# Open House Strategy for Sellers: The Seller’s Experience | Coquitlam > How Craig Johnston runs open houses for sellers in Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities: Tuesday launch, Thursday REALTOR sneak peek, weekend hours, printed brochure, music and QR sign-in. **Source:** https://soldbycraig.ca/coquitlam-open-house-seller-guide/ **Author:** Craig Johnston, REALTOR® (BCFSA Licence #187645) · Royal LePage Elite West **Site:** https://soldbycraig.ca --- Open houses · The seller’s experience ## Your open house, planned like a launch — the seller’s experience. For homeowners in Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and beyond who want buyers to walk in already half sold. Here’s exactly how I run it: a Tuesday launch, a REALTOR® sneak peek when demand is there, a focused weekend, a printed brochure, the right music, a QR sign-in that follows up for you — and your home’s story told at the door. [Get my 24-hour Equity Map →](/home-evaluation/) [Book a 20-min strategy call](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) **Reviewed:** November 10, 2026 · **Market data:** GVR October 2026 · **BCFSA Licence:** 187645 · **Brokerage:** Royal LePage Elite West ★ 4.9 · 38+ Google reviews Tri-Cities resident 47+ years Earned on a Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 Earned on a Top 2% Team — Royal LePage nationwide, 2023–2025 The short answer · How should a seller run an open house? Treat it as one part of a launch, not a stand-alone event. I put the sign up on **Friday**, take the listing live on **Tuesday around noon** and build interest through the week. If demand is strong, REALTORS® and their buyers get a **one-hour sneak peek on Thursday**. Otherwise we hold for the weekend: **two hours on Saturday and Sunday, usually between 12 and 4 PM**. Every guest gets a printed brochure, the music suits the home and the season, and a **QR sign-in** sends a thank-you and feedback request about three hours later. I host every open house myself, so the person at the door knows your home’s story. Why the details matter ## A plan built for speed and price. One goal shapes every step on this page: sell quickly, at the strongest price the market will pay, on terms that work for your next move. The open house is where buyers first stand in the home and picture their own life there. Here’s my record so far. **101.8%**average sale price vs. final list price **100.7%**Tri-Cities average vs. final list price **9 days**median time on market **4.9★**Google rating, 38+ reviews My own listings only (not my team’s, and not homes I bought for clients), across Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the coast, 2021–2026, from MLS® records. The Tri-Cities figure covers my Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody listings only. “Final list price” is the asking price after any changes. Google rating as of November 2026. Past results don’t predict future ones, and no open house guarantees a price or a timeline. Timing ## Launch week, day by day. An open house works best when buyers arrive already curious. That curiosity is built in the days before. Here’s the sequence I use, adjusted for each home and each market. 1. PrepThe weeks before ### Everything ready before anyone sees it We listen to your story, clean and declutter, and my stager walks through. Photos, drone video, and measured 2D and 3D floor plans are done and checked. The brochure is written and printed, and I build the playlist. Nothing goes live half-finished. 2. FriFriday ### The sign goes up Neighbours and weekend drivers start talking before a single photo is online. 3. TueTuesday, around noon ### The listing goes live Right when a lot of people check new listings on their lunch break, with a full working week still ahead before the weekend. I load the listing myself, with my brokerage’s approval, so the first thing buyers see is the complete picture: MLS®, REALTOR.ca and your home’s own property website, all at once. 4. Tue–ThuThe lead-up ### Build demand, then read it Social reels go out, the listing reaches my monthly email list, and I talk directly with every agent who calls. I’m listening for how many buyers are serious, how soon they can come through and what they’re asking. That tells us whether a sneak peek is worth it. 5. ThuThursday, 6–7 PM (when demand calls for it) ### A one-hour REALTOR® and buyer sneak peek A focused hour for agents and the buyers they’re working with. Serious buyers get an early look without waiting for the weekend, and their agents see the competition in the room. 6. Sat SunThe weekend ### Two-hour open houses, usually between 12 and 4 PM Saturday and Sunday, two hours each. That window fits how most families spend a weekend: after the morning’s sports and errands, before dinner. Two focused hours keep the energy up and your family’s disruption down. 7. +3 hrsAbout three hours after each open house ### Automatic thank-you and feedback request Every guest who signed in gets a thank-you and a request for feedback while your home is still fresh in their mind. 8. MonAfter the weekend ### Your written report Who came, what they said, which agents are writing, and what I’d change, if anything. Ideally, we review offers 5 