"Your Wallpaper is Frightening"

How many times have you wanted to say that about a house? Either one you are hoping to list or one you show to buyers?

Or maybe it's "oh my, doesn't your house smell.....er, interesting!"

Or "Oh look, deer heads! And on every wall!! Wow!" 

Or....well, you get the idea and I am sure you've seen some doozies! I know I have.

We all know how hard it is to talk to seller's about that kind of stuff...especially in this market where everyone just wants any listing they can get, right? But it's an education that almost every seller needs and it's going to benefit them if they do the work they need to do.

But how to "soften" the conversation so they don't get offended?

I think the biggest, best thing an agent can do it lead with the fact that as soon as they even consider selling their home, it's no longer their "home", rather, it's a product they are trying to sell. It's easier to take the emotions out of the equation when a home is viewed as a product. It's no longer the place they bought as newlyweds, or the place they had their first Christmas as a family, or the place their first born took their first steps, or.... When they can see their house as a product that they want to present in the best possible condition that will appeal to a broad audience, it's easier to get them excited about cleaning up, depersonalizing and even spending a little bit of money if need be.

Here are some "code" sentences you can use to address certain "issues"

Clutter - "We want to make sure the 'bones' of the house are clearly visible, highlighting any nice architectural features."

Over-personalization -  "We want to make sure it appeals to a broad audience with a broad range of decorating tastes so what kinds of thing can we do to make it style/gender/color neutral."

Over-done Window Treatments - "Everyone loves lots of natural light because of the way it makes us feel and it can make a room look bigger, so why don't we take down those window treatments to let in all the sun we can?"

Messy storage - "Since you have to pack all this up for your move, why don't you start now so you can at least know that a good portion of your packing is already completed?"

I'd love to hear what others say to make the conversation easier....