Model Home Staging Best Practices

By Erin Clark,  Sales Leader - New Home Star//

It is important for sales associates to learn about each potential buyer and create an experience that is unique and emotionally engaging for them. As described in the first article of the series, every person who walks through the doors of our sales center comes in with his or her own experience and history.

It is of the utmost importance, therefore, to make sure we meet our customers where they are, mentally and emotionally, and truly understand their motivations. Before walking into the model, there are three key things we need to address:

1. Match Their Energy. When we match our prospect’s energy, our buyers are far more likely to feel positive about their interaction. It also creates an organic conversation.
2. Buyer Types. Identifying what kind of buyer you have on your hands as early as possible means that you can start communicating in the most effective way for that prospect.
3. Hot Buttons. Pinpointing your prospect’s primary motivation, or “hot button,” before you demonstrate your model means that you are equipped to highlight key features in your model that will satisfy their needs and maximize their emotional connection to what you offer.

Once you’ve identified the three items above, you’re ready to guide them through the model for a demonstration specifically tailored to them. Notice that I wrote “guide them through,” not “let them walk through,” the model. When you guide your prospect through the model, you need to continue building rapport with your prospects and provide them with the most relevant information for their home search. Here are some important techniques for giving an effective demonstration in the model:

• Positioning While Demonstrating. Make sure you keep your body positioned so that it’s open to your prospects. Strategically place yourself in “dead zones,” without blocking the light or important features of the home, this will draw your prospect’s attention towards what you are demonstrating.
• Feature-Benefit-Emotion (FBE). Identify key features in your model, explain what benefit this has for your prospect, and tie it to their hot button. Having one or two per room is a great way to build emotional value for your prospect.
• Tie-Downs and Trial Closes. The more you can gain agreement on your model, the easier it will be to gain agreement to move forward with buying a home. “This first floor fits your needs, correct?” is an example of this tactic.
• Objection Handling. To create the most favorable demonstration of the model, it is vital to know how to effectively handle objections as they arise. While there are many different processes that you can utilize, we encourage you to identify the top five objections in your unique market and prepare for them through role-playing.

Creating the most favorable thought process in the model is part art, part science. The above techniques provide the foundation. Understanding your prospect’s unique hot buttons and personality will enable you to enhance the experience and guide them through his or her most favorable thought process.