LESSONS LEARNED WHEN SHOWING PROPERTIES? #1 LESSON: KEEP YOUR PERSONAL DECORATING OPINIONS TO YOURSELF.

SHOWING PROPERTIES?  #1 LESSON:  KEEP YOUR PERSONAL DECORATING OPINIONS TO YOURSELF.

Providing pricing, location, transportation, title, etc. information is fine.  However, best practices say to keep your decorating opinions to yourself. 

DON'T "DECIDE" FOR BUYER CLIENTS.  A mistake many new and not so new agents make is making decisions for buyers.  We can't do that.  What we can do, when we are tasked with selecting homes to tour for incoming buying or buyers who expect to only visit appropriate listings based on our understanding of the buyer's criteria and ability to buy, is prioritize homes for sale based on what the buyer has requested. 

ONE PERSON'S "PLAIN VANILLA" MAY JUST BE ANOTHER PERSON'S COMFORT ZONE.

Years ago, I took a couple on tour of town homes for sale in their price range and location of choice (fundamental).  One of the homes attracted their attention and, at the end of the day, they wanted to make an offer.  Based on the homes we had toured, that particular property was a plain vanilla.

The Plain Vanilla House.  Priced similarly, other town homes had better quality carpet, fireplace in the family room, upgraded kitchen, neutral wall colors or wall coverings.  The home they liked had builder's standard carpet, no fireplace, builder's standard kitchen and appliances, country wall paper in the kitchen and cabbage roses in the bedroom wall paper and a variety of dried flower arrangements throughout. 

The town home the couple liked was decorated in furniture that could only be described as "country".   It had no fireplace, which was on their wish list, but we could see where one could easily be added in the back of the family room.  Fortunately, the home was in good condition, neat and well maintained.

Keep your opinions to yourself.  I couldn't figure it, but it's the buyer's decision.  So, we drove back to their rental town home to write the offer.  The welcomed me to their rental town home and everything fell into place.  Of course, as a buyer's agent, we would point out defects and if the buyers are limited in resources, let them know if they are attracted to a money pit.

THE BUYERS FELT RIGHT AT HOME.  The rental home was almost a twin of the town home the couple had selected, plain vanilla.  Further, their own furniture and decorating items were country and almost a mirror image of that in the home they were going to buy.

Lesson:  Don't express your own personal opinion about decorating.  You never know what is going to appeal to a buyer until they see it and say, "We'd like to make an offer on this home".

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988. 

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