How to sell an apartment: detailed instructions. Learning how to quickly sell your apartment How to show an apartment correctly

Rodion Sovdagarov, head of the consulting bureau Sovdagarov HR services, a famous business coach from Moscow, talks about how a realtor can successfully interact with a buyer and seller when showing an apartment.

I find the concept of “viewing” extremely harmful. It is never a viewing, it is always a showing, and its task and methodology are different, depending on whether the realtor is working for a buyer or a seller. However, there are a few general points worth remembering. First about them.

1. A demonstration is a critically important action from the point of view of marketing a real estate service, because a demonstration is almost the only moment where the client sees with his own eyes the work of a realtor. As our research shows, it is by the behavior of the realtor during the showing that the client first of all evaluates the quality of his work. That is, you can do all the paperwork wonderfully, conduct a marketing analysis, but make a mistake at the show, and the client will think that you are a complete fool.
2. During the showing, the realtor has 100% initiative. It shouldn’t be like this: so I went to a corner (this is the difference between “showing” and “viewing”), and they themselves are watching something there. Firstly, the client’s assessment will depend on the behavior of the realtor. Secondly, the clients themselves will definitely not see anything: they will only see what is shown and what they focus on. Thirdly, the display is potentially dangerous situation, fundamentally conflictual if the owners are present there. In fact, at this moment there are 2 owners in the apartment, the past and the future, and sparks definitely begin to spark between them. Moreover, if the buyer really likes the apartment, then at that moment he begins to mentally arrange the furniture, move his relatives in, and he begins to terribly dislike everything connected with the previous owner. Criticisms are expressed and conflict arises. This is why initiative is so important for a realtor.
3. About the counterparty to the transaction. Anything can happen, so you may come across a clown on the other side. How to insure yourself against this? The only way is to agree on the show schedule in advance. For example, you say to your contact agent: “Let’s talk, the show lasts half an hour. First, we introduce our clients, agree in advance what can be given to the client, what is and what is not in the handouts. Then it’s your 10 minutes, show and tell, I won’t say a word, sing your song. Then I take the initiative and ask my questions. Get ready, we always check this and that. Our goal is not to disgrace you.” Then we come to the show and understand a simple thing: a person adheres to the regulations - it’s good, if he begins to grossly violate the established rules, my advice is: take your client and evacuate him from there. If the realtor, on the other hand, cannot adequately demonstrate himself at the initial stage, then imagine what he will do during the transaction.

Now let's separate two points: and.

If we work from the seller

The ideal display is when there is no owner at all, but this is rarely achievable.

First, the apartment must be prepared.

What is a show-ready apartment? General principle– the less visible the life activity of the current owners, the better. The apartment should be clean, ventilated: as little household odors as possible. No air fresheners: Russian people associate them with the toilet. If you need to give pleasant smells, the ideal option is the smell of freshly brewed coffee or something baked. To do this, just throw a few coffee beans into the microwave - that’s it, you’ve already got the desired smell.

Place furniture against the walls to maximize free space. If possible, flowers should be removed from the windows; they block the light. In general, in a display situation, the ideal place for home flowers is on the landing to give a well-groomed appearance. If the show is in the evening, then it is better to change all the light bulbs to 100-candle lights. The main thing is that it is very light.

The basic principle is more light, space and air.

The ideal is a well-lit, empty apartment with whitewashed walls. Get as close to him as possible. Anyone who can be kicked out of the apartment should be kicked out. Be sure to remove pets. No excuses: “He doesn’t bite,” “He’s affectionate,” “He’s kind.” The pet will not be kind at this moment for a simple reason: he will see how a stranger has come to take over his house. And even the cutest animal in such a situation begins to show aggression. Therefore, let the neighbors take the animal for a walk or go for a walk, and at the same time we automatically remove family members from the apartment.

Pay attention to the entrance. People start asking prices from there: prepare the area, at least hang an old calendar on the wall. By the way, this is the only place where you can use an air freshener, especially if it smells like garbage or rats.

Second important point– preparation of the owner.

The owner must be forced to remain silent. Why? I'll explain what's going on. He, poor thing, is worried that his apartment will not be shown properly and begins to interfere, disrupting the structure of the show. Therefore, we convey to him simple logic:

“Enemies are coming to you, these people are here for the sole purpose: either to waste your time, or, if they like the apartment, to throw all their efforts into bringing down the price. You are under interrogation, I am your lawyer. Any word you say will be used against you. If it seems like I haven't made something clear, tell me."

