A real estate open house sign in sheet is the page visitors fill in at the door, and it is the one tool that turns a quiet afternoon into a list of people you can follow up with. This guide shows what the sheet should collect, gives you a copy-and-paste template you can print or build in a spreadsheet, and explains the consent wording and fair housing limits to check first. Open houses are one source in our guide to real estate lead generation.
What Should a Real Estate Open House Sign In Sheet Collect?
A real estate open house sign in sheet should collect name, phone and email, plus two or three questions that tell you how to follow up: whether the visitor works with an agent, and when they hope to move. Realtrends’ open house sign-in sheet template lists name, email, phone, interest level and whether the visitor currently works with an agent. It also asks whether they want a home valuation. Ask for less than you think you need, because a short form gets filled in.
| Field | Why You Ask | Keep It? |
|---|---|---|
| Name | You cannot follow up without it | Always |
| Phone and email | Two ways to reach the person | Always |
| Working with an agent? (Yes or No) | Tells you whether to follow up as an agent or as a friendly host | Always |
| Timeline | Sets how fast you call and how often you write | Always |
| Wants a home value? (Yes or No) | Marks a possible seller among the visitors | Optional |
| Consent to be contacted | Records what the person agreed to | Always |
Realtrends also notes that sign-in sheets matter for safety, because they show who came and went. Keep the sheet out of view when you leave the room, and do not leave a page of names on the table for the next visitor to read.
Free Real Estate Open House Sign In Sheet Template
Copy the table below into a document or spreadsheet, add rows for the number of visitors you expect, and print one copy per open house. Fill in the address and the date at the top, and keep a second sheet for your own follow-up notes. This is a starting point, so adjust the wording to your broker’s policy. If you prefer a ready-made file, download the sign-in sheet (xlsx).
| Name | Phone | Working With an Agent? | Timeline | OK to Contact? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes / No | This month / 1 to 3 months / Later | Initial: ____ | |||
| Yes / No | This month / 1 to 3 months / Later | Initial: ____ | |||
| Yes / No | This month / 1 to 3 months / Later | Initial: ____ |
Put the consent line printed above the table, in type big enough to read. A short note of what you will do with the information also helps people sign. If you plan to send a follow-up, say so on the sheet, so no one is surprised the next day.
What Consent Wording Belongs on a Real Estate Open House Sign In Sheet?
The consent line should say who may contact the visitor, how, and that signing is optional. Under 47 CFR 64.1200, telemarketing calls made with an autodialer or a prerecorded voice need the called party’s prior express written consent. That means a signed agreement, a clear disclosure that the person authorizes those calls, and a statement that signing is not required to buy a property or service.
Here is wording we suggest as a starting point: “I agree that [Agent name] at [Brokerage] may contact me by phone, text and email about this home and similar homes. I understand that signing is optional and not a condition of visiting. Message and data rates may apply.” This is general information, not legal advice. Whether a given sign-in counts as written consent depends on facts your broker or lawyer should review, and our guide to TCPA compliance for real estate agents explains what is enforceable today.
Should Your Real Estate Open House Sign In Sheet Be Paper or Digital?
Either works, and many agents use both. Paper is fast, needs no battery and is easy for visitors who are busy. Digital forms, opened on a tablet or reached from a QR code, save you retyping and put the lead in your CRM at once. The cost is that some visitors will skip a screen, so keep a paper copy at the door as a backup.
If you use a digital form, make it a page of its own. Our guide to an open house landing page shows what to put on it, and our open house ideas for realtors cover what to do before, during and after the event.
What Should You Not Ask on the Sheet?
Keep every question about the home and the visitor’s plan. The Fair Housing Act, at 42 U.S.C. 3604, protects race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status and national origin in the sale and rental of housing. Do not ask about or write notes on any of those. Avoid notes that describe a visitor’s family, such as “needs a big yard for the kids.” Write the home feature the visitor asked about instead, and follow your broker’s office policy.
How Do You Follow Up Within 24 Hours?
Realtrends recommends following up promptly, ideally within 24 hours of the open house. Use the timeline column to decide what to do. Our suggestion is to call today if the visitor plans to tour this month, to email today and call this week if they plan to buy in one to three months, and to add everyone else to a monthly market note.
Record every visitor in your CRM with the lead source “open house,” and set the next date at once. Our guide to speed to lead and your CRM explains why the first reply matters, and a buyer lead nurture campaign covers the weeks after. Infina AI, our own product, is an AI assistant for real estate agents that helps with follow-up and listing questions, so a visitor’s question on Sunday evening still gets an answer. For buyers, see buyer leads and how to qualify them.
Common Real Estate Open House Sign In Sheet Mistakes
- Asking for too much. A long form leaves half the visitors unsigned.
- No consent line. Without it you cannot show what the person agreed to.
- Asking about protected characteristics. Keep to the home and the timeline.
- Leaving names in view. Cover the sheet or keep it on a clipboard.
- Waiting a week to follow up. Do it within 24 hours.
- Keeping the list on paper. Enter every name in your CRM the same day.
Related Reading
These guides cover the people and places around the open house.
- Meet nearby owners through circle prospecting around a recent sale.
- Stay in touch with your sphere of influence.
Final Thoughts
A good real estate open house sign in sheet is short, clear and honest about what happens next. Collect name, phone, email, whether the visitor works with an agent, and a timeline, put the consent line where people can read it, and keep your questions about the home. Enter every name in your CRM the same day and follow up within 24 hours. The sheet does its job when a quiet Sunday turns into conversations on Monday.
