Ever hear of the Katie Couric Effect?
In 2000, eighteen months after losing her husband to colon cancer, Katie Couric underwent a colonoscopy on live, national TV. By facing, and insisting there be a conversation about this screening process, she helped de-mystefy and de-personalize this procedure, while putting viewers' reservations in a new perspective.
The Katie Couric Effect refers to the resulting increase of people who started talking about, and went for colonoscopies they had presumably put off for all the familiar reasons, after she showed them the way. People who went and did something they were fearful or embarrassed about, after someone they trusted showed them the bigger picture, and was a stark reminder the greater good.
I am not comparing the degree of pain that a cancer diagnosis causes with a bad paint color or too many family photos, just the value of what can happen by confronting an uncomfortable topic, speaking about it plainly, and keeping your eye on the big picture.
De-clutter, de-personalize are buzzwords about stuff, ingrained in our pschye, rationale being that when there is so much personal stuff in the way, you can't see the space. Why not think about the conversation you have with potential sellers in the same way?
Most of us bring who we are into what we do, and many times that's a good thing. But the Number One Reason TRH sees preparing a property for sale getting tip-toed around: Agents who mentally and emotionally put themselves on the receiving end of the message. Who clutter up the conversation, who project too much personal stuff , and end up giving the seller a diluted, confusing or contradictory message-if they bring it up at all.
If you're in RE, you don't need me to tell you about pain buyers and sellers experience because they can't sell their house. But think about it, and listen to yourself on your next listing presentation: are you hesitant or fearful? is it an uncomfortable topic? are you rationalizing 'you'll talk about it after you get the listing'? DOn't kid yourself, the sellers know how you really feel. If the segment was just talking about about colonoscopies, do you think there'd have been a Katie Couric effect afterward? Probably not. Katie stood up and demonstrated she was fully vested in this effort.
Katie admitted to being nervous, and feeling awkward, but it did not stop her. She faced it. We loved her for her vulnerability, and we noted her trust in the doctor and assistants. We admired her committment to doing something good, and we were emboldened to be brave ourselves.
Home Staging is not a silver bullet, and there are people and places it's not appropriate for. But agents alone have the potential to help so many people avoid such pain for when it is. Be the agent who can have the conversation at the first meeting, or be prepared to introduce someone who will, on your behalf.
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