How to Host an Open Home When You're Selling Privately

1. Introduction

Selling your home yourself is a big move, and if you're anything like most private sellers, the open home is the part you've probably been thinking about the most. The good news? It's also one of the most rewarding parts of the whole process, because you get to meet the people who are genuinely interested in your place and answer their questions in your own words.

This guide walks you through every step, from picking a time to tidying up, greeting visitors and following up afterwards. Along the way you'll find two free downloads: a visitor sign in sheet and a complete open home checklist. Grab a cuppa, read through once, and you'll feel a lot more ready.

2. Choose a suitable open home time

Timing matters more than people think. You want buyers who are actually out looking at property, not people rushing past on the way to somewhere else.

A few things that help:

• Weekends work well. Saturday mid-morning, around 10 to 11am, is the sweet spot in most areas. Sunday can work too, especially in suburbs where Saturday sport pulls families away.
• Keep it to 30 to 45 minutes. A short, defined window creates a little urgency and keeps you from standing around for hours. It also makes it easier for serious buyers to plan their day.
• Check the forecast. A beautiful sunny day will bring people out. A howling wet weekend can be quiet, so have a think about whether to shift your time if the weather turns.
• Avoid clashes. Have a look at what else is on. A big local event, a long weekend, or a major sporting final can thin the crowd.

Tell people the time clearly on your listing and your sign, and stick to it. Buyers who turn up at the wrong time and find nobody home won't often come back.

3. Get your home ready

You don't need a stylist, but a little effort here goes a long way. The goal is for buyers to walk in and feel like the home is cared for and ready for its next owner.

Try this simple checklist before the day:

• Declutter benchtops and tables. Clear surfaces make rooms feel bigger and let buyers picture their own things in the space.
• Give the obvious spots a good clean. Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes, so give them extra attention. Clean taps, mirrors and windows make more difference than you'd think.
• Let the light in. Open curtains and blinds, turn on lights in darker rooms, and air the place out before people arrive.
• Tame the outside. Mow the lawn, sweep the path, and tidy the front entrance. First impressions happen from the kerb.
• Sort the smells. Avoid strong cooking smells the night before. Fresh air, or something subtle like freshly brewed coffee, is plenty. Skip the heavy air fresheners.
• Pets and kids. If you can, arrange for pets and little ones to be out during the open home. Some buyers are nervous around animals, and you want the focus on your home.

4. Make the property easy to find

If people can't find you, they can't fall in love with your home. Make it effortless.

• Put out your Open Home Sign. A clear REVS Open Home Sign at the front of the property can help buyers identify the home and know they've arrived at the right place.
• Add the details to your listing. Make sure your address, any unit number, and parking notes are clear on your REVS listing so buyers know exactly where to go.
• Open the front gate or door. A clearly open entrance says 'come on in' and removes the awkward moment of buyers wondering whether to knock.

5. Have a visitor sign in sheet ready

A simple sign in sheet is one of the most underrated tools you have. It helps you see who came, gives you a way to follow up, and means you can keep a record of genuinely interested buyers.

Before you open the door, print off your free REVS Open Home Visitor Sign In Sheet and pop it on a small table near the entrance with a pen. Ask everyone who comes through to add their name and contact details. Most people are happy to, especially when you explain it's so you can let them know if anything changes.

Let visitors know why you're collecting their details and make sure you store their information securely.

6. When people arrive

This is where you set the tone. You want visitors to feel welcome but free to look around at their own pace.

• Greet everyone warmly. A simple 'hi, come on in, have a look around' is perfect. You don't need a sales pitch.
• Point out the sign in sheet. A gentle 'if you wouldn't mind popping your details down, I can let you know if anything changes' works well.
• Offer a quick lay of the land. 'The bedrooms are down the hall, the backyard's through here' helps people get their bearings without you trailing them.
• Let them lead. Most buyers want to explore on their own. Be available, but don't hover.

7. Give buyers some space

It's tempting to point out every feature, but buyers need room to imagine themselves living there. When you over-explain, people often feel pressured and rush through.

A better approach:

• Be nearby but not underfoot. Stay in earshot so you can answer questions, but let them wander.
• Answer questions honestly. If someone asks about the hot water system, the roof, or why you're selling, just tell them straight. Honesty builds trust.
• Don't talk price unless asked. If they bring it up, you can chat, but there's no need to volunteer it. Serious buyers will ask.
• Read the room. If a couple is having a quiet conversation in a bedroom, give them a moment. That's often where the real decisions get made.

