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After a few hours of searching for homes online or seeing them in person, the listings can start to blend together in buyers’ minds. Making sure to avoid this smoothie of houses by being unforgettable to a buyer is the key to getting your listings sold.
Here are a few ways to make sure your listing is an unforgettable showing experience for potential buyers, one that’ll stand out in the sea of inventory and stay on buyers’ minds.
1. Take professional photos (and video)
Listing pictures are what grab people’s attention from the start. If the photos they see online don’t get them excited about a property they are unlikely to want to go see it.
Making sure you have professional pictures done by a real estate photographer is the first step in providing an unforgettable experience.
Going beyond basic photos by using video clips or video walkthroughs ensures potential buyers will spend some extra time considering the listing and make the property easier to remember later on.
2. Craft a must-see listing description
Once the pictures and videos have grabbed their attention, the listing description needs to pump up the excitement. A description that helps the potential buyer see themselves in the home will motivate them to go see it in person.
Telling a story instead of just reciting some facts about the property will make the home stand out and stick in the readers’ minds. If you don’t enjoy writing, or if it’s not one of your strengths, consider hiring a professional writer.
3. Stage to live up to the hype
After the pictures and description have gotten them excited, the showing has to live up to expectations. Making sure the home is clean and well-staged.
You’ve spent a lot of time and energy hyping up a listing to be a 10 out of 10, so don’t allow poor showing conditions to damage that perception. Ensure any clutter or overly personal items are hidden or out of the way, and that the openness of the space is maximized.
4. Prepare to share the lifestyle
If you or your seller have enough heads-up before a showing, consider taking the time to prep the property beyond normal staging. Leaving the lights on with soft, pleasant music playing in the background to greet potential buyers is a great start to the experience.
Printed lists of local restaurants, grocery stores and gyms nearby will get visitors in the mindset of living in the home and building their life there. Services like ListReports provide an easy option to create these materials with neighborhood and area attractions.
5. Provide full information
Flyers and take-home information items make sure your listing will stay top-of-mind to buyers. Providing a measured floor plan is a game changer for potential buyers who are bringing their furniture along to their new home.
Floor plans can speed up decisions for these buyers as they won’t have to return at a later time to measure for furniture space or to try to remember if the living-room attaches directly to the kitchen or not.
6. Give ’em freebies
If you’ve ever been to a convention or trade-show, you know that freebies and giveaways are king. This idea can be used in the world of showings as well. Individually wrapped cookies, branded water bottles and bowls of candy are easy and cost effective items to leave on the counter in the kitchen or entryway to create memorable interaction.
Now your listing will become “the one with the cookies” instead of “the third one, or was it the fourth one?” in the buyers’ minds.
7. Follow up like it’s your job (it is, right?)
If you are showing your own listing, follow-up is key to securing the buyer, whether it be for this home or another one. But great follow-up is just as important when someone else shows your listing.
If the potential buyer has questions, make sure to relay the answers to the showing agent as quickly as possible. They are asking because their client has interest, and you don’t want that interest to wane because you took too long to get back to them, or worse, have them buy a different house they saw while waiting to hear back from you.
Even a quick check-in with the showing agent can do wonders for the potential sale. The agent will appreciate your attentiveness, and that will work in your favor going forward.
These tips will help keep your listings exciting and top of mind to buyers. While they are all great on their own, using them together will prove to be a powerful system when marketing listings and getting them sold.
David Stroh is a Realtor with Re/Max Plus in Frederick, Maryland. Follow him on Facebook or Instagram.
