We were out showing homes and began wondering why so many occupied homes are not properly prepared for showings. The sellers knew we were going to show their home several hours in advance and yet most of them were not "show-ready" when we arrived.
What is "show-ready"? Here's a little background before we answer the question.
Homes sell on either emotion or price. Homes that create emotion with buyers sell faster and at a higher price. Many sellers hire a professional stager to help create that warm and inviting atmosphere. While professional staging is a great idea, we've seen staged homes that would look even better if they were "show-ready."
Most sellers know in advance that their home will be showing. When you get that call, it's almost show time! Have a plan of action to get your home in show-ready shape:
• Open all the blinds and turn on all the lights including the garage and walk-in attic. Homes that are light and bright appear larger and more inviting. If you have ceiling fans, turn them all on low.
• Have some soft music playing. If you have a media room, leave a movie playing with the sound turned down low.
• Scents are important to creating emotion. In years past, we would leave a drop of vanilla on a light bulb. When the agent turned on the light, the heat would release the vanilla fragrance into the air. Times have changed and now we can simply purchase small air fresheners. While some fragrance is good, too much can be overpowering. If you can, burn a candle until you have to leave. Candles often smell more natural than the artificial air fresheners.
• If you have time, run the vacuum cleaner over the carpets. Buyers notice when the carpets look like nobody has walked on them.
• While you may love your pets, many people are afraid of them and they often get in the way. Taking your pet with you during the showing is the best idea. Some dogs are crate-trained and sit quietly in their crate. However, there's nothing more annoying than listening to a dog bark the whole time you're viewing a home.
• Don't be there when the agent and buyers arrive. It's awkward and makes the buyers uncomfortable. Buyers want to be able to peek into closets and kitchen cabinets. They want to be able to discuss what they like and don't like with their agent and each other. If you're there, it will be a short showing! Leave the selling to the agent.
Many sellers assume the showing agent will arrive ahead of time to get the home show-ready. If I'm only showing one home, I often arrive early and get the lights on. However, if I'm showing 10 homes, I have the buyers with me and we both walk in at the same time for that important first impresion.
Buyers decide in the first 60 seconds if they like the home. Get your home show-ready and make the most of that minute!
Tom Branch and Gina Branch, The Branch Team with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs, service the greater North Dallas suburbs including Dallas, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Lewisville, and Carrollton. While Gina concentrates on traditional listings and buyer/tenant representation, Tom specializes in assisting distressed homeowners to avoid foreclosure. Tom and Gina have published two books (Achieving Rock Star Status and The Field Guide to Short Sales) and are available for speaking engagements in the greater Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. Subscribe to The Branch Team Blog.
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Great advice for the consumer and some agents. I try to go over this with my sellers at the listing appointment.
Great tips and reminders to sellers that each showing is a chance to "Show Off" their home.
The minute the buyer walks in, they either "get the feeling" or they don't! You are correct, make the most of that minute - great post!
Tom:
Great blog. I've often wondered what people are thinking when they know in advance the property is going to be marketed and shown yet don't take the simple advice they are given regarding basic staging.
First impressions are definitely the most important ones. The "wow" factor must be present even before the buyers enter the front door so we all need to stress this to our sellers. Thanks for sharing such good information.
FAbulous. All but the "burn a candle" Those candles load the air with particles that are inhaled and can cause lung damage.
You know when a home is "show ready" and it doesn't invoke an offer, the problem lies elsewhere......being show ready puts us on the selling track via a countdown mode........I mean something that looks good and is priced right that is being handled by a professional agent has only one fate......COE....here I come.
The lights off and the blinds closed is a big no-no. Even if its a fantastic property if there is no light right when you walk in the first impression will be tarnished and the agent will be spending the next 5 minutes scurrying around looking for the light switches and pulling the blinds open.
If I am only showing one home, I also arrive early and get it ready for showing (as much as I can without touching the sellers personal stuff). Not all candles cause lung damage. My wifes website www.kimkeizer.com (I support her whenever I can) :)
Thanks for going over these pointers. I sometimes like to do opens for other agents with a lot of inventory and kinda wondered about this aspect. It all makes a little more sense to me now.
