3 easy scripts to get sign-ins at an Open House

In the world of real estate, there are few things better than hosting a crowded open house filled with qualified buyers.

Top agents strive to take full advantage of a great turnout — and one of the best ways to maximize this opportunity is to use your open house sign-in sheets to properly capture contact details from visitors so you can follow up promptly and stay top of mind.

The best way to accomplish this? By engaging with visitors, even when opportunities to chat during a busy open are few and far between. That’s why knowing what to say at the right moment is absolutely crucial to your success. 

To point you in the right direction, we have compiled three tried-and-true scripts you can use to ensure open house visitors don’t leave without leaving you with their contact information.

Open house scripts

• Script #1: Keep you in the loop
• Script #2: The open house prizewinner
• Script #3: The first-to-know open house script

Script #1: Keep you in the loop

“I’d love to keep you in the loop with any updates on this property and let you know when similar ones come on the market. I know it can be hard to stay current in such a hot market.”

The purpose of this open house script

Give open house visitors a reason to sign in by clearly articulating the value of the information they will receive from you in return for sharing their contact information.

While other agents will often sign potential clients up for generic property information, stand out by focusing solely on the specifics of the property they have shown up to take a look at.  

Perhaps this is their dream home and nothing else will do. Or maybe this is just the first in a long list of potential homes they are interested in taking a look at. Whatever it may be, don’t make the assumption that all sales information for the zip code or home size is relevant to your guest. Instead, provide them with greater value by giving them info tailored to their needs. Also explain why you’re asking them to sign in and ensure they know that you’re offering them value in exchange for their contact information.

How do you do this most effectively? 

When you ask for their contact details, start the conversation by letting them know you will send updates on any offers on the house you’re in at the moment and ask if there is any particular criteria they are looking for that you can help with. 

Not only is this a way to engage in communication and gain a better understanding of their needs, but it’s also an opportunity for you to stand out from other agents who are just looking to grow their database without discerning the specifics of the client. The difference between their approach and yours is evident — and it speaks volumes to an open house visitor. Be genuinely interested in them, listen, and ask lots of questions

If your guest shares their contact information, emphasize your ability to keep them updated in a timely manner on important changes such as price drops, status changes, multiple offers, and similar listings. 

Demonstrating the benefits of working with you can also be subtly showcased by mentioning the insider information you can offer: new listings, competitive offers, upcoming open houses.  

You can also explain that you have first access to information on properties in the area before they are listed on the market, which serves to emphasize why you should be the agent they work with.

Whether they have eyes only for this house only or plan to visit another dozen properties, whether they are looking in one neighborhood or intend to search many, position yourself as a reliable source for pertinent info who can meet all of their real estate needs.

Script #2: The open house prizewinner

“I’m going to be selecting one winner from everyone in attendance today to receive a [prize you’re giving away] and contacting the lucky winner via email, so be sure to sign in so you don’t miss out!”

The purpose of this open house script

Run a contest to encourage people to leave their contact details, make it fun for them to register, and use it as an easy ice breaker.

Hosting a raffle with a prize of your choosing can entice your guests to provide their information in a fun and relaxed way in exchange for a chance to be the lucky winner. Get creative and make the prize memorable so that the winner will remember the agent who gifted it to them!  

Here are a few ideas: 

• Gift card to a hotspot restaurant, local shop or spa
• Hosted evening at a local winery or brewery
• Golf experience
• Tickets to a show or concert
• The latest gadget everyone is talking about

If you’re going to go to the effort of hosting a contest, be sure to extract as much value from your efforts as possible by promoting it. 

Place an attractive sign announcing the contest next to your tablet that has your Spacio sign-in form ready, and you increase the likelihood that some visitors will sign in who otherwise wouldn’t. Not only does everyone love a chance to win something, but this also shows advanced preparation and thought.

Ensure any open house you host is a representation of your professionalism as a real estate agent by showing attention to detail and careful presentation overall. 

Bonus: hosting a contest provides an easy talking point to break the ice with your guests too!

Script #3: The first-to-know open house script

“Thank you for coming and I hope you enjoyed your tour! I would be happy to keep you informed on any updates about this property. Also, I met a couple other homeowners in the neighborhood today who are considering listing their home on the market soon. I’d love to stay in touch and make sure you’re the first to know about any new properties before they come onto the market.” 

The purpose of this open house script

Build rapport with the visitor first before asking them to share their contact to stay in touch before they leave.

By now, you know open houses can be a great source of free real estate leads. But if you’re not comfortable asking visitors to sign-in before they start touring your open house, that’s ok! 

Use that time to build rapport and find out more about them first. This will also give you the opportunity to see if they are the ideal clients you want to work with. 

Keep in mind that your guests have likely visited multiple open houses and already been pressured by other agents for their contact information. One way to differentiate yourself from your real estate peers is to find out more about what the visitor is looking for by being interested in them. Oftentimes agents are so busy trying to sell their services that they forget that it’s really about the needs of the customer.

Once you have established a relationship with the visitor and built rapport, when they are nearing the end of their tour or are just about to depart, you can use Script #3. 

It may be tough to find enough time at a busy open house to have a personal chat before making the ask, but whenever it’s possible, you’ll find that it is a successful route to meaningful conversations and situating yourself as the agent they remember first when they are ready to transact. 

Leverage your experience and success to build trust and increase the likelihood of receiving their contact information to potentially help with a future sale!

Supercharge your open houses

Capturing each sign-in is a critical first step, but then it becomes equally important that you follow up in order to convert those sign-ins to clients.

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Send the sign-in contact info to your CRM, and then trigger an automated action plan that will send a text and a series of follow up emails to an open house visitor after they sign in. With Follow Up Boss, this process is a piece of cake.

This not only confirms that their contact info is accurate, but it makes a memorable impression to receive an instant text message from an agent that says something along the lines of: 

Thanks for visiting [open house address]! If you have any questions, just reply to this text and I’ll get back to you asap! – [Agent Name] 

This also gives visitors an easy way to reach you both during and after they have toured the open house.