Strategic Timing

Your next open house is only as successful as your guest list. In order to cut through the marketing clutter that continually inundates consumers, experts suggest you schedule your open houses during a time that is convenient for your guests. Sundays have always been the go-to open house day, but that may not be the most convenient time for your target audience.

“Saturdays seem better than Sundays, and sometimes a twilight open house around 6 to 8 p.m. works during the week – especially for homes that are on a main route,” says O’Connor.

When hosting Sunday open houses, Christina McNamee, a broker associate with @properties, makes sure to stay cognizant of potential conflicts her guests may have. “My preference is to schedule open houses on Sunday afternoon either from 12-2 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. year round, and in the fall depending on when the Bears play,” says McNamee. “I try to activate new listings as early in the week as possible, and then schedule the open house for that following Sunday. That allows for the most motivated buyers to schedule their first showings during the week, before the weekend rush.

“I have found that if a motivated buyer takes the time to see the listing during the week and has further interest in the listing, it creates two scenarios for the seller when the open house is scheduled for that Sunday,” says McNamee.

She explains that the first scenario gives the weekday viewer an easy opportunity to pop in for a second look. Hopefully, when the buyer comes back during the open house there are other people there viewing it at the same time. That dynamic creates a “buzz” about the property during the open house and a sense of urgency. If the buyer gets a sense that other people there seem interested, it may entice the buyer to make an offer.

In the second scenario, if a motivated buyer who sees the home during the week knows there is an open house on Sunday, the open house might entice that person to put in an offer before the open house happens. “The buyer may give an aggressive offer that ‘the seller can’t refuse’ just to secure the property and take it off the market so the open house is canceled and other buyers cannot view it,” says McNamee.