3 Tips to Help Buyers Emotionally Connect with Your Listing

Just because buyer demand is high and buyer's have become more flexible in their search for a home, doesn't necessarily mean you should list your home as it is. In our team's experience, there are three very basic tips that will help take your listing to the next level to the people who matter most - your prospective buyer.Here's why this is important: If your listing has that wow factor and a buyer can emotionally connect with the property, your listing goes from "we can make this one work" to "we cannot miss out on this one." And the more buyers you can get to think this way about your listing, the stronger the offers will be, and you can hand pick the buyer with the best terms for you.Basically, the staging process is still turning out higher profits and faster sales for our clients.So, what are the most basic things you can do to make your home a "can't miss" in the eye of a buyer?

First, you want to make sure it is immaculately clean — sparkling, even. If the home feels, looks, and smells fresh, buyers will feel comfortable as they walk through the home. This includes pet odor. The biggest distraction for a buyer is a space that smells or feels dirty. This also happens to be one of the cheapest ways to bring your listing to the next level. If you're concerned about maintenance or about pet odor, you should speak with your agent about professionals who can help you along the way.

Second, you should replace family photos with neutral decor throughout the entire home. Why? Well, the entire idea of showings is getting the buyer to picture themselves in the property. If there are photos of you and your family everywhere, they will be distracted from this process. Let's make it easy for them and pack away everything that has your family's names or faces on it.I know this subject in particular can be a sensitive one. I understand this can be difficult because, for many of us, things like family photos are sentimental, treasured items that can bring comfort to us in our home. But remember, the marketing of the property is to make the home appealing to its next occupant. Still, if you're concerned about this, a simple compromise could be placing treasured family photos in a scrapbook that you can keep close by and peruse at your convenience.

Third, fresh paint can bring a major return on your sale. Picking neutral and calming colors throughout the home will make it more appealing to a wider pool of buyers without costing you an arm and a leg.Now, I've had countless conversations with clients in my staging experience, and the perspective of sellers often is "I want my home to feel lived in." And I get it. Most people aren't looking to walk through a home that's sterile and devoid of character. But again, if there's one perspective I would like to see shift in your mind through this video it's this:You're not necessarily trying to sell your home. You're trying to sell a buyer their future home. This is the approach that will pay off big time, every time.

If you're interested in learning more about the listing process, feel free to contact us today! For more helpful real estate content, visit our YouTube channel and subscribe!
-Cassie Johnson, Key Realty - John Yoder Team