to 10 days after launch, so the first weekend’s feedback shapes how we handle them. The Thursday decision ## Sneak peek, or hold for the weekend? Not every listing gets a sneak peek. It’s a call we make together midweek, based on what agents tell me from Tuesday onward. When demand is strong ### A one-hour sneak peek Thursday at 6 PM, for REALTORS® and their buyers. Signs that it’s worth doing: * Several agents ask to show the home before the weekend * Buyers who missed out on similar homes are waiting for this one * Questions about offers come in the first 48 hours When it pays to wait ### Hold everything for the weekend Saturday and Sunday, two hours each. This is often the better choice when: * Interest is steady but not urgent * The home shows best in daylight, such as a view, a garden or a south-facing yard * Buyers are likely to bring family to see it with them * Fewer showings during the week suits your household better **On a real listing:** at 2930 Cougar Court on Westwood Plateau, the Thursday sneak peek brought 15 groups through in one hour. The home went on to sell with [multiple offers](/signature-sales/). The open house experience ## From the curb to the follow-up: what every buyer experiences. Buyers decide with their senses before they decide with a spreadsheet. A buyer who feels at home stays longer. A buyer who stays longer comes back for a second look, and second looks lead to offers. So I plan the whole visit, not just the open door. 1. 1 Arriving ### The street points the way Directional signs go up only where the city’s bylaw allows. The For Sale sign has been up since Friday, so the neighbours are already talking. First impressions start at the curb: a tidy entry, the porch light on, a clear path to the door. 2. 2 At the door ### A 20-second sign-in, and me A “Scan to Explore” sign at the door. Guests sign in on their phone, and returning guests are recognised automatically. I’m the one who greets them, every time. My first question is always whether they’re working with a REALTOR®. 3. 3 Inside ### It feels like a home, not a showroom Lights on, blinds open and a comfortable temperature. A playlist of good music plays at a low level, chosen for the home, the setting and the time of year, with local events in mind. In December that means a gentle holiday mix. It’s never so loud that buyers can’t talk. 4. 4 In their hands ### A printed brochure worth keeping Not a one-page flat sheet: a heavy, folded brochure with measured floor plans, the photos, the full property details and a QR code to the home’s own website. [See a real one below.](#brochure) 5. 5 Walking through ### Room by room, on their phone “Walk me through it” follows the floor plan from the front door, with each room’s photos and measured size. I’m there to tell the story behind each room: what you’ve loved, what you’ve improved, how the street really lives. 6. 6 Questions ### Asked out loud, or in one tap I ask every guest what caught their eye and what gave them pause. Guests who’d rather not ask in front of a crowd tap “Any offers yet?” or “Monthly costs?” and the question comes straight to my phone. 7. 7 After they leave ### The home goes home with them The brochure sits on their kitchen counter. The property website lets a partner or parent walk the home that night. About three hours later, every guest gets a thank-you and a request for feedback, and their answers go into your report. The printed brochure ## A brochure that folds like a book. The real brochure for 102E-3655 Shaughnessy Street, Port Coquitlam: an 11 × 17 sheet folded into a four-page booklet. Open the pages full size: [front cover](https://soldbycraig.ca/assets/oh-brochure-cover.jpg), [inside spread](https://soldbycraig.ca/assets/oh-brochure-inside.jpg), [back cover](https://soldbycraig.ca/assets/oh-brochure-back.jpg). A one-page flyer gets left on the counter. A brochure that opens like a book gets taken home, shown to parents and kept until the offer is written. Every one is designed for the home and printed on heavy, premium stock. * **Front cover:** the photo that sells the home, with the address and the price. * **Inside:** a full-page feature photo, a gallery of the rooms buyers ask about and every detail in one column: MLS® number, size, bedrooms, strata fees, taxes, year built and the home’s best features. * **A QR code** to the home’s own website, with every photo, the video and the interactive floor plan. * **Back cover:** measured 3D floor plans for every level, with room sizes and square footage by floor, so buyers can plan furniture on the drive home. * **For the right home, more pages:** some of my brochures grow to eight pages, with a written story of the home and the neighbourhood around it. On your home’s own website ## Where the sun lands, room by room. “Which rooms get the sun?” comes up at nearly every open house, and it’s hard to answer on a grey Saturday in November. So the property website I build for your home includes a sun and light view: buyers pick a month, slide through the day and watch the sun move around your floor plan on its real path over the Lower Mainland. The rooms in direct sun light up. - **Any month, any hour:** from a December morning to a June evening, with sunrise