Why You Need This Open House Playlist
Presenting an open house is both an art and a science, not unlike creating the perfect playlist.
The California real estate agent is like a combination of a salesperson and an interior designer, using tactics to understand what a potential buyer wants – and ensuring they get it – and sculpting the inside of the home to be as appealing as possible.
It sounds like a lot, but we’re going to simplify things for you: below, we’ll provide five tips and tricks to help you put on the best open house you can.
Make Things as Pretty As They Can Be
Our first tip is obvious but incredibly important – make sure the home is as clean as it can be. This may mean having the carpets and windows cleaned, for example, and, of course, organizing any clutter.
It also means creating the right ambiance, though – make sure windows are open and lights are on so that rooms look cheerful and inviting.
You may also want to reorganize furniture if your trained eye tells you it would look better a certain way or make the room appear larger. Here you’re like a painter, using perspective and proportions to appeal to the customer’s eye.
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Engage with Visitors
While you don’t need to have the most amazing personality on the planet, it is your job to interact with visitors and tell them about the home.
Ask them what they’re looking for, and then tell them how this home fits those needs and wants.
Also, please encourage them to ask you any questions they may have.
It would be best if you considered setting out some food – everyone likes free food, after all, and snacks could get visitors to stay longer and learn something positive about the home they may not otherwise have.
Having a bite to eat with potential buyers will help them remember you and the home, too, increasing the chances of them buying.
Enhance the Ambiance Through Music and Candles
The right ambiance isn’t just visual but also auditory and olfactory. Playing some background music can help people feel relaxed or get excited about home.
Try to match the playlist to the “feel” of the home, which works best on a psychological level.
Use candles in strategic places – for example, the living room and bathroom make great spots to freshen up with clean linen or pine smelling candles, among other scents.
You could also try electronic candles if you’re worried about flames.
Remove Personal Items
People like to envision the home as their home, filled with friends, family members, and their own items.
Therefore, leaving pictures, books, or any other personal items lying around can ruin the illusion and turn the potential buyer off.
Make it appear that the house is vacant, has never been lived in.
The one area this doesn’t apply to is furniture. Some real estate agents will even get furniture to stage it in a home, which you should consider doing if the seller has already removed all furniture.
Put Together Handouts
Think of these as “cheat-sheets” for visitors – they include quality photographs of the house, details about the surrounding area (the local school district, for example), and the home’s history.
Consider including an estimate on monthly utility costs. Basically, you want to include as much helpful information as possible, being honest while also highlighting the home’s positives.
The handouts give you another chance to be creative – make them colorful and visually appealing and get some excellent photographs so they stick out among the other packets your visitors might be getting.
You never know when simply having a few beautiful photos could make a person opt for the property you’re selling over another.
Conclusion
If you follow all the tips above, you should have no problem selling homes, as long as there’s nothing wrong with the property itself.
Create a beautiful ambiance, talk with customers, make them feel like they’re at home, and – finally – let them visualize the place as their home With all that, they’ll want to make it a reality and your “playlist” will have created the right mood.
