Buyers want to imagine themselves moving into a model home

Key Takeaways

• Buyers see problems more easily than they see potential.
• Signs of wear and tear cause buyers to look for additional problems instead of picturing themselves moving in.
• Homes should be staged like model homes instead of decorated with the seller’s personal decor.

Presentation refers to how a home comes across to buyers when they browse online or walk through for the first time. It’s critical that listing agents emphasize the importance of presentation to their clients.

Here are five reasons why the presentation of a home MUST be amazing before it is listed:

1. Buyers believe they can see potential, but experience has proven that they only see problems. They’ll look at a home that is dirty or dark, they’ll get distracted by the owner’s stuff piled in a closet, and they’ll notice the funky pet smell. The right buyer may dismiss the house because of it — or their offer will be far below asking price.

2. Buyers view hundreds of homes online before viewing one in person. Buyers will view online listings, and the one that has dark photos and doesn’t capture what’s unique about the house will be dismissed. The online presentation has to be great enough to capture the buyer’s attention, and in person the home needs to show immaculately.

3. 
   Buyers like a very clean house. Sellers should give their house a deep clean or hire a professional to do a thorough cleaning before listing. A professional cleaner can come through with fresh eyes and see everything that needs to be cleaned, like dust built up on the baseboards and cobwebs on the ceiling.
   
   When buyers see a home that’s dirty or messy, they feel as if they’re invading someone else’s home. However, if the home looks and feels like a model/staged home, they’ll start to picture themselves in that space.
   
   4. Buyers worry about wear and tear. If buyers see maintenance issues when they first enter the house, they’ll start looking high and low for other issues. Instead of envisioning themselves living in the house, they’ll look for signs of neglect and think about what else needs repair.

Sellers should address these issues before you list the house. Waiting to see if the buyers ask for those items to be repaired always backfires and leads to lower-priced offers and a longer time on market.

5. Buyers feel like they’re in someone else’s home. A seller might have unique decor and furnishings, and that’s what makes it a nice home — for them. The challenge is to scale back so buyers don’t feel like they’re in somebody else’s home. Buyers should be able to imagine themselves living in that home.

The home should be staged like a model home instead of a personal home, or buyers might not end up making an offer.

If you become skilled at helping your clients present their homes in the best possible way for buyers, you will not only net way more money for your seller, but your time on the market will be a fraction of what it would have been otherwise — which means happier sellers and fewer hours invested into each listing.

This is why you invest more time, money, and energy up front, before you list the home, so that you are virtually guaranteed a positive outcome and higher return on investment (in less time) for your clients.