Open house leads go cold fast. The agents who win aren’t necessarily the best closers — they’re the most consistent at following up quickly and clearly.

This guide walks through exactly what to do after an open house, in order, including what to send, when to send it, and how to avoid the common mistakes that kill replies.

The 10-Minute Rule

If you do only one thing after an open house, do this:

Send your first follow-up within 10 minutes of leaving the property.
Not later tonight. Not “tomorrow morning.” Today.

Even a short message beats a perfect message that arrives 24 hours later.

Quick Checklist (Do This Every Time)

✅ Before you leave the house (2 minutes)

• Take a clear photo of each sign-in sheet (or export your digital list)
• Make a quick note:
  • What type of buyer showed up most? (first-time, move-up, investor)
  • Any standout conversations? (name + one detail)
• If you met serious prospects, add them to a “Priority” list (even if it’s just a note on your phone)

✅ Within 1 hour

• Send first follow-up to everyone (text or email)
• Separate into 3 groups (even roughly):
  1. Hot / interested
  2. Warm / browsing
  3. Neighbors / “just looking”

✅ Same day (within 6 hours)

• Send a second message to “Hot” leads with:
  • A specific next step (showing time, call, buyer consult)
• Add leads to your CRM (or a simple list) so they don’t disappear

✅ Next day

• Send “value follow-up” to Warm leads:
  • Similar homes
  • A quick market snapshot
  • A simple “what are you looking for?” question

✅ Days 3–7

• One more follow-up for non-responders
• One neighbor/nurture message (if relevant)
• Close the loop: tag the lead so you know what happened next time

Step-by-Step Follow-Up Timeline

Step 1: Clean your lead list (without overthinking it)

You’re trying to do two things:

1. Make sure you can reach them
2. Remember who they were

Minimum fields:

• Name (or “Couple / Family / Neighbor” if unknown)
• Phone or email (one is enough)
• One note about intent (buyer, seller, neighbor, investor)

If your sheet is messy or handwritten, don’t get stuck “fixing” it. Most agents waste time here and never follow up at all.

Step 2: Send the first message (fast + simple)

Your first follow-up should:

• Be short
• Acknowledge the open house
• Offer one next step
• Ask a simple question that’s easy to answer

First follow-up (universal)

Subject (if email): Great meeting you at [Address]
Message:
Hi [Name] — thanks for coming by [Address] today.
If you’d like, I can send a few similar homes based on what you’re looking for.
Are you hoping to buy in the next 0–3 months, 3–6 months, or later?

That one question does a lot of work:

• It qualifies timing
• It’s easy to answer
• It gives you a reason to follow up again

Step 3: Segment your leads into 3 buckets

You don’t need perfect segmentation. You need any segmentation.

Bucket A — Hot (same-day focus)

• Asked about offers, pricing, comps, disclosures
• Mentioned timeline
• Asked about seeing other homes
• Seemed motivated or serious

Your goal: get a time on the calendar.

Bucket B — Warm (next-day focus)

• Liked the home but unsure
• Early-stage browsing
• “We’re just starting to look”

Your goal: become helpful and stay top-of-mind.

Bucket C — Neighbors / Curious (light nurture)

• “Just seeing the house”
• Neighborhood comparisons
• Potential future seller

Your goal: stay friendly, not pushy.

Step 4: Follow up with Hot leads (same day)

Keep it direct and specific.

Message:
Hi [Name] — quick follow-up from the open house at [Address].
If you’re open to it, I can show you 2–3 similar options this week.
Are you free tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday morning?

Avoid vague asks like “Want to chat?”
Offer two options.

Step 5: Warm leads get value (next day)

Don’t overwhelm them with 10 listings. Send 3.

Message:
Hi [Name] — based on what you mentioned at [Address], here are three homes that might fit:

1. [Link]
2. [Link]
3. [Link]

Which is closest to what you’re looking for — or should I adjust price/area/features?

The “adjust” question invites a reply.

Step 6: One last bump for non-responders (Days 3–5)

Keep it polite and low-pressure.

Message:
Hi [Name] — just checking in after the open house at [Address].
No rush — if you want, tell me your top 2–3 “must-haves” and I’ll send options that match.

This gives them a path to re-engage without feeling guilty.

Step 7: Close the loop (Days 6–7)

You’re building a system. Systems require closure.

At the end of the week:

• Tag each lead: Hot / Warm / Neighbor / No response
• Note the next action:
  • “Send options weekly”
  • “Call next Friday”
  • “Nurture monthly”
• Archive the open house so you can repeat the same process next time

The Most Common Mistakes After an Open House

1) Waiting until tomorrow

Tomorrow is when they forget you.

2) Writing a long “perfect” follow-up

Long messages don’t get replies. Clear questions do.

3) Sending the same message to everyone

A tiny bit of segmentation increases response rates a lot.

4) Losing leads in photos, notes, and scraps of paper

If your process depends on memory, you’ll drop leads.

If Your Sign-In Sheet Is Handwritten

Real life: the sheet is messy, the email is unreadable, or the phone number is missing a digit.

Do this:

• Follow up with what you have
• Ask for the missing piece in the first message

Example:
Hi — thanks for stopping by [Address] today.
I’m saving your info to send a couple similar homes — what’s the best email for you?

If they respond, you’ve won.

Want to Skip the Manual Work?

If you already have a photo of your sign-in sheet, you don’t have to retype everything or fight with spreadsheets.

OpenHouseFollowUps can extract the leads and send the follow-ups automatically.

Upload a sign-in sheet