Special offer

Viewing a Home through My Client’s Eyes

By
Real Estate Agent with Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Eagle Office

eyesViewing a Home through My Client’s Eyes

Have you ever stopped to ask your buyer or seller, “What is your favorite room?”  

The two most important rooms in a home (to me) are the kitchen and the living room.  I love to cook and entertain, and a flow from the kitchen to the living and dining areas is necessary for my lifestyle.  When I’m attending open houses and previewing property, I find my desire to find the perfect kitchen and living area for my clients seems to sometimes creep into my view.  But why?  I’m not the one buying the home!

For your buyers, this question could totally change the way your show them property.  Even though they’ve mentioned to you how much they love to cook, which has you on the lookout for the perfect kitchen, perhaps the most important room to them is the master bedroom where their favorite thing to do is sit and read in bed.  What if the client likes to work from home, and an at-home office is their favorite place? 

bathtubWouldn’t you be surprised if your buyer replied, “the master bathroom.”  Turns out your buyer has long legs, loves to take baths, but doesn’t fit in most tubs.  I’m sure they’d feel silly testing out tubs while on a property tour with you, but now you’ve shown an interest in their needs and they will feel comfortable expressing them to you.  Won’t they be impressed the next time you take them out on a property tour and can list the length of the bathtubs in each property, because you measured them prior to showing to make sure they’ll fit?

GarageFor your Sellers, this question could completely change the way you show their home.  What if your seller’s favorite room in the home you have listed with them is the garage?  Huh?  Did I hear that right?  The garage!?  Well, it turns out they’ve set up an incredible workshop in the garage and have spent hours out there in their happy place.  They’ve even wired the garage to their sound system for music and a flat screen tv!   To you, it just looks like a simple work station to tinker at.  To them, it is heaven.  I bet you never thought of featuring this workshop in your marketing materials except to simply list “2-car garage with workshop”. 

Until you ask the client what they really want and love, how will you know what to look for or how to sell it?

So now I ask this simple question, “What is your favorite room?” 

Try it. You’ll be amazed at what you’re able to find out.

Joni Bailey
101 Main St. Realty - Huntsville, TX
Your Huntsville / Lake Livingston Area REALTOR®

The Garage is a BIG thing for homes on Lake Livingston! Buyers want a place to store all of their lake toys! 

Oct 17, 2011 06:27 AM
Laurie Clark CRB Angel Realty LLC Your Monument Realtor 719-502-6572
CRB-CCSS-ASD-HBS-RSD-Denver Short Sale Agents - Monument, CO
Angel Realty, LLC

This is a great perspective on seeing property they way your client does. Thanks for posting.

Oct 17, 2011 06:39 AM
Matthew Francis
The Francis Team - Broomfield, CO

Thanks for the reminder.  Today at my team meeting I am going to use this as a training opportunity.  I appreciate the help and use of this.

Oct 17, 2011 07:19 AM
Didi Doolittle
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Eagle Office - Vail, CO
Vail, CO Realtor 970.232.8225

Joni, I'm sure the garage is of major importance for your area.

Angel Realty- thanks!

Matthew- That's great!  I love that you'll use this as a training opportunity.  Thanks!

Oct 17, 2011 07:25 AM
Bill Gillhespy
16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL
Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Hi Didi,  When showing properties I never escort them through the house.  By letting them wander around I get a sense of which rooms are their priority.

Oct 17, 2011 07:32 AM
Didi Doolittle
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Eagle Office - Vail, CO
Vail, CO Realtor 970.232.8225

Depending on the size of the home, I usually preview homes prior to showing so that I can point out the homes' features and then leave the client free to wander.  You can pick up a lot just by listening, that is true!

Oct 17, 2011 07:37 AM
Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

What a great idea to be proactive on which room they like best. I always listen to my clients, but this one may not come out right away unless they are asked.

Oct 17, 2011 08:52 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Didi, what a great post, and sellers LOVE to tell you what their favorite rooms are, and maybe the new buyers will too!   Congrats on the Feature!

