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Why You Need to Have a Working Understanding of the Olfactory Sense as a Home Seller

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Austin Texas Homes, LLC 453249

I remember doing a paper in college about the olfactory sense, which is the technical name for our sense of smell.  The olfactory sense is generally believed to be the most closely linked to your memory, and it is some 10,000 times stronger than your sense of taste.  Also, certain scents will produce a highly emotional reaction.  You can probably think of at least one perfume or cologne that reminds you of someone in your past.

Why is this important to real estate?

Well, allow me to explain, if you will (and I guess even if you won't).  I have probably shown several thousand homes to home buyers over the course of my real estate career.  Patterns emerge, and trends occur with buyers.  When buyers are looking at a good number of homes, I have found it helpful and natural to designate each home with a shorthand of some sort:

  • "The house with the skyline view"
  • "The one with the tile roof"
  • "The place with the incredible landscaping"

Of course, all of these are positive attributes, right?  On the flip side of the coin, think about how it would make you feel if your home received one of these descriptions (all of these are real, from buyers I have worked with):

  • "The dog pee house"
  • "The house with the weird smell"
  • "The stinky house" 
  • "The spice house" - This was from ethnic cooking of some sort, as I recall

Not as appealing, is it?  It probably won't surprise you to learn that the dog pee house didn't make the top three for my buyers. 

All homes have some sort of scent/odor, so it's hard to make it completely neutral.  Sometimes, frankly, the scent is too strong in the other direction (i.e. it smells heavily perfumed, which is equally distracting).  I think the worst possible combination is when there is a bad smell that is clearly (though not completely) covered with an air freshener:

 

"Is that rotten laundry smell with a hint of lavender?  Ahhhhh....nice."

"WOW!  Is that damp mustiness and lemon freshness combined?  I like it!"

No one says these things.  You must eliminate the source, not just spray Febreze and call it a day.  For the record, I like Febreze for the most part, in case you were wondering.

The best solution is to allow someone else (such as your real estate agent) to give you the lowdown on this.  We tend to get used to the smell of our own home, which is why it is sometimes jarring to sleep in another house when visiting relatives.  If you are wondering if your home has a distinct smell, I would recommend going outside for a few minutes and then coming back in.  The results may surprise you.  This method sort of cleanses your nasal palate, so to speak, and you may discover a problem that you didn't realize existed. 

Essentially, you are just going for a clean scent or something that may evoke a positive memory.  Real estate trainers the world round recommend baking something or at least using a few drops of vanilla on a cookie sheet when doing an open house.  There are tons of other techniques, but this post is really just to teach you the importance of this (often overlooked) angle when selling.

Take it from me: when you are trying to sell your home, smells do matter!  You want them to focus on your granite counters, or your high-end flooring upgrades, or your designer paint colors, not the cat boxes.

 

If you are considering selling your home anywhere in the general Austin area, please feel free to give me a call.  I would love the opportunity to help you get it sold quickly.  You can visit my primary Austin Texas real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com.  You can also reach me anytime on my cell phone at 512-796-7653 or via email at jason@austintexashomes.com.  I hope to hear from you soon!

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If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can also visit my primary website at www.austintexashomes.com.  Thanks!

Comments (37)

Jesse Clifton
Jesse Clifton & Associates - Fairbanks, AK

Smells can definitely kill a potential clients interest in a heartbeat.  The dog pee house just doesn't sound (or smell) like somewhere most folks want to call home.

Sep 29, 2008 09:36 AM
Pat Whitehouse
RE/MAX 1st Olympic Lynchburg Va - Lynchburg, VA
Broker/Owner

Hi Jason-As someone who just started reading your blogs I can see why you have such a large following of readers. You tell it like it is. I like that and anybody that doesn't read all the way thru this blog is missing out. I do have to agree with you wholeheartedly people just get so used to the smell of your homes they don't even notice. Nothing wrong with my nose and if something stinks I have to get rid of it. Adults are different than kids though. If something stinks the kids say it, most adults think it, they just don't say it anymore. I don't think that's something we should outgrow. I had a incident recently where I stayed at a friends house that I've known for 40 yrs.  Let's just say I'll won't ever do that again. Just can't live like that. Look forward to more of your tell it like it is blogs.

Sep 29, 2008 10:08 AM
Sharon Richards
Kirsten Realty Tampa Florida - Tampa, FL

Jason,

Thanks for the post,  I have a client who wanted to see a house for the second time, and we had an appointment in the evening, and the homeowner was cooking something with curry, and this was a total turnoff.  She did not put in an offer that night as planned.  So, smell does matter big time!

Sep 29, 2008 12:43 PM
Yvette Smith
LONG & FOSTER - Williamsburg, VA
Realtor In Williamsburg VA, Homes for Sale

HI JASON!

I see what the big to-do was all about over you...this is an excellent post.  You made them get the point and with such good musc too.  I hadn't heard that song before, but I was jamming along anyway!!

MAGNIFIQ!

Sep 29, 2008 01:35 PM
Carl Winters
Canyon Lake, TX
Jason - I have certainly inspected some "unpleasant " smelling homes. Sometimes I wish I could do an about face and head for the front door. I can just imagine what a potential buyer thinks. I like the music goes well with your blog.
Sep 29, 2008 02:10 PM
Pippa Mac
Chevaux Group Realtor, The Woodlands and Spring - The Woodlands, TX
The Woodlands TX Real Estate

Jason ... this is sooo true!  I have had clients turn around within 1 step into the house (even though they loved the pictures and the outside) because of the smell!  pippa

Sep 29, 2008 03:17 PM
Paula Ryan
Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Group - Eagle, ID

My husband seriously considered  buying an investment property that smelled like the proverbial DB (dead body).  This place was too freaky for me to set foot in.  I sat on the front porch until I could convince him to leave...

