TASTE Taste plays a role, too. Offering food and drinks at open houses is common, but private showings often miss this opportunity. Providing refreshments encourages buyers to stay longer, engage other senses, and feel more at home. Sharing food during a showing is more than hospitality — it helps buyers
connection with the space. Simple gestures like sitting by the fireplace, lounging in a theater chair, or resting at the kitchen table create psychological ownership. This boosts perceived value and purchase confidence. Though sometimes overlooked, touch is one of the most powerful senses in building an attachment