If you're selling a house in Tri-Cities, WA, you may assume having an open house is simply part of the process.

Sign in the yard.

Directional signs on the corner.

Front door open for a few hours on Saturday or Sunday.

Wait for buyers to walk in.

Real estate agents have been doing it forever.

But when one of my sellers asks whether we should have an open house, I want them to understand something:

An open house creates foot traffic. My job is to create qualified buyer interest. Those aren't necessarily the same thing.

I'll absolutely hold an open house if my seller wants one and it makes sense for their situation.

But I don't consider an open house the centerpiece of a modern real estate marketing strategy.

I'm Kim Feliciano, a Tri-Cities, WA REALTOR®, helping buyers and sellers in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, West Richland, and Benton City.

I'm also a Certified Digital Marketing Specialist, and this is where my background has a big influence on how I market homes.

Buyer behavior has changed.

Technology has changed.

The way people discover homes has changed.

Our marketing strategy should change with it.

Do Open Houses Actually Sell Homes?

They can.

I've personally had it happen.

But after hundreds of open houses throughout my real estate career, I can count on one hand how many times the buyer of one of my listings came specifically through my open house.

Actually, I only need one finger.

One.

That's my personal experience. I'm not presenting that as a national statistic or saying your experience will be identical.

But it's one reason I don't tell sellers:

"We have to hold an open house or nobody will see your property."

That's simply not how I approach marketing.

And national buyer data gives sellers even more reason to think beyond the open house.

What Does NAR Say About How Buyers Find Homes?

The National Association of REALTORS®' 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report asked buyers where they found the home they ultimately purchased.

51% said the internet.

29% said a real estate agent.

Only 4% said a yard sign/open house sign.

That 4% number is important to state correctly.

It doesn't mean only 4% of buyers ever attended an open house.

It doesn't mean 4% of homes with open houses sold.

It means 4% of buyers in that NAR survey reported finding the home they ultimately purchased through a yard sign/open house sign.

That's very different.

And there's another piece of the NAR research that's worth knowing: buyers still use open houses as an information source during their search.

So I'm not going to tell you open houses are completely useless.

I'm going to tell you I don't believe they should be confused with a complete marketing strategy.

The Modern Buyer Is Searching Online

Think about how someone starts looking for a house today.

They pull out their phone.

They open a real estate website or app.

They receive a listing from their agent.

They search online.

They scroll through photos.

They watch videos.

They study floor plans.

They send properties to their spouse or partner.

They save favorites.

They eliminate homes they don't want to see.

They ask their agent to schedule the ones they do.

A buyer relocating to the Tri-Cities might be doing all of this from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

That buyer isn't driving around West Richland hoping to spot an open house sign.

They're searching digitally.

That's where I want your property positioned to compete.

Why Do Agents Still Do So Many Open Houses?

Because open houses are a traditional real estate tactic.

Agents are taught to do them.

Sellers expect them.

People recognize them.

And yes, they can generate activity.

But activity isn't automatically the same thing as a qualified buyer.

That's the distinction I want my sellers to understand.

If 20 people walk through your house on Sunday, that sounds exciting.

But who were they?

Were they financially positioned to purchase your home?

Were they actively looking for a house?

Were they already working with an agent?

Were they actually interested in your property?

Or did they see the sign and decide to look around?

Those are very different visitors.

Open Houses Can Invite the Lookie-Loos

Open houses are exactly what the name says.

Open.

Someone doesn't necessarily need to be prequalified to walk through the door.

They don't necessarily need to have an agent.

They don't necessarily need to be ready to buy.

Sometimes people are curious.

Sometimes neighbors want to see inside.

Sometimes someone is at the beginning of the buying process.

Sometimes they just happened to be driving by.

And yes, sometimes a legitimate buyer walks in.

I'm not dismissing that possibility.

I've experienced it myself.

But when we're evaluating whether an open house is worthwhile, I want sellers to understand the difference between people in the house and qualified buyer interest in the house.

Those aren't interchangeable.

Serious Buyers Often Already Have an Agent

Think about the buyer who's financially prepared, actively looking, and ready to write an offer if they find the right home.

Very often, that buyer already has a real estate agent.

Their agent is sending properties.

They're watching new listings.

They're discussing homes.

And when your house catches their attention?

Their agent can schedule a private showing.

They don't necessarily need to wait until Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 because there's an open house.

That's one reason my strategy focuses heavily on making sure the property is positioned to get the attention of buyers before they ever walk through the door.

