Using our experience as estate agents working across the south of England, below, we detail some of the key considerations for a positive property viewing.
Prepare for the viewing in advance
Giving your property the ‘show home’ treatment by making sure it is thoroughly cleaned, uncluttered and well-presented will improve your chances of securing a sale before the buyer has even walked through the door. Naturally, people will be more attracted to a well-cared for and well-kept house, so carrying out some TLC will give your sales pitch that added boost.
Depersonalise to ensure that the buyer can imagine the home as their own – if it feels too personal and homely still, the buyer might feel like they are intruding.
Don’t be too eager
You want to put across the best aspects of your home in a passionate way, but you must be careful to not go too over-the-top, as this could be off-putting to the would-be buyer. Try not to be too chatty – less is often more in these cases – and don’t bring emotion into proceedings. Buyers are likely to see straight through this, plus emotion and house sales don’t generally tend to mix well.
Make them comfortable
For a successful viewing, prospective buyers need to feel comfortable in their surroundings and they need to visualise themselves living in the house. The presence of a seller might make a buyer awkward, they might be more reluctant to snoop and explore every nook and cranny. Give them the freedom to explore and don’t be too overbearing. However, you should be on hand to answer questions when needed. If you’re clipping at the buyers heels throughout the whole viewing, they are less likely to get a proper ‘feel’ for the place and are therefore less likely to place an offer.
Avoid the clichés
Freshly baked bread and a pot of coffee to give off a warm and cosy vibe probably won’t sit well with buyers, who will spot your tactics from a mile off and will subsequently develop some cynicism about your motivations. Try and be as natural as you can and don’t try and predict what your buyers will be looking for. It’ll just come across as false.
Keep it friendly but professional
Be warm and courteous when welcoming your viewers, but be sure to keep things on a strictly professional basis. Being too over-friendly is often a tell-tale sign of a sellers’ desperation to sell.
Best room first
Begin the tour downstairs and always show off your best room first. Don’t be afraid to point out the main features and benefits, but don’t turn it into an overlong speech. Keep things short and sweet, and put across facts and major selling points in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.
Follow-up afterwards
If the potential buyer leaves their contact details and indicates a desire to re-visit the property at some point, waste no time in contacting your estate agent to tell them this. The agent should then promptly follow up with the buyer and turn any concrete interest into a second viewing and a possible offer.
Finally, a few definite do’s and don’ts when it comes to viewings. Do make sure your home is in top condition; be friendly but not too over-enthusiastic; have copies of all domestic bills on hand; and keep the kids and family pets well away from matters.
On the other hand, don’t talk too much, don’t point out defects or DIY disasters (this kind of speaks for itself), don’t make disparaging remarks about your neighbours or neighbourhood and don’t set limits to the buyer on the property value. Leave that to your agent.
If you are thinking of selling your property and would like to know how much it could be worth in today’s market, you can get an instant online valuation using our value my property tool.
Alternatively, for any advice on buying or selling a property, contact us on:
08448 099931
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