# How to follow up after an open house on Mac: a plan for realtors in 2026

> Follow up after an open house on Mac: ask for contact details at the door, send a same-day note in Gmail, and track every visitor in Google Sheets.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/for/realtors/problems/open-house-visitor-follow-up
Updated: 2026-11-06

To follow up after an open house, contact every visitor who left details within one day. Send a short, personal note that names the home and one thing they asked about, then set a reminder for a second touch. A 2024 secret-shopper study found most open-house visitors never heard back, so a simple routine stands out.

## Quick answer

- Ask every open-house visitor for an email or phone number at the door, and say why.
- Send one personal note the same day, with the home and one thing they asked about.
- Keep the list in Google Sheets, and put a date on every next touch.
- Ask Lazur to point at Gmail's Templates, dictate the note, and set the reminder.

## What open house visitors never followed up costs you

- **Leads go cold within a day.** In the 2026 Pied Piper study, 73% of phone inquiries got no follow-up by phone, text, or email within 24 hours. Pied Piper's O'Hagan said slow replies give customers enough time to connect with someone else. That visitor can end up talking to another agent by Monday.
- **Visitors you already had in the room.** The DelPrete study found 42% of open-house attendees were never asked for contact information. Those people already walked through the door. An open house takes setup, hours, and a full afternoon of your time. Losing their names wastes the hardest part of the day.
- **Time you do not have.** NAR's 2026 Member Profile, as reported by HousingWire, shows a median of 35 hours worked per week in 2025. That figure was unchanged from the year before. A follow-up routine has to fit inside that week. If it needs a full evening, it will not happen on a busy Monday.
- **What your time is worth.** BLS puts median pay for real estate brokers and sales agents at $57,400 in May 2025. For sales agents alone, the median is $52,830. That is a median, not a promise, so check your own numbers. A few lost buyers can cost more than the time a routine takes.

## Why it happens

1. **Nobody asks for contact details.** The DelPrete study found that 42% of open-house attendees were never asked for their information. An unasked visitor cannot get a follow-up, no matter how good your email is. The fix starts at the door, not in the inbox. Sign-in is the first step of follow-up, not paperwork.
2. **The sign-in becomes the finish line.** Of the visitors who were asked for contact details in the DelPrete study, about a third never got a follow-up by phone, email, or text. People treat the clipboard as the end of the job. It is the start. A list with no next date on it is a list that gets forgotten.
3. **No one owns the next step.** Pied Piper's test found some brokerage offices only gave the caller an agent's name and number. That leaves the customer to make the next call. The same gap can open after an open house when several people each assume someone else will reach out. Decide who owns each list before the event starts.
4. **Replies wait for a free moment.** Slow replies usually have a simple cause. The reply waits for a free moment, and a busy week fills up with other work. A note that waits until later often becomes a note that never gets sent. Put the first message on the calendar before the open house, not after.
5. **The sign-in data is messy or broken.** A sheet with unreadable handwriting or a form that does not load loses names quietly. In the Pied Piper test, nearly 1 in 10 online inquiry forms did not work properly. Test every form on the phone you will hand out, and check the sheet before you leave.

## How to fix it

- **Ask for contact details at the door, with a reason.** Say what you will send, such as a price history or a school map. Ask for an email first, then a phone number. If the visitor says no, thank them and move on. Do not argue at the door.
- **Build one list before the open house starts.** Choose paper, a linked form, or a tablet and stick with it. Put the property address at the top of the sheet. Use one sheet per open house so names never mix with other listings.
- **Send one personal note the same day.** Write one Gmail template with a placeholder for the home and one line for the thing the visitor asked about. Send one message per person, from your own account. Keep the wording short enough to read on a phone.
- **Schedule the later check-in while the visit is fresh.** Use Gmail's Schedule send so the follow-up goes out on its own day. Add a new fact to it, such as a nearby sale or a new listing. Do not send a bare check-in that only asks whether they are still interested.
- **Own the handoff on phone calls.** Pied Piper found 97% of phone calls connected, but only 33% talked with an agent on the first call. When a visitor gives a number, put a call in Reminders with a date and time. Log the outcome in your sheet so the next person knows where things stand.
- **Follow your brokerage's rules on personal data and texting.** Ask your broker how long to keep sign-in sheets, where to store them, and when you can text someone who did not opt in. Those rules come first, before any template or tool.