My Goal Is Not to Get the Most People Through Your Front Door

I want the right buyers through your front door.

That's a different goal.

If I wanted to maximize raw foot traffic, there are plenty of ways to do that.

But you're not selling tickets to an event.

You're selling your house.

I want a buyer to see your property online and think:

I need to see that house.

Then I want them to contact their agent and schedule the showing.

And when they arrive, I want the actual home to support the expectations our marketing created.

Ultimately, I want them interested enough to write an offer.

That's the strategy.

This Is Why Digital Marketing Matters So Much to Me

I'm a Certified Digital Marketing Specialist.

That doesn't mean I think every traditional real estate tactic should be thrown away.

It means I'm looking at where the buyer's attention actually is.

If buyers are discovering homes online, then that's where I want to put serious effort.

Professional photography.

Video marketing.

Drone photography and video when appropriate.

3D tours.

2D floor plans.

Measurements.

Estimated property boundary outlines when appropriate.

Online listing presentation.

Digital distribution.

Social content.

And then watching what happens after the property goes live.

An open house can be another tool in that toolbox.

It isn't the toolbox.

Putting a Sign in the Yard Is Not a Marketing Strategy

I said something similar when talking about professional photography because I think sellers need to hear it.

Putting a listing into the MLS isn't the entire marketing strategy.

Putting a sign in the yard isn't the entire marketing strategy.

Posting the listing on Facebook isn't the entire marketing strategy.

Holding an open house isn't the entire marketing strategy.

Those are activities.

A strategy asks:

Who are we trying to reach?

How are those buyers searching?

What will get their attention?

How are we presenting the property?

What makes them want to know more?

What gets them through the door?

And ultimately:

What helps get a qualified buyer to write an offer?

That's the outcome I'm working toward.

Would I Still Hold an Open House?

Yes.

If my seller wants an open house and I think it's reasonable for their situation, I'll do one.

I'm not going to dig my heels in and say:

"Absolutely not. Kim doesn't do open houses."

That's not my position.

It's your house.

My job is to explain what I know, share the available data, explain my experience, and help you make an informed decision.

If you still want the open house?

Sure.

We'll talk about it.

But I also want to discuss what holding that open house requires from you.

An Open House Isn't Just an Event for the Agent

This is something sellers don't always think about.

If you're living in the home, an open house affects your day too.

The house needs to be ready.

You need to leave.

Your family needs to leave.

Pets may need to leave.

Personal and valuable items need to be secured.

And instead of letting in one scheduled buyer with their agent, we're intentionally inviting members of the public into your home during a set window.

For some sellers, that's no big deal.

For others?

It can be a significant disruption.

If You Have Dogs, Let's Think About the Dogs

Pets can make open houses more complicated.

Maybe your dog gets anxious around strangers.

Maybe your dog needs to be removed from the property.

Maybe taking the dog somewhere for several hours is difficult.

Could we work around that?

Probably.

But the better question is:

Why are we creating that disruption?

If there's a strategic reason for the open house and you're comfortable doing it, okay.

But I'm not going to tell you to repeatedly pack up your dog and leave your house for hours simply because:

"That's what agents do."

I want the activity to have a purpose.

If You Have Kids, Your Life Matters Too

The same thing applies to families with children.

Getting a house showing-ready with kids can already be an adventure.

Now we're asking everyone to leave for a block of time on a weekend.

Maybe that's easy for your household.

Maybe it isn't.

Again, there's no universal answer.

I'm looking at the cost and benefit to you.

If the seller tells me an open house would be incredibly disruptive to their family, that's relevant information.

I'm not marketing an empty box.

I'm helping a real person sell their home.

Accessibility and Disability Considerations Matter

There may also be physical, mobility, health, disability, or accessibility considerations that make leaving the home for an open house difficult.

That matters.

I'm not going to ignore a seller's needs because holding an open house is traditional.

If leaving the property for several hours creates a significant hardship, I want to know that.

We have other ways to market a home.

We have other ways to get qualified buyers through the property.

The seller's well-being is part of the conversation.

Private Showings Give Us More Control

There's a practical difference between a private showing and an open house.

With a private showing, an interested buyer's agent schedules an appointment to show the property.

We know there's an appointment.

The buyer is working through an agent.

There's a specific reason they're entering the home.

That doesn't guarantee they're going to buy it.

Of course not.

But compare that with putting an open house sign outside and inviting anyone who sees it to walk in.

That's a different type of access.

