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    The Open Home Checklist for Australian Real Estate Agents

    Published 2 May 2026 · 6 min read · By RocketReel

    Open homes still convert better than any other inspection format in most Australian markets — but only if the property is prepared, the agent runs a tight process and the follow-up happens before buyer attention drifts. This checklist covers the full open-home cycle, from the marketing that drives attendance to the messages you send the next morning.

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    Marketing in the week before the open

    • Listing live on the major portals at least 7 days before the first open.
    • 30-second listing video on the listing page and as an Instagram Reel and Facebook post.
    • 15-second teaser Reel earlier in the week ("opening this Saturday in Paddington").
    • Boosted Facebook post targeted to the local suburb and adjacent suburbs.
    • Email blast to the buyer database with the inspection time and a single hero photo.

    24 hours before — vendor prep

    1. Send the vendor a written checklist: lawns mown, beds made, benches cleared, lights on, pets out.
    2. Confirm the inspection time, your arrival time and where you will park.
    3. Brief the vendor on what to do during the open (leave the property, take the dog).
    4. Send the open-home reminder Story on Instagram and Facebook with the suburb, time and address.
    5. Re-share the listing video to the agency Facebook page if you have one.

    On the day — 60 minutes before

    • Arrive at least 45 minutes early.
    • Walk the property: open every blind and curtain, turn on every light (including lamps), open windows for fresh air.
    • Set up signage at the kerb and at the major intersection nearest the property.
    • Lay out the digital sign-in (most Australian agencies are now QR-code only) and the printed property brochure.
    • Empty bins and ensure the property smells neutral — never strong perfume or candles.

    During the open — running the inspection

    • Greet every buyer at the door, hand them a brochure, ask them to sign in.
    • Capture name, mobile, email, buyer status (cash/finance/sold-subject-to) — the sign-in is the asset.
    • Walk groups through the property only on request — most buyers prefer to self-tour.
    • Note who lingers in which rooms; lingering buyers are the strongest leads.
    • End with the next steps: contract, inspection report, building and pest, price guide and second-inspection options.

    Within 24 hours — follow-up

    1. Personal SMS to every buyer who attended, by name, within 12 hours.
    2. Email with the contract, brochure and inspection report links to every sign-in.
    3. Vendor update: number of groups, two or three quotes from buyers and a recommended next step.
    4. Post the open-home recap to social ("strong interest at the open in Paddington — second inspection on Wednesday").
    5. Offer a private inspection slot to the two or three strongest leads.

    How RocketReel covers the marketing assets

    Most agents lose more open-home attendance to weak marketing than to weak follow-up. RocketReel turns the listing photos you already have into the full marketing asset set — 30-second listing video, 15-second teaser and a portrait social reel — so the property is properly promoted before the open without you organising a separate video shoot. See the workflow on the listing video maker page →, or follow the getting-started guide for your first listing.