17 Open House Invitation Templates to Attract Potential Buyers
This article is part of a larger series on Real Estate Lead Generation and Marketing.
Creating effective open house invitations for your real estate listings increases the exposure of a seller’s home and helps reduce the property’s time on the market. Using premade, customizable open house invitation templates is an effective way to broadcast your listing while saving you the time and effort of designing invites yourself. Whether you’re sending them via email, social media, or direct mail, your open house templates should include eye-catching photos and colors, necessary event details, and a short but powerful call to action.
For help printing and mailing these open house invites, agents should consider using services like VistaPrint. The easy-to-use design editor allows you to personalize premade open house templates for postcards, flyers, posters, and other real estate marketing collaterals. You can leverage its design services to create custom invitations, and it has a variety of direct mail services to help you distribute your invites.
Enter Promo Code FSB25 to check to take 10% off $75, 15% off $100, 20% off $175, 25% off $300-plus
We’ve compiled 17 free and paid open house invitation templates and tips to drive more interested buyers to your open house events:
1. Use Welcoming Language
- Original source: Adobe Creative Cloud Express
- Price: Free; premium plan costs $9.99 per month
- Size: 8.5×11 inches
- Edit with: Adobe Creative Cloud Express
Recipients of your open house invites should feel encouraged to attend. Using real estate open house verbiage like “stop by our open house!” in the example feels warm, inviting, and welcoming. It specifically is asking the recipient to join the open house instead of simply mentioning that it’s an open house event. The call to action (CTA) wording also comes off as a casual event rather than a formal event that uses language like “you are cordially invited to,” which could deter visitors who want to just pop by quickly to see the property.
2. Create Eye-catching Facebook Invitations
- Original source: Visual Paradigm
- Price: Monthly plans starting at $6 per month
- Size: 1200×628 pixels
- Edit with: Visual Paradigm
Using social media invites for open houses provides additional online exposure for the listing and creates social content for your pages. This real estate open house example highlights the event type in a larger font size with an underline. It uses attractive abstract interior photos to showcase some of the best parts of the listing to attract interested Facebook viewers. It also includes the phrase “Find your Dream House” to attract buyers who may currently be looking for their perfect home.
Using Facebook invitations ensures invites can also be easily shared among their friends and social networks. Facebook ads can be targeted to a specific demographic beyond your social following to capture additional open house traffic. Subsequently, Facebook ads drive traffic to the listing landing pages or to your website for other available listings. Agents can also redirect social traffic to an event site to collect RSVPs and contact information to help support further lead nurturing and generation.
3. Direct Mailer Open House Invitation Postcards
- Original source: Fotor
- Price: Free for Basic; monthly plans starting at $8.99 per month
- Size: Poster (42×59.4 cm)
- Edit with: Fotor
As part of your farming practices, send open house invitations to highlight your current listings, increase lead generation and brand awareness, and drive visitors to your event. The above open house postcard template uses color to highlight key features and information like event type, date, time, and property features. Colorful postcards will help the invitation stand out among a pile of other direct mail.
To implement real estate farming using postcards, ProspectsPLUS! can assist with designing, printing, and publishing mailers—contributing to your real estate lead generation efforts. It’s a direct marketing company helping agents send direct mailers to targeted markets with over 80 categories of postcards themes—varying from open houses to properties just listed. Agents can use their own mailing lists or select a targeted list based on demographic, lifestyle, or interests.
4. Attractive Door Hanger Invitations
Using door hangers as an open house marketing strategy can set your open house up for success. It’s a technique that is affordable, does not get lost in a pile with other mailers, and can be placed in frequently used entryways. The premade door slit makes distribution easy, and it’s a physical reminder of the open house event invitation versus a digital invite that may be forgotten.
The success of door hanger campaigns will be contingent on having the right calls to action on the hanger, and they should be distributed to the appropriate recipients. Calls to action like “you’re invited to our open house” will make the invite recipient feel welcome to attend. You can target areas based on statistics like income, current property value, and age. Targeting the right neighborhood to distribute door hangers will maximize interest.
