Few things are more annoying than being pestered by a real estate agent when you just want to be left alone. For some reason, agents at open houses don’t think this rule applies to them. Instead, they butt into private conversations with their salesy open house scripts and then act shocked when their sign-up sheet doesn’t have any phone numbers on it.
Since we want you to connect with new prospects and get more leads, we worked with The Close’s resident real estate coach, Trevor James, and top-producing agents at Douglas Elliman and other brokerages to compile this list of 15 open house scripts and ice breakers that will actually get you phone numbers at your next open house.
Free PDF Download: 15 Open House Scripts & Ice Breakers
Send these 15 real estate open house scripts to your inbox! Download them. Practice them. And know your favorite ice breakers by heart before your next open house.
1. Ice Breaker: ‘Are You an Agent, or a Victim?’
Humor is a great icebreaker.
I’ve tongue-in-cheek said: “Are you an agent or a victim?” as in vampire movies.
Also, a real old-timer in the business passed this on to me: ‘Are you an agent or a normal person?”
2. Ice Breaker + Script: Offer a Same-day Private Showing
I have a formula I use, and this is a solid part of the questions to ask and how to implement the questions.
Agent: Welcome! Stay as long as you want or as short as you want.
Then I walk away and let them wander. A while later, I find them and ask by name:
Agent: Do you want to buy it?
Generally, they will say no, which leads to the next question:
Agent: What are you looking for?
Listen for their response.
Agent: Hmmm, I think I’ve seen your dream home. Once I’m done here at {current listing address}, let’s go take a look. It’s only going to take us five minutes.
Set the appointment right then and go see a home or two. I’ve found offering showings on the same day has the highest conversion.
Douglas Elliman Florida Broker Miltiadis Kastanis also offers private showings on the same day:
I like to always invite them back. I think the serious ones will come back for a private tour. So I always say:
Agent: If you could see yourself living here, why don’t you come back later today after the open house. How is {time}?
3. Ice Breaker: ‘If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home Now’
In the past, I’ve had success with, “If you lived here, you’d be home now.” It’s a good ice breaker and usually brings a smile to a buyer or looky lou’s face.
4. Script: Offer a Neighborhood ‘Cheat Sheet’
An easy way to showcase your knowledge is being prepared. Take 15 minutes to look up some stats and prepare an easy neighborhood cheat sheet. Grab some recently sold listings, current homes for sale, financing info—don’t forget the school districts. Offer your cheat sheet in return for their contact info.
Agent: I have something special for you: a neighborhood cheat sheet. It’s going to be your guide for this area. I’ve included recently sold homes, currently listed places, current mortgage rates, the neighborhood walk score, information about local school districts, and a glimpse into the area’s history. I’ll send this over to you so that you have an easy copy.
Ask for their information and send it over immediately.
5. Script: Offer Your Door-knocking Services
Here’s one of the scripts I use at open houses that has landed me contact info:
Agent: As part of my great customer service, I work proactively to find the ideal home for my buyers by going door-to-door in their favorite neighborhoods and knocking on doors to see if they want to sell. This way, you will be the only one to make an offer with no competition. Would you like me to provide that level of service to you?
Lead: Yes.
Agent: Great. Please give me your contact info so I can keep you posted.
Door Knocking for Real Estate: Does It Still Work? (+ Tips & Scripts)
6. Script: Just Ask for Their Business
Agent: Welcome to our open house! Take a look around and let me know what you think.
Then later, after they have had a chance to go through the home, ask:
Agent: How long have you been looking for a home? And have you found anything that you liked that you missed out on?
Wait for their response.
Agent: How’s that working out for you? Are you ready to work with an agent and team who goes out of their way to find you the home you want to buy? We will send letters, knock on doors, call into neighborhoods to get the local scoop, and so on, just to help find you the perfect home!
7. Script + Ice Breaker: Free Home Valuation
It’s a classic for a reason—people want to know what their home is worth. Of course, they’ll have to provide their info for you to be able to do your homework after the open house.
Agent: Welcome! Do you live in the area?
Wait for their response.
Agent: Nice! The reason I ask is that I’m offering a free home valuation for guests. It’s a great opportunity to understand your home’s worth from someone who sees places in this neighborhood often.
8. Script: Gift Basket Drawing
I always make a gift basket for my open houses. The price point of the house decides the size of the basket. The baskets include seasonal items, gift cards to local restaurants that I get donated, and a variety of other items that I come across that people love to see in baskets. Sometimes I will have two baskets and do two different drawings.
Here’s a script you can use after you greet attendees:
Agent: If you don’t mind, please sign in for me so you can be entered into the drawing for the gift basket. A lot of great items in here! And the winner will be drawn at the end of the open house.
