If it's a good fit, you'll probably have something in common with the other roommates. First, ask a couple of questions about the apartment, then ask about who lives there, what they're studying/working on.

If you feel it's a good fit, let them know you are interested and ask them what the next steps are (submit an application, send an email, contact the landlord). Remaining in contact is the best way to stay top of mind. Be as flexible with moving dates as you can be, and offer to put a deposit on the place. You have to do all this while not being pushy, let them take the lead but make sure to ask the right questions to steer the conversation towards you living there.

Uh, really? People do that? If the selection process isn't working for you, then that might be a clue that the roommate situation would work, either.

I've never done any open house style ones, but in one-on-one meetings I try to find some connection between us, especially if it's a little odd. It also serves to better get to know them, and see if I even want to live with them.

My experiences with these open houses is that the roommates do a lot of initial weeding out based on the emails you sent them. So if you're getting invited to the open house, you've already passed the first test. The open house is a time for them to put a face to the name, and to let them see that you're not crazy and/or unwashed. So when you meet in person, shake their hand and mention something from your email, "Hi, I'm Jane. I emailed you Friday...I work at Etsy?"

Other than that, dress well and show up ready to hand them a month's rent immediately. Compliment the apartment, talk about how much you love the neighborhood, etc. After you leave, send a short follow-up email talking about how nice it was to meet them, how lovely the apartment is, etc. Nothing too over-the-top (i.e. "We will be such great friends!" unless they've said something that suggests they want a close relationship), just something to prove that you're serious, responsible, and legitimately interested in living with them.

And don't get discouraged! This kind of thing gets very competitive.

Just curious, are these occurring in Brooklyn? It just sounds very Brooklyn to me.

Bring top-shelf booze.

Really has me laughing, this one. It sounds way too much like a sorority/fraternity audition. I'd rather eat ground glass.

I second Emma Bee's advice. I've done what I can to avoid these cattle-call open houses (which always give the impression that they're more interested in my credit score than my personality), but sometimes they can't be helped. The best you can do is be friendly, be sane, and be yourself.

One thing that can help is to mention your hobbies, geographical background, and other details/interests (perhaps in your follow-up email, if you don't get any face-time). At the very least, it will help distinguish you from all the other friendly, sane applicants—"oh, she's that French major who's into roller derbies!"—and at best you'll find a mutual interest with one of the roommates, which might give you a bit of a leg up.

Good luck!

They also occur in San Francisco, or anywhere the market is unbalanced..

I meant to mention that I've actually hosted a few of these. Emma Bee is right, the emails you send prior to the open house are important since that's what's going to get you invited in the first place. Be descriptive about your personality and what you do in your first contact. I've received a lot of emails like "Yo, is the room still available? I'll take it if it is." who usually don't get a response. If you sound like a normal person you'll probably be invited.

The house I did this with was extremely popular on Craigslist every time we posted a room for rent. It was literally a stones throw from the University of Toronto campus, huge, beautiful, victorian with a yard, a porch and roommates who cared about the place and each other, and the rent was really affordable. Because of these reasons, we got over 100 responses in the first day of posting it each time. Of those, we would probably invite 30 people (total) to 2 open houses just to be efficient. Getting the three remaining roommates in the same place for more than an hour or so was difficult, so having an open house was really the only way for us all to get to meet everyone without wasting a lot of everyone's time (potential tenants included).

The people who introduced themselves, asked questions, and came prepared with documentation and deposit were always the ones we considered seriously. Other people would email after the open house who we coudn't remember meeting at all telling us that they loved the place and wanted to take it... We never took the deposit on the first night, but it was a good sign when it was offered, shows financial stabililty and seriousness.

Complimenting the place also helps, not only the physical space, but the owner's decoration. Look for something to connect to the potential roommates with. My roommate had a large record collection and anyone who commented on it went to the top of her list immediately!

I went through a series of Craigslist sublets after a breakup about 2 years ago, and the best advice I ever got was the opposite of what you might think - which was to try NOT to stand out too much. I had been meeting dozens of people, found a few apartments I totally loved, and continued not to be selected as a subletter (and I'd say I'm a very normal, employed, likable mid-twenties female). A friend of mine who had gone through a similar experience advised me that really what people are looking for is someone who is not too intrusive, whose energy doesn't dominate when sharing a space, but is friendly and normal. I took her advice, and instead of trying to be particularly charming/funny/interesting when I met people, I toned it down. I gave a fairly straightforward picture of my life and habits, without rambling on, and I asked responsible questions about bills and the landlord. And what do you know, the second I took her advice, pretty much every place I saw for a few days ended up getting offered to me. Kind of like dating, the less hard you seem to be trying, the more other people will feel comfortable with you, no?

If I were looking to be someone's roommate, an open house would be a litmus test alright - for a place I didn't want to live. I understand the 'efficiency' of the idea, but I avoid putting myself in the position of beef in a cattle call whenever possible. If you are the same way but considering the idea nonetheless to find a roommate, you might end up not getting the type of person you actually would like best.