Accordingly, what to present at the show itself? Definitely not an apartment. It's crazy when a realtor starts telling you, "These are the walls, this is the door, this is the toilet." The display must include a printed map, for example, from Yandex.Maps, showing key objects correlated around the infrastructure. Because we are not presenting an apartment, but the social opportunities and lifestyle changes that it provides: location, resources.

A very useful thing is a map of neighbors: who lives above, below, on the side, if the neighbors are decent. If the neighbors are “indecent,” then we talk not about nearby neighbors, but about resource ones. Which useful people live in this entrance: employees of local authorities, housing and communal services, law enforcement officers, etc. We tell and carefully monitor the buyer’s reaction, react to his emotions, but at the same time we must have our own plan: we do not blindly follow the buyer’s interest , we present the apartment according to a certain logic.

One more thing - there must be handouts with several photographs, a map, a description, contact information. This flyer is handed to the buyer or realtor. The buyer looks at many objects that are mixed in his head. But if he receives handouts, he will remember your apartment, moreover, he will highlight it among other showings.

The owner needs to be controlled during the work process, because he is nervous and eager to fight. Therefore, firstly, he needs to really show how we beautifully present his apartment. Secondly, you need to respect his fetishes. Each apartment seller has something that he considers especially valuable in the apartment, despite the fact that it usually is not so. But this still needs to be shown, otherwise the owner will think that we did not tell the most important thing. Thirdly, there are “non-stop” hosts with whom you need to learn a speech: give some piece of speech, but immediately agree that you control the whole process. And the owner will not have the feeling that he has been pushed into a corner.

It is important to have the buyer sign the viewing sheet because there should be at least some trace of the showing. The viewing sheet must contain several entries to confirm that there is interest in the apartment and this buyer is not the only one who came to see it.

If we work for a buyer

The main mistake a realtor makes when he comes with a buyer is that he makes excuses for bringing the client to this particular apartment and starts praising it and “selling it.” A realtor does not have such a task. The realtor who came with the buyer should be the most helpful organizer and curator of all discussions. He, like the Lord's Prayer, must have a plan for the technological examination of the apartment, because the person who comes to the showing will be confused. This is a stressful situation: in 15-30 minutes you need to inspect an apartment where you will live for several decades.

In this situation, the realtor calmly takes the initiative: after the showing, he begins to ask questions about the inspection map:

• presence/absence of redevelopment;
• operation of key technological units;
• work of the riser, hood;
• double-glazed windows: are they installed correctly, are they exposed to ventilation.

We check the apartment for the presence of fungus and leaks, pay attention to the floor: laminate, linoleum.

All this can be easily googled on the Internet on sites related to repairs. The realtor must calmly and carefully carry out the initial examination for the client. Thus, showing the client the “product” and why realtors exist in this world in general. Plus, identify all the shortcomings: if you like the apartment, we need arguments to reduce the price, which appear in the process of technological examination.

It is important to agree with the buyer so that he shows less emotion during the show. Dissatisfaction and criticism will result in conflict, and excessive interest and compliments will result in difficulties when bargaining.

Before starting showing the apartment, it is important to decide whether we will show it to everyone or not to everyone. I am for the sale of an apartment at minimum number impressions!

And not because time is a pity. But because each showing strengthens your confidence that your apartment is in high demand, and it doesn’t matter that most of the tourists who come simply do not have money. And false illusions are a serious thing.

And the second point: every show is an invasion of privacy, because... people often live in apartments for sale.

The main thing you need to understand when showing an apartment is You are not showing YOUR apartment, but the BUYER’S FUTURE APARTMENT! This means that instead of saying “from this window I like to look at the sunset,” it is better to say “from this window YOU will like to look at the sunset.” Lyrics, of course, but I hope the meaning is clear.

It is important that the Buyer felt how HE lives in this apartment. “Felt” is the key word. Often people make decisions based on emotions rather than logical conclusions.

How do you think buyers explain their decision to buy this or that apartment? Not at all because the price per meter is the lowest, or that the price/quality ratio is optimal, but because “I walked into the apartment and realized – this is MINE”.

How can you help the buyer mentally “live” in your apartment for now?

Firstly, this is the same “depersonalization” that I wrote about in pre-sale preparation. That is, it is necessary to free the room from personal belongings as much as possible.

Secondly, the room must be cleared of people. It is best to have your agent show the apartment. If there is none, then one (!) adult family member. Send the rest of the household to get some fresh air. If there are animals in the house, put them there too.