and sunset times and where the sun rises and sets. - **Floor by floor:** buyers switch between levels and see which rooms are in direct sun at that moment. - **Direct sun by room:** a summer-and-winter table for every room, so the buyer who works from home finds the bright office before they visit. - **Built from your floor plan:** the compass direction comes from the plan’s north arrow or is set by me, and I mark which sides of each floor have windows. - **Honest about its limits:** it can’t see trees, hills or the house next door, and it says so. Buyers are told to check at the time of day that matters to them. A bright kitchen or a sunny back deck is something most listings only claim. Here, buyers can see it for themselves before the open house, and again at home that night. Example: the sun and light view on 11 915 Fort Fraser Rise, Port Coquitlam, June 21 at 3:36 pm, main floor — the kitchen, breakfast nook and balcony are in direct sun. [Screenshot](https://soldbycraig.ca/assets/oh-sun-view.jpg) · [See it live](https://soldbycraig.ca/listings/11-915-fort-fraser-rise-port-coquitlam/) Selling the life, not the square footage ## Your home’s best moments are what buyers are buying. Very often, I’m selling your home to the same couple you were a few years ago: the same stage of life, the same reasons, the same hopes for the next chapter. So before the open house, I ask you the questions that turn a listing into a story. Then that story shapes the listing copy, the property website and my answers at the door. 1. **What made you buy this home?**The reasons you said yes are usually the reasons the next buyer will say yes. 2. **What have you loved most about living here?**The first Christmas in the front room, the morning sun on the deck, the trail at the end of the street. 3. **Where does real life happen?**Where homework gets done, where guests gather and which room everyone ends up in. 4. **What would you tell a friend about the street?**Neighbours, block parties, the walk to school, how quiet it is at night. 5. **What have you improved, and when?**Roof, windows, furnace, hot water tank. Proof of care answers buyers’ questions before they ask. An example (illustrative, not a real client) ### From your memory to a buyer’s decision A family tells me their kids learned to ride bikes on the quiet cul-de-sac, and the neighbours still gather there on summer evenings. They bought it as their first detached home, just as their oldest started kindergarten. **In the listing**A line in the description about the cul-de-sac and the five-minute walk to school. **At the door**When a young couple with a stroller asks about traffic, I can tell them how the street really lives. **In the follow-up**The thank-you email links to the property website, so they can show their parents that night. Everything is specific to your home, and nothing is invented. Buyers trust what feels real. My full listing process, from the first conversation to the offer, is in [How I list a home](/blog/how-i-list-a-home-tri-cities/). Questions at the door ## I ask every guest questions, and they ask me. A sign-in sheet tells you who came. Good questions tell you what they thought. These are the questions I ask at every open house, and every answer goes into your report. ### “Are you working with a REALTOR®?” I always ask this first. I work for you, so if a guest isn’t here with their own REALTOR® and the conversation turns to their budget or reasons for moving, I pause and give them BC’s Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services form (plus the Disclosure of Risks to Unrepresented Parties if they don’t have a REALTOR® at all) before going any further. ### “What caught your eye about this home?” It tells us which features are pulling buyers in, so the next round of marketing leads with them. ### “Which room did you spend the most time in?” It shows where buyers picture their life, and which room is doing the selling. ### “How does it compare with other homes you’ve seen?” Live comparison with the competition, in buyers’ own words. It’s the most honest read on price we’ll get. ### “Is anything giving you pause?” A concern I can answer on the spot (a strata bylaw, a renovation date, the commute) is one that doesn’t quietly kill an offer later. ### “Would you like a brochure to take with you?” Every guest leaves with the floor plans, the photos and every detail in hand, and a reason to come back for a second look. **Buyers ask questions too.** Some guests won’t ask in front of a crowd, so the QR sign-in gives them one-tap questions like “Any offers yet?” and “Monthly costs?” that come straight to my phone. Their questions tell me what to put first in the next brochure and the next listing description. The QR sign-in ## A sign-in that works for you long after the door closes. The sign at the door for 11 915 Fort Fraser Rise, Port Coquitlam. The QR code is blurred here so it can’t be scanned from this page. I built this system for my own listings. Guests scan the code at the door and sign in on their phone in about 20 seconds. In return they get a guided tour of your home on their phone. You get names, feedback and follow-up, without a clipboard. * **Every guest signs in** for the security of your home, and is told at sign-in how their details will be used. * **REALTOR®-aware.