8. Make it easy for buyers to contact you

Not everyone will want to chat on the day. Some buyers prefer to get in touch afterwards, and the easier you make that, the more enquiries you'll get.

REVS gives you three simple ways for buyers to reach you, so you're not relying on people remembering your number:

• Online enquiries through your REVS listing, sent straight to your dashboard.
• A 4-digit property code buyers can text to get your listing details sent to their phone.
• A QR code on your sign that takes buyers straight to your full listing.

You can read exactly how each one works in our guide to the REVS enquiry system.

Someone Wants to Make an Offer?

Sometimes a buyer will like the property enough to want to make an offer after viewing it.

If that happens, you can have the REVS Private Sale Offer Form available for them to complete. It gives the buyer a simple way to provide their contact details, the property address, their proposed purchase price and the solicitor or conveyancer details for both parties.

The completed form can then be provided to the seller's solicitor or conveyancer. This gives the legal representative the information they need to advise on the formal sale process and prepare or arrange the appropriate documents.

The form can also be sent to a potential buyer by email if they want to make an offer after the open home.

Important: The REVS Private Sale Offer Form is not a formal contract of sale. It is a simple way to record a proposed offer and provide information to the seller's legal representative so the formal sale process can begin.

The buyer completing the form does not mean that the offer has been accepted. The formal contract, legal documents, disclosures, conditions and other requirements are dealt with through the appropriate legal process.

Not Comfortable Negotiating With a Buyer?

Getting an offer is exciting, but negotiating with a potential buyer can be one of the more difficult parts of selling privately.

You might know what price you want, but feel uncomfortable discussing price, responding to offers or working out whether a buyer is genuinely prepared to proceed.

You don't have to handle the negotiation yourself.

REVS has an optional Negotiations Service available for sellers who would prefer to have a qualified, licensed real estate agent facilitate the negotiation process on their behalf.

The service can cover negotiations with up to 3 potential buyers and up to 3 offers. Your negotiator speaks directly with the potential buyers and works with you to help reach a price that works for both you and the buyer.

The Negotiations Service is provided by Andrew Blachut, Founder of REVS and a qualified, licensed real estate agent.

Because the service is provided for a fixed fee and the negotiator does not earn a sales commission, there is no commission incentive to push you towards a quick sale or a lower price simply to get the property sold.

You remain in control of your property and your decision. REVS simply gives you the option of bringing in professional negotiation assistance when you need it.

How does it work?

If you decide you would like help with negotiations, the Negotiations Service is available as an optional add-on for $599.

You can purchase the service through the Add-ons section of your REVS dashboard.

When a buyer makes an offer, you can use the "I have an offer" section in your dashboard to trigger the service and submit your request. A qualified, licensed agent will then be in contact to begin the negotiation process.

The service covers negotiations with up to 3 potential buyers and up to 3 offers.

You choose how much help you want

You can sell privately and handle negotiations yourself, or bring in an experienced real estate professional when you need one.

Private sale does not have to mean doing everything yourself.

9. After the open home

Once the last visitor has left, take a breath, then do a few quick things:

• Review your sign in sheet. Note anyone who seemed genuinely interested and seemed to like the home.
• Follow up the keen ones. A quick, friendly message thanking them for coming and offering to answer any questions can keep your home front of mind.
• Note the questions you were asked. If several people asked the same thing, say about parking or the school zone, add it to your listing description so the next lot of buyers already know.
• Be patient. Not every open home leads to an offer on the spot, and that's completely normal. The right buyer often needs a second visit or a chat with their partner before taking the next step.

10. Download the REVS Open Home Checklist

To make the day as stress-free as possible, we've put everything you need to do onto one simple page. Print it off the night before, tick things off as you go, and you'll walk into your open home knowing you haven't missed a thing.

11. REVS Open Home tools

A few things from REVS can make your open home smoother:

• Your REVS For Sale sign, included with every sale listing, with a QR code that sends buyers straight to your listing.
• The REVS Open Home Sign, an A3 corflute sign designed to help buyers identify the property on the day of your open home. You can order it from your dashboard and put it out on the day.
• Printed brochures, so visitors can take your home's details with them.
• Your REVS dashboard, where your enquiries land in real time so you can follow up quickly.

You can browse the full range of add-ons in your dashboard anytime.

12. List your property with REVS

You've got this. Hosting your own open home is entirely doable, and with REVS you've got the listing, the sign, the enquiry system and the tools to back you up, all for a flat fee with no commission.

Ready to get your home in front of buyers on realestate.com.au and domain.com.au? List your property with REVS.