As a sales professional in new home sales, the model home is instrumental to our success. In order to create the best value for our buyers and simultaneously put ourselves in the best possible position to make a sale, model home cleanliness, and overall readiness should be of utmost importance. When considering model opening procedures and readiness, one must think about the perception of the client at every stage of the procedure and view all aspects from the perspective of someone walking in the door for the very first time — even virtually. In addition, it is critical to consider the tools necessary for you to be fully prepared to impress the customer and make them feel informed and comfortable during the entirety of their interaction with you. With this in mind, here is a look at what it means for a model to be “open and ready” as well as some best practices for ensuring that it is always presentable for our buyers.
Cleanliness (Inside and Out of the Model)
By default, a home cannot be considered “open and ready” if it is not clean. As such, we need to ensure that we take all possible measures to display the home in the best possible light. This will often include sweeping the exterior of not only the model center but also any inventory homes where a customer may visit. The goal is to make them feel at home in a well-presented, clean environment with no distractions or reason for objections. By meticulously caring for the exterior first and following suit in the interior of the home, you can achieve this goal. If you are dealing with an inventory home or a job site under construction, be diligent in locating and removing all potential junk on the site (such as wrappers, bags, bottles, etc.) and relocate construction items (within reason) out of the clear walking path of a customer.
Preparedness
In addition to a pristine home appearance, it is crucial to understand that customers aren’t just shopping for a home, they are looking for an excellent experience from the minute they drive into your parking lot. Therefore, it is super important to think of the interaction as a series of steps from your greeting all the way through contract to ensure that the home is tailored to their preferences every single step of the way. Make sure that your model is always fully stocked and prepared with the latest pricing sheets, inventory brochures, community information, etc. This will make you look like a rockstar and not a rookie; buyers find comfort in knowing that they’re in the hands of an experienced professional that will take care of them. It's amazing how they can be impressed by these simple things and how it truly makes creating rapport much easier, which is instrumental in your sales journey.
Opening & Closing Times
There is a wide variety of tasks required to maintain the upkeep of our model homes, and all of them take time! Being punctual is an extremely important part of ensuring your model is open and ready for potential buyers. You can think of preparing the home as similar to Dunkin Donuts employees. If you worked the opening shift at Dunkin and your store opened its doors at 9 AM, would you show up at 9 AM ready to sell, or would you need to be there 30 minutes early to make the donuts? The answer is obvious; turning the lights on, stocking the fridge, sweeping the sidewalks, and stuffing your brochures for the day are all activities we need to consider our "making the donuts" tasks. So if your model opens at 10 AM, arrive promptly at 9:30, make the donuts, sell the homes, write the contracts, and stay there until 6 PM (because we all know there will be a straggler at 5:30). You can finally start turning the lights off and making your daily rounds with your list to mentally prepare for what you may need to pick up or do for the next great day ahead of you!
Our responsibility as sales professionals is to help our buyers find the home that is perfect for them. If we really want to achieve this, it goes without saying that the home must be presentable and in top shape for them to find the value in it. Be sure to keep these best practices in mind to provide the most value for your buyers and give yourself the best chance at a sale. Happy selling, everyone!
*This insight was pulled from the Peer Learning section on New Home Connect™ — where team members are encouraged to provide their expertise with one another.