This template can be downloaded through Etsy and edited using Canva. Canva is a graphic design platform used to create presentations, posters, and flyers without the need for any graphic design experience. It has an easy-to-use design interface with drag-and-drop features to fill in the necessary information on templates like the above example. Agents can also add their own personal touches to designs with text overlays or crop pictures to fit the templates.
5. Use Color to Highlight Key Information
- Original source: Template.net
- Price: Free
- Size: 4×6 inches; 5×7 inches
- Edit with: Photoshop, Illustrator, Word, Apple Pages, Publisher
Using a pop of color on a real estate open house invitation helps identify the most important pieces of information on the invite. This template example uses the color red to highlight that it’s an open house event and emphasizes the day of the event. The choice of color can come from the broker’s branding or be strategic with how you’d like a specific color to convey a subliminal message. For example, the color red is attention grabbing, and blue denotes trustworthiness.
6. Sell a Lifestyle, Not Just a Home
- Original source: Greeting Island
- Price: Free; premium plans for $2.95 per month
- Size: 5×7 inches
- Edit with: Greetings Island
Selling a lifestyle, instead of just a property, positions the listing to be associated with the ideals and aspirations of a target audience. To be a luxury real estate agent, you want to be sure your open houses create an experience that matches the quality of the luxury homes you represent.
Instead of showcasing the property front and center on the invitation template above, it’s muted behind elegant fonts and swirls and is accompanied by more formal open house invitation wording like “please join us for an open house.” However, you can still see through the text overlay identifying a waterfront property with mountain views that associates the house with an elegant lifestyle.
7. Showcase Photos of the Property’s Exterior
- Original source: Microsoft
- Price: Free
- Size: 5×7 inches
- Edit with: Word
Showing the exterior of your listing on open house invites will not only showcase the property but also help visitors know what to look for when approaching the property. Without other details listed on the invite, the exterior photo will provide insight into property size and style, which will attract buyers with similar tastes to this listing. The exterior photo is particularly helpful if the property is slightly hidden from the curb or if others have shared difficulties in finding the property.
8. Use Your Headshot in Invitations
- Original source: Greenvelope
- Price: Packages starting at $19
- Size: 1710 pixels wide by 2430 pixels tall
- Edit with: Greenvelope
If real estate agents use their headshots in other marketing materials, then they should also use a headshot on invitations. A headshot provides familiarity and builds trust with open house attendees you have never met. It also differentiates you from the open house attendees. People will feel more comfortable approaching you at the open house with any questions that may arise.
Agents can use platforms like PicMonkey to customize and design invitations. They can choose from ready-made templates or opt to create them from scratch. They can manually add their own photos or select from millions of stock photos using the platform’s own design editing tools. It even has a mobile application for busy agents to create designs on the go.
9. Send Electronic Invites for RSVPs
- Original source: Evite
- Price: Free for up to 750 guests; premium plans start at $14.99
- Size: 5×7 inches
- Edit with: Evite
Electronic invitations are convenient to send to your email list with the click of a button, rather than sending them to traditional home addresses. Most platforms have reporting features, like Evite, to let you know if the recipient has received and opened the invitation as well as if they have RSVPed that they will attend.
Agents can then prepare marketing materials and supplies to cater to the anticipated number of attendees. In addition, it provides further opportunity to nurture a prospective lead if invitees decline the invite. You can follow up with more property details or supply them with a virtual tour instead to gain interest in your property.
10. Go Traditional With Flyers as Open House Invites
- Original source: Creative Market
- Price: $14
- Size: 8.5×11 inches
- Edit with: Adobe Photoshop
Large flyers provide more space than a postcard to allow for more copy and photos. The above flyer example includes one banner photo, four small interior photos, a headshot, a written description, bullet points of features, and contact information. It also includes the open house date and time front and center. Take advantage of the ample space on open house flyer templates by giving more details on the property so prospective clients have all the information to interest them to attend your open house events.