Most open houses end with a clipboard, a handful of names, and a promise to call. Then the Monday inbox takes over. This page shows you how to close that gap with tools you already have, and how to judge the evidence behind the warnings.

![Realtor greeting visitors at an open house, ready to ask for contact details to follow up after an open house](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/open-house-visitor-follow-up/follow-up-after-an-open-house-1-e2fe20.jpg)

## What the research says about open-house follow-up

The clearest study is a 2024 secret-shopper project by Mike DelPrete. Shoppers attended open houses posing as buyers, then tracked who followed up. DelPrete's write-up reports that 62% of open-house shoppers had no follow-up after touring a home. The sample sizes differ between write-ups. Inman says roughly 30 brokerages and more than 100 shoppers took part, while DelPrete's own page says over 25 brokerages.

- **62%** of open-house shoppers had no follow-up after touring a home, in a 2024 secret-shopper study ([source](https://www.mikedp.com/articles/2024/8/13/secret-shopping-47-of-online-property-inquiries-are-ignored))
- **42%** of open-house attendees were never asked for contact information ([source](https://www.inman.com/2024/07/30/delprete-secret-shopper-sting-reveals-agents-lose-hosts-of-leads/))
- **73%** of phone inquiries got no follow-up within 24 hours, in the 2026 Pied Piper study ([source](https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2026/10/real-estate-inquiries-often-fail-reach-agents))
- **35 hours** median hours worked per week by REALTORS in 2025, per NAR's 2026 Member Profile ([source](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/nar-2026-member-profile-experience/))

> **Read these numbers with care:** The 62% and 42% figures come from an open-house secret-shopper study. The 73% and 68% figures come from a commercial test of 2,198 phone and web inquiries across 21 large brands, not from open houses. That test is not peer reviewed. Use these numbers as a warning sign, not as a benchmark for your market.

The research also measured reply speed. In the DelPrete work, online property inquiries had a median response of 39 minutes during weekday business hours. The average was 8 hours 17 minutes. Those figures cover online inquiries, not open-house sign-ins, but they show how far a few slow replies can drag the average.

## Set up the sign-in step first

Your follow-up is only as good as the list. Decide how visitors will sign in before the doors open. Paper and a digital form both work. The right choice depends on how many people you expect and whether you can count on a signal at the house.

![Clipboard sign-in sheet on a table near the front door of a home](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/open-house-visitor-follow-up/follow-up-after-an-open-house-3-9bbfc5.jpg)

| Sign-in method | Good for | Watch for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paper sheet | No tech needed, fast to start | Messy handwriting, lost pages, retyping later |
| Google Form linked to a Google Sheet | Clean columns, free with a Google account | Test it on the phone you will use at the door |
| Tablet with the form open | Visitors type their own details | Someone must watch it and keep it charged |

_Three ways to capture visitor details at an open house._

If you use a form, ask only the essentials: name, email, phone, and what they liked. Every extra field gives someone a reason to leave. In Google Forms, open the Responses tab and choose the Sheets icon to send answers to a spreadsheet.

Ask for details as a trade. Say what you will send. I can email you the price history and the school map gives the visitor a reason to say yes. A reason makes the question easier to answer than a bare request for an email.

These sign-in mistakes show up again and again:

- Asking only for a phone number. Some visitors will give an email when they will not give a phone.
- Taking one name for two people. Ask for both names, and both contacts if they want updates.
- Leaving the sheet without the property address. Write the address on the first line so the list makes sense later.
- Skipping the ask when a team member greets people. Teach everyone the same question before the event.

## Open house follow-up email that gets read

Write one template, then personalize it. Change the home and the one thing the visitor asked about or lingered over. Keep the note short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. Send it from your own Gmail account so replies come back to you.

