Thursday, October 1, 2026
Weekend open houses remain an important part of selling a home, but Douglas Elliman agents in Merrick and nearby South Shore communities have been experimenting with another option: opening the doors on a weekday evening, when prospective buyers may have more room in their schedules.
Known as twilight open houses, the events are generally held for about two hours in the late afternoon or early evening. The format resembles a traditional open house, although refreshments can make the weekday showing feel more relaxed. “Some offer food,” said Carolyn Argento, branch manager of Douglas Elliman’s Long Beach and Merrick offices. “We’ll do a plate of sushi or sandwiches, something to pick on, hors d’oeuvres-type food.”
Argento said the idea grew out of a practical challenge. During the summer, weekend schedules fill with beach trips, festivals, concerts, sports and family plans, making it harder for some buyers to devote part of a Saturday or Sunday to touring homes. An evening event gives them another opening without asking them to rearrange an entire weekend.
A twilight showing can fit between work and dinner while allowing buyers to keep other plans intact.
“It’s too late for the beach, and for some people it’s too early for dinner,” she said, describing why that in-between window can work.
Douglas Elliman began testing the format this summer after the idea was raised during an office meeting, and Argento said the response has justified continuing the experiment.
“We’ve been finding more success because it doesn’t take somebody’s whole day if they’re off on weekends,” she said. The goal is to give buyers another practical time to visit.
An evening showing can also present the property differently. Buyers see how natural light moves through the rooms later in the day, how the home feels when interior and exterior lights are on, and whether a patio or other outdoor space suits an evening meal.
“Look at a lot of the pictures of new listings,” Argento said. “A lot of them have a twilight feature where you see the house almost in sunset-type lighting.”
The open house allows buyers to experience that atmosphere rather than seeing it only in photographs.
For sellers, the event creates another opportunity to reach people without relying exclusively on the weekend. A Thursday showing may attract commuters heading home, nearby residents interested in the listing or buyers with weekend commitments. Even as agents add that option, Argento emphasized that the familiar format is not disappearing. “We’re doing weekly weekend open houses, of course,” she said.
The evening does not need to become an elaborate social event. Food can create a welcoming atmosphere and encourage visitors to slow down, but the home remains the focus. Clean presentation, balanced lighting and an easy path through the property matter more than adding entertainment that distracts from the reason buyers are there.
Twilight hours require some additional planning because sellers need to consider both daylight and darkness. Exterior fixtures should work, rooms should be evenly lit and walkways should remain easy to navigate as the light changes. As summer moves into fall, the schedule may also need to shift.
“Possibly we do it at 4 to 6, so we still catch some daylight,” Argento said.
The approach will not replace every weekend open house or suit every property. A home with a large yard may benefit from stronger daylight, while evening hours may work especially well when lighting, a patio or entertaining spaces are selling points. The schedule should reflect the home and the audience most likely to consider it.
Argento described the strategy as putting out “little hooks” to see what works while the market remains active and correctly priced homes continue to sell. Buyers do not all search for homes on the same schedule, and an open house is most useful when it meets them at a time they can actually attend.
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