What Are Open Houses? Open houses are a marketing activity performed by a licensed real estate agent, usually on a weekend, whereby a home seller's property is open to the public for a designated time period. Open houses typically last for a couple of hours, when people can come and go at their leisure. There is no appointment or qualifications necessary to enter the home. If you look, you're bound to see weekend open houses in your area. During an open house, the property is typically showca...