First Impressions: Keeping Buyers in the Dark
Yesterday I got to go house hunting with some buyers relocating to my area from the mid-west. It was a lot of fun to introduce them to the neighborhoods that had peaked their interest. We even went to look at the neighborhood amenities. Apparently, not a lot of prospective buyers or agents darken the door of these places.
Stepping inside the clubhouse in one neighborhood you would think we had just said the word bomb on an airplane. "You aren't allowed here unless you are members," came the snooty greeting. Some welcome. Nonetheless, my mom taught me that you catch more flies with honey than you would vinegar, so I introduced myself and the prospective home owners who may want to become members. The mood lightened. And we were off to tour the amenities.
The second neighborhood was much more welcoming when it came to showing off their amenities. Even took us to a map of the neighborhood in the HOA office. And when we were done, walked up out and wished us well. A much different impression was made. Of course, first impressions are priceless with these types of visits, just like they are in showing a listing. So let me tell you the tale of the homes we saw.
The first home was so inviting. It was staged to perfection. All the lights had been left on and there was even a little music playing in the background. We didn't have to do anything but walk through and take in the space. Even the closet lights were on.
The second home was like walking into a cardboard box. Not that it wasn't a nice home. It was a model very similar to the one we had just seen. In fact, it was right across the street. Yet, no lights had been left on. Just like the former, it was also neat as a pin. However, fumbling for lights in every room we went through had me desperately trying to stay ahead of my buyer . When I did find the lights, they were energy efficient and needed time to warm up to full brightness. Meanwhile, the buyer wasn't spending any measurable time anywhere. They just wanted to walk through and be done. So as quickly as I would flip a light switch, I was turning it back off.
After the showings, I left feedback for the agents that called me. When the second home's agent called I said, "The home is lovely, but doesn't show well. The owners need to leave all the lights on when they leave."
Sellers don't like leaving lights on in a home. They often feel it is a waste of money. I'm here to tell you, it will get your home under contract more quickly to leave them on before you leave for showings. All the staging in the world means nothing if there is little to no light to SEE it.
Just like humans make first impressions with the tone of their voice, facial expressions, body language and words they use, a home also makes a first impression. The buyer that had walked from the bright cheery home across the street into this one and even said the home, which was perfectly lovely, was depressing. That's not how you want folks to think of your home.
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