Flyers can function as successful invites to your open house if distributed strategically. You can include them as takeaways on the property’s for sale sign, distribute them among the neighborhood mailboxes, or post them on local businesses’ bulletin boards to drive traffic to your open houses. You could even include them with a personalized real estate open house invitation letter to your current and past client list.
The above template is available for editing through Adobe Photoshop, which is a robust photo editing software. Agents who don’t have much design experience can hire a graphic designer through 99designs. The platform connects you with designers to collaborate on projects, or you can start a contest allowing designers to submit their own ideas.
11. Keep It Simple to Build Intrigue
- Original source: DesignCap
- Price: Free; monthly plans starting at 4.99
- Size: 5×7 inches
- Edit with: DesignCap
The above template from DesignCap doesn’t contain traditional open house invitation features like photos, features, or square footage. But it does have a traditional event invite feel that can pique the curiosity of the recipient. Giving just the address along with the call to action to “choose your dream house” is enough to interest buyers to stop by for a visit, especially if the neighborhood is of interest to them. It’s also a great strategy to use if you were unable to get professional photos taken of the property beforehand.
12. Highlight Special Features of the Listing
- Original source: Canva
- Price: Free; paid plans start at $12.99 per month
- Size: 14×14 cm
- Edit with: Canva
Similar to showcasing the exterior of the property on open house invites if it is particularly stunning, you can also showcase a home’s best feature to draw attention to the listing. This invite example uses descriptive language to describe the property as “luxurious” and describes the lifestyle associated with this home as “opulent.”
The only photo on the invite is of the backyard pool looking into the home with large windows and a rustic exterior. Perhaps the front exterior of the house looks less luxurious than the property from the back, so using this alternative exterior photo highlights the best view.
13. Create Video Invitations
- Original source: FlexClip
- Price: Free; paid plans start at $9.99 per month
- Size: Different video size formats
- Edit with: FlexClip
The use of marketing videos can increase traffic and generate leads by up to 300%. They are engaging and a change of pace from static imagery online. It can help differentiate your invite from other open house invitations and provide prospective clients with an accurate preview of the property before their visit. Videos allow you to showcase more of the property’s features in a small amount of time and can be sent as virtual tours to individuals who aren’t able to attend the open house.
For assistance with video editing, you can enlist the help of a freelance video editor from Fiverr. Select project categories from advertising and social media videos or edit longer YouTube videos. Some freelancers are Pro Verified, meaning their work has been vetted for quality assurance. Agents can also filter the freelancer results by the amount of budget available for the project.
14. Animate Your Invites
- Original source: Pix Teller
- Price: Plans start at $7 per month
- Size: 1080×1080 Animation Template
- Edit with: Pix Teller
Draw attention to your brand and open house details using animated digital social media posts to invite people to your open house. Since most consumers are using their mobile phones and are on social media for long periods of time, they can get numb to the content they see, and their attention spans are just a few seconds. Therefore, breaking up the content they see with animated posts can attract and retain their attention for a little longer.
The animated border of the invitation draws attention to its contents. The blue border also complements the blue tones of the home, directing your attention to the photo. The copy is kept to just the pertinent information to offset the busy animation surrounding the invite.
15. Include Reviews on Your Invites
- Original source: PostcardMania
- Price: Postcards starting at 13 cents each
- Size: 4.25×6 inches; 6×8.5 inches
- Edit with: PostcardMania
Reviews and testimonials are important when consumers decide who they want to work with. Prospective clients want to learn about the experiences of your past clients. Having positive reviews can be the encouragement they need to move forward in reaching out for your services. Using the reviews on your open house invites can give insight to your level of service and help you develop trust with interested buyers before they meet you at the listing. The above open house template includes the testimonial and the former client’s name along with 5 stars in yellow to draw attention to the positive review.
These postcards can be used in direct mailer campaigns through PostcardMania. The platform assists with the design of your postcard along with automatically using them on advertising campaigns on Google and Facebook. The recipient of the physical postcard will also see matching ads on Facebook, Google, and Instagram to help drive more engagement at your open houses.