And that's one reason I don't measure the success of marketing simply by how many bodies we can get through the front door.

Scenario: A Seller With Dogs and Kids

Imagine you're selling your home in Richland.

You have two kids and a dog.

Every showing requires a routine.

Pick up.

Get everyone ready.

Grab the dog.

Leave.

Come back.

Now we're discussing an open house that requires your family to leave for several hours.

Can we do it?

Sure.

But before I recommend it, I want to ask:

What are we trying to accomplish that our current marketing and private showings aren't accomplishing?

If the answer is basically:

"Because sellers are supposed to have an open house,"

that's not enough for me.

I'd rather focus on getting the property in front of buyers who are actively looking for a home like yours.

Scenario: A Vacant Home Where the Seller Wants an Open House

Now let's say you're selling a vacant home in Pasco.

Nobody needs to leave.

There are no pets to relocate.

We're not disrupting anyone's weekend.

The home is already prepared and ready for buyers.

You understand the NAR numbers.

You understand my personal experience.

You understand that some attendees may simply be curious.

And you still say:

"Kim, I'd like to do an open house."

Okay.

Let's do it.

That's very different from creating significant hardship for a seller because we're blindly following an old real estate playbook.

Could an Open House Still Produce the Buyer?

Absolutely.

I don't want to overstate this.

A buyer can walk into an open house, fall in love with the property, and ultimately buy it.

I've had it happen.

Out of the hundreds of open houses I've personally done, I can specifically point to one buyer on one of my own listings who came through that route.

So yes, it can happen.

But I'm not going to take something that has happened once in my own experience and present it to every seller as the foundation of my marketing plan.

That's not how I make strategy decisions.

Open Houses Can Have Uses Beyond Finding the Eventual Buyer

There's another nuance here.

A person attending an open house doesn't have to become the eventual buyer for the event to produce useful information.

We may hear reactions.

We may learn what people notice.

We may see recurring questions.

An interested person may tell someone else about the property.

There can be value.

But again, those possible benefits need to be put in perspective.

The question isn't:

Can an open house do anything useful?

Of course it can.

The better question is:

Where should we put our biggest effort if the goal is to sell your home?

For me, that's where modern buyer behavior becomes extremely important.

The Internet Changed the First Showing

A buyer's first experience with your home may happen while they're sitting on their couch.

That's why professional photography is non-negotiable in my listing service.

That's why I care about video.

That's why floor plans matter.

That's why 3D tours can matter.

That's why aerial photography can matter for certain properties.

That's why digital presentation matters.

Before I worry about getting someone to walk through an open house, I want to make sure we're doing everything reasonable to make the right buyers want to see the property in the first place.

Digital Marketing Doesn't Mean Throwing Your Listing Everywhere

I also don't want sellers hearing "digital marketing" and thinking it means I post the house all over social media and hope somebody buys it.

That's not strategy either.

I'm thinking about presentation.

Positioning.

The buyer.

The property.

The message.

Where attention is coming from.

And what buyers do after they see the home online.

When I evaluate my listings, I'm looking at what's happening.

Views.

Shares.

Impressions.

Advertising analytics.

Online leads.

Buyer-agent showings.

Feedback.

Competing homes.

What's going pending?

What isn't?

I don't want to wait 30 days to discover something we could have recognized weeks earlier.

Waiting for the market to happen to us isn't my strategy.

What If We're Getting Online Views but No Showings?

That's information.

And simply scheduling an open house doesn't automatically solve the underlying problem.

If a large number of buyers are seeing the listing online but aren't scheduling private showings, I want to understand why.

Is it price?

Presentation?

Condition?

Competition?

Something about the property?

Is another home giving buyers more perceived value?

Those are more useful questions than:

"Should we put out more balloons on Sunday?"

I want to diagnose the problem before prescribing the tactic.

What If We're Getting Showings but No Offers?

Again, that's different information.

Buyers are interested enough to come.

They're seeing the property.

But they're not writing.

Now I want to look at feedback and patterns.

Maybe the issue isn't exposure at all.

If buyers are already walking through the house, getting another group of people through an open house may not address what's preventing an offer.

Marketing decisions should respond to what we're actually seeing.

Open House Attendance Is Not the Same as Marketing Success

Imagine I call you Sunday afternoon and say:

"Great news! Twenty-seven people came through the open house."

Sounds fantastic.

But then Monday comes.

No calls.

No second showings.

No questions from agents.

No offers.

Was 27 people through the door a successful outcome?

