The business of selling homes is a highly competitive one, and realtors are now waking up to the persuasive potential of one tool that has been overlooked until recently: the power of scent. Our sense of smell is incredibly strong, and of all the five senses, it’s the one that is most immediately connected with emotion and memory.
This means that making a positive first impression with the right scent is critical in situations where you want to influence customer behavior. It is not just the time they spend in the building that counts, but also the lasting impact that can subtly affect the decision making process.
Why is the power of smell so emotive and long lasting?
A fragrance may be a seemingly trivial matter when it comes to the high stakes business of selling a property, but in fact it can be equally important, or even more so, than visual appeal or the encouraging words of the realtor. This is because smell is the first sense to develop in the womb, and is fully developed when we are born, unlike the other senses.
Therefore, babies rely on their sense of smell to form their earliest bonds with a caregiver, and this primal sense of emotional connection stays with us for life. Furthermore, the olfactory bulbs in the nose are directly linked to the area of the brain that processes emotion and memory, unlike the other senses such as sight, sound, and touch.
That’s why suddenly catching a waft of a particular scent when we are out and about can instantly transport us back to a particular time in our lives, or recall a certain place or person from the past. In matters of marketing, the benefits of creating a positive association through fragrance really come into their own.
How to use scent in real estate marketing
When a potential buyer is viewing a property, bear in mind that it will probably be one of many that they are looking at. After all, it’s not a decision to be taken lightly and most people will take their time and spend a long time thinking about a property even after the initial visit.
An extra prompt such as a distinctive fragrance can help to make a home stand out from the rest, and establish a subtle but strong emotional connection. A pleasant ambient scent reassures the viewer that the home is clean and well cared for. Scent diffusers that contain odor neutralizing properties are also available to mask any unpleasant smells, such as pet odors or mustiness.
Certain fragrances can also influence mood. For example, citrusy scents can create a sense of energy and a positive mood, while lavender or vanilla scents can be soothing and help calm any anxiety and pressure the viewer may be experiencing. You may want a more complex fragrance for a luxury high end property.
The right aroma that is neither too harsh or overwhelming, but provides just the right amount of ambient background fragrance, can be the secret weapon that leads to more sales.
Interested in purchasing a scent marketing machine? Please visit our website to learn more.