Here is a starting point. Hi [first name], thanks for coming through the open house at [address] on Saturday. You asked about the backyard, so I attached the lot survey and the fence permit history. Happy to walk through the numbers this week. Would a call on Wednesday work?

![Agent typing with a laptop, planning how to follow up after an open house](https://lfobmih1tpj3sgpo.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/content-images/problem/open-house-visitor-follow-up/follow-up-after-an-open-house-2-23dd14.jpg)

### Turn on Gmail templates once

Open Gmail and choose Settings > See all settings > Advanced. Find Templates, select Enable, then click Save Changes at the bottom of the page. Open a new message, click the three dots at the bottom of the compose window, and choose Templates > Insert template.

Name the template Open house follow up so it is easy to find. Review the wording once a month. Old property details are the most common reason a good template goes stale.

## When to send the check-ins

A later note should add something new. Use a recent sale nearby, a price change, or a floor plan the visitor did not see. A check-in that only says just following up rarely earns a reply. Schedule it while you still remember the visit.

In Gmail, click the arrow next to Send and choose Schedule send. Pick a date and time. The message waits in the Scheduled folder until it goes out, and you can open it there to edit first.

Stop when the visitor asks you to stop. Reply with one line that confirms it, then mark them closed in your sheet. The rule is simple, and it saves you from an awkward thread later.

## Track the list in Google Sheets

A small open-house list fits in one sheet. Use these columns: Name, Email, Phone, Property, Visit date, Interest, Next touch, and Status. Status can read New, Contacted, Replied, or Closed.

Freeze the top row with View > Freeze > 1 row so the headings stay visible as the list grows. Add a filter with Data > Create a filter. Then filter Status for New to see who still needs a first note.

Fill the Next touch column with real dates. Sort by that column each morning. A visitor with no date is a visitor who will be forgotten.

## Calls, texts, and the handoff

Email is not enough for every visitor. The Pied Piper study found 97% of phone calls connected with someone. Only 33% talked with an agent on the first call. Some offices gave the caller an agent's name and number and left the next step to the customer.

If a visitor gave you a phone number, own the next step. Say when you will call back, then put that call in Reminders. In the Reminders app, press ⌘N, type the task, and set a date and time. Check your brokerage's rules before you send any text message.

## Mistakes that stop a good follow-up

- Waiting for the perfect listing update. A short note today beats a long one next week.
- Sending one blast to everyone. A visitor who asked about schools needs a different note from one who asked about the garage.
- Pasting the whole sign-in list into the To line. Send one message per person, and follow your brokerage's rules on personal data.
- Never testing the form. In the Pied Piper test, nearly 1 in 10 online inquiry forms did not work properly.

> **Quick check before the open house:** Sign in as a visitor on your own phone. Check that the row appears in the sheet, then delete the test row. A few minutes now saves a Monday of missing names.

## Data rules and visitors who are not ready

Visitor details are personal data. Follow your brokerage's rules on how long you keep sign-in sheets, where you store them, and when you can contact someone who did not opt in. Rules differ by state and by brokerage, so ask your broker before you build a large list.

Not every visitor is ready to buy. The DelPrete study measured follow-up, not sales. A visitor who is still looking may refer a friend later, so keep them in a low-touch group. Send one useful update, such as a new listing in their area, and leave the rest of the schedule alone.

Treat the sign-in list as the start of a relationship, not as a sales trophy. The visitors who feel respected are the ones most likely to call you back when they are ready.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Hold fn and say: Thanks for coming by Saturday, and here is the lot survey you asked about.”: Lazur types the text at your cursor in the Gmail compose window. You read it, fix any details, and press Send yourself. (Types what you say)
- “Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask where Templates is in Gmail”: Lazur draws a circle and a label around the option on your screen, so you can click it yourself.
- “Ask Lazur to walk you through turning on Gmail templates”: Lazur guides you one click at a time and waits for each click. You do every click yourself.
- “Hold fn and dictate your open house follow-up note”: Clean, formatted text appears at the cursor in any app, including Gmail. You check it before you send.
- “Ask Lazur what COUNTIF does in the sheet on my screen”: Lazur explains the formula out loud, using the sheet you have open, so you can change the range yourself.
- “Ask Lazur to remind me to call the visitor on Thursday”: Lazur adds a task to Apple Reminders. It does not place the call or send the text for you.