** Guests who already have an agent say so, and I follow up through their agent, the right way. * **Returning guests are recognised.** A second visit is a strong buying signal, and I know right away. * **Automatic follow-up** about three hours later: a thank-you and a request for feedback. * **Feedback for you** in writing, not just a head count. * **Their choice.** Guests decide for themselves whether to join my monthly newsletter. ### What guests see on their phone Real screens from my current listing at 11 915 Fort Fraser Rise, Port Coquitlam. The returning guest is a demo name. 1**Scan and sign in**The QR code opens a sign-in page for your home. It takes about 20 seconds. 2**Welcome back**Returning guests are signed in automatically and greeted by name, with confetti. 3**Your home comes first**After signing in, guests see your home at the top, marked “You’re here today”. 4**Questions in one tap**“Any offers yet?” “Monthly costs?” Guests ask me directly, even when the room is busy. ### The room-by-room walk-through As guests move through the house, “Walk me through it” starts at the front door and steps through every room on the floor plan, with its photos and measured size. Buyers understand the layout while they’re standing in it. Later, the same page lets a partner who couldn’t come “walk” the home that evening. See it on a live listing: [11 915 Fort Fraser Rise](/listings/11-915-fort-fraser-rise-port-coquitlam/). Every listing I take gets professional photography, drone video where it’s permitted, measured 2D and 3D floor plans and its own property website, and I pay for all of it. The day itself ## Getting your home ready, and keeping it safe. Show it at its best ### Bright, clean, calm The same rules as any showing, amplified: decluttered, clean, bright and neutral. An open house puts your home in front of many people at once, so a weak first impression multiplies. Lights on, blinds open, a comfortable temperature, and the music low. Protect the home ### Put away what matters Valuables, medications, keys, mail and anything with personal or financial details. Lock or remove small electronics. Before the doors open, we decide which rooms stay closed, and every guest signs in before they walk through. Your family ### Fewer, better showings Concentrating buyers into a sneak peek and two weekend open houses means your family gets the home show-ready a few times, not every evening. I’ll tell you when to leave and when it’s clear to come back. The honest part Open houses by themselves rarely sell homes. I’m not aware of published data on how many Tri-Cities sales start at an open house, so I treat it as one part of a plan alongside MLS® exposure and private showings. In my experience, they work best in the first 7 to 14 days, while interest is highest. If a listing has had weeks of exposure without offers, another open house rarely fixes the cause; that’s usually a price or presentation conversation. For more on when an open house earns its place, read [Do you always need an open house?](/blog/do-you-always-need-an-open-house-tri-cities-2026/) Free guide · 2 pages ### Selling a Tenanted Home in BC Planning an open house in a tenanted home? A printable two-page guide: one page for you as the seller and landlord, one written for your tenant, covering showings, notice and what happens if the buyer wants to move in. [Download the PDF ↓](/pdfs/Selling-a-Tenanted-Home-BC.pdf)[Read the full guide →](/blog/selling-tenanted-property-coquitlam-bc-2026/) PDF, 0.3 MB. No email required. General information, not legal advice. By the numbers ## How quickly homes are selling, city by city. Days on market show how long the homes that sold took to sell. When many sales happen within a few weeks, the first week and the first weekend carry a lot of weight. Days on market by city and home type, October 2026 | City | Detached | Townhouse | Apartment | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Coquitlam | 38 | 23 | 36 | | Port Coquitlam | 46 | 16 | 31 | | Port Moody | 36 | 42 | 18 | | Greater Vancouver | 44 | 36 | 44 | Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS® REALTOR® Report, October 2026 data, released November 2, 2026. Days on market for homes that sold that month; it shows how long homes that sold took to sell. Coquitlam ### Choice means comparison The largest market of the three cities, with 425 detached, 204 townhouse and 575 apartment listings active in October 2026. With that much choice, buyers compare closely, so presentation on the first weekend carries weight. Port Coquitlam ### Signs follow the bylaw Benchmarks typically below Coquitlam’s (detached $1,235,900), which draws buyers stretching a budget. Directional open-house signs follow the city’s Sign Bylaw: side boulevards only, dawn to dusk. Port Moody ### Fewer homes, same buyers A smaller pool of listings (152 detached, 38 townhouse in October 2026), so fewer homes compete for the same weekend buyers. Anmore ### Targeted, not drive-by Detached-only and thinly traded: 3 sold against 36 active listings in October 2026. With so few buyers in the market at once, I plan open houses around targeted promotion rather than drive-by traffic. Belcarra ### Home by home The data set I work from has no Belcarra benchmark, and listings are infrequent, so every open-house decision there is made home by home from individual comparable sales. Beyond the Tri-Cities ### Same plan, local rules I list across Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the coast. The launch plan travels; the sign bylaw, the buyer pool and the best open-house hours are checked for each city. How I work ## After the weekend: feedback you can act on. Judge an open house by what happens next, not by the number of names on the sheet. 