Accompanying buyers to tour homes can be a more slippery endeavor than most agents realize. Clients will always share the big things they like about a home, and often ones they don’t like. But many may not provide opinions about “minor” turnoffs, especially if they feel they could be insulting to the owners. So it’s on you, if possible, to scope out every sight and smell before bringing people around.
“First impressions are indeed made in seconds and involve all the senses,” says Veronique Perrin, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York City. “I have had qualified buyers make a 180 and never go past the foyer. Smells are for sure the biggest repeat offenders, whether they are too bad or too ‘presumably good.’ Not everyone is a fan of lavender or vanilla.
“Also, many people have serious allergies to common things. Some scented candles are so strong that they feel toxic with each breath you take. Buyers will wonder what you are trying to hide.”
Another obvious scent is that of animals. Pet owners often get used to the aroma created by their critters, while people new to the house notice it immediately. It’s best to have pets not be loose during showings, and to make sure noses are not insulted upon entrance.
“Pets are also often a big issue,” says Perrin. “I always advise sellers with pets to have the home deep cleaned and detailed right before showings actually start. In those cases, cleanliness, constant airing out of the space and vacuuming pet hair are paramount.”
Continuing with the common scents theme, Jeffrey Decatur, with REMAX Capital in upstate New York, points out that owners get used to the various odors where they live, while others, encountering them for the first time, may turn tail, so to speak.
“What most people don’t realize is they become nose blind to their own funk,” he says. “Sellers may have become used to their damp basement or overwhelming pet smell, but as soon as a buyer opens a door, bam! You are not hiding a thing. Sellers may disguise it to themselves, but nobody else.”
Heavy plug-in air fresheners, excessive incense or cheap candles tell buyers you are hiding mold, dampness, pet smells or other nose insults.
Adjina Dekidjiev, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Warburg, recalls showing a buyer an apartment in a townhouse where there were air fresheners stuck on the landing of every floor.
“As we walked up to the fourth floor, we understood why,” she says. “There was a heavy ammonia odor, likely from a pet, and it permeated through the apartment. Needless to say, we left quickly.”
Perrin notes that there are smells that indicate potential health-related issues to buyers.
“When dealing with single-family homes, any damp/musty smell in a basement will be an instant red flag,” she says. “Nobody wants to deal with an ongoing issue that can escalate from inconvenience to substantial costly remediation because of black mold. Also, buyers are aware that insurance premiums are at an all-time high. Any risk of water damage/flood will be a dealbreaker.
“Any home with a smoker in residence, or one who lived there for a long time, is problematic. Nicotine smell is pernicious, and health concerns are great. More than once, that was an instant hard no from buyers. At least twice I had buyers who did not make it past the front door.”
Perrin, whose business is primarily working with co-ops in multi-unit buildings, adds that strong cooking smells can also dramatically affect interest in otherwise desirable homes.
“More than once that was an issue straight off the elevator,” she says. “Even if it does not come from the targeted home, if it permeates common spaces, it becomes everyone’s problem.”
The eyes have it
Visual bugaboos can also be problematic for agents and clients.
“Buyers touring houses catch the most minute details,” says Decatur. “Cracked electrical outlets, doors that don’t close properly, duct tape on anything, especially plumbing. These are insignificant to-do’s to a seller, and may be $10 fixes. To a buyer, they are hints of how a property is taken care of and maintained.
“My favorite thing that buyers pick up on is when the house was recently professionally cleaned, or the sellers spent hours cleaning, but there are cobwebs and dirty windows. Check behind toilets because buyers look. It is all about impressions. Don’t miss the details.”
Dekidjiev had a situation recently where refrigerator magnets were cleverly used to cover several deep dents during a showing. “We uncovered them and the refrigerator had to be replaced,” she says. “I’ve also learned that sometimes a fresh coat of paint can be used to mask signs of a leak or prior damage.”
Decatur’s experience is such that literally anything visual can turn someone off to a property.
“We have all heard for years to depersonalize the home,” he says. “But what many agents don’t tell sellers is it isn’t necessarily the family photos, but the suggestive posters in the kids’ rooms, the political signs and religious items that can evoke a feeling or be offensive. Not to a seller, because it is in their house. But we as agents sell a product and need it to appeal to the most buyers as possible.
“Attracting the most buyers leads to getting the most money. Sometimes the sellers have things that are downright offensive. Those are difficult discussions. I frame it as I am trying to protect the seller and myself from a Fair Housing violation or discrimination lawsuit. That usually takes care of it, and if it doesn’t, I reevaluate whether it is someone I want to work with.”
