Home-selling scent strategies

Humans can discern about 10,000 smells.

Remember Cleopatra? She placed layers of rose petals on her palace floors to entice Mark Antony. She knew the power of scent and got that part right, but according to recent studies, the scents that most attract men are pumpkin pie and anise. Well, she didn’t have our science or pumpkin pie.

Retailers have been enticing prospects to buy their goods with hundreds of scents for thousands of years. Scent has a power of its own.

We instinctively know that the power of scent can be good or bad. Strong smells from pets, cooking or other activities can make prospects run from buying a home. But the right, clean scent can have quite the opposite effect.

Scent Suggestions:

Let’s say you are selling an updated, contemporary home in an urban neighborhood where younger singles and newlyweds are buying. You may decide you don’t want these prospects to be highly relaxed, but rather attentive and excited instead. This will help them make decisions more quickly. In this case, use scents of rosemary, peppermint or grapefruit for alertness and stimulation.

If you want to enhance the mood of an older home with many rooms that may invoke a bit of uneasiness or confusion, use any citrus scent. Citrus is refreshing and energizing, eases tension and promotes mental clarity. Or use lavender to promote calming.

Some scents and their reactions:

-Chamomile: calming and soothing-eases anger and anxiety
-Clary Sage: relaxing, euphoric-eases anxiety, tension and stress
-Eucalyptus: fresh, cooling and invigorating-promotes alertness
-Jasmine: alleviates anxiety and depression
-Lavender: calming
-Lemon: refreshing and energizing-eases tension, heightens mental clarity
-Mandarin: relaxing and calming-relieves insomnia
-Neroli/Orange Blossom: relieves stress, anxiety and insomnia
-Peppermint: refreshing and stimulating-increases alertness
-Rosemary: a stimulant that promotes mental clarity and alertness
-Sandalwood: warm, sensual aroma-euphoric and seductive

Remove stale smells and scent your home properly prior to showing it to prospective buyers. After all, scent has a power of its own.

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