1. The evening of each open house ### Every guest followed up The automatic thank-you and feedback request goes out about three hours after each open house. 2. Monday ### Agents called directly I contact the buyers’ agents who came through and ask what held their clients back, or what would bring them to an offer. 3. Monday ### Your report, in writing Who came, second visits, the questions asked and any pattern: price, condition, layout. Consistent comments are worth more than a head count. 4. Before the next weekend ### Adjust, don’t repeat If a pattern appears, we talk it through before the next weekend rather than repeating the same open house and hoping for a different result. [Get a free Equity Map →](/home-evaluation/) [Book a 20-min strategy call](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) What Sellers Say ## 4.9 stars across 38+ Google reviews. [★★★★★](/reviews/) Verbatim quotes from Craig's Google Business Profile. [★★★★★](/reviews/) “Craig sold my property in just 6 days, which is an incredible feat. After receiving one offer, he quickly reconnected with all the other realtors who had viewed the property, and before I knew it, we had multiple offers—all over asking price!” Heather Fox Sold over asking in 6 days · August 2024 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “We received seven offers, and Craig held firm on our priorities: no subject to sale and achieving our price. We took the home off the market over Christmas, but behind the scenes Craig continued working. When we re-listed in January, it sold in just three days to buyers he had been nurturing — at the price we wanted.” Jim Turnbull 7 offers · Sold at target price · Sold + bought January 2026 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “Craig kept me informed of the local market for a couple of years before I asked him to handle my Coquitlam sale. He laid out the strategy upfront, the listing generated a lot of interest, and we had an acceptable offer in under a month. I was stressed going in — Craig helped me overcome a lot of my anxiety. I’ve already introduced him to my sister, who plans to sell soon.” Fj Young Sold Coquitlam in under a month · July 2026 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “Craig was there with us everyday. Guiding us to our next step we were kept informed daily sometimes multiple times a day as to what was happening… Our home sold in only 6 days with multiple offers.” Gerry & Aline Howitson Sold in 6 days, multiple offers · November 2025 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “One of the sales was my Mom’s home. She is 97 and so this was a very emotional issue to be leaving her beloved home of so many years… Craig was extremely patient in explaining the market and was very sensitive to her concerns. We can’t thank him enough for his empathy and understanding in working with an elderly person through a difficult time in a very caring manor!” Ann English 3 transactions · Sensitive elderly-client work · March 2024 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “Craig is a true professional and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell their home. His approach is clear, data-driven and resulted in multiple offers for our sale.” Robert Shin Multiple offers on sale · July 2025 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “Craig Johnston recently sold my townhouse in West Vancouver in less than 6 days for over asking price!!!!! Craig is one of the most prolific and highly motivated realtors I have seen in the Realty business, and I have extensive experience buying and selling properties of all sorts.” Riverplate Equities Seller · November 2023 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “Craig absolutely delivered on his promise of selling my condo, exceeding my expectations. Craig met with me prior to listing and gave helpful advice for making my home shine to potential buyers. The media and internet exposure, salesmanship and presentation were all top tier.” Rich & Andrew Seller · August 2025 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “He went above and beyond what was required and managed to sell our condo at one of the slowest times of the year! From helping with the staging to being available to show to the unit at any time, Craig managed to sell our place when other comparable units nearby had been sitting for weeks!” Alex Kadhim Seller · February 2023 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “No matter value of the property, Craig puts great care into preparing high-quality marketing content, ensuring each listing is presented at its absolute