Mistakes to Avoid When Showcasing a Property

Showcasing properties is a complicated, delicate process that must be executed with skill and finesse to be successful. The first hurdle that must be cleared is the pressure you’ll feel because you understand the full scope of what’s at stake. You may feel tempted to remove “smaller” items from your list of tasks; after all, if it helps you close a deal a week or two faster, isn’t it worth it?

Absolutely not. Consider that it’s not only your reputation with the seller that’s on the line, but in fact your wider reputation with your community. One detailed poor review, or poor word-of-mouth recommendation, could undo years of effort and investment. 

Instead, create a detailed list, and eliminate inefficient scheduling ahead of time. Once you have a realistic picture of how long it will take to prepare to showcase the property to its full potential, communicate honestly and confidently with the seller. Ensure that they understand how normal it is to spend time getting a house ready for market. They want to garner the best offer possible, and that goal is what this process serves to facilitate.

Now, let’s talk about the 5 major mistakes every real estate agent should avoid when they are showcasing a property. These errors are common in the career of a new agent, but take heart: with foresight and self-awareness, even a novice can sidestep them!

1.) Overlooking Maintenance Gaps

It almost goes without saying that you want interested parties to see the home at its best. However, a fixation on staging with furniture, fixtures, and lighting, clearing out clutter, and addressing unpleasant odors—though these are essential steps—can lead eager agents to forget about the basics of home maintenance.

Arrange a deep cleaning, covering ceiling to floors. Every appliance, whether they’re included in the home sale or not, should be sparkling inside and out. This attention to every detail will convey the sense that the homeowners have been scrupulous in their efforts to maintain the home throughout their tenure. 

Buyers do not want to feel as though they will inherit problems that are attributable to the prior owner’s failings, or if they do, they will not want to pay top dollar for the property. 

2.) Breezing Past the Exterior

The same logic applies to the home’s curb appeal. Thanks to your eye for detail, you can ensure that the landscaping is manicured, the walkways power washed, the windows sparkling inside and out, the fences freshly stained, and every cobweb swept away. 

As a result, buyers will feel a sense of confidence and comfort before they even step inside.

3.) Failing to Create a Strategic Sense of Atmosphere

This is where the more traditional view of staging comes into play. Eliminate clutter, create a harmonious color palette, and choose a focal point for each room that will help to draw the eye to the positives throughout the home. 

The final key step here is making sure that the current owners are not present when you are bringing buyers through, even if they are still living in the home. Buyers and sellers alike are going to feel uncomfortable if they are trying tiptoe around each other during a showing.

4.) Rushing Buyers Through Viewings

In a bid to be maximally productive, inexperienced agents can sometimes schedule a property viewing in between two other time-sensitive events. The result is often negative, since the agent’s attention can shift to rushing a buyer through the home in order to avoid running late to their next appointment. 

Buyers need time to wander slowly through a home, especially if they are taken with the property. They will want to envision themselves cooking meals, getting their children ready for bed, and hosting dinner parties within the home, for example. They have to compare the space before them to the list of “hopes, wants, needs” that they are working from.

If you want a buyer to fall in love with your listing, let them have as much time as they need. If they move quickly and excuse themselves before you had expected, it’s a great opportunity to get caught up on paperwork, make follow-up calls, and return emails. You can still be fully productive without scheduling another appointment smack up against a showing.

5.) Letting in Those Little Lies

Look, we all want to snag a buyer’s attention and get them in a home for a viewing. If you’re facing a challenge in this department, it may be tempting to stretch the truth a bit or sidestep a fact entirely. 

Don’t.

Your false representation is going to be discovered, and your deception is likely to tank an otherwise successful meeting entirely. NO ONE wants to work with an agent they perceive as untruthful, shady, or evasive.

If a buyer asks you a question, tell the truth. While there’s no need to leap ahead and point out a property’s shortcomings, you do bear a responsibility to be honest in the face of direct inquiry.

Balance any less-than-ideal points against the home’s better features, and you are likely to do very well. If nothing else, any buyers who interact with you will depart with their trust in you intact, and you won’t have done any damage to the property’s chances for a successful sale. 

Remember, if you tell a lie, you’ll harm your seller’s reputation as well as your own. The seller will not appreciate this and may even choose to cut ties with you on the spot once you have been found out.

Every time you showcase a property, you’ll be able to optimize your methods; before long, you’ll have a refined process for locating a perfect buyer or tenant swiftly.

If you have any questions, or require assistance, please reach out to your experienced real estate mentor. We strive to maintain a supportive network of agents who are eager to help.