Oct 17, 2011 09:15 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

Great idea . . . and that does engage buyers into discussing the property or properties they've toured. 

Oct 17, 2011 12:01 PM
Didi Doolittle
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Eagle Office - Vail, CO
Vail, CO Realtor 970.232.8225

Sandy, I agree, until actually asked to consider what their favorite room is they may not let you know.

Joan, thanks!  I know Sellers love to tell stories about their homes, and the favorite room could be anything depending on their lifestyle and memories.

Carla, exactly!  It could really narrow down the list.

Oct 17, 2011 12:11 PM
David Shamansky
US Mortgages - David Shamansky - Highlands Ranch, CO
Creative, Aggressive & 560 FICO - OK, Colorado Mtg

This is a GREAT post and so happy you got a feature! OK let me start by saying this, while what you wrote is entirely logical it is also very difficult to separate yourself from your likes and dislikes (not impossible) but difficult. So often we promote what we love and what we live is guess what... what we love!

By doing so there are times when we take our desires and impose them on buyers or in my case those looking to purchase or refinance and my goals my not be theirs. You can usually get the vibe quickly if you have any discernment but sometimes you dont get a sale and its tough to tell. Maybe its because what you like the buyers didnt and they didnt want to tell you why they quit communicating and went elsewhere to someone who speaks THEIR language!

 

AWESOME

Oct 17, 2011 12:23 PM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Didi - This is a brilliantly simple idea which I'm sure many of your clients really appreciate.

Oct 17, 2011 12:38 PM
Joni Bailey
101 Main St. Realty - Huntsville, TX
Your Huntsville / Lake Livingston Area REALTOR®

Congratulations on the well deserved feature Didi!! Woo Hoo! Applause Applause!!

Oct 17, 2011 02:06 PM
Sharon Alters
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL
Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

Didi, I figure out the favorite room by comments, but what a great idea for finding out right from the start!

Sharon

Oct 17, 2011 02:43 PM
Cheryl Ritchie
RE/MAX Leading Edge www.GoldenResults.com - Huntingtown, MD
Southern Maryland 301-980-7566

Just did a reblog! I like to keep running favorites as I go through the showings but this adds a new dimension.

Oct 17, 2011 09:02 PM
Anne M. Costello
Weidel Realtors - Yardley, PA

As Realtors, we know we have to listen. Asking the right questions, like this one, can lead to a lot of great information. Congratulations on the feature.

Oct 17, 2011 10:00 PM
Wendy Cutrufelli
Alain Pinel Realtors - Walnut Creek, CA
Contra Costa Realtor

I never thought of asking that question, it is simple and perfect!  (I love the "measuring bathtubs" visual).

Oct 18, 2011 02:31 AM
Didi Doolittle
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Eagle Office - Vail, CO
Vail, CO Realtor 970.232.8225

Thanks, David!  It never hurts to ask.  I'd hate to think of losing a client because they felt I was missing something they wanted or needed just because there was a miscommunication. And thanks for the continued support here on AR!

Christine- I hope they do!  Sometimes the question comes by surprise, but it gets the conversation going and that's always good.

Cheryl- Thanks for the re-blog!

Anne- Absolutely!  An arsenal of good questions comes in handy.

Wendy- Ha!  Glad you liked the bathtub visual. 

Oct 18, 2011 05:34 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

I'm all over the kitchen and great room - that's how I live - but you're so right Didi. Get out of the way - ask your client what's important. This is a great question - so simple and opens the door for the rest of the story. Glad you got a star for this one. :)

Oct 18, 2011 10:50 AM
Didi Doolittle
Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, Eagle Office - Vail, CO
Vail, CO Realtor 970.232.8225

Thanks, Debb, it sounds like we live the same way.  But you're right, it's out job to get out of the way and let the client's needs lead us. 

Oct 18, 2011 11:15 AM