Most of us understand that selling a house requires a lot of attention to detail. We want to ensure that we have ticked all of the important boxes such as; cleaning, paint, general repairs or upgrades, good curb appeal, and a strong marketing campaign.
However, some of us don’t realize the importance behind the psychology of their buyer when looking for a home. We tend to stay focused on – making sure that the ‘house’ appears to be in good condition. This is in fact a very important perspective for sellers to strive to achieve & for so many reasons, but we don’t always pay too close attention to how the house will ‘feel’ to the perspective buyer.
Sometimes too, we look at the house too strongly from our own perspective – our own personal tastes and interest, but this does not always serve us.
Before we dig into the psychology aspect, lets first remember that the number one thing I tell all of my clients is; to target your market buyer! If we don’t get this integral part right, we will not be appealing to the demographic that we need in order to get people in the door.
Studies Show: In an article from The National Association of Realtors, it states that – 83% of buyers agents said that staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future Home.
7 Things Buyers Consider
One of the key things I have noticed in the infographic below is the use of the word ‘Home’. It really is about lifestyle and how that translates to the family dynamic in creating a space to call Home.
Fact: Buyers have to mentally move into your house, before they will make it their Home.

The WOW Factor!
What is the WOW factor anyway and why is it so important? The answer may seem obvious for many of us, but honestly, sometimes I don’t think it is. Many of us sell our house based on the perspective that our house is ‘Fine the Way it is”.
When your buyer walks in the door they will have an immediate reaction to the house. They will either be excited to see more, be totally unimpressed, or they will decide to go through the motions of touring it anyway, since they are there already.
Realtors can often gauge if the buyer likes the house or not just by their immediate response upon entering the house. So, if the buyer reacts in a positive way, they are engaged – this means they are feeling inspired, and often excited to see more.
They will be asking themselves the question ‘Can I see myself living here?’.
Fact: Did you know that you have 7 – 10 seconds to impress your buyer?

How Does the House Feel?
It is often noted that women tend to have more influence when buying a home. They seem to be able to see past what’s there and visualize how they will live in the home. They get a sense for the house, and know based on their gut feelings if they want to purchase it or not.
For many women, the house has to ‘Feel Right’. We are after all nesters and want to tuck in and make the nest comfortable for our children, family and friends.
Fact: 90% of people cannot visualize past what they see!
With this staggering statistic, it is all the more reason to set your house up like a home. You want to be sure to include all of the components that make up a home such as; clearly defined rooms, good floor plans, soothing colour schemes, comforting textiles and finishing touches that complete the look, so that you are supporting that – feels like home – emotional response.

Words to Live By
In having perused many articles on the subject of Buyer Psychology, it has become clear that emotion and house buying go hand in hand. Here are our top 5 emotional responses we have come to understand that buyers have when deciding on if they wanted to purchase a house.
- It does or does not ‘Feel Right’.
- I ‘Fell in Love with it’.
- I can not ‘see’ myself living there.
- I had a ‘gut instinct’ – good or bad.
- The ‘energy’ was off.
As well, there may be other attributes to the house that invoke an emotional response in your buyer such as;
- It feels small.
- It feels dark, almost depressing.
- If feels bright and airy.
- The view is to die for.
- It feels/appears dated.
- The room feels closed off from the rest of the house.
- It doesn’t feel like it has good flow.
- The layout is all wrong.
- I don’t understand what the purpose of this space is – confusion?
- It feels like a money pit.
In Closing
As a Professional Property Stylist, I have had several conversations with sellers when we meet during their initial consultation and talk about their property. Why they are selling, and where they are going and why.
In this time, I can tell you that what I have learned is; selling a home, and buying a home is emotional – period.
The seller is going through a period of trying to emotionally detach from all of their memories, all the while trying to do what they can to engage their buyer.
And, the buyer is leaving their nest in search of a new one, all the while trying to visualize this new house as a Home. Not just for themselves, but for their entire family. They are envisioning their lifestyle – how they see themselves living there.
It stands to reason then, that when you list your property for sale, it is imperative that in order to appeal to your demographic, factoring in ‘buyers emotion’ is one of the major Key components to a successful sale.
I have to ask – Can everyone out there do what you do? No, they cannot. That is because you have trained, and gained wisdom and experience that has taught you how to do your job and do it well. The same goes for effectively selling a house. You need to gain the insight and wisdom of how to do this well, so that you get the job done right the first time.
Effectively selling a house is more than, cleaning, organizing, fixing and marketing. It is honing in on your Target Market Buyer, understanding what they want, and how they will essentially ‘feel’ as they tour your property.
I encourage you to take a very close look at your house, treat it as though it is a listing you are considering buying for the first time. Looking a photos of your house is a great way to seeing it from the buyers perspective. Be brutally honest with yourself. Be sure it ticks all of the boxes. Ask a neighbour or friend for their honest constructive criticism. Listen for those feeling words and execute them.
To your success in Selling your Home effectively!
As always, helping you in caring for your Total Home!
Written by Cindy Lutes – Certified Property Stylist – Total Home