Sep

04

2025

The Brinkman Team’s Ultimate Guide to Open Houses–Everything You Need to Know as a Buyer, Seller and Agent

Sep. 04. 2025

When you’re starting your home search, getting pre-approved is step one(ALWAYS)

Step two? Figuring out which neighborhood feels like home. And one of the best (and most fun) ways to do that is by hitting up open houses!

Whether you’re a buyer, seller, or agent, here’s everything you need to know about open houses—straight from our experience as one of Austin’s top real estate teams.

What Is an Open House?

An open house is when a home for sale is held open to the public for a few hours—usually on weekends. These are typically listed in the MLS, which then shows up on sites like Zillow and Realtor.com.

Think of it as a low-pressure way to check out a home, get a feel for the neighborhood, and start figuring out your likes and dislikes.

There are also “Broker Opens” which are reserved for Real Esate agents only, however I am going to dive into public open houses first.

For Homebuyers

If you’re working with us, you’ll often hear: neighborhood first, house second.
 You can fall in love with a gorgeous home, but if it’s in a location that doesn’t work for you—wrong commute, wrong vibe, wrong amenities—it’s not worth even checking out the home. Because if you don’t like the area-the house is not going to make up for that.

Open houses are the perfect way to:

  • Compare different neighborhoods

  • Check commute times

  • Notice the style and size of homes you’ll typically find in the area

  • Start refining your must-haves vs. nice-to-haves

? Pro tip: Plan your route Friday mid-day for the weekend open houses (as most are scheduled before Thursday evening and posted Friday morning on highly syndicated websites).

Home Buyers–You are visiting an Open House:

Questions to Ask Once You are There:

  • Why is the seller moving? (This tells you motivation + timeline.)

  • How old are the roof, HVAC, and water heater? (Big-ticket items!)

  • How long has the home been on the market?

  • Have there been any other offers?
  • Is there anything specific the seller is looking for? (Some sellers may need a lease back
  • Is the host the listing agent, or just the open house host? (some states do not allow dual representation, so is the host a volunteer or do they represent the seller–this is good to know).

Things to Do While You’re There

  • Sign in (agents track traffic for the seller, but you can let them know you already have an agent).

  • Like the home? Well…Test things out—water pressure, windows, even cell phone service.

  • Really like the home? Bring a tape measure for furniture fit, ask neighbors around how they like the area, walk the perimeter as well.

  • Always let your Realtor (hi, that’s us!) know which homes you visited and what you thought, it helps us keep track and sometimes we are the ones who get called for feedback, but gives us insight on your preferences and what your style likes/dislikes are in a home.

For Sellers

Here’s the truth: open houses don’t usually sell your home directly. What they do provide is more showing availability—and the easier it is for buyers to see your home, the better.

Seller Open House Tips

  • Declutter & depersonalize: Treat it like picture day. Dog bowls, trash cans, personal items–should all be out of sight. Toilet lids down.

  • Hide valuables & prescription drugs: Better safe than sorry.

  • Set the mood: Light music, tidy spaces, and no lingering food or pet odors.

  • Don’t overdo it: Weekly open houses won’t speed things up. The first couple of weekends on the market are the most effective or coupled with a price drop.

  • Share your Wi-Fi password: Makes it easier for host agents to send documents, look up other info while working the open house.

From a Realtor’s Perspective

As agents, we know open houses can be hit-or-miss. Some weekends are packed, and others… crickets–even with the same marketing efforts. 

Here’s what we’ve learned:

  • Best timing: the first or second weekend after a listing goes live.

  • Advance planning pays off—videos, signs, and marketing all matter when planned out and organized.

  • Community-wide open houses can drive more traffic (bonus points for door prizes) however they do take a lot more planning and coordinating.

  • Holidays and Holiday weekends–don’t recommend it, same with rain (but can’t always control the weather when planning an open house).

  • Pairing an open house with a price drop can be another way to get fresh new buyers through the door (as the property now gets new eyes on them).

Fun fact: Top agents don’t usually host open houses (our time is usually best spent negotiating, analyzing and connecting with serious prospects). Many open house hosts are agents looking to meet new buyers.

Tips for Agents Hosting Open Houses

If you’re a Realtor building your business, open houses can be goldmines—if you work them strategically.

  • Know the neighborhood inside and out.

  • Host at least one open house per weekend (two is better).

  • Network with other listing agents and offer to host/show if busy/video tour and market the home.

  • Put signs out midweek and keep your schedule consistent (not a bad idea to have signs and riders printed with days and times…i.e “Open House Sunday 1-3pm”

  • Collect every email address possible—and follow up with neighborhood stats, videos, and insights.

  • Block time after the open house in case a buyer wants to see another property and utilize the time to update notes of those that visited and break down signs, etc.

Final Thoughts

Open houses are a great tool, no matter which side of the transaction you’re on. Buyers learn about neighborhoods. Sellers get more exposure. And agents can build their business.

At the Brinkman Team, we love giving you the insider scoop so you can make smart decisions with confidence. Whether you’re ready to buy, sell, or just explore—we’re here for you…and will always shoot you straight and offer perspective.