an experienced listing agent who would. Second, it is how feedback happens. Without names you cannot follow up, and follow up is where the occasional open house buyer actually comes from. It is also how you find out that six different people said the same thing about the kitchen, which is information you need for pricing. No flyers is a smaller thing, but it points in the same direction. It suggests the open house is being held to check a box rather than to accomplish something. So I would not fight about whether to hold open houses. I would redirect the conversation to what actually moves a listing. Ask your agent for these in writing. - Your listing's view count and saves on the major portals, week over week - How many showings you have had and what the feedback was - Which agents showed it, and whether they were called afterward - Where your price sits against everything that has closed and gone pending since you listed If the only answer to how is my listing performing is we did an open house, then the open house is not really the problem. Ask the bigger question. I am Zoltan Peresztegi, a real estate professional in Los Angeles and the South Bay. I hold open houses for specific reasons on specific listings, and I can always say what the reason is. If your agent cannot, that is fair to raise. Zoltan

Helli William, Open houses are not a waste of time, but they're not what sells every home, although I love doing open houses! :-) An open house can help increase exposure, attract buyers who may not have scheduled a private showing, and create interest in a new listing. In some cases, it can even lead to multiple offers if several buyers become interested at the same time. That said, most serious buyers today find homes online first and then schedule a private showing with their agent. That's why professional photos, accurate pricing, and strong online marketing are often more important than the open house itself. The best strategy is to use an open house as one part of a complete marketing plan—not the entire plan. When combined with great marketing and proper pricing, an open house can be a valuable tool to help get your home sold.

Not at all. While not every open house results in an immediate sale, they are one of the best ways to create exposure for a home and generate buyer interest. An open house gives potential buyers the opportunity to explore the property without the pressure of scheduling a private showing. It can also create a sense of urgency when multiple buyers are viewing the home at the same time, which can lead to stronger offers. For sellers, open houses provide: • More exposure for the property • Increased foot traffic from qualified and unrepresented buyers • Valuable feedback on pricing and presentation • Additional marketing beyond online photos and videos For agents, they’re also an opportunity to meet future clients. Many buyers who attend open houses are just beginning their home search and haven’t committed to an agent yet. The key is that an open house is just one piece of a strong marketing strategy. When combined with professional photography, social media marketing, digital advertising, and private showings, it can be a powerful tool to help sell a home.

Open houses aren't a waste of time, but they're usually just one piece of a larger marketing strategy. While it's true that many serious buyers schedule private showings, open houses can still create exposure, generate interest, and sometimes lead to offers especially if the home is priced well and marketed effectively. As for sign in sheets, some agents use them while others rely on digital check-ins or choose not to collect visitor information. If follow up is important to you, it's perfectly reasonable to ask your agent how they're engaging with potential buyers after the open house and what their overall marketing plan looks like. At the end of the day, no single marketing tool sells a home on its own. A strong strategy combines professional photos, online marketing, pricing, private showings, and open houses when appropriate. That said, every home and market is different, so it's always a good idea to discuss your agent's marketing plan and make sure you're comfortable with the approach. 🏡

Uhhh I don't like to bring other agents down but come on .... i'm sorry your dealing with that. Open houses are amazing, not a waste of time. i hope they are doing a better job than it sounds.

Open houses are not automatically a waste of time, but they are often misunderstood. In today’s market, most serious buyers do start their search online and schedule private showings. Because of that, open houses usually generate fewer *direct* offers than individual showings. Your agent is partly right in saying that they are not always the main source of serious buyers. However, open houses can still be useful for several reasons: • They increase exposure and bring in casual buyers who may become serious later. • They help generate early interest in a new listing. • They give neighbors a chance to see the home (and sometimes refer buyers). • They can create urgency if multiple buyers attend. The real issue in your situation is not just whether open houses work—it’s how they are being executed. Things you mentioned are important: • No sign-in sheet = no follow-up system. • No flyers = missed opportunity to capture interest. • No structured outreach = limited conversion from traffic to leads. A good open house strategy should always include: • A simple sign-in or digital check-in system. • A way to follow up within 24–48 hours. • Marketing materials that highlight key features and pricing. • Directional signage and strong promotion before the event. So the answer is: open houses are not useless, but poorly executed open houses can absolutely feel like a waste of time. If your agent is doing them, they should have a clear system for turning visitors into follow-up opportunities. If that part is missing, that’s where the value is being lost—not in the concept of the open house itself.

Open houses can work, but your agent sounds like he's phoning it in. No sign-in sheet and no flyers means he's not even trying to follow up with people who come through. That's useless. A good agent uses open houses to capture leads, follow up with serious buyers, and create buzz. If he's just unlocking the door and sitting there, yeah, it's a waste of time. Ask him what his plan is for the open house. How's he marketing it? How does he follow up? If he doesn't have good answers, push back or consider finding a different agent who actually hustles. In some markets, open houses don't generate much. But if you're doing them, they should be done right. Your agent's half-assing it.

