I attended fourteen open homes across Sydney’s Inner West and Eastern Suburbs last month, partly for research and partly because I’m a property nerd who can’t help herself. The gap between agents who’ve embraced digital tools at open homes and those who haven’t is getting wider every week.

The good news? You don’t need to spend a fortune to run a polished, digital-first open home. Here’s what’s working in the Sydney market right now.

Registration: Ditch the Paper Sign-In Sheet

This should be obvious by now, but I still see paper clipboards at roughly half of open homes. Paper sign-in sheets are slow, illegible, and create a bottleneck at the door. More importantly, they make it impossible to follow up effectively because you can’t read half the email addresses.

Digital registration options that work well:

QR code on entry. Print a large QR code on a foam board by the front door. Link it to a simple form (your CRM probably has this built in). Buyers scan with their phone and enter their details in 30 seconds. Place a second QR code inside for anyone who walked past the first one.

Tablet on a stand. A cheap iPad on a floor stand running your CRM’s open home app. HomePrezzo and the built-in tools in AgentBox and Rex all work well. This catches the people who don’t want to use their phone or don’t understand QR codes.

Both. This is the right answer. QR for the tech-savvy majority, tablet for everyone else. Budget: about $400 for a refurbished iPad and a stand, then $0 ongoing because the software is part of your existing CRM subscription.

The Property Information Pack

Printed brochures still have a place, but they shouldn’t be your primary information delivery method. Here’s the modern approach:

Digital property pack via QR code. Create a single page (one QR code, prominently displayed on the kitchen bench or dining table) that links to a comprehensive digital property pack. This should include:

• Floor plan (interactive if possible)
• Strata report summary (for apartments)
• Recent comparable sales data
• Building and pest inspection report (if available pre-auction)
• Council zoning information
• Body corporate fees and by-laws summary (for strata)

You can build this in Canva or use dedicated tools like Campaigntrack that are designed for real estate marketing.

Why digital beats print. First, you can update information instantly. Found out the strata levies increased? Update the digital pack in two minutes. Second, you can track engagement. You’ll know how many people opened it, how long they spent reading, and which sections they looked at. That intelligence is gold for follow-up conversations.

Video and Virtual Elements

For a standard open home (not a luxury listing), here’s what’s worth doing:

A 60-second video walkthrough on loop. Set up a tablet in the living room playing a short, professional video walkthrough. This gives people context for what they’re seeing and catches the features they might miss on a quick walk-through. You can film this yourself with a smartphone and a gimbal. Don’t over-produce it. Authentic and informative beats polished and generic.

Neighbourhood information. This is underused and incredibly effective. Create a simple screen (tablet or even a laptop) showing a map with key amenities: schools, parks, public transport, cafes, medical centres. Distance and walk times to each. Buyers always ask these questions. Having the information ready makes you look prepared and saves you from repeating the same answers fifty times.

Don’t bother with VR headsets at standard open homes. I’ve seen agents bring virtual reality headsets and nobody uses them. People are there in person. They don’t want to strap a headset to their face. Save VR for off-plan and interstate buyer situations where it solves a real problem.

The Wi-Fi Question

If the property has active internet, ask the vendor if you can share the Wi-Fi password with attendees. This might seem trivial, but it matters for two reasons:

1. It helps buyers test the internet speed, which is now a genuine purchase consideration for anyone who works from home.
2. It ensures your digital registration and QR codes work even if mobile reception in the property is poor (looking at you, thick-walled federation homes in Marrickville).

If there’s no active internet, bring a mobile hotspot. A Telstra Nighthawk or similar device costs about $300 and pays for itself in smoother open home operations.

After the Open Home

The real advantage of a digital-first approach is what happens after everyone leaves.

Within two hours of the open home closing, every registered attendee should receive:

1. A personalised email thanking them for visiting (automated through your CRM)
2. A link to the digital property pack if they haven’t already accessed it
3. A direct line to you for questions

Within 24 hours, follow up with anyone who spent significant time on the property pack (your digital tools will tell you who). These are your serious buyers. A quick phone call to ask if they have questions converts far better than a generic email blast.

The Cost of All This

Let me break it down:

• Refurbished iPad and stand: $400 (one-time)
• Mobile hotspot: $300 (one-time) plus $30/month data plan
• QR code signage: $50 per property (or reusable foam board)
• Digital property pack creation: 30 minutes of your time using existing tools
• CRM open home features: included in most plans

Total upfront investment: about $750. Total ongoing cost per open home: essentially zero beyond what you’re already paying for your CRM and marketing tools.

For that investment, you’ll look more professional, capture better data, and convert more effectively. That’s a trade I’d make every time.

Linda Powers is a Sydney-based real estate technology analyst and licensed agent.