Updated October 2026. For owners planning a Sunday open house on a home listed by owner or through a flat fee MLS listing.
A Sunday open house works best in the first two weekends after your home hits the market, for about two hours in the early afternoon. Buyers still use them: 48% of recent buyers went to an open house during their search, per NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. As of October 2026, add the date to your listing by Thursday so it reaches the portals in time.
Jump to: 🏠 Why Sunday · ⏱️ Timing · 🪜 Week plan · 🤝 On the day · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- 48% of recent buyers used open houses in their search, and 43% of them found them very useful (NAR, 2025 Profile).
- The typical home sold in a median of 4 weeks, and homes that sold within two weeks got a median 100% of asking price (NAR, 2025 Profile).
- On Beycome, an open house shows on your listing right away; the MLS and portals take 1 hour to 2 business days.
- Open house slots on Beycome are at least 30 minutes, one per day, and the scheduler is free on every plan.
Why is Sunday the classic open house day?
Sunday is the day most buyers have free. They spend the morning on errands or church, look at listings over lunch, and drive around in the afternoon. That habit made the Sunday open house a tradition, and it hasn’t gone away even though most searches now start online.
The numbers back it up. In NAR’s 2025 Profile, 52% of buyers found the home they bought on the internet, yet 48% still went to open houses along the way. Online photos get people interested. A walk-through tells them whether the house feels right, how loud the street is and how the light falls in the kitchen.
Even unusual sellers, like the federal government selling surplus property on GSA’s Real Estate Sales site, count on buyers seeing a property before they bid. For a regular home sale, that moment is the open house. When you sell by owner, it’s also a chance to meet buyers face to face and answer questions yourself.
Saturday works too, and some sellers do both days on the first weekend. For more on picking slots, our guide on the best days and times to schedule an open house compares Saturday and Sunday windows.
When should you hold your Sunday open house?
Hold it soon after the home hits the market. A new listing gets the most views in its first days, because buyers who set up search alerts see it right away. NAR’s 2025 Profile shows a median of 4 weeks on the market for recently sold homes, and the homes that sold in two weeks or less got a median of 100% of their asking price.
So the first and second Sunday matter most. If your listing goes live on a Wednesday or Thursday, the coming Sunday is your best shot. Waiting a month means the buyers who were most eager may have moved on.
| Timing choice | What we suggest | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Which Sunday | First Sunday after the listing goes live | Fresh listings get the most alerts and views. |
| Start time | Noon to 2 pm, or 1 pm to 3 pm | Buyers are free after the morning and before dinner. |
| Length | About 2 hours | Long enough for drop-ins, short enough to stay fresh. |
| How often | Two weekends, then review | If traffic is low, look at price and photos first. |
| When to post it | By Thursday | Portals can take up to 2 business days to show it. |
Check your local calendar too. A big game, a holiday weekend or a town festival can empty the streets. If that’s the case, move to Saturday or the next Sunday.
How do you plan the week before a Sunday open house?
Most of the work happens before Sunday. Here’s the plan we’d follow, counting back from the day.
- Monday: add the open house to your listing. On Beycome, open your dashboard, pick your listing, choose “Add open house” and set the date, start and end time. It shows on your listing right away and reaches the MLS and portals within 1 hour to 2 business days, per our open house scheduling help page.
- Tuesday: order or print signs. You need a yard sign and arrows from the nearest busy road. Our open house signage kit guide covers how many to buy and where to put them.
- Wednesday: print a one-page fact sheet with photos, price, beds, baths, square footage, taxes and HOA dues.
- Thursday: share the date on social media and tell your neighbors. Neighbors often know someone who wants to move to the street.
- Friday: deep clean, declutter and fix small things like burned-out bulbs and sticky doors. Our list of tips to prepare your home for sale has the full checklist.
- Saturday: lock away valuables, medicine, mail and anything with personal data. Plan where your pets will spend Sunday afternoon.
- Sunday morning: open the curtains, set the temperature, put out the sign-in sheet and the fact sheets, and place your signs an hour before the start.
If you’ve never hosted one, our step-by-step guide to hosting an open house walks through the full process, and our Open House Guidelines: Dos & Don’ts covers the etiquette.
