According to Antoine Blandin, almost 70% of buyers make an initial selection based on photossometimes without even reading the ad. It is therefore essential to give importance to the photos published in the ad. In this logic, an untidy bedroom, a wrinkled duvet or a cluttered room can penalize a property from the first seconds. “ The apartment must be as tidy as possible so that we can perceive the volumes, light and spaces. », Explains the professional. For him, marketing a home now begins well before the first visit.
However, the most common error is not necessarily what we think. Many owners consider repainting or renovating before selling, while they neglect a much more decisive element: the buyer’s ability to plan. Antoine Blandin believes that almost 80% of buyers have difficulty imagining the layout of an empty or very personalized home. A brake that can considerably slow down a purchasing decision, especially in supermarkets.
Declutter rather than multiply work
For the expert, the first reflex should be to declutter the apartment. A living room saturated with furniture, worktops covered with objects or very marked decoration can give the impression that the home is smaller than it really is. “ The more cluttered it is, the less the buyer is able to project himself “, he summarizes.
The professional also advises correcting small defects that immediately catch the eye: defective bulb, loose socket, exposed cables or excessively visible signs of wear. He also recommends clearing work surfaces, particularly in the kitchen, where the accumulation of household appliances or dishes can distract visitors’ attention. Simple adjustments that allow a property to be presented in its best light and make the decision easier for buyers.
AI and home staging at the service of projection
For certain empty or atypical properties, the Varennes agency now uses videos enriched by AI to concretely show how the spaces could be arranged. An approach that responds to a recurring difficulty in the market: many buyers struggle to visualize the potential of a home when it is empty.
Antoine Blandin also cites the use of home staging physicalwhich consists of temporarily furnishing certain rooms before the visits. On an empty apartment 170 m² remained on the market for several months, the installation of a fully furnished living room and bedroom made it possible to trigger a sale on the first visit following this transformation. For the professional, actually seeing the volumes come to life is often more effective than a simple virtual projection.
Fair price, solid financing, complete file: the recipe for selling faster
However, no presentation effort can compensate for a price disconnected from the market. “ Price is the crux of the matter », summarizes Antoine Blandin. In a context where buyers can easily compare similar properties, an overestimation quickly slows down marketing. Conversely, a consistent price helps generate more visits from the first weeks of sale.
Finding a buyer is not enough to sell quickly. An accepted offer does not guarantee the transaction: as long as the conditions precedent, in particular that linked to financing, are not lifted, the sale can still be canceled. In the event of loan refusal, the property can be put back on the market several weeks after the start of the process. For Antoine Blandin, checking a buyer’s financing capacity therefore remains essential in order to avoid a return to marketing which would extend sales times.
Not all spaces sell at the same rate. Studios and two-room apartments generally find buyers more quickly than large apartments, where the amounts involved require more consideration. Another often overlooked lever: preparation of the file. Gathering the minutes of the general meeting, calls for charges or property tax in advance allows you to avoid several weeks of delay when a buyer comes forward and to speed up the process once the offer is accepted.
At a time when buyers are comparing dozens of ads in just a few minutesthe battle is often played out even before the first visit. For Antoine Blandin, it is not the major work that makes the difference, but the capacity of a home to allow immediate projection. A detail in appearance, but which can save precious time when it comes time to sell.
