You’re trying to rent or sell your propertyand now you have to show it to prospects. The first thing you have to do is make sure the property looks good. First impressions are everything. A renter or buyer will quickly walk away if the property is not how they saw online, or isn’t how you described it.
No matter what type of property you have, apartment, house, or condo, every aspect of your property should be poured over so that anyone who comes to look at it will instantly fall in love with it. Once your property is how you want it, it’s time to prepare for your prospects.
Warm and Inviting
If you’re renting or selling a home, or even an apartment, you want to appeal to all five senses when it comes to your potential residents or buyers. The moment the prospects walk inside, you should ensure they are met with pleasant smells. Don’t go too heavy with the air freshener but a hint of cinnamon or vanilla can make the place instantly seem like a place to call home. You should make sure everything is clean and able to be touched. Have soft music playing so that your prospects are very comfortable and don’t feel rushed. For their sense of taste, offer them refreshments such as cookies or fruit if you’re health conscious. Finally, for their sense of sight, make sure the place looks as pristine as you can get it.
Staging your home to sell will allow prospects to see how the rooms function and how their own furniture can be arranged in the rooms. If your property is clean and everything’s prepared, you’ve done all the hard work. Now you have to sell it. But as any good salesperson will tell you, selling anything is really selling yourself. Meet your prospects with a smile, a warm greeting and a solid handshake. Make sure you look them in the eye, as well. Ask why they’re moving. Really try to connect with them. Find out what their needs are, and when they’re looking to make a decision. This will allow you to highlight the things about your property that coincide with what they’re looking for, and also allow you to shadow the things that don’t appeal to them.
Closing
Selling is easy, it’s closing that’s the hard part. You must close your prospect if you hope to get that lease, or make that sale. You have to make the prospect believe that time is of the essence. There are others interested so they should strike now. Have the necessary paperwork handy, as well as a good pen, so that you leave them little choice but to sign on the bottom line. However, the best advice anyone can give you about closing is not to talk too much. After you’ve said what you’ve had to say, and you’ve presented them with the pen to sign the paperwork, don’t say anything. Too many salespeople lose their leases or sales because they say too much and end up giving the prospect an out. When you’re silent, you put the ball in the prospect’s court and they’re forced to make a decision. Hopefully, if you’ve done your job right, their decision should be an easy one.
Very good post. I agree – first impressions are everything. I find most people notice even the small things when going through someone else’s home. But, in their own home most people don’t notice these small things since it’s familiar. When faced with the unfamiliar, that is when people notice things. I like how you point out the senses and how important they are to cater to when preparing a home to show – staging is so important. Thanks for sharing!