Sales Lessons from Selling My House

After 50 plus showings, my 200-year-old house went under contract today.?

It has been a long-time coming. I expected it would take a while to sell, as it required a very specific buyer—someone who appreciates antique homes, is not afraid of maintaining ten acres, can overlook the fact that it is situated close to the road. While the inside of the home is in great, recently updated condition, the outside will need some work, specifically paint and eventually a new roof. I came close to selling a few times, but the feedback was consistent—beautiful house but…

…too much work?

…too close to the road

…too big

One evening, I received a text from my realtor requesting a showing for the next day. She explained that she would not be able to be there and asked if it would be alright if the buyer’s realtor showed the property. This happened several times before, and I had agreed, leaving the house to a stranger to sell. This time though, I did something different. I replied, stating I would like to show the house myself.?

The next day, a lovely couple arrived with their realtor. We immediately hit it off. I escorted them into the kitchen, where they “ooo-ed” and “ahh-ed” over the stainless-steel counters, the wide plank floors, and the adjacent butler’s pantry. I learned that they love to cook and explained that the Garland stove is a twin of Julia Child’s, which now sits in the Smithsonian. In the dining room, I told them the story of losing electricity one Easter and cooking the leg of lamb in the large fireplace where a crane now stands. I mentioned that one of the great things about living on a state road is never being without electricity for long. In the library, I told them the house had once been a bookstore, which is why even the powder room has bookshelves.?

They mentioned that they had been looking for a home for the last three years. When I asked what was important to them, she said she was looking for a creative space as her profession is an art therapist. I was so excited to show her one of the upstairs bedrooms that has built-in desks and bookshelves, fills with natural light from the wall of windows that was once a sleeping porch, and… has its very own sink—a perfect room for an art studio!

We walked outside, where I explained how we entertain all summer in the meadow under a pergola that our family constructed, that my husband and sons built the vegetable garden and white picket fence during Covid for my Mother’s Day present, and that some of the Koi in the fishpond are over ten years old.?

When leaving, they commented on how nice it was to have gotten a tour of the house from the owner so that they could hear the “story” of the house.??

An hour later, my realtor called and said we had an offer. She laughed at the number of times she had shown the house, and how I showed it once and sold it. The truth is, no matter how good a salesperson she is, I would always have the upper hand as no one knows and loves this house more than I do.?

This experience reinforced for me so many of the concepts we teach in our programs:?

1.?????Enthusiasm is contagious.?I love this old house to the bones. My enthusiasm for sharing it with others, combined with my gratitude for having been its caretaker all these years was undeniable. Demonstrating your enthusiasm for your offer will close more sales. As the adage goes, enthusiasm sells!

2.?????Buying decisions are largely emotional.?These buyers are not buying the limestone foundation, the original floors, or the Julia Child oven. They are buying the emotions and the feelings of living in a house like this. When I pointed out that I love to sit by the fire on a snowy afternoon looking out the window, I could tell they envisioned themselves doing the same. Keying into the emotions of your buyers is critical in the sales process.

3.?????People buy from people that they like and who like them.?We liked each other right away. I was warm, welcoming, and genuine when I greeted them.??While I emphasized everything I love about the house, I was also honest about the fact that it needed to be painted. During our brief time together, we discovered that we had similar interests.??One of the things I loved about them is that they did not hold back their enthusiasm for how much they loved the house, concerned it would weaken their position. For all these reasons, trust developed quickly.

4.?????The more you know, the easier it is to sell.?Realtors are, by law, limited in what they can ask potential buyers. This puts them—and the homeowner—at a disadvantage as they cannot customize how they show the house to the potential buyer. Obviously I did not need to abide by these limitations. Understanding your potential client’s needs, desires, and challenges is absolutely critical in sales.

5.?????Storytelling is powerful.?Humans love to tell and listen to stories. It makes what we say more memorable and relatable and creates emotional connection. Successful salespeople consciously and deliberately tell stories that allow our prospects to see themselves as the hero. In this case, the buyers saw themselves as the new owners of the house. For more on storytelling, check out Unleashing the Power of Storytelling: Boost your. sales with compelling narratives.

Dorothy Didn't Do It Alone...Neither Should You

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