And we let someone else buy it....

Guess he didn't relish the idea of rehabbing the place alone! :-)

Nice post, Jason!

Sep 29, 2008 03:46 PM
Sharon Young
Ivy League Mortgage Philadelphia, Pa - Southampton, PA

I think the best smell in a home is NO smell. Nothing. Not even baking cookies or vanilla candles or Lysol. Lynyrd Skynyrd named themselves after one of the band members high school teacher. ;-)

Sep 29, 2008 04:02 PM
James Wexler
wexzilla.com - Scottsdale, AZ

I had a listing and the gentleman smoked cigars. The home would never sell at any price.

Sep 29, 2008 06:04 PM
Terri Visser
Desert Sky Real Estate, LLC - Redmond, OR
CRS - 12 Years Selling Central Oregon Real Estate

Here's one for you.  I actually have no sense of smell, never have.  I often "sense" that a house has it's own personality but can't really know for sure.  What's a girl like me to do?  As has already been said, the owner often has no clue.

Sep 29, 2008 06:14 PM
Scott Barr
Pacific Sotheby's international Realty - Newport Beach, CA
Realtor

If you think about it we as agents to really sell houses as much as we smell them.

Sep 29, 2008 11:50 PM
Charlotte Koch
Keller Williams Greater Cleveland Southwest - Strongsville, OH
Realtor-Strongsville,Ohio

Unfortunately although some smells grab us the second we open the door, the poor sellers have adjusted to the smells and don't have a clue what we are talking about!  Strong air freshners are sometimes the worst, I have had buyers walk right out of dog houses and air fresher houses without ever viewing the property. I leave my card on an entrance table and call with feedback. 

Sep 30, 2008 12:09 AM
Paddy (Patricia) Pizappi
Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty - Pine Bush, NY
Real Estate Associate Broker Hudson Valley NY

This is absolutely the truth and valuable information for Sellers.  Bad smells or bad attempts to eliminate odors cause buyers to run in the other direction. Good post once again.

Sep 30, 2008 12:13 AM
Jason Crouch
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX
Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653)

TERRI - You are probably the fourth or fifth person that I have met with no sense of smell.  Two of my other AR friends are in the same boat, believe it or not.  I would recommend getting someone to go along with you to check it out.  There's really no other way to know for sure.

Sep 30, 2008 02:42 AM
Dave Hamill
EXIT Realty Legacy - Prescott, AZ
Prescott, Arizona Real Estate

Good one Jason.  Your post -- although it wasn't smelly -- brought vividly to mind some past real estate experiences that definitely were.  Have a great week!

Sep 30, 2008 03:43 AM
Erik Hitzelberger
RE/MAX Alliance - Louisville REALTOR-Luxury Homes - Louisville, KY
Louisville - Middletown Real Estate
Jason- I work with a couple investors. For them smell is a good thing when buying a house, because it generally means that few (if any) others will be submitting offers. Obviously, this is not the scenario that the seller is wants.
Sep 30, 2008 05:38 AM
Michael Sahlman
www.HomesForVIPs.com - Keller Williams Realty - Miami Beach, FL
e-PRO - Miami Beach Florida Luxury Homes

Smells are huge. I could not agree more. Sometimes my buyers and I have done a very quick 180 when the house smells badly.

Sep 30, 2008 11:38 PM
The Rains Team
Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners - Hoschton, GA
A higher standard in real estate

It is difficult telling a seller that their home has a strange smell, but you are so right, it's important to address this issue because potential buyers will definitely notice and it can be a deal breaker for them. I like the Febreeze Noticeables that you plug-in...you switch them from high to low depending on whether you want a stronge fragrance or not. And of course lighting a yummy smelling candle works well too without having to bake cookies.

--Anne Rains

LadyofRealty.blogspot.com

www.TheRainsTeam.com

Oct 01, 2008 04:25 AM
Michael Fontana
Round Rock Home Stager Austin Home Staging - Round Rock, TX
@ The Stage Coach

Hi, Jason:  nice post -I stumbled over here from the Home Staging forums looking to see what REALTORs were saying about Staging.  Like Anne says above, it is tough to tell your client any bad news about their home.  That's why smell falls under the Bad-guy responsibilities of a Stager.

My advice for removing smells:

  1. Change the furnace filters.  Buy a box of cheap blue ones, and swap them out every other week.
  2. Once the filters are changed, open all of the windows.  Do NOT adjust the thermostat.  Let the A/C or Heat run while you:
  3. Clean - Clean under every thing.  Clean on top of every thing.  
  4. Dust the ceiling fans - use canned or compressed air to blow out the motors a bit
  5. Wipe all of the blinds with a damp cloth using water and mild detergent.
  6. Wipe all of the air registers and returns with the same

An Irish woman I met at one of my first full time jobs told me about the opening the windows while you clean.  She says, (in brogue) "Mum used to tell me, 'Out with the old and in with the new'..." 

Some one on the Stage it Forward board posted a blog about the only thing that smells worse than dog is a dog coated in french vanilla.  You have to go to the source - coverups are detectable. I mean, who hasn't used a scented candle or plugin to try to cover up a scent in their own home? 

The Stage Coach Home Stager Austin Home Staging Round Rock Home Stager

Oct 01, 2008 05:17 AM
Patrick Randles
Nova Home Loans - Tucson, AZ
The You Tube tops this post off. I can't agree with you more. I often go to open houses to talk with the agent and nothing runs me off quicker than a smoker's house. Animal odors or mustiness are pretty bad as well. Nice post.
Oct 02, 2008 05:51 AM