A broker open is a different event from a public open house. The visitors are licensed agents, usually in a hurry, visiting several properties in a morning. They are not there to fall in love. They are there to decide whether any of their buyers should see the house, and to take enough information away to remember it.

That changes what the materials should do. A public open house leaflet persuades a visitor. A broker open sheet equips a professional. The best of them are short, accurate and easy to file.

What agents are looking for

An agent walking through a house is asking a small set of questions, often silently.

  • Does this fit any of my buyers?
  • What are the facts I will need to explain it? Size, rooms, taxes, systems.
  • What has changed recently, and what is included?
  • Is the listing agent organized and easy to deal with?
  • Is there a reason to call the seller's side today?

Materials that answer these questions quickly earn goodwill. Materials that make an agent hunt for the square footage do the opposite.

The invitation

The invitation should reach the right agents before the event, not the whole market. A short email or a card to agents known to work with relevant buyers, plus an MLS broker tour entry, covers most needs. Invitations for an unlisted or pre-market showing follow the same logic, covered in private previews and off-market launch materials.

What it should include:

  • One strong image, the same lead image as the rest of the launch.
  • The address, date, time and any access arrangements.
  • A line stating what the house is, factually. See writing listing remarks.
  • A line about the refreshments, if any, kept understated.
  • Your name, contact details and the brokerage identification.

Design it in the same family as your buyer-facing pieces, but quieter. Agents see dozens of invitations, and the ones that stand out are those that look as if they have been made by someone with taste. Our guidance on open house invitations applies directly, adapted for a professional audience.

The agent feature sheet

This is the key piece. A broker open feature sheet is an expanded version of the standard sheet. See the feature sheet buyers' agents actually read for the foundation. For agents, it can include more detail than the public version, within what your brokerage allows.

Include:

  • The core facts, sourced: bedrooms, baths, square footage, lot, year built, taxes.
  • Systems and updates, with dates as confirmed by the seller.
  • Inclusions and exclusions.
  • Showing instructions, in the form your brokerage allows.
  • Offer instructions, where appropriate: how and by when offers should be submitted, and to whom.
  • Commission or compensation information only if your brokerage and the MLS rules permit it to be printed. Check carefully; practice and rules in this area have changed in recent years and must be confirmed with your managing broker.
  • Disclosures the seller has agreed to share.

Agent-to-agent details like these are not public advertising in the same way as a flyer, but they are still material that bears your name. Keep it accurate and keep it consistent with the MLS.

The brochure and the book

Bring the buyer-facing brochure to the broker open, but do not hand it out by the stack. Place a few copies on the showing table. Agents with a qualified buyer will take one. Agents without will not carry it, and a pile left half-used suggests a listing that is not moving.

For the highest-end listings, a copy of the property book on the table is a statement. A QR code or a short link to the digital edition lets agents send it to a buyer straight away. See our note on digital property books.

The walk-through flow

Materials work best when the event is arranged to use them.

  1. At the door: a small sign-in, with a card on which agents can leave their details and buyer interest. Treat the information as you would any contact data.
  2. In the hall or on the table: the feature sheet, the brochure and a small card with your details.
  3. In the principal rooms: nothing. Let the house speak. Staging, lighting and a clear path matter more than anything printed.
  4. At the exit: a small take-away, sometimes a thank-you card, with the property website address or the digital edition.

Be present but not hovering. Agents prefer to look in peace and ask questions when they have them.

Refreshments and hospitality

Hospitality should match the house. At the high end, understated is right: good coffee, water, perhaps something small to eat. Avoid anything that makes the table look like a party. Remember that food in a staged home carries a risk. Many listing agents choose to serve in a garage or entry where possible.

Follow-up: where the value is

Most of the benefit of a broker open arrives afterwards. A good follow-up sequence:

  • Same day: a brief thank-you to all agents who attended, with the digital feature sheet and a link to the property page.
  • Next day: a personal note to agents who expressed interest, offering a private showing for their buyer.
  • Within the week: an update to the wider agent list, including any feedback you are able to share, in a general form.

Keep the language factual and warm. Avoid pressure. "If you have a buyer who would like to see it again, I am glad to arrange it" does more than any urgency.

Compliance for agent-facing pieces

The materials are still advertising or advertising-adjacent, and the usual points apply.

  • Brokerage identification on invitations and sheets, in the same arrangement as the rest of the launch. See our guide to Illinois advertising rules.
  • Accuracy, especially on square footage, taxes and inclusions.
  • Fair housing. Even in agent-to-agent material, avoid buyer descriptions or comments about neighbors. See Fair Housing-safe listing copy.
  • Brokerage policy. Check how your office treats broker opens, off-market previews and the content of agent-only material.
  • Seller consent for what is shown and shared.

A kit for the table

A simple and complete set for a broker open:

  • A framed or standing card with the address and your name.
  • Stacks of the agent feature sheet.
  • A few brochures, or one property book.
  • A sign-in card and pen, or a tablet if your brokerage permits.
  • A small card with your contact details.
  • A thank-you card, to be mailed or handed to each attendee.

All of it designed together, using the same type and the same lead image. When materials are consistent, the event looks effortless. When they are not, agents notice. The wider set this table kit belongs to is laid out in what a luxury listing launch kit should include.

The unspoken audience

Other agents are also, quietly, your referral network, your future co-brokers and the people who will tell a prospective seller that you are good to work with. A broker open is the one time they see your work up close. The quality of what you put in their hands is a statement about how you run a listing.

Our open house graphics service prepares the complete set for a broker open: invitation, agent sheet, table card, sign-in and follow-up, in the same family as the rest of your launch.