16. Post Invites on Social Media Platforms
- Original source: DocHipo
- Price: Free; premium plan costs $7.5 per user, per month
- Size: 529×529 pixels
- Edit with: DocHipo
Agents can use social platforms like Instagram or TikTok for real estate lead generation and to attract more open house event attendees. To gain the attention of social media users, make sure to use high-quality attractive photos or videos of your property. Including the date, time, and location of the open house, as in the example shown above, ensures users have all the details without needing to look elsewhere.
Using hashtags, like #newlisting or #openhousesunday, and geo-tagging the area can help drive more traffic and engagement to your posts. A geo-tag allows your social posts to be placed in a geographic location like “Chicago” or “New York City,” and your posts will show up when users search for the same geo-tag. You can also geo-tag popular locations or the areas of your target audience to drive additional engagement.
17. Add QR Codes to Open House Invites
- Original source: SimpleTexting
- Price: Free for the design; plans starting at $29 per month
- Size: 5.5×8.5 inches or 8.5×11 inches
- Edit with: Appypie
QR codes have been around for some time to get contact-free information directly to your phone, but have since grown in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adding a QR code to open house invitations can direct buyers to more information on Zillow, a virtual tour, or property video. QR codes can help move someone from a physical invite to the digital world and allow for better lead engagement and nurturing. Make sure to add a call to action (CTA) next to QR codes, like in the above example, so clients know they need to scan and what they’ll receive.
Directing traffic from your invites to your listings and personal profile on Zillow will help buyers view future open house dates along with other listings you may have available nearby. As one of the largest real estate search engines, it’s imperative to post and update your listings and open houses in this platform. Zillow Premier Agent’s advertising platform is also an effective solution to obtain buyer leads that you might be able to convert to your listings.
What to Include in Your Open House Invitation
Open houses are a great opportunity to meet prospective clients, generate leads, and connect with neighboring residents. But to do so, your invitation needs to include specific information, so prospective buyers know where to go, what time to be there, and can determine if this is a property they are interested in seeing.
After reviewing the open house invitation examples above, here are items you should include on your open house invitations:
- Contact information: Make sure interested buyers have a way to contact you with any questions before or after the open house. You’ll have the opportunity to develop a deeper relationship and potentially convert them to a lead.
- Property location: Including the exact location of the properties is necessary. If a buyer cannot find the house easily using their GPS, they won’t attend. It’ll also help you qualify leads better if they are not interested in the particular area.
- Open house time and date: You want to ensure clients show up on the right date and during the allocated times so you don’t miss any prospective leads and follow the wishes of your seller. Limiting event times will maximize the number of attendees and allow you time to perform follow-ups after the event. Open houses can also be by appointment, so you can manage your schedule accordingly.
- Property specifications: Use key features of the listing, like the number of beds, baths, and square footage, to provide a preview of the listing before clients see the property in person. Doing so will attract clients looking for those specific specifications.
- Photos of property: If you have professional photos of the property, include them on your invites. Real estate transactions start from a visual perspective, so clients can see if they would like to learn more about the property from your invite.
- Property pricing: Listing the property pricing can assist buyers in determining if it fits within their budget and if they can consider viewing the property without wasting an agent’s time or their own.
- Consider giveaways or promotional items: Giveaways and promotional items help attract visitors to your open houses. You can use sites like AnyPromo to create real estate-related promotional items that can be a takeaway for your attendees.
For additional tips to increase your open house turnout, check out the following articles:
- 14 Proven Open House Ideas to Entice Multiple Offers (+ Expert Tips)
- How to Host a Real Estate Open House (+ Free Checklist)
- 10 Real Estate Open House Sign Strategies & Tips for Larger Turnout
- Free Open House Sign-in Sheet Templates for Real Estate Agents
Bottom Line
Attracting visitors to your open houses can help you obtain new prospective clients for your business and contribute to your overall success. The invites used should take into consideration the property, your target audience, and use the right calls to action to engage with buyers. Open house invites should be creatively crafted to reflect your brand and promote your open house event.