Doesn’t it seem strange that people buy houses
without actually living in them a little first?
There’s a new trend emerging in
which some sellers are listing their house on AirBnB while they’re looking to
sell. Is this a good idea?
If you stop to think about it, selling a home is a bit of a
strange endeavor. You’re asking prospective buyers to make a huge investment in
your home without the experience of actually living there. Yet this is standard
procedure. Buyers make offers after showings without having spent a single
night in the home where they’re planning on living!
Now there’s an emerging marketing trend designed to take some of
the ambivalence out of buying a home. Some sellers are taking the steps to let
prospective buyers “live” in their house for a few days to see if the home is
right for them.
AirBnB is one platform making this strategy possible. Most
effective for sellers who have staged their house and are not currently living
in the listing, the approach is direct: Sellers list the home on AirBnB and
when they have an interested buyer, they arrange a temporary “rental” of the
property. This way, the buyers get to spend real time in the home. They are
allowed privacy, the chance to see what it’s like to sleep in the house at
night, and use the facilities just as they would if they owned the home.
While the approach goes a long way to calming buyer fears, the
idea is not without its critics. For one, not all brokers may be comfortable
with this approach. Obviously having prospective buyers temporarily rent the
home can create difficulties showing the home to other buyers when the property
is rented.
Also, there are infrequent horror stories associated with this
type of short-term rental. Home damage and even squatters who refuse to leave
have happened to people listing their property on AirBnB. Finally, there are
potential legal complications related to short-term rentals in certain
communities. Nonetheless, there are thousands upon thousands of people who have
offered up their short-term rental with no problem.
You can see the appeal, though. There’s a real potential for
buyers to build an emotional attachment to your home if they spend a little
vacation time there together while evaluating the property.
What do you think? Would you AirBnB your home if it gave you an
selling advantage?
AirBnB’ing your home is hardly the only strategy for a
quick, competitive sale. I have a full range of marketing and sales techniques
to help you sell!
If you’re thinking about selling soon, get in touch to see
what I can do for you: valeriemcconville@gmail.com
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