How important is the viewing appointment?
A guide to the perfect viewing
Over the past decade, we've tried and tested many approaches to hosting the ‘perfect viewing.' We like to host them on behalf of my clients.
To help you make the most of your future viewing appointments, I wanted to share some of them with you.
Before the viewing, your estate agent must have a thorough conversation with the buyer. This is vital for qualifying their ability to proceed and ensures they understand what the buyer is looking for and what’s important to them. Understanding buyers' needs will influence how the viewing goes, the feedback given, and the time spent in certain areas of your home on the appointment.
Preparation is key. We usually arrive at the property 10-15 minutes before the appointment, to open the blinds and draw back the curtains. Natural light is better than artificial, where possible. If it’s a warm day, open the windows to prevent the rooms from feeling stuffy. In the evening - or on a cold day - warm lighting, candles, and turning the fire on can improve the ambience. Clear coats from the hallway, shoes from the floor, and clutter from the sides. It’s important that the home retains as much of the buyer’s attention as possible. Distractions aren’t helpful.
First impressions count. When the potential buyer turns up at your property, try to make it feel like ‘home’. We usually park the car away from the property, and I’ll make the viewer aware that they’re welcome to park their car on the driveway. When they pull up to the property and park on the drive, it reinforces a feeling that they are at ‘home'. It eliminates any risk of them struggling to find a parking space. When the visit begins, we want them to be happy, relaxed, and present - not distracted by parking problems.
Control the narrative. Guide a viewer through your home at a pace that allows them to absorb every room. This also gives them time to share any feedback or raise any questions. When showing a person around a home, we're selling for one of my clients, I always have notes to remind me of their criteria. This way, I can up-sell the property in a way that’s relevant to their needs.
The spot where you end the viewing is important. The first and last impressions will stick in their minds the most after their visit. We always find it useful to end the viewing in the room that has impressed the buyer the most. Or the space most relevant to their needs. For example, if the property has an extended kitchen or a large garden and I’m hosting a family, We'll end up in the garden or the kitchen. Both spaces tend to be important for this demographic of buyers.
The final thing We’d like to emphasise when it comes to viewings is the importance of an efficient follow-up.
The first job of all estate agents, every day, should be to follow up on the previous day’s viewings. Buyers will often enquire to around a dozen homes when planning to buy, so proactivity is essential. At Mortlock & Joyce, we never leave a call unanswered and contact every buyer the next day. If your agent doesn’t chase feedback promptly, it’s no exaggeration to say that it can cost a sale. Being able to react quickly and give enough time to viewings are some of the reasons why we only work with a handful of properties at a time.
Hopefully, you’ve found this information helpful. Please feel free to give the team a call on 01322 686 277 or WhatsApp us if you’d like to chat about your sale in more detail.