This is HEAVILY market dependent. Personally, our team does not do open houses unless the owner requests them or it is part of our marketing strategy; typically auction style listings. Otherwise, especially now, open houses tend to be rather quiet bringing in the neighbors, less motivated individuals, or buyers already represented by agents. As a result, it tends to not be a productive use of time for our clients and ourselves. Private showings always tend to be more beneficial. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

Absolutely not. My experience has been that an enormous number of buyers see the house for the first time from the open house so it’s a very very effective thing to do.

An open house itself isn’t a waste of time, but how it’s handled makes all the difference. An open house is less about finding the one buyer who walks in and writes an offer that day and more about creating exposure and momentum. It gets more eyes on the property, generates interest, and can lead to follow-up showings or even competing offers. That said, what you’re describing sounds more like an execution issue than a strategy issue. No sign-in, no flyers, no clear follow-up plan, that’s a missed opportunity. Every serious agent should be capturing information, engaging with visitors, and following up after. That’s where a lot of deals actually come from. I’ve had situations where someone walked through an open house, didn’t say much at the time, but came back later with strong interest because of proper follow-up. So no, open houses aren’t useless, but they do need to be done right to have any real value. If they’re just sitting there waiting for people to walk in without a plan, then yeah, they’re not going to produce much.

An open house itself isn’t a waste of time, but how it’s handled makes all the difference. An open house is less about finding the one buyer who walks in and writes an offer that day and more about creating exposure and momentum. It gets more eyes on the property, generates interest, and can lead to follow-up showings or even competing offers. That said, what you’re describing sounds more like an execution issue than a strategy issue. No sign-in, no flyers, no clear follow-up plan, that’s a missed opportunity. Every serious agent should be capturing information, engaging with visitors, and following up after. That’s where a lot of deals actually come from. I’ve had situations where someone walked through an open house, didn’t say much at the time, but came back later with strong interest because of proper follow-up. So no, open houses aren’t useless, but they do need to be done right to have any real value. If they’re just sitting there waiting for people to walk in without a plan, then yeah, they’re not going to produce much.

No not at all. You want your house to get as much exposure as possible and the neighbors probably are not scouring the MLS to see what's available in the neighborhood. Your neighbors have friends that want to move there and they're also curious so let them come and see the house The more exposure you have the better

No, open houses aren’t a waste of time, but only if they’re done correctly. They can attract serious buyers and create urgency, but without sign-in, flyers, marketing, or follow-up, they lose most of their value. Poor execution makes them ineffective, not the open house itself.

Good question, William — and honestly, you’re not the only one wondering if open houses are just an excuse for your agent to eat cookies in someone else’s kitchen. 🍪 Here’s the deal 👇 1. Open houses can work — if they’re done right. Yes, some people come just to check out your décor, compare paint colors, or “get ideas.” (Translation: free air conditioning and snacks.) But serious buyers do wander in too — especially if they’re out shopping that weekend and your home catches their eye. 2. The follow-up matters. A lot. If your agent isn’t collecting names, emails, or at least pretending to take notes, that’s a red flag 🚩. How’s anyone supposed to follow up with “that nice couple in the blue shirt”? Flyers and sign-in sheets aren’t optional — they’re how you turn curious visitors into real leads. 3. Even if no one buys that day, it’s still free marketing. An open house boosts visibility — it puts your home all over Zillow, social media, and neighborhood chatter. (“Did you see that house down the street?!”) You never know which friend-of-a-friend might come back with an offer later. 4. But… it’s not magic. An open house won’t sell your home by itself. It’s just one part of a bigger plan — kind of like the appetizer before the main course. 🍝 Bottom line: Open houses aren’t a total waste of time, but if your agent’s not engaging guests, following up, or at least pretending to hustle, then yeah — it might just be a weekend hobby.

A lot of my serious buyers actually like to wander through open houses alone, so they're not a waste of time. They tell the hosting agent they’re already working with me. Most of my buyers still prefer to tour homes together with me, but both ways help them get a better feel for what’s out there. I’ve hosted many open houses across Irvine and Orange County, and they work best when there’s strong marketing, good signage, and follow-up. Handled strategically, open houses create buzz, attract buyers, and help sellers get real feedback.

We are noticing a trend in open house traffic where buyers have not found their agent of choice yet but they still want to preview properties. Anything that increases your exposure and gets more people in the door would be a potential benefit. We have had several offers come in from our open houses and I would highly recommend them!

Not necessarily, but they’re often misunderstood. Open houses can serve a purpose, but their value depends on how they’re conducted and what the seller’s goals are. A well-planned open house can attract local buyers who are just starting their search, neighbors who may know someone looking to move into the area, and even unrepresented buyers who might not have scheduled a private showing yet. However, most serious buyers indeed schedule private showings with their agents; that’s where the strongest interest usually comes from. So while open houses can increase exposure and create energy around a listing, they rarely produce the actual buyer directly unless the marketing and follow-up are handled strategically. If your agent isn’t using a sign-in system, collecting buyer information, or providing flyers and digital follow-up, then yes, the open house might not be serving its full potential. It’s not that open houses are a waste of time; it’s that poorly executed open houses often are. In my experience, open houses work best when they’re part of a larger marketing strategy, one that includes targeted digital promotion, neighborhood outreach, professional materials, and a clear plan for following up with everyone who attends. The bottom line: an open house can be valuable, but only when it’s done with purpose, preparation, and follow-through.

