Many site agents and Realtors have to be very creative when selling a house or unit that hasn’t even been built yet. It’s hard to sell sight unseen, so we were wondering:
What techniques do you use to sell from a blueprint? How do you make the buyer want to buy a home sight unseen?
“Selling a home sight unseen in most cases only involves exposing the buyer to the home by viewing the spec in the neighborhood you are working, or visiting another of the builder’s neighborhoods where that particular model is located. This is true of tract homes, but probably does not hold true in the construction of a pure custom home where everything is being done by blueprint. In this scenario, I believe the buyers actually build the home in their minds as they work with the architect, thereby getting an actual visual before the home ever comes out of the ground. In either case many buyers actually appear to buy into the neighborhood or the lot before they even consider the house plan.”
- Dan Daniel, Prudential Network Realty
“The clients whom I have accompanied to a new construction area and had to look at blueprints only, after I have exhausted all efforts to show them the home already built even if it meant visiting another developments, trusted what they saw on paper. Really I did not try to sell them but allowed the site agent to do what she or he is trained to do. Actually being very observant I learned many things from the site agents and I still insist on letting the site agent control explanation of the property. If my client should have questions and not be comfortable I encourage them not to proceed and further until we get answers, clarifications, if it means getting additional assistance from the development owners. In my experience, all new construction clients I have closed with whether blueprint or viewed model are happy.”
-Sandra Brown, Prudential Network Realty Mandarin
“You don’t have to ‘sell from a blueprint’. Most savvy builders have a professionally decorated model with many of the standard features and selected upgrades. The site agent will provide a series of floor plans and site elevations once they have a flavor for the buyer’s size requirements and budgetary constraints. As the development progresses and homes start coming out of the ground, you can usually find a partially completed home to walk through. This helps your customer get a feel for what a finished product would be like.”
-Tom O’Connell, Watson Realty Amelia Island
“Pictures say a thousand words, so when dealing with a home sight unseen it is critical to provide the buyer with as many visuals as possible. That means digital photos of existing models, including each upgrade that will be in the home. Photos of the lot, views, and surrounding homes and amenities are also critical. And, if the same floor plan is being built somewhere in the area, it helps to go to that community and take as many pictures of the home, including a possible virtual tour to provide the to the buyer, especially if the buyer is not from our area.”
-Phyllis Staines, Re/Max Coastal Real Estate
“Your question this month is something I encounter frequently being in a new subdivision, Highland Glen, with so many newly designed floor plans that have never been built for customers to see. What I do for customers who are interested in a floor plan that we do not have to show yet is paint a picture of the house in their minds as I show them the blueprint, as well as pointing out why the plan meets their needs. Then, I walk them through our model home that is the closest to the design of interest, and show them the detailing they can expect to find in their new home.”
Kim Worbington, ICI Homes at Highland Glen
“I have done a lot of ‘sight-unseen’ selling and the best way to do it is to create ‘excitement’ about the lot or home and create a vivid picture in their mind of the architecture, the size of the spaces, the functionability of the rooms and the features that the home or lot will have. Maybe find a similar product that they can view then explain to them the differences and similarities that the unseen will have. You can also use photos of some of the unique features the home may have [Example: maybe the entry to the home has a spiral staircase with a beautiful banister, then try to find a photo of the same one or one that is similar. Visuals really add interest. Your own general enthusiasm and knowledge of the home in combination with finding out what the client’s needs and desires are will help sell even a sight-unseen!”
-Jami Maxwell Bloedow, Mercedes Homes at Meadow Pointe
“I am one of a team of two at VillaRiva, a pre-construction riverfront residential condominium home development in Historic Riverside on the edge of downtown Jacksonville. My partner, Lynette Tyson, and I hear almost daily from prospects that it is so hard for them to envision what our development will be like for them to live in as there is nothing to see or stand in to get an idea of what they are buying. It is our job to paint a picture using several tools that make it easier for us to describe the VillaRiva lifestyle. First of all, we are all aware of how important ‘curb appeal’ is when it comes to shopping for and buying a home. It is the same with a site office. The site office must reflect the quality and detail of what the personality of their future home will be like. If the site office is welcoming and makes a good presentation from the outside, then buyers will know what to expect from the development. We also have found it extremely helpful to have an actual model of the building and property. When showing or describing to potential buyers the angles and details of the building, nothing works better than a miniature of the development. Neither renderings, photos nor verbal descriptions can equal a 3D model. Another tool that has been a major help to us has been an actual photo of views from the various levels of the building. Since our sales are all pre-construction, it is obvious that, while construction has begun and there is certainly much activity on site, there is no building yet. Therefore, potential buyers cannot go from floor to floor to see what their view will be. Having these photos available has not only romanticized the lifestyle of a riverfront condominium residence and allowed the buyers to “see themselves sitting on their terrace enjoying the sunset, but it has given us the tool we needed to help buyers finalize their location. Without it, we probably would be facing a delay in sales until we could actually take prospects up in the under-construction building to see for themselves. Of course there are numerous ways in which to paint a wonderful picture of what you are selling, but a commitment from the developer and contractor in the sales presentation speaks very loudly.”
-Lee S. Elmore, VillaRiva,
Flagship Realty, LLC
“You must be able to paint a picture for the buyer. In our particular development, Marina San Pablo, we can talk about our 10-foot ceilings and the very open floor plans with large rooms, lots of windows and decorative columns dividing parts of the living space. We tend to have a more seasoned buyer so it helps in their understanding of room dimensions and overall space.”
-Michelle Mousin, Marina San Pablo
“Selling a house from plans can be challenging, but it also gives me the opportunity to share my love of design and creativity with the customer. This is where I have fun. Fortunately, ICI Homes builds many models and spec homes. The customer and I go on a tour of the homes that best emulate the properties in the house we are creating. I also suggest that they measure rooms in their house and ask them how they feel in those rooms with the furniture that they will use. As always it is all in the communication.”
-Christine Rich, ICI at Turtle Shores