The sign-in sheet and gift basket are always there together at the entrance, and I also have a sign beside it that reinforces my script. I don’t label my sign-in sheet as an open house sign-in. I always label it whatever theme I call my basket. For example, my last one was “tropical oasis.” I added a few gift cards to waterfront restaurants, a beach towel, a tropical smelling candle, sunscreen, and so forth.
9. Script + Ice Breaker: Offer a Home Improvement Checklist
Give people a reason to remember you. Creating a free seasonal home improvement checklist on Canva shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes, and you’ll have a reason to get the information you need.
Agent: Welcome! How’s the weather out there?
Wait for their answer.
Agent: I hear you! By the way, I’ve put together a quick and free checklist to keep your home in tip-top shape, with easy reminders for things like changing your air filters and cleaning your dryer vent. It’s your secret to sprucing up your space.
Grab their information to send over the checklist.
Agent: Feel free to explore the open house, and if you have any questions or need assistance, I’m here to help. Enjoy creating a warm and welcoming home!
10. Script: Offer Exclusive Listings From Your Brokerage
Agent: If you would like to be contacted with Douglas Elliman’s exclusive listings that are not on the aggregates, please leave me the correct and legible contact information for you.
11. Ice Breaker + Script: Personalized Property Alerts
Neighbors are often stopping by an open house to see what they could get for their home. Once you know they live nearby, tease their interest:
Agent: I offer neighborhood-exclusive property alerts. That way, you can stay up to date on nearby homes without the hassle! I can get you alerts specifically focused on this neighborhood.
12. Script: Offer Comps to Prove the Listing Is Properly Priced
Agent: There are a few other homes on the market right now that show this open house home you are in is well-priced. Just write down your email on the sign-in sheet, and we can send you the necessary disclosure forms and the information on those homes.
13. Script: Offer a Homebuyer Seminar
People buy from those that they know, like, and trust. The easiest way to establish this is connecting naturally. If you’re hosting a virtual homebuyer seminar or your brokerage is hosting an event, invite your open house guests!
Remember, keep it casual. They’ll need to provide their info to snag an invite.
Agent: Hi there! Would you be interested in receiving an invitation to our upcoming seminar? It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the homebuying process and get your questions answered.
14. Script: Admit the Negative, Offer Up a Positive
This script opens the door for honest conversation and also provides the opportunity to address objections we may never hear because open house attendees may be reluctant to share what they perceive as negative.
Agent: Tell me what you like most about the property, and tell me what you like least about it as well.
Here’s the script New York City agent Robert Taub uses when, like almost all Manhattan listings, the views are not as amazing as people think they might be:
Agent: Although there’s no view, the light is great, and you do see a sliver of the river.
15. Script: Interactive Virtual Tours With Virtual Staging
Virtual tours are the standard for listings nowadays. Lean into those by offering to send them over to visitors with virtual staging included, so they can see how the property would look with furniture and interior design.
Agent: Just so you know, if you want to explore after you leave, we offer interactive virtual tours of this property, with staged photos. You’ll feel like you’re at home. Plus, you can explore it from anywhere, anytime. Just share your email, and I’ll send you the exclusive link. It’s free!
Useful Open House Links & Resources
Curb Hero (Free)
If you’re still using paper sign-in sheets or paying for a sign-in app, it’s time to join the 21st century and use Curb Hero. Curb Hero’s 100% free app will get you higher quality contact information and save you time. No more time wasted on boring data entry or trying to read bad handwriting. Curb Hero sends contact info to more than 2,000 customer relationship managers (CRMs) and marketing platforms so you can get prospects onto a drip campaign in minutes instead of hours. You’ll even get single-property websites and social media templates when you sign up—all for free.
ApplyDesign ($7-$10 per image)
As any agent who’s held an open house for a vacant home knows, it can be hard for buyers to see themselves living somewhere with no furniture. This virtual staging software stands out as a high-quality and user-friendly DIY option.
Take our last tip and run the listing photos through virtual staging. With an extensive library of tasteful furnishings, including themed room bundles and an artificial intelligence (AI) Furniture Removal Tool for clutter-free images, ApplyDesign makes virtual staging easy and effective. It even supports 360-degree images, allowing for panoramic staging. It’s a great tool for real estate professionals seeking DIY virtual staging solutions that don’t compromise on quality.
Kagent (Free or $25 per month)
Like we’ve already mentioned, if you’re not making the most of software to streamline your open house—you’re missing out. Kagent is free and allows you to generate QR codes for each open house along with quick surveys for attendees. They also do a monthly drawing for $500—an easy incentive to gather phone numbers and information from your attendees.
Note that under Kagent’s free plan, they share open house visitor data with third parties. The paid plan is $25 per month and ensures your open house visitor data is not shared with third parties. However, for a free app, it’s a great starting point to digitize your open house experience.
Over to You
Have a great open house script that you swear by? Let us know in the comments.
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