Not at all! Open houses are a valuable tool for getting your home in front of serious buyers, creating buzz in the community, and allowing potential buyers to experience the space firsthand. Even if attendees don’t buy immediately, it’s an opportunity to build interest and generate leads that can turn into offers down the line!!

A strategic open house will absolutely get eyes on your property. Most homes however do not sell through open houses. It does not mean that having an open house is a wast of time. The agent does need to be prepared and generate some excitement about it before it happens or it very well could be a waste of time. The results will be a reflection of the effort put in.

Honestly, it depends on the strategy behind them. In my experience here in the Seattle–Bellevue area, open houses don’t always bring the buyer who ends up writing the offer — but that doesn’t mean they’re a waste. A well-run open house can create energy around your listing, attract curious neighbors who often know someone looking to move nearby, and give unrepresented buyers a chance to connect with the property. The key is execution. If your agent isn’t promoting it beforehand, collecting visitor info, or following up, then yes — it’s a missed opportunity. But when done strategically, with strong digital promotion, great signage, and personal follow-up, open houses can absolutely complement your overall marketing plan and help drive momentum for the sale.

I have had Buyers from open houses, on a more rare occasion, butI have had new listings due to the work I do on my listings as Sellers are watching and they do come to my opens.

Open houses can be great tools when conducted properly. Your agent should certainly have materials to distribute to visitors. The open house should be published everywhere (MLS, social media, email blasts, etc). My team members also call the surrounding neighbors to let them know to send their friends (40% of people buy homes near their friends). Your neighbors all want you to get as much money as possible because it helps them. The hosting agent should also be getting visitors to sign in either on an app or paper so that they can follow up with them. We use a questionnaire to get actual feedback. It doesn't matter how many people attend. What matters is what they say and how they react to your home. Are there actionable items from the feedback? It's not just price, although it's good to know how the market is reacting to your pricing. But also decor, smell, traffic flow/furniture arrangement, etc. Feedback from the agents and visitors is what you need. Not just headcount.

Depends who’s running them. If it’s just an agent sitting on their phone waiting for a miracle, yeah, total waste. But when done right, an open house is a live marketing event. It’s a chance to create energy, collect feedback, and expose your property to serious buyers (and yes, even their nosy neighbors who might know someone ready to move). The key isn’t the open house—it’s the strategy behind it. And trust me, mine aren’t boring.

Absolutely not — when they’re done strategically. As an active real estate agent, I’ve found open houses to be one of the most effective ways to build momentum around a listing, create in-person connections, and generate new leads — both for that property and future opportunities. The key is preparation and presentation. Here’s why open houses still matter: They bring the property to life. Photos and virtual tours can only go so far. When buyers step inside, they form an emotional connection that can’t be replicated online. They expand visibility. Even casual visitors — neighbors, referrals, or drive-by traffic — often know someone looking to buy. Every attendee is a potential connection. They’re powerful lead generators. By using a sign-up sheet or QR code registration, I capture contact information and follow up with personalized insights. This turns a simple event into a pipeline opportunity. Professional marketing sets the tone. Providing color flyers with detailed property information helps visitors remember the home and reinforces a polished, high-touch impression that reflects well on both the property and the agent. They serve your seller. A well-run open house signals to your client that you’re proactive, engaged, and willing to invest the time to maximize exposure. Like any marketing tool, open houses only “don’t work” when they’re treated as a passive activity — sitting at the table waiting for traffic. When you approach them with intention, strategy, and follow-up, they become one of the most personal and productive touchpoints in real estate.

I don't think it's a waste of time. Even if no one comes to the open house, just the action of setting it up puts it out there in the digital world. For example, if someone had saved your property on Zillow, Zillow would now send them an email that your house is open. So, if nothing else, its extra free advertising and exposure.

Not at all—if done strategically. While some buyers discover homes online first, open houses still create local buzz and bring in neighbors who might know potential buyers. They also allow agents to gather feedback and generate future leads. For well-marketed listings, open houses can absolutely move the needle.

Open houses are just one piece of the marketing puzzle. They rarely result in a sale by themselves, but they do create exposure and allow potential buyers and neighbors to see the property without an appointment. They also give your agent a chance to gather feedback and meet new clients. If your agent isn’t using a sign‑in sheet or providing flyers, he’s missing an opportunity to capture leads, but that doesn’t mean nobody is interested—most serious buyers will schedule a private showing with their own agent. For maximum exposure, make sure your agent is also leveraging professional photos, MLS and online syndication, virtual tours and targeted online marketing. An open house isn’t a waste when it’s part of a comprehensive marketing plan, but it shouldn’t be the only strategy.

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