A good open house follow-up email goes out the same day, thanks the visitor by name, gives them something they didn’t get at the door, such as the feature sheet or similar homes, and makes one easy next step, like booking a private viewing. Send it only to visitors who agreed to hear from you.
Below are six copy-paste templates: a same-day thank-you, a next-day email for interested buyers, a note for neighbours, one for people who RSVPed but didn’t come, one for visitors who already have an agent, and a one-week check-in. Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details.
Before you follow up: sign-ins and consent
An open house sign-in sheet is where most follow-ups start, and where consent is easiest to get right.
- In Canada, a visitor who leaves their email on a sign-in sheet has arguably made an inquiry, which gives implied consent for six months at most. The clearer approach is a sign-in form with an unticked box: “Send me new listings and market updates by email. I can unsubscribe at any time.”
- In the US, you can follow up without that box, but asking still tells you who actually wants to hear from you.
Our article on email compliance for agents in Canada and the USA covers open house visitors and the other situations agents run into.
A digital sign-in that does the admin for you
A OneHive Mail sign-up form works well as an open house sign-in. Build it in your own colours, open its link on a tablet at the door, and every visitor who signs in is added as a contact with the consent wording they agreed to stored alongside. The form can add them to a list and tags you choose, such as “Open house visitors” and “Open house: [Address]”, which is all you need for the follow-ups below. You can choose single or double opt-in; with double opt-in, visitors confirm by email before they’re subscribed.
Prefer paper? Add the same consent wording to your sign-in sheet, import the visitors afterwards with their tags, and note how each one agreed.
1. Same-day thank-you
Send to: every visitor who agreed to hear from you. When: the evening of the open house.
Hi [First name],
Thanks for stopping by [Address] today. It was great to meet you.
In case you’d like another look, here’s everything in one place: [Feature sheet or listing link]. A few things people asked about today: [strata fee or property taxes], [year of the roof or furnace], and [nearby school or transit].
If you’d like a private viewing, or to see similar homes, just reply or pick a time here: [Booking link]
[Your name], [Brokerage] · [Phone]
Preview text idea: “The photos, floor plan and answers to today’s questions.” Keep it short and friendly; this email’s only job is to make the next step easy. The open house templates include a recap design if you’d like photos and a button.
2. Next day: interested buyers
Send to: visitors who told you they’re actively looking, or who asked detailed questions. When: the next day, written personally.
Hi [First name],
You mentioned yesterday that you were interested in [the backyard / the suite / the school catchment]. Here’s what I found: [answer, such as the lot size, rental history or catchment map].
Homes like this in [Neighbourhood] have recently sold for around [range], according to [source], so you can see how the price compares.
Would you like a second, quieter look before the weekend? I have [Day] at [Time] or [Day] at [Time].
[Your name]
This is the email that most often turns a visitor into a client, so write it yourself rather than sending a template unchanged. In OneHive Mail you can email one person from their contact profile, and it lands on their timeline with your notes.
3. Neighbours who dropped in
Send to: visitors who live nearby and signed in. When: within a day or two.
Hi [First name],
Thanks for dropping in at [Address]. Neighbours often come by out of curiosity, and it’s always nice to meet the people who make a street what it is.
If you ever wonder what your own home might be worth in today’s market, I’m happy to put together an estimate based on recent sales on [Street] and nearby. No obligation, and it takes me a day or two: [Valuation link]
And if you know anyone who’d love to live on [Street], please send them my way.
[Your name], [Brokerage]
When the home sells, neighbours who agreed to hear from you are also the right people for a Just Sold email. The Just Sold templates include versions with a home valuation button.
4. RSVPs who didn’t come
Send to: people who replied to your invitation or registered but didn’t sign in. When: the evening of the open house or the next morning.
Hi [First name],
We missed you at the open house today. Weekends get busy, so no problem at all.
Here’s a quick tour so you can see what you missed: [Listing link or video]. If it still looks interesting, I can show it to you privately at a time that suits you: [Booking link]
[Your name] · [Phone]
To send this one, compare your RSVP list with your sign-ins. In OneHive Mail, a segment that matches “has tag RSVP: [Address]” and “does not have tag Open house: [Address]” finds them for you.
5. Visitors who already have an agent
Send to: visitors who told you they’re working with another agent and asked for information. When: the same day.
Hi [First name],
Thanks for visiting [Address] today. As promised, here’s the feature sheet and floor plan: [Link].
Please share it with [Agent’s name] if that’s helpful. They’re welcome to contact me directly to book a showing or ask any questions about the home.
[Your name], [Brokerage]
Keep it to the information they asked for, and leave them off your general buyer emails. Respecting another agent’s client relationship is good practice, and your regulator or board may have rules about it too.
6. One week later: the check-in
Send to: visitors who haven’t replied or booked. When: about a week after the open house.
Hi [First name],
It’s been a week since you visited [Address]. [It’s still available / It’s now sold, but similar homes are coming up.]
Here are three homes that came on the market since then and might suit you: [Home 1], [Home 2], [Home 3].
Would it help if I sent you new listings like these as they come up? Just reply with your must-haves and I’ll set it up.
[Your name]
If the home sells in the meantime, tell visitors honestly and offer something useful in its place: similar listings, or a note when the next one comes up. The buyer follow-up templates have an open house recap you can adapt.
Automate the follow-up in OneHive Mail
Write the same-day thank-you and the next-day personal note for each open house. The emails after that can run themselves:
- Make your sign-in form add visitors to a list called “Open house visitors”, plus a tag for the address.
- Go to Automations and create a sequence that starts when someone is added to that list.
- Add two or three emails that don’t name a specific address, such as similar homes after a day, a “where are you in your search?” question a few days later, and a local market update after about a week and a half.
- Under Stop early when they click a link containing, enter a piece of your booking link, such as
book-a-showing, so anyone who books stops getting the sequence. - Switch it on. Every visitor from every future open house gets the sequence on their own timeline, and each email shows how many people opened and clicked it.
Our real estate drip campaigns article has a complete open house sequence ready to copy, and the guide to building your first automation walks through each screen.
Timing and subject line tips
- Same day beats next week. Visitors see several homes in a weekend; the agent who follows up first with something useful is the one they remember.
- Name the address in the subject line. “Thanks for visiting [Address] today” is clearer than “Great to meet you!”. Our list of real estate email subject lines has a dozen more for open houses.
- One next step per email. A private viewing, a reply, or a valuation; not all three.
- Follow the clicks. The campaign report shows who clicked. A short call to those visitors is often worth more than the next email.
Frequently asked questions
When should I send an open house follow-up email?
The same day, ideally that evening, while the home is fresh in the visitor’s mind. Follow with a personal note to interested buyers the next day and a check-in about a week later.
What should an open house thank-you email say?
Thank them by name, include the feature sheet or listing link, answer a question or two that came up, and offer one next step, such as a private viewing.
Can I email everyone who signed my open house sheet?
In Canada, a sign-in arguably counts as an inquiry, giving implied consent for six months at most; a sign-in form with an unticked consent box is clearer. In the US you can follow up without the box. The compliance article explains both.
How many follow-up emails should I send after an open house?
Three or four over about two weeks is plenty: a same-day thank-you, a personal note to interested buyers, and one or two useful emails after that. Then move visitors on to your regular newsletter if they agreed to it.
Should I send the same email to every visitor?
Send the same-day thank-you to everyone who agreed to hear from you, then split them: interested buyers, neighbours and visitors who already have an agent each need something different.
What if the home sells before I follow up?
Say so honestly, and offer similar homes or a note when the next one lists. A visitor who missed out is often a buyer ready to act on the next one.