During the show, do not present too much text - you may blurt out too much. (We don’t have cockroaches - we just poisoned them). But don’t be silent like a fish. Answer the questions, pay attention to those advantages of the apartment that are not obvious. For example, that your double-glazed windows are not simple, but “breathable”.

I got ahead of myself a little here, missing one important thing:

You never get a second opportunity to make a good first impression, so start with the entryway and staircase - this is the first thing a buyer evaluates. If necessary, sweep and wash it, clean or remove the rug completely, replace burnt out light bulbs, tidy up the front door. Don't forget to remove bottles from the windowsill.

Of course, it is impossible to foresee everything! It is unlikely that you will be able to disperse the homeless people hanging out at the entrance to the entrance, since I suspect that they deeply care about your concerns. Unless you are two meters tall and about a hundred and twenty kilograms.

Once I was selling an apartment at a good price, in a good location. There were a lot of showings, but for some reason it still didn’t sell. And so I bring customers there (for the twentieth time), and a drunk man is sleeping on a bench at the entrance. Well, I think I'll be wasting my time again. And what do you think? It was these buyers who bought that apartment. So, personally, drunks on benches don’t bother me anymore.

One more nuance:

Don't force your customers to take off their shoes. Suddenly a person has a sock with a hole. And simply put, it’s time to quit with the scoop. It’s especially touching when gentlemen sellers thrust their slippers (worn and dirty) into buyers’ hands. You are our caring people! It’s better to be barefoot, and even better – not to walk at all. If you are really worried about the cleanliness of your laminate flooring, place a rug and a damp cloth at the entrance and invite guests to wipe their shoes on them.

And finally, respect to non-standard solutions! About five years ago I sold an expensive new building in the center. We sold out from one show, which I still remember. Shown at night, i.e. in the evening, but since it was winter, it was dark at night. There was no light in the apartment (it is new, unfinished and without light bulbs). The seller came to the showing with a candle(I couldn’t find a flashlight)! Everything went well: we walked around the mansions with that candle, the lights of the city at night outside the windows... In general, the buyers liked the apartment, and they ended up buying it. Of course, we watched it again during the day, but the first impression is difficult to beat.

Note: if the seller had come with a flashlight that time, things could have turned out completely differently. I didn’t understand it then, I just noticed the unusualness of the candle. And the trick is that in the light of a lantern, especially a bright one, all the flaws in the concrete wall become hypertrophied. That's it.

More than that, that's it.

Mostly people look at apartments after work, tired and hungry. Remember this and try not to bother your guests with your problems. Create a cozy and comfortable environment and be optimistic and friendly.

Have a nice and successful showing!

A standard showing of an apartment by a seller, which I have observed quite a few times, looks like this. Buyers, together with the seller or his realtor, walk around the apartment, and, entering the rooms, the seller (or his realtor) says: “This is our kitchen, and this is our bedroom, etc.” That's all. Next, buyers inspect the specified premises and ask some questions. If there are no questions, then the seller silently stands aside. It's not really a show. You can’t even call it an excursion, because the guide usually tells something about the subject of the excursion. And it would be nice if this was done by unprofessional sellers - apartment owners, but this behavior, unfortunately, is typical of many “specialists”.

What should be done? But we should remember that the apartment in this case is a product. And the product needs to be presented! And if pre-sale preparation is a beautiful wrapping of a product, then showing an apartment is its demonstration. Imagine that you are buying something in a store, because a good seller will definitely tell you about it, show you, let you touch it, and in general, demonstrate your product. So why do sellers behave differently when selling an apartment? After all, in fact, when entering an apartment, the buyer does not know anything about it. And the task of a good seller is to tell about it. Show all the advantages of the apartment, talk about the advantages compared to other similar offers. And, by the way, I don’t recommend keeping silent about the apartment’s shortcomings at all. Firstly, it is not a fact that the circumstances that you consider a big disadvantage are such for someone who wants to buy an apartment. Secondly, the buyer will most likely see all the shortcomings of the apartment himself, and you will not be able to influence the conclusions he draws. But if you present a disadvantage in combination with an advantage: “Our pipes are bad, but the first entrance has already begun to be repaired, and in a week it will be our turn,” then the disadvantage may look completely different in the eyes of the buyer. But in order to compensate for the shortcomings of an apartment in this way, you need to clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of competing apartments. From my own experience, I know how well the phrase “We have such a disadvantage, but in comparison with similar apartments currently for sale, we have such and such advantages,” works on potential buyers.” And even if buyers have not yet looked at your competing apartments, then during their viewing they will definitely remember your words. And perhaps these words will play a decisive role in choosing your apartment. Especially if other apartments are sold by inept sellers.