I've done several of these - my recommendation is to bring a friend that you have a good rapport with. It's easier to be charming when you have a friend who knows you well to banter back and forth with and keep the conversation going when it lags. It also helps to have a second set of eyes to spot potential problems you might not see and ask questions about the house and neighborhood.

This happens in DC as well.

I definitely second the information in the email beforehand and trying to establish a common connection with the roommates.

Ugh - this sounds awful. Like a previous poster said, these "cattle-call" open houses would send me running - in the opposite direction.

I agree with several of these comments. Be kind and friendly, ask a few questions, and let them know you're interested, but be yourself. If they give you their email address or something, be sure to send a thank you email after the open house, or better yet, a card since you have the address.

It's also good to stand out physically (though not over the top) so when you remind them who you are in a follow-up, they'll be able to pick you out in their mind through all the faces they saw during the course of the open house. I was once chosen in a sea of nondescript faces at an open house based solely on a funky jacket that I was wearing that my future roommate really loved. I was able to refresh her memory when we spoke on the phone, by telling her I was the one wearing the jacket. Wear a bright color or an eye-catching piece that someone is sure to notice.

As someone who has hosted a couple of these (for sublets and for long-term roommates), this is actually a very common occurrence in cities like DC where transience is common and the market for viable housing vastly outweighs the need. Living in a group house that is in a great area with an extremely desirable rent, the number of 'applicants' we will receive from a Craigslist listing is almost overbearing, and trying to balance interviews with everyone's busy schedules is near impossible. No one's trying to treat anyone like cattle...That being said:

- If you decide to go to the open house, definitely don't show up right as it starts (you won't be judged on punctuality). You'll likely be grouped in with a larger group of people and won't get much of a chance to get to know the people. This also limits being overshadowed by big personalities. If possible, hang around until you know there aren't many people checking out the space.
- Be sure that you liken yourself to whatever you wrote in your email. You want to warrant the response, "oh, you're the one who does such and such." This gives your potential roommates the sense that they already know you a little bit. In conjunction, be sure your 'applicant' emails are thorough and say a little bit about who you are as a person.
- Be sure to actually spend time with the roommates. Yes, the space you're potentially going to be living in is important, but the people you have to share the space with are more important. Try to find common ground that you can relate on. You need to leave a lasting impression with them.
- Most importantly, this all comes from being yourself. No matter the situation, we humans can sense when someone is being fake or uncomfortable. Try to imagine you're casually hanging out with your potential roommates.

Unfortunately, you're not going to be a good fit for some people even if you love the place, but in that case, you wouldn't want to live there anyways would you?

Why not bring a leave-behind? For example, a half-letter (large post-card) slip of paper with just a few key details including your name, thumbnail photo, contact info, couple of biographic details (you're a student/ you work full time at XYZ/ you like to cook / and you're a neat-freak), and leave a space for a hand written short note, e.g.: "Hi Jane/John, thanks for having me to your open house. I love the view and am ready to provide first/last & security deposit today. I'd love to be your new housemate. cheers!"

Wow, all of these people are pretty clueless if they think these attrocities are uncommon. Living in SF, and I assume New York, London, etc this is usually the norm. Right now in SF with more people renting it is how they can quickly find a person. In the past I never would see an open house, now every apartment I find is an open house and 20 is no exageration. I have found ones with 100 people showing up for a good price in a good neighborhood.

This unfortunately is very common in DC. I've tried every trick, bringing beer, wine, even once bringing Georgetown cupcakes (I had a lively conversation with the roommates for TWO HOURS...they flipped a coin between me & another girl and I loss the coin toss).

What probably works best is bringing a personal fact/FAQ so the roommates remember you. Best of luck!

Never heard of these open houses (Philadelphia is probably too affordable for this!). BUT I am going to be looking for a new roommate for my place soon! My roommate is moving out, and I'm the roommate who owns all the stuff; the whole living room basically, the kitchen appliances (even the fridge), down to the shower curtain. Is this something I should mention to a potential new roommate? Since, should I decide to move-out before they do....they're kind of screwed if thats the case. Not knowing how long I will stay in this house makes this tricky as they would be added to the lease - not a sublet.

I didn't know that such things existed. Attending one would be pretty close to my definition of hell.

Please carry pepper spray. And if you love the apartment, send a follow-up e-mail AS SOON AS POSSIBLE -- on the ride home -- making it clear that you are setting up an appointment to give them the first month's rent. Get a receipt for the rent.

PS -- the pepper spray recommendation is more to do with Craigslist than my experience with open houses.

Ugh. I went to a lot of these when I was first moving to DC. It seemed like every place with more than one roommate did this. I found the experience dreadful and decided that people who did this weren't the roommates for me. So, while I really wanted to live in a house with a bunch of roommates, I spent my first year in DC living in an apartment with one other woman. Then a room opened up in my friends' house and I moved in.

So, if you're struggling with the process, you might consider another alternative for the short term.