## A plan you can start this week

- **Before: Test the sign-in on your phone.** Open the sign-in form on the phone you will use at the door. Submit a test entry, then check that it lands in the sheet. Write the property address at the top of the sheet. Bring a paper backup in case the signal drops.
- **Open house: Ask at the door, every time.** Greet each visitor and ask for an email first, then a phone number. Give a reason, such as a price history or a school map. If they say no, thank them and move on. Note what they asked about in the sheet while it is fresh.
- **Same day: Send the personal notes.** Open the sheet and filter the Status column for New. Insert your Gmail template, add the home and the question they asked, and send one note per person. Dictate the personal line if typing feels slow.
- **Day 2: Make the phone calls.** Call the visitors who gave a phone number and offered a time to talk. If you reach voicemail, leave a short message with your name and the property. Log the outcome in the Status column before you move on.
- **Day 7: Send the check-in.** Send a short note with one new fact, such as a recent sale nearby or a new listing. If they reply that they have bought elsewhere, mark them closed and stop. Review the sheet and note which message got a reply.

## FAQ

### How soon should I follow up after an open house?

Same day is the goal, and the next morning is the outer limit for a first note. Pied Piper used 24 hours as its window, and most inquiries in that test missed it. A same-day note is hard for most people to match, which makes it easy to stand out.

### What if a visitor gave no email or phone number?

You cannot follow up with them directly, so the fix happens at the door. Ask again with a reason, such as a price history or a school map. If they still refuse, let it go and do not try to find them another way.

### Do I need a CRM for this?

No. A Google Sheet and Gmail templates cover a small open-house list. Follow Up Boss, a web-based CRM, lists its Grow plan at $69 per user per month, or $58 per user per month billed annually, with a 14-day free trial. Check their pricing page before you decide, since prices exclude tax.

### Can Lazur send these emails for me?

No. Lazur drafts and types text, and it can dictate into a window you already have open. It does not click Send, and it does not operate Gmail or Sheets for you. You review each note and send it yourself.

### Is it okay to text open-house visitors?

Check your brokerage's rules and your state's rules before you text anyone. Consent matters. If a visitor did not agree to texts, use email or a call instead. When in doubt, ask your broker before you send.

### How reliable is the 62% number?

It comes from one secret-shopper study by Mike DelPrete, published in 2024. Sources disagree on how many brokerages took part, and the fieldwork dates were not stated. Treat it as a warning sign, not a precise rate for your market. Your own sign-in list is a better test.

## Sources

1. [Secret Shopping: 47% of Online Property Inquiries Are Ignored](https://www.mikedp.com/articles/2024/8/13/secret-shopping-47-of-online-property-inquiries-are-ignored), Mike DelPrete, checked 2026-11-06
2. [DelPrete 'Secret Shopper' Sting Reveals Agents Lose Hosts Of Leads](https://www.inman.com/2024/07/30/delprete-secret-shopper-sting-reveals-agents-lose-hosts-of-leads/), Inman, checked 2026-11-06
3. [Real estate inquiries often fail to reach agents](https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2026/10/real-estate-inquiries-often-fail-reach-agents), Florida Realtors, checked 2026-11-06
4. [More Than Two-Thirds of Real Estate Inquiries Fail to Connect With an Agent, Pied Piper Study Finds](https://lifestyle.middletownlifemagazine.com/story/732013/more-than-two-thirds-of-real-estate-inquiries-fail-to-connect-with-an-agent-pied-piper-study-finds/), Middletown Life Magazine, checked 2026-11-06
5. [NAR 2026 member profile shows Realtors more experienced](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/nar-2026-member-profile-experience/), HousingWire, checked 2026-11-06
6. [Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents: Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/real-estate-brokers-and-sales-agents.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, checked 2026-11-06
7. [Follow Up Boss Pricing](https://www.followupboss.com/pricing), Follow Up Boss, checked 2026-11-06