Aaahh, the old bake cookies advice for open houses and showings… that was so last century, right? I thought so until I read some compelling marketing research. I was recently reading a blog post at neurosciencemarketing.com about the importance of having a scent logo and it really caught my attention because I was thinking about the fact that I don’t typically ask my clients to think about the scent of their house and how it may impact sellers. But, after reading this research, my advice is about to change.
Most people think that Staging is just about the visual, but it really taps into almost all of the senses and scent is a super important one (maybe even the most important and definitely the most delicate to approach).
So, what has the research revealed that will totally make you rethink this heated and controversial cookie debate? First–and this is crazy–you are 100 times more likely to remember something that you smell as compared to something that you just see or touch! And, it is so fascinating why this is–I didn’t know this, but your sense of smell is the only sense directly connected to the emotion, memory and learning centers in your brain. I guess this is why we are taken back to a place so vividly when we smell something that reminds us of it.
Seriously compelling when you think about selling your house, right? When you consider that the average home buyer visits 12 houses in person, how does your house stand out? Visually for sure, but the nose may be what makes the difference between an offer and no offer.
In fact, savvy marketers are already using “scent marketing” to their advantage. Brands like Westin and Abercrombie and Fitch are totally capitalizing on the power of scent. The number one selling cologne, globally, is Fierce, Abercrombie and Fitch’s fragrance. In market research, adolescents could sniff out A & F jeans… while blindfolded! If super brands are using scent to help them make their products more memorable and sell more of them, why can’t you?
All fragrances aren’t created equally though. Don’t take this as a go ahead to offend your buyers with super smelly candles and over fragranced room sprays. Baked goods (especially cookies!) are universally appealing and conjure up great memories of home–now that’s the button you want to push! So, stock up on your Pillsbury cookie dough and smell sweet success in your future! (Sorry… I know it’s totally corny but I couldn’t resist!)