Hosting open houses is an effective strategy for marketing a property listing and reducing its time on the market. To drive traffic and interest to your event, a customizable open house invitation template is an efficient way to broadcast your listing without spending hours perfecting a design. I’ve compiled a list of 15 open house invitation templates, tips for using them, and the tools for distributing them.
1. Use Welcoming Language
- Price: Free; premium plan costs $9.99 per month
- Size: 8.5”×11”
- Editor: Adobe Express
Recipients of your real estate brochure or invitation to the open house should feel encouraged to attend. Using casual and warm open house invite wording like “stop by our open house!” shows you are inviting and welcoming. Plus, instead of generally mentioning that there will be an event, it is specifically and personally asking the recipient to join. This type of message appeals to a wide range of audiences, rather than formal open house invitation verbiage like, “You are cordially invited to,” which could deter visitors who want to just pop by quickly to see the property.
2. Use Color to Highlight Key Information
- Price: Free, paid plans start at $12 per month
- Size: 4”×6” or 5”×7”
- Edit with: Photoshop, Illustrator, Word, Apple Pages, Publisher
Using a pop of color on an invitation or flyer helps identify the most important pieces of information. This free open house invitation template uses red on top of a black and white image to highlight the title, “Open House Event.” Easily change this color to more closely fit your real estate brand.
3. Sell a Lifestyle, Not Just a Home
- Price: Free; premium plans for $2.95 per month
- Size: 5”×7”
- Edit with: Greetings Island
On this invitation for an open house, property photos aren’t showcased front and center. Instead, one photo is placed behind an elegant design accompanied by a more formal open house invitation text, “Please join us for an open house.” However, it’s still easy to see that the photo shows a waterfront property. The overall design and feel of this template are clearly targeting a luxury real estate audience.
4. Showcase Photos of the Property’s Exterior
- Price: Free
- Size: 5”×7”
- Edit with: Word
Showing the exterior of your listing on the invitation will not only showcase its curb appeal but also help visitors know what to look for. Even without additional property details, the exterior photo will provide insight into property size and style, attracting buyers with similar tastes to this listing. The exterior photo is particularly helpful if the property is slightly hidden from the curb or if others have shared difficulties in finding the property.
5. Send an Open House Email Invitation
- Price: Free or premium pricing starts at $15.99
- Size: 5”×7”
- Edit with: Evite
In addition to printed invites sent by mail, successful real estate agents know that every piece of content should be repurposed. Plus, it’s easy to send an invitation to your email list with just a few clicks. Emails get 50 to 100 times higher click-through rates than Facebook and Twitter combined, so this is an ideal method of reaching your audience.
6. Build Intrigue With a Simple Design
- Price: Free; monthly plans start at $8.99
- Size: 5”×7”
- Edit with: DesignCap
Unlike many other examples, this template from DesignCap doesn’t contain traditional features like photos, features, or square footage. Instead, it uses a digital graphic and provides basic details about the open house event and the agent’s contact information. Providing only a tiny amount of information, similar to the ones you put on a just-sold sign, with a call to action may make potential buyers curious about the home—generating more real estate leads and traffic. It’s also a great strategy if you cannot get professional photos of the property beforehand.
7. Highlight Special Features of the Listing
- Price: Free; paid plans start at $10 per month
- Size: 8.5”×11”
- Edit with: Canva
Here’s a template you can easily customize on Canva. Although showcasing a home’s exterior on open house invites can be appealing, interior photos can have a similar impact. If your listing has a particularly stunning feature or listing photos that stand out, use these to attract buyers to your event. This example shows three different interior pictures of the property, and their cohesiveness and luxurious feel significantly impact the design.
8. Create Video Open House Invitations
- Price: Free; paid plans start at $19.99 per month
- Size: Different video size formats
- Edit with: FlexClip
The use of marketing videos can massively increase traffic and generate leads. In fact, 86% of marketers say that video has helped them grow their businesses. Videos are engaging and can help differentiate your invite from other open house invitations. They also provide prospective clients with an accurate preview of the property before their visit. Videos also allow you to showcase more of the property’s features in a short time and can be sent as virtual tours to individuals who can’t attend the open house.
9. Post Invitations on Social Media Platforms
- Price: Free; subscription starts at $10 per month
- Size: 1080×1080 px
- Edit with: Canva
Agents can use social platforms like Instagram or Facebook to generate real estate leads and to attract more open house event attendees. To gain the attention of social media users, make sure to use high-quality, attractive photos or videos of your property. Including the date, time, and location of the open house, like the example above, ensures users have all the details without needing to look elsewhere.
10. Add QR Codes to Your Open House Announcement
- Price: Free for the design; plans start at $6 per month
- Size: 5.5”×8.5” or 8.5”×11”
- Edit with: Appy Pie
QR codes have been around for decades but have grown in popularity over the last few years because they simplify the process of getting or saving information to your phone. Adding a QR code to your real estate postcard, letter, or flyer makes it easy for interested buyers to get more information and go deeper into your sales funnel. Use your QR to drive traffic to your website, single property landing page, or Zillow Premier Agent profile. Include a CTA (call to action) next to the code so recipients know what to expect.
