Open home checklist: the print an agency needs, and when to order it

For an open home, an agency prints a signboard with an open-time rider, directional A-frames, listing brochures, a privacy-aware sign-in sheet, agent cards and leave-behinds, and any state-required price documents. Quantities come from the number of opens and expected groups, and most items dispatch 3 to 9 business days after proof approval.

An open home is thirty minutes in which the property, the agent and the agency are all being judged at once. This checklist sets out what to print, how many to order and when.

What does an agency need to print for an open home?

An agency running an open home typically prints seven things:

• Signboard on the property, with an open-time or auction-date rider where used.
• Directional A-frames for the footpath and nearest turn-offs.
• Listing brochures.
• A sign-in sheet or card designed with privacy in mind.
• DL cards or business cards for every agent attending.
• A leave-behind such as a card or calendar magnet.
• Any state-required price documents, printed and displayed.

What signboard and rider does an open home need?

For an open home, most agencies add a rider strip with the open time ("Open Saturday 11.00") or the auction date to the main board, which usually goes up at the start of the campaign. Riders let one board carry a campaign that changes week to week.

Specify riders at the same time as the board so the colours and type match. Corflute boards and riders are printed on 3mm fluted polypropylene, and the board itself usually dispatches 3 to 5 business days after proof approval. Our corflute signboards start at $315 for five double-sided 900 x 600mm boards. Riders in a non-standard size are quoted by your consultant. Frames, stakes and installation are arranged through your consultant.

Where should directional A-frames go for an open home?

Directional A-frames for an open home earn their keep on corner blocks, in cul-de-sacs and on streets that are hard to find from a main road. A common set-up is one sign at the property and one or two at the nearest turn-offs.

• Steel frame with printed inserts is weighted and weatherproof, and the inserts can be swapped between listings. One is $270, two are $465.
• Flat-packed corflute A-frames are lighter and suit agencies running many simultaneous opens. One is $190.

Keep the insert to the agency logo, "Open home" or "Inspect now", and a large arrow. An address in small type does not help a driver. Councils regulate footpath signs, including where they can stand, how long they can stay out and whether a permit is needed, so check with your local council before placing them.

How should listing brochures be planned for an open home?

An agency should print enough listing brochures for every open in the campaign plus a buffer, because the brochure is the piece buyers take home. Decide early whether the price, auction date or open times appear on it, because each of those can date the print. Our guide to real estate brochure printing covers formats and proof checks in detail. An A3 sheet folded to A4 is $680 for 250 copies.

What privacy rules apply to an open home sign-in sheet?

An open home sign-in sheet collects personal information, so for an agency covered by the Privacy Act 1988 the Australian Privacy Principles shape what it asks, what notice it prints and how it is stored. Recording attendees helps the agent follow up and, where needed, account for who was in the property.

The Privacy Act 1988 applies to most businesses with annual turnover above $3,000,000. Smaller businesses are generally exempt, but the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner explains that the exemption does not apply to some small businesses, including those that trade in personal information, for example by disclosing it to others for a benefit, such as passing buyer details to a broker for a referral fee. Real estate agents also gained obligations under the anti-money laundering reforms from 2026, and small businesses that are reporting entities are treated as covered by the Privacy Act for those activities. Many agencies under the threshold choose to follow the privacy principles anyway, because buyers expect it.

For an agency covered by the Act, the Australian Privacy Principles shape the sign-in sheet in practical ways:

• Collect only what you need (APP 3). Name and mobile or email is usually enough. Leave out home address unless there is a clear reason.
• Tell people why (APP 5). Print a short collection notice on the sheet: who is collecting the information, why, who it may be shared with, and where to find the agency's privacy policy (OAIC APP 5 guidelines).
• Ask before marketing (APP 7 and the Spam Act). Add a separate tick box for consent to receive other listings or newsletters. Commercial emails and texts generally need consent under the Spam Act 2003.
• Keep it secure (APP 11). A single shared sheet on the kitchen bench lets every visitor read the names above theirs. Individual sign-in cards that go into a closed box, or a clipboard the agent holds, avoid that. Store completed sheets securely and destroy them when no longer needed.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your agency's privacy policy and your principal set the rules that apply to you. If you print sign-in cards, put the collection notice on them, in readable type, not on a separate sheet.

What cards and leave-behinds should agents bring to an open home?

Every agent attending an open home needs cards to hand over, and enough of them: a heavyweight card is often the only thing a buyer keeps. Beyond cards:

• DL cards (99 x 210mm) can carry the agent's photo, recent sales or an appraisal offer. On 350gsm board they are $270 for 250. See flyers and postcards.
• Magnets keep the agent's name on the fridge after the campaign ends. Business-card magnets are $630 for 500, and DL calendar magnets are $1,740 for 500. See calendar and card magnets.

Treat these as agent marketing rather than listing marketing: order them per agent, not per property, and reorder on a schedule.

Which state-required documents must be at an open home?

Some states require price information to be available at an open home. In Victoria, agents have had to display price information at open inspections, and new Property Price Statement requirements apply to auctions and fixed-date sales held from 16 October 2026 (Consumer Affairs Victoria). These are usually printed in the office from the approved form rather than designed, but they belong on the checklist so nobody arrives without them. Other states have their own rules; our guide to real estate advertising rules covers the main ones.

How do you work out open home print quantities?

Open home print quantities are planned from the campaign, not from a standard order:

1. Number of opens in the campaign.
2. Expected groups per open, from your records for similar homes in the suburb.
3. Brochures: groups across all opens, plus office and private inspections, plus a 10 to 20 percent buffer.
4. Sign-in cards: the same count as groups, plus spares.
5. Agent cards and magnets: per agent, per quarter.
6. A-frames: per simultaneous open, not per listing, because inserts can be swapped.

How long does open home print take?

Open home print dispatches 3 to 9 business days after proof approval, depending on the item:

• Corflute boards: 3 to 5 business days.
• A-frames: 4 to 6 business days.
• DL cards and flyers: 5 to 7 business days.
• Brochures: 6 to 8 business days.
• Magnets: 7 to 9 business days.

Add time for photography, copy and vendor approval before the proof. For a Saturday first open, aim to approve the brochure proof by the end of the previous week, and the board earlier still so it is up before the listing goes live.

Your consultant can plan the full open home kit with you and keep agent cards on a scheduled reorder. Start with our real estate page or configure A-frame footpath signs directly.