best. Craig presents very professionally and is very responsive with his communications.” Allan Liang Seller · March 2025 · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “His creativity, top-notch communication skills, and a solid plan were instrumental in selling high and buying low. His foresight in negotiation, predicting outcomes before they happened, truly set him apart. He's also humble and very respectful.” Sue H. Sold + Bought · Google Review [★★★★★](/reviews/) “Throughout our journey, Craig demonstrated immense patience and understanding. He went out of his way to provide extra resources and various options to consider on both the buy and sell side.” Justin J. Buyer + Seller · Google Review ‹› [Read all 38+ reviews →](/reviews/) Questions sellers ask ## Open houses for sellers: your questions, answered. Why does your listing go live on a Tuesday? Tuesday around noon is when a lot of buyers check new listings on their lunch break, and it leaves the rest of the week to build interest, talk with agents and decide whether a Thursday sneak peek is worth doing. The sign goes up the Friday before, so neighbours know it’s coming. I load the listing myself, with my brokerage’s approval, so the photos, video, floor plans and property website are all complete the moment it’s live. Who comes to the Thursday sneak peek, and does every listing get one? It’s a one-hour preview, Thursday from 6 to 7 PM, for REALTORS® and the buyers they’re working with. Not every listing gets one. If agents are calling early and buyers are already asking about offers, a focused hour gives serious buyers an early look. If interest is steadier, we hold everything for the weekend open houses. We make that call together midweek, based on what I’m hearing from agents. Why are your weekend open houses two hours, usually between 12 and 4 PM? Two hours is long enough for buyers to fit your home into their weekend and short enough to keep the home busy. Midday to late afternoon is when most families are free, after morning activities and before dinner. I set the exact hours for each home and season, for example to catch the best light on a view or a garden. Will someone else host my open house? No. I host every open house and every private showing for my listings myself, and I don’t use a lockbox. BCFSA strongly discourages using a licensee from another brokerage to host an open house. For me it’s simpler than that: the person at your door should be the person who knows your home’s story. Why print a brochure when everything is online? Buyers see several homes in a weekend, and by Sunday night they blur together. A brochure on heavy paper that folds like a book, with the photos, measured floor plans, every property detail and a QR code to the home’s website, is what they look at again at the kitchen table and show to family who weren’t there. The property website does the rest, with photos, video and the interactive floor plan. Can buyers see which rooms get the sun before they visit? Yes. The property website I build for every home I list includes a sun and light view. Buyers pick a month, slide through the day and watch the sun move around the floor plan on its real path over the Lower Mainland; the rooms in direct sun light up, floor by floor, and a table shows summer and winter sun for every room. It can’t see trees, hills or neighbouring homes, so buyers are told to check at the time of day that matters to them. You can try it on 11 915 Fort Fraser Rise in Port Coquitlam. What happens with the details guests enter when they sign in? Each sign-in comes to me with the guest’s name, phone number and email, and whether they’re working with a REALTOR®. About three hours after the open house, guests get a thank-you and a request for feedback. Guests are told at sign-in how their details will be used, and they decide for themselves whether to join my monthly newsletter. What they tell me about the home goes into your written feedback report. How should I protect my home before strangers walk through it? Put away valuables, medications, keys, mail and anything with personal or financial details, and lock or remove small electronics. Make sure the host can see every room, or limit access to areas that can’t be supervised. Photograph rooms beforehand so anything out of place is easy to spot afterwards. In a strata building, check how visitors will get through the lobby and elevators so you aren’t propping doors open for neighbours. A short walk-through with your agent the day before catches most gaps. Can my tenant stay home during an open house? Yes. BC’s tenancy guidance says tenants may be present when the unit is entered and can’t be made to leave, but they also can’t interfere with the landlord’s legal right to find a buyer. Unless your tenant agrees in writing to a viewing schedule, each entry needs at least 24 hours’ written notice (not a text message) giving the reason, date and time, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. The province asks landlords to avoid several open houses in a short period, so in a tenanted home I agree the schedule with the tenant in writing and often skip the Thursday sneak peek. Are there rules for open house signs in Port Coquitlam? Yes. Port Coquitlam’s Sign Bylaw allows directional real estate signs on the public right-of-way only on side boulevards, from dawn to dusk, with no more than two per city block and three in total for each property, each no larger than 0.28 m² per face and unlit. The sign on the property itself has separate size limits. Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra each set their own rules, so I check the bylaw for the city a home sits in before placing signs. How do I know whether my open house actually helped? Judge it by what happens next, not by the number of names on the sheet. Useful signs are second showings booked, returning guests, buyers’ agents asking for strata documents or disclosure statements, and consistent comments about price or condition that you can act on. If several visitors raise the same concern, that’s feedback worth more than the visit count. A free [home evaluation](/home-evaluation/) before you list helps you read that feedback against where your home is priced. Who’s writing this ## The person at your door is the person who listed your home. ### Craig Johnston, REALTOR® I’ve lived in the Tri-Cities for more than 47 years. I host every open house and every showing for my listings myself, I write every brochure and listing description, and I built the QR sign-in that follows up with every guest. If we don’t share the same vision for how your home should be presented and priced, I’ll tell you before you sign anything. REALTOR® · BCFSA Licence #187645 Royal LePage Elite West Earned on a Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 Earned on a Top 2% Team — Royal LePage nationwide, 2023–2025 Earned on a Medallion Club Team, 2021–2025 4.9 stars · 38+ Google reviews [Read Craig’s full bio →](/coquitlam-realtor-craig-johnston/) [See the signature sales](/signature-sales/) Methodology ## Where this comes from. Sources & Methodology*Show all 6 sources* * **Hosting open houses:** [BC Financial Services Authority — Hosting open houses](https://www.bcfsa.ca/about-us/news/blog/hosting-open-houses). * **Disclosure at open houses:** [BCFSA — overview of the agency and disclosure rules](https://www.bcfsa.ca/industry-resources/real-estate-professional-resources/knowledge-base/practice-resources/overview-changes-agency-and-disclosure-rules). * **Tenanted homes:** [Government of BC — rental property showings and open houses](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/sell-rental-property/showings). * **Open-house signs in Port Coquitlam:** [City of Port Coquitlam Sign Bylaw No. 2638](https://www.portcoquitlam.ca/sites/default/files/2024-10/2638%20-%20Sign%20Bylaw.pdf). * **Days on market and listing counts:** Greater Vancouver REALTORS® REALTOR® Report, October 2026 data, refreshed with each monthly release. * **Listing record:** my own listings from MLS® records, 2021–2026, as described under the figures above. Written and reviewed by Craig Johnston, REALTOR® (BCFSA Licence #187645), Royal LePage Elite West · Last reviewed November 10, 2026. This page describes how I market my own listings. It is general information, not legal advice, and it isn’t a promise of any price or timeline. Not intended to solicit sellers currently under contract with a brokerage. Keep reading ## The guides that go with your launch plan. Each link goes one level deeper on a single part of selling. #### Before you list * [How I List a Home, Step by Step](/blog/how-i-list-a-home-tri-cities/) * [How to Stage a Coquitlam Home](/how-to-stage-coquitlam-home/) * [Pre-Listing Home Inspection](/blog/pre-listing-home-inspection-coquitlam-seller-guide/) * [The Seller Timeline](/coquitlam-seller-timeline/) * [Seller’s Starter Kit (free PDF)](/coquitlam-sellers-starter-kit/) #### Launch and open houses * [The Best Time to Sell in Coquitlam](/best-time-to-sell-coquitlam/) * [Do You Always Need an Open House?](/blog/do-you-always-need-an-open-house-tri-cities-2026/) * [Open Houses: the Buyer’s Experience](/coquitlam-open-house-buyer-guide/) * [Selling a Tenanted Home](/blog/selling-tenanted-property-coquitlam-bc-2026/) * [10 Mistakes Sellers Make](/mistakes-sellers-make/) #### Price, offers and your next move * [Sell Your Home: Price, Terms and Marketing](/sell-your-home/) * [What It Costs to Sell](/what-it-costs-to-sell-coquitlam/) * [Client Case Studies](/coquitlam-real-estate-case-studies/) * [Sell First or Buy First?](/sell-first-or-buy-first-in-coquitlam/) * [Tri-Cities Market Update](/real-estate-market-update/) Tri-Cities monthly ## Know what your market is doing before you list. October 2026 Coquitlam detached HPI is $1,571,400, -7.0% YoY. What that means for your buy or sell decision — without the salesy fluff. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, no listings flood, no marketing automation games. Genuine monthly update from a 47+ year Tri-Cities resident. ## Let’s plan your launch. Start with a free Equity Map of what your home is likely worth in today’s market, or book a 20-minute strategy call and I’ll walk you through the launch week I’d plan for your home. No pressure. [Get a free Equity Map](/home-evaluation/) [Book a 20-min strategy call](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) [Call 604-202-6092](tel:+16042026092)