11. Use Door Hangers for Invitations
- Price: $6
- Size: 426×1090 px
- Edit with: Canva
Door hangers are a real estate marketing strategy that is affordable, does not get lost in a pile with other mailers, and can be placed in frequently used entryways. The best door hanger designs must have the right calls to action, like “you’re invited to our open house,” to make the recipient feel welcome. Target areas with door hangers based on statistics like income, current property value, and age. Targeting the right neighborhood to distribute door hangers will maximize interest.
12. Add Your Realtor Headshot to Invitations
- Price: Packages start at $19
- Size: 1710×2430 px (wide×tall)
- Edit with: Greenvelope
One effective way to customize your open house invitation templates and build brand recognition is by including your realtor headshot. Having a face instead of just property photos on the invitation can feel more personal and welcoming and builds trust with potential buyers and open house visitors. People will feel more comfortable approaching you at the open house with any questions.
13. Use Flyers as Open House Invites
- Price: $9
- Size: 8.5”×11”
- Edit with: Adobe Photoshop
Although most open house invites are made on a postcard, real estate flyers provide more space for copy and photography. This open house invitation template includes one banner photo, four small interior photos, a headshot, a written description, bullet points of features, contact information, and event details. Take advantage of the ample space on open house flyer templates by giving more details on the property, so prospective clients have all the information to interest them in attending your open house events.
14. Animate Your Invites
- Price: Plans start at $9 per month
- Size: 1080×1080 Animation Template
- Edit with: PixTeller
Draw attention to your brand and open house invitation message using animated digital social media posts to invite people to your open house. Adding a simple animation can attract users and draw attention to the open house details. In this example, the blue border also complements the blue tones of the home. The copy is kept to just the pertinent information to offset the busy animation surrounding the invite. If you like this animated style, make a similar design for your email marketing templates.
15. Include Reviews on Your Invites
- Price: Postcards from $0.05-0.35 each
- Size: 4.25”×6” and 6”×8.5”
- Edit with: PostcardMania
Reviews and testimonials are incredibly important for building trust with potential clients. When you get positive reviews from your clients, using the reviews on your open house invite can give insight into your level of service and help you develop trust with interested buyers even before they meet you in person. This example strategically includes listing photos, open house details, and a customer testimonial with five stars to grab the recipient’s attention.
What to Include in Your Open House Invites
Open houses are an excellent opportunity to meet prospective clients, generate leads, and connect with neighboring residents. However, to host an active and successful open house, you need to create your invitation with specific information strategically. Here are items you should include on your open house invitations:
- Contact information: Just like what’s in your real estate yard signs, ensure interested buyers can contact you with any questions before or after the open house.
- Property location: It’s important to include the exact location of the listing; if a buyer cannot find the house easily using their GPS, they won’t attend.
- Open house time and date: Ensure potential buyers arrive on the right date and time so you don’t miss any prospective leads. Plus, limiting event times will maximize the number of attendees and allow you time to perform open house follow-ups after the event.
- Property specifications: Use key features of the listing, like the number of beds, baths, and square footage, to provide a preview of the listing before clients see the property in person.
- Photos of property: If you have professional real estate photos of the property, include them on your invitations. Real estate is highly visual, so clients may be motivated to attend from one high-quality image.
- Property pricing: Listing the property pricing can assist buyers in determining if it fits within their budget. This prevents buyers from wasting their time and yours.
- Consider giveaways or promotional items: Giveaways and promotional items help attract visitors to your open houses. Use sites like AnyPromo to create real estate-related promotional items that can be a takeaway for your attendees.
Tools & Resources to Design & Distribute Open House Invitation Template
After reviewing the open house invitation templates above, you can see how they can be effective with the right strategy. To successfully design, print, and deliver your invites, you need to use the right software and tools. There are many different options for both print and online marketing strategies, so evaluate what is most important for your strategy. The top software tools for creating and delivering invitations include:
Agents and teams who want to customize their own invitations and designs |
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Real estate professionals wanting the widest range of postcard templates |
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Agents and teams wanting the largest variety of premade print marketing campaigns for real estate |
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Professionals wanting affordable print options and unique items to customize |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you write an open house invitation?
Similar to your other marketing materials, keep your invite precise, with only the essential information included. You’ll want your visitors to have something to look forward to, so your open house invitation message should have an inviting language or a catchy headline. Don’t forget to include a photo or two of your property listing!
How do you invite people to the house opening ceremony?
Try sending your invitations via email, social media, or direct mail, and see which avenue works best for you. If you’re sending out real estate newsletters with open house invites to clients you already know, add personal touches like a handwritten note or a quick phone call to let them know you want to see them at your event.
Do you put an RSVP on an open house invitation?
RSVPs can be handy but are only sometimes necessary for an open house event. However, if you’re marketing a luxury property and want to get a headcount or add a touch of exclusivity, go ahead and ask for RSVPs. Also, remember to send a thank you note to your open house attendees.
Bringing It All Together
Learning to attract visitors to your open houses can be key to growing your real estate business. With the right strategy and open house invitation template, you can quickly generate interest and host an open house event that sells your listing and gives you new clients. What’s your go-to source of open house invitation templates? Share them in the comments!
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