Property viewings are a crucial part of the home buying process. This is when potential buyers step inside a property for the first time to assess if it meets their needs and desires. However, research shows that buyers often make decisions about a property before they’ve even viewed it in person. There are several key reasons why this happens.
Online Listing Content
Today’s home buyers spend a lot of time researching properties online before they ever arrange a viewing. High quality listing content, including photos, floor plans, video walkthroughs and detailed descriptions can make an enormous impact.
Properties that look attractive online and seem to tick all the right boxes stand a good chance of making it onto buyers’ viewing shortlists. Those with limited, unclear or uninspiring listing content often get dismissed outright. This is why you need to invest in professional property photography.
First Impressions Count
The old saying about first impressions sticking holds true in property sales. Before viewing a house or flat, buyers will look at the online photos and street view imagery. If the external property styling creates a great first impression, buyers are much more likely to be enthusiastic about arranging a viewing.
However, if the current owners have neglected the external styling, buyers may well dismiss it and focus their efforts on more appealing properties instead.
Lifestyle Associations
Savvy buyers have an idea of the lifestyle they want from their new home before they start searching. Certain neighbourhoods, property types and external home styles get associated with certain lifestyles.
Buyers searching for a family-friendly property may instantly home in on a four-bedroom detached home with a well-kept garden. First impressions allow them to make quick judgments about whether a home aligns with their desired lifestyle.
Emotional Decision Making
Property purchases involve both logical considerations and emotional decision making. As soon as buyers see an online listing that stirs up emotions like excitement, pride or contentment, they’ll be much more inclined to view in person. Listings that fail to establish an emotional connection are far less likely to get viewers through the door. Stunning photography and thoughtful descriptive copy that brings a property to life play into this emotional decision process.
Managing Expectations
If the online listing content looks outdated, cluttered or fairly uninspiring, buyers may assume the actual property looks equally unappealing inside. This means they won’t have high expectations about what they’ll see at the viewing. For already hesitant buyers, even small negatives could put them off. They may also assume there are bigger underlying issues that aren’t shown. Great photos and descriptions raise expectations and standards, while poor ones lower them.
With the time and effort involved in arranging and attending property viewings, buyers don’t want to waste their efforts. They therefore lean heavily on the listing photos, descriptions, floor plans and video content to pre-vet options based on first impressions and emotional responses.
Those listings that look most aligned with their purchasing wish lists and desired lifestyles stand the highest chance of progressing to the viewing stage. Presentation really can make or break a potential buyer’s decision before they’ve even seen a home in person.