How to Sell a House in Just THREE Seconds

7 Tips to Keep Your Home Buyer Focused

According to some experts, you've got 90 minutes to keep someone's attention. 

Others say you've got. 7 minutes. Yet others assert say it's 50 seconds or 8 seconds or even that people have no more than a 4 second attention span. 

And for some, the opportunities close after 3 seconds.

If you've got 90 minutes, your potential buyer has time to read a comprehensive folder of information, take a guided tour of a home, circle the back yard, drive around the neighborhood, check out the nearby mall, and make notes so that they remember all the cool stuff. 

It's even possible, in 90 minutes, to make an offer, get it accepted, and confirm bank approval.

But what if you have a 3 second client? The ones at the very bottom of the attention span quotient?

Here are 7 tips to help you sell a home in 3 seconds:

1.    Great pictures

Use photos - and plenty of them.  Choose pictures that are bright, bold, and captivating. Use a good camera that captures personality and light.

Look for an opportunity to capture an unusual angle or feature. If the home has something special - like a back yard pool - consider using it as a primary shot - especially if a traditional shot of the home front isn't as interesting as its special amenities.

2.        Easy-to-read flyers

Small words and big fonts make a flyer very readable - in a 3 second glance. 

If the copy is crisp, that first 3 second glance will lead to another 3 seconds. If there's something new and fresh and interesting every 3 seconds, the reader will keep going.

3.    360 degree marketing

Take advantage of multi-media access. Flash the home in all the usual places, like newspapers, magazines, and broadcast venues. And then consider other outside-the-box opportunities. Are you in all the online places possible? Are you offering a fresh perspective as often as possible?  What about video tours? 

Try a new angle on relationship building by organizing a subdivision yard sale - or team together to hold a "neighborhood open house."

4.        Survey feedback forms that trigger memories of top selling points

Make it easy to offer feedback after a showing. Offer a fast-response survey form. Use questions that pertain to the specific property.

You'll find out which elements are turning off potential buyers (and perhaps think of how to get past those hurdles) - and you'll also have a second shot at reminding them of unique characteristics that can't be found anywhere else - like, "pool and spa in private back yard."

 5.    Leverage location

Location, location, location. Every realtor knows that's what sells. But what's in a location? Does it have to have a sure-thing address to be in a place that a buyer might find compelling?

Make sure to note all easily accessible points of interest within a few miles of the address in a quick bullet summary.

6.    Keep it simple

 Don't try to cram all the facts onto a single sheet of paper. Use two or three pages instead of one, and keep the copy short and simple and uncluttered.

A prospective home buyer will read more if he can turn the pages faster. Give him something to do every 3 seconds and he'll stay engaged longer.

7.        Make it easy

Make your marketing efforts easy to find, easy to read, and easy to understand. Capture the attention of other agents too - make both your listing and your presence memorable. 

These tips don't guarantee you'll sell a home in 3 seconds - but it will help ensure you keep that attention span moving in the right direction.

In the real estate field, each of us is an executive in charge of our own destiny. Message development programs help real estate agents sell homes to 3 second attention spans.