If you have clients seeking a family home, there’s a good chance they’ll bring the kids along to your real estate agent walkthrough. And if you want to sell them a property, you’ll need to sell it to their little ones too. Why? Because around the world, children are having a greater influence on their parents’ purchasing decisions. A US study conducted this year suggests that 63% of homebuyers seek their children’s input on what to buy. Here’s how to impress them.
All open house tips advise you to make sure the property is safe and secure. This is doubly true for little ones and their protective parents. It’s not just about physical dangers, however. You also need to make the house feel cosy and welcoming; a home in which the child can roam freely and speak openly. So be sure to extend them a warm invitation and encourage them to explore if they (and their parents) choose.
Clean and tidy spaces ensure clients can see the potential of a property. A conservatory or summer room could be a children’s play area, a spare room can convert into a nursery, and an existing child’s bedroom can be easily adapted to the taste of your mini-client. Once inside these spaces, chat with the child and help them imagine their dream room. A UK study recently quantified just how important this can be: messy children’s bedrooms can knock £8,000 from property prices.
Children learn new things from hands-on experiences. If you want your property to stick in their minds, you need to pause your real estate agent walkthrough and help them engage. Have them show off the shower pressure or test your favourite features, whether it’s integrated smart sound systems or elegant storage solutions. If it’s safe, has buttons or mechanisms and is impressive, it’s a good thing to share.
Most children won’t tolerate patronising baby talk or a hard sales pitch, so make sure you’re always in dialogue. A great way to do this is to ask them questions. It will help them to feel included, and if you ask the right questions, you can lead into explanations of important features. For example, you can ask them how big their bedroom should be, then have them guess the size of a room. It’s an easy way to share the facts, without boring the children.
As important as the kids are to your sale, there will be a point where you need a little time to talk business with your clients. This is especially true if you’re running an open house rather than a one-on-one real estate agent walkthrough. It’s here where a little prep can help. Set them a simple task that also sells the space. It could be counting the light fittings, finding an architectural feature or guessing the sweet-smelling scent that’s perfumed the property.
In short, impressing your clients’ kids is all about making the space secure and inviting, and helping them to engage with it in a playful, natural way. Get this right, and it can pay dividends. For more open house tips, take a look at this blog post.
