9 Tricks for Showings That Make Buyers Say ‘OMG, Wow!’
Few things, other than collecting the keys, get buyers more excited than seeing homes.
Showings and open houses are chances to make someone fall head over heels, just as you did when you first bought the home. Work with your agent to make sure your showings and opens are a massive hit.
These days, your agent will conduct in-person showings with appropriate safety and health practices. Your agent might also recommend a virtual showing, walking a buyer through the property one-on-one, using Zoom or Facetime. They will point out features and flaws, as they would in an in-person showing, to give a realistic view of the property.
An open house can also be virtual. Typically, online opens rely on social media or video streaming services. Some videoconferencing tools let agents broadcast simultaneously to multiple channels — for example, streaming a Zoom event on Facebook Live or YouTube.
No matter how prospective buyers view your home, these tips will help you show it at its best.
Showings and even some open houses are by appointment these days and might limit the number of people in your place at once. To maximize traffic, avoid having your open house during holidays, big community events (marathon days, for example), or unofficial "holidays" like Super Bowl Sunday.
In your own personal Home Show, your real estate agent has two roles. To you, they are the director, giving you instructions on how to prepare for visitors and what to do during the event. To buyers, your agent is the host. They will welcome viewers, introduce your home’s impressive features, and take questions from the audience.
Your job is to make your house look like a million bucks — or more like $300,000, depending on your price range. (Tips on cleaning and spiffing up your home in a moment.)
The job of your agent, an expert on your local real estate market and what makes buyers tick, is to take care of the rest. That will include:
Your agent will also recommend that, actually, you should probably leave while they show off your house to strangers, who will look under your sinks and peek into your closets. Why should you heed that advice? Because it makes good business sense for you.
The last thing you want buyers to think after the showing or open house is, “This place needs work,” or “This seller is desperate — I have the upper hand.” So, let your agent take the lead. This won’t be their first rodeo. They know the nuanced ways to show your home in its best light so that buyers will oooh and ahhh. They also know how to strategically answer questions from buyers to help set you up for success later, during negotiation.
Your agent can also stage a broker’s open house on your behalf. Unlike standard open houses — where buyers can stop by — at broker’s open houses, only real estate agents and other industry professionals are invited to attend. Generally, a broker’s open is held within the first few days of a house being put on the market. Complimentary lunch is often served as an incentive to get more people to show up.
There are two main benefits of having a broker’s open house:
If your house “shows well,” as they say in the industry, the agents who toured your home may recommend it to one (or more) of their buyer clients. If your home doesn’t get rave reviews, your agent will relay that feedback to you, and may suggest improvements before the next open house, such as staging certain rooms.
You want your home to look its best while it’s on the market — especially during the open house. Many agents say the best way to primp your home for its big day is to stage it.
Depending on what your agent recommends, staging may involve renting new furniture or decor for certain rooms in your home. There are also some easy staging tricks you can try on the day of your open house. Consider displaying a bouquet of fresh flowers in the entryway, setting your dining room table to make it look inviting, or turning on your outdoor sprinklers shortly before visitors arrive to make your lawn sparkle.
When your home is on the market, you need to keep it in showing shape — not only for the open house, but also for any scheduled showings with buyers. Even though you’ve already (hopefully) cleaned and organized your home for its listing photos, there’s a good chance you’ve let clutter or dust pile up again, especially if you have children or pets.
Make sure appliances, windows, and mirrors are fingerprint-free. Clean and organize your closets, cabinets, and under the sinks (during the open house, buyers are allowed to be nosy). Clear every bit of clutter and get rid of it or put it in storage.
Don’t have the bandwidth to do a deep clean? Hire a house cleaning service to do the work for you. A professional cleaning service costs around $115 to $230 on average. If you’re not sure about which service to hire, ask your agent to recommend cleaners.
Of course, make sure your agent is disinfecting high-touch surfaces after any showings. And keep windows and doors open for maximum air circulation.
If buyers get a whiff of something funky, they’re going to run — not walk — out of your open house or showing. A week prior to the open house, ask your agent to do an honest, no-holds-barred smell check. Some possible smell solutions:
You want your home to feel cozy and inviting, but not like someone specific (you, for example) is living there. Personal belongings such as family photos, awards, and religious art can distract home buyers and make it harder for them to imagine
themselves living in your home. You don’t have to go overboard — the idea isn’t to eliminate every trace of yourself — but consider temporarily hiding some pictures and personal effects out of sight during showings and open houses.
There’s a safety element to stowing your personal belongings, too: Though your agent will be at the open house, you’re inviting strangers into your home.
We’re not suggesting that visitors have any intention other than potentially buying your home. It’s just a good idea, generally speaking, to keep your home secure.
Light doesn’t only (literally) brighten up your space. It also makes rooms look and feel larger. On showing or open house day, open all curtains and blinds to let natural light in. (And in the week before the event, make sure curtains and blinds are squeaky clean.)
Replace every single burnt-out light bulb in and outside the home — buyers should see a working light every time they flip a switch.
Buyers will judge your house on its outsides. So, make last-minute improvements to turn up your home’s . Cut the grass, prune the trees, and trim the shrubs. Touch up porch fixtures and furniture with a little paint. Heck, paint the whole porch, if your budget allows. Plant new shrubs or set out potted flowers.
Small, relatively low-budget outdoor enhancements will make your home look all the more enticing to buyers — and can add some last-minute value to its price.
After your agent signs in and welcomes buyers to your home, they typically will have some time to wander around on their own. Even though you won’t be there, you can still draw visitors’ attention to features in your home that you’d like to highlight.
Prior to the showing or open house, post (friendly, aesthetically pleasing) signs around the house with calls to action such as, “look down, new hardwood floors,” or “gas
fireplace, push this button.” Buyers will likely appreciate the help, and that they’re working with a conscientious seller.
Once you’ve done everything you can to make your house look and feel amazing to buyers — and your agent is on site to assume their hosting duties — the time during your showings is yours to enjoy. Go to the park, get a three-course lunch, do whatever you like as long as you’re free to take calls.
Your agent may need to get in touch with questions, so make sure you’re available and have good cell phone reception. (A movie, for example, is not a great activity for you during the open house for that reason.)
After the showing ends, your agent will share with you what questions buyers asked and any comments they overheard by visitors. Buyers’ remarks will likely run the gamut, including some that could be negative. (“Why is the closet such a mess,” for example.)
The important thing is to stay open to buyers’ feedback, and to follow your agent’s advice about how to respond. Based on buyers’ reactions, your agent may recommend that you make certain repairs, do some painting, or invest in additional staging before your next open house. Whatever they advise, it’s not personal — it’s just the business of selling your home.
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