The Science of Using Music to Sell Your House
How music affects us
A study was conducted in 2015 that tested the theory of music and shopping. Australian researchers found that music played a role in the meal choice of college students. They also found that consumers spent more money if there was music playing in a store as opposed to no music.
Real estate agents have been experiencing the same results. Music helps to relax and calm buyers. It provides them with a feeling they want to have and will give them a pleasant memory of walking through your house. The type of music you choose makes a difference. Keep the following tips in mind when using music during a showing.
What music matches the house
If you have a house that is very modern, playing music with a new age feel can be a good match. Classical music full of pianos and violins might be the right fit for your Victorian house. It can be a lot harder to choose songs with lyrics. Avoid anything that might have inappropriate language that could be offensive to buyers.
Many real estate agents use instrumental jazz during open houses. It has an upbeat feel and can help set a good tone for buyers as they are walking into the house. You want the music to play into the overall feel of the house. It should be something that seems so natural that buyers might not even catch the difference.
How to incorporate the music
If your house has a system that will play it throughout the entire house, this is easily done. However, many homes do not have this so look for ways to hide CD players or other music devices under beds, in cabinets, or other places where buyers are not going to notice it.
There needs to be enough music to keep it running during the duration of the showing or open house. If the music ends and switches to silence, buyers will notice it and be distracted away from looking at your house.
Keep the music down. It should be subtly playing in the background. You don’t want the music being the first thing that buyers notice as they walk through the door. It should be a little add on that just subtly helps move them through the house.
This is not the time to play your favorite songs. Be cautious of music that people have mixed feelings about. You can use different music in different areas of the house, but it should all blend nicely together as someone walks from room to room. When done correctly music could be the little touch that helps your house stand out from the rest.