As a listing agent, I really dont mind that of other homes. Therefore my listings always turn out THE BEST.
Thanks for sharing have a great day
I think this is the best reason for doing open houses. To make sure someone gets to see the house the way it should be shown.
Definitely worthy of re-blogging - great advice to our sellers Tom!
These are all points that I have been using successfully on listings (when the sellers can agree to all of them!)
Very good information, Tom. It's always nice walking buyers through a "show-ready" home. On the listing side, if sellers would take the time to follow your helpful tips, they may see much improved results. Thank you so much for sharing.
Tom, this is a great list! You just can't beat that emotional appeal of the home.
It's amazing how many times I've gone into a home only to find clutter everywhere, dirty dishes in the sink, and underwear on the closet floor........
I even went in one where the two little ankle bitters (dogs) left dropping every couple a feet. yes, the owners knew their house was being shown that day but apparantly the doggies came first!
Great advice! I just sum it up to the sellers really do not want to sell the place! It is marketing your home and the most powerful thing to sell it so get it ready to show or be prepared to let it sit!
As a professional home stager, I give tips like these to my seller clients -- they definitely make a difference in potential buyers' impressions of the home.
Regarding scents: Pure Citrus non-aerosol spray is chemical-free and based on enzymes, and it has a very light, fresh scent that most people find pleasing. It's safe for people and pets and is a much better alternative than the plug-in or spray options (which both may contain potentially harmful chemicals).
Loved the post. Great ideas. But can you please supply a hammer so we can pound these ideas into our seller's heads? Some of them just plain refuse to listen . . .
The first line in your 3rd paragraph says it all: "Homes sell on either emotion or price."
Sellers, do you want buyers to walk in and say, "I love this house!" or "It needs a lot of work - let's see if we can get it for a great deal."
Tom, A Great Post! Show Time is Right....That is exactly what I tell my clients when preparing their home to sell....It is all about SHOW TIME! Have a Great Week!
Sometimes sellers just don't understand how important this is, until they go out looking at homes themselves as a buyer! I've also found that the Lowes HGTV emails come in handy.
Hi Tom, If people spent as much time keeping a home ready for showings as they do on fighting me over price we would all be further ahead !
Tom,
I am continually amazed at how many sellers just don't get it. I've often said that the way you live in a house and the way that you live in a house while it is for sale are two very different life styles. Would that all sellers had the ability to step outside of themselves and into the mind of prospects BEFORE showings.
i love the "sellers assume showing agent will get the home show ready" comment.... what listing agent would convey this message?
Really?
A very big indicator of how motivated the seller is. You are correct the houes must show well.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, etc.
Great Blog!
Common sense! We should require all Sellers to visit a builder's model home so they can experience what a home on the market should sell for. You can add to your list...... clean off the refrigerator! No one wants to look at magnets, photos, etc. Big distraction!
Tom, I guess it is in the eye of the beholder. Every homeowner sees their house as different.
I wish more would see your article.
I'm going to save this one to give to clients. There is a difference and those are the little touches that mean so much!
Tom,
A really great list. Very common sense and straightforward. Worthy of a re-blog!
Thank you!
Those are all excellent ideas. Really simple things that many sellers just cannot grasp. I especially have problems with sellers who insist on waiting around and answering the door to see who is taking a look rather than leaving ahead of time.
These are the instructions that I give to my sellers for all showings! I agree that my listings stand out if someone is looking at 10 homes. Putting your best foot forward to create a memorable impression is what it takes for a quick sale! Great advice.
Great list. I reblogged to get it to my outside blog.
Tom - Great list. It should be part of our package to be given to the sellers when we leave after the listing presentation.
Great post. I wish all sellers thought about this. It is so important that your home look inviting to prospective buyers. Otherwise I'd ask, "Are you really serious about selling your home?"
Love the drop of Vanilla trick! I am re-blogging as well. Thank you!
Tom these are great tips. It does make you wonder though doesn't it - as to why so many people simply don't follow some simple guidelines. It's like they want to deliberately sabotage themselves.