Maybe it produced some useful information.

But I wouldn't tell you we succeeded simply because the house was busy.

Now imagine only three buyers privately tour the property that weekend.

One comes back for a second showing.

One agent asks detailed questions.

And one buyer writes an offer.

Which weekend would you rather have?

That's why I care about buyer intent, not just traffic.

Questions to Ask an Agent About Open Houses

If you're interviewing agents to sell your Tri-Cities home, don't simply ask:

"Will you hold open houses?"

Ask:

Why?

What role does an open house play in your overall marketing strategy?

How are you marketing my home online?

How will buyers find my property before the open house?

Are you using professional photography?

Video?

Floor plans?

3D tours?

Drone photography when appropriate?

What happens after the listing goes live?

What data are you watching?

How will you know if the marketing is working?

What will you change if buyers aren't responding?

Those answers tell you much more than whether someone owns a stack of directional signs.

I'm Not Against Open Houses. I'm Against Automatic Marketing.

That's probably the easiest way to explain my position.

If an open house makes sense, fine.

If my seller wants one and understands what it can and can't reasonably accomplish, let's talk about doing it.

But I'm not going to recommend something simply because that's how real estate has always been done.

Technology has changed too much.

Buyer behavior has changed too much.

The tools available to market a property have changed too much.

The industry needs to keep up.

And sellers deserve an agent who understands not just that things have changed, but how to actually implement those changes into the marketing of their home.

FAQ: Open Houses in Tri-Cities, WA

Should I have an open house when selling my home in Tri-Cities, WA?

Maybe, but I don't consider an open house necessary for every listing.

I look at your situation, the property, your household, our overall marketing strategy, and what we're trying to accomplish before recommending one.

What percentage of buyers find their home through an open house?

NAR's 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report found that 4% of buyers reported finding the home they ultimately purchased through a yard sign/open house sign, compared with 51% who found it through the internet.

That's why I put significant emphasis on digital presentation and marketing.

Do open houses ever sell homes?

Yes.

A buyer can discover a property through an open house and ultimately purchase it.

In my personal experience after conducting hundreds of open houses, I've had one buyer specifically come through an open house on my listing and ultimately purchase that property.

That's my experience, not a guarantee or national statistic.

Are people at an open house prequalified?

Not necessarily.

An open house can attract serious buyers, but it can also attract people who haven't been prequalified, aren't working with an agent, aren't ready to purchase, or are simply curious.

What if I really want an open house?

If you want one and it makes sense for your situation, I'll do one.

My job is to explain the data, my experience, and the potential advantages and disadvantages so you can make an informed decision.

Should I hold an open house if I have dogs or children?

Think about the disruption involved.

If getting your children and pets out of the house for several hours is difficult, I don't automatically recommend putting you through that simply to follow a traditional marketing tactic.

We can discuss whether the potential benefit makes sense for your particular situation.

What if leaving the house is physically difficult for me?

Tell me.

Health, mobility, disability, and accessibility considerations are absolutely relevant when we're deciding how to handle showings and open houses.

There are other ways to market your property and arrange access for interested buyers.

So, Should You Have an Open House When Selling in Tri-Cities, WA?

Maybe.

I'll hold one if you want one and it makes sense.

But I'm going to tell you what I tell my sellers:

An open house creates foot traffic. My job is to create qualified buyer interest. Those aren't necessarily the same thing.

At the time I'm writing this, NAR's buyer research shows a dramatic difference between buyers finding the home they ultimately purchased through the internet versus a yard sign/open house sign.

That shouldn't be ignored.

Neither should your actual life.

If you have kids, dogs, mobility concerns, disability considerations, or anything else that makes vacating your home for an open house difficult, I want to weigh that disruption against what we're realistically trying to accomplish.

I'm not interested in performing real estate activities simply because agents have been taught to do them for decades.

I'm interested in selling your house.

I'm a Certified Digital Marketing Specialist, and I believe modern real estate marketing needs to reflect the way modern buyers actually search.

We can still use traditional tools when they make sense.

But the strategy shouldn't be stuck in the past just because the tactic is familiar.

If you're preparing to sell in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, West Richland, Benton City, or elsewhere in the Tri-Cities, let's talk about what an actual marketing strategy could look like for your property.

Book a time with me here.

Kim Feliciano
Tri-Cities, WA REALTOR®

Helping buyers and sellers navigate the housing market in:

Richland
Kennewick
Pasco
West Richland
Benton City

Website: www.heykimfeliciano.com
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