Square footage is a common question at the door. Use the figure from your listing and records, not a guess. In some states the rules on measuring are strict; our piece on North Carolina square footage verification shows why it matters.
What should you do during the open house?
Greet people at the door, then give them space. Buyers relax when they aren’t followed from room to room. Stay in the kitchen or living room and be ready to answer questions about the roof, the HVAC, utilities, schools and the neighborhood.
- Ask every visitor to sign in. Our printable OPEN HOUSE Sign-In sheet has name, phone, email and agent columns.
- Write down which visitors came with an agent, and take the agent’s name.
- Keep the home bright and quiet. Lights on, soft or no music, no strong scents.
- Don’t discuss your bottom line. Say you’ll review all written offers.
- Note common questions and complaints. They tell you what to fix or add to the listing.
Safety matters when strangers walk through your home. Have a friend or family member with you, keep your phone charged and lock rooms you don’t want people in. Our tips for a successful home tour cover how to guide visitors and keep things calm.
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Buy a home →What should you do after the open house ends?
Follow up within a day. Text or email the people who left contact details, thank them and offer a private showing. Want as few visits as possible? See how to sell a house without showings. If an agent came with a buyer, reach out to the agent. Many offers come from a second visit, not the open house itself.
Then look at what you learned. If 20 groups came and nobody asked about a second visit, the price or condition may be the issue. If only three people came, the problem may be visibility: photos, the listing description or the signs.
When an offer arrives, compare the whole package, not just the price: financing, inspection period, closing date and any credits asked. If a buyer offers all cash, our guide to the dos and don’ts of negotiating a cash offer on a home helps you check proof of funds and terms.
How does Beycome help with a Sunday open house?
Every Beycome flat fee MLS listing includes a free, unlimited open house scheduler, so you can post each Sunday from your dashboard. Basic is $99 with $0 due to Beycome at closing. Your listing goes on the local MLS and syndicates to the major portals, with the maximum photos the MLS allows and ShowingTime where available.
Enhanced ($399) adds a professional photo shoot with 25 HD pictures, one personalized yard sign and one open house signage package, per Beycome’s plan page read October 26, 2026. If you’d rather have experts run showings, offers and paperwork, Beycome Concierge is $1,399, and you stay in control of every decision. Support is 7 days a week, Artur AI 24/7.
Selling in Florida or Texas? Beycome Title can close the sale: $99 prepaid at checkout in Florida, and a $299 settlement fee per side in Texas.
Frequently asked questions about Sunday open houses
Which actions should be taken when holding an open house?
Schedule it soon after the property hits the market, advertise it on the listing and with signs, and secure valuables. You don’t need to limit advertising or be present only to open and close the house.
What time should a Sunday open house start?
Most start between noon and 1 pm and run about two hours. That fits after morning plans and before dinner.
Are open houses still worth it in 2026?
For many sellers, yes. In NAR’s 2025 Profile, 48% of buyers used open houses, and 43% of those found them very useful.
How far ahead should I post my open house?
Post it by Thursday for a Sunday event. On Beycome it shows on your listing right away, while the MLS and portals take 1 hour to 2 business days.
Should I be home during my own open house?
When you sell by owner, yes. You host it. Bring a second adult, greet visitors and answer questions, but let people look around on their own.
How many Sunday open houses should I hold?
Plan on two weekends. If traffic stays low, review price, photos and description before adding more.
Can I hold an open house on both Saturday and Sunday?
Yes. On Beycome you can add one open house per day, so a Saturday and a Sunday slot on the same weekend both work.
Buyer and seller figures are from NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, read October 26, 2026. Open house scheduling details are from Beycome’s help page and plan details are from Beycome’s plan page, both read October 26, 2026. Prices as of November 2026; Concierge is $1,399. “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing; other closing costs still apply. Beycome lists in 17 states and DC. Beycome Title: Florida, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. Sign rules vary by city, county and HOA. General information, not legal advice.
Sources
- NAR, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (copy hosted by Rhode Island REALTORS), read October 26, 2026.
- GSA, Real Estate Sales, read October 26, 2026.
- Beycome, how to schedule an open house, read October 26, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
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