It is also a great indication if the Seller is motivated to SELL - if they don't care about being show quality why take the listing.
Laurie
Well, written blog.....and this is why people should invest in home stagers.....I will reblog this..thank you
Great reminders about having your property "ready for showtime" at all times when you are looking for a Buyer!
Nice post Tom. And, great advise. I truly believe that staging is important and the presentation must be right each time a buyer enters the home. As a home inspector, I can tell you that a home that has had a Seller Home Inspection is also able to sell faster, for more money. I would love to see more Dallas area agents highlight the importance of a seller home inspection.
God Bless,
Home Inspections of Dallas
Sound advice, Tom. And this is true whether your home is a standard sale, or short sale. (Perhaps even more important if your home is a short sale, since short sellers have limited time to sell their home before it’s foreclosed.)
Tom, this is such good advice. Many sellers lose a sale in the first few seconds of the showing.
All about first impressions that happens in seconds. You have to get all the senses right... I could not agree more
Tom, excellent advice! Great, simple post & so very true! I love the vanilla idea...
Tom -- you went out and showed today? Goodness, it must have been 110 degrees. I hope the sellers all had the AC on! You made a point that struck me as funny....."sellers assume that the showing agent will arrive early...." It's a good reminder to tell sellers that most agents are showing a number of homes, usually on a tight schedule. So the one hour showing window means that the seller should have the dishes done and carpets vacuumed 30 minutes ahead of time, and probably be out 15 minutes ahead of time. Sellers also need to be warned that the agent and buyer could run late, and so waiting in the driveway 5 minutes toward the end of the window is awkward. I list more than I sell, so this is a helpful reminder to talk to sellers about what a buyers agent does and how they work..
It's so true that emotion sells a home. Staged homes can make such a difference in what people see.
applause applause...not so much on the candles...have seen almost tragic ...whoops forgot kinda thing that almost left no house to sell !
Tom, Great points on how a seller can be show-ready. I provide my sellers with some tips and hope they follow them for showings...
TOm
Great tips!!! I also suggest a bouquet of fresh flowers - there are so many inexpensive varieties that can really enhance a room!!!
I like Maureen's comment about the citrus scent. I hate the plug-ins and they are usually somewhat overpowering. Music....essentially elevator music....is a great mood-setter and the flowers that Noah mentioned are also a nice touch and a great mood-lifter for the seller who has spent hours getting the house clean enough to be "SHOW READY".
Wow. I took the day off (from ActiveRain anyway) and came back to find a featured blog with 50 comments. Today is packed so it may take a while to get back.
Noah #53 - Stargazer Lillies are wonderful
Suzanne #54 - Plugins can be overpowering so you have to be careful with them.
Sally #51 - Never leave candles burninh when you leave the house!
Leslie #49 - I was out all day between showing and a regional RE/MAX event. It was only 105...
Don #48 - Old tricks but we did have much of a choice 25 years ago.
Bill #45 - 70% of our business is short sales. We have them get the homes show ready. Time is not on their side.
Tom
What a wonderful blog, I had to re-blog it. As far as Plug Ins go, the French Vanilla is great and I would avoid the rest. It smells very artificially. I hope this helps.
Love the post. Being prepared is very important. Hope to see more.
I just saw your post on another member's blog where it had been re-blogged and the post is so smart that I had to re-blog it too. I just wanted to let you know. This is the first post I've seen that draws a distinction between staging and "show ready". Thank you.
As a stager, I agree with all these tips, especially the no pets and their odor. I usually say no artificial scents though as people think you are covering an odor and often times that is the case!
A list of showing tips is always helpful for home sellers, Tom. And good point about agents not arriving before their clients to turn on lights, etc. The seller has to assume that won't happen because the agent and buyers usually arrive together.
Wonderful must-read for sellers!
Great list for sellers. I am going to reblog for my outside blog too! Thanks for sharing.
Sometimes it makes you want to ask "Do they know they're selling?"
Great post Tom! RE-Blog!
Tom, I really agree with your post. Having a showing of your house is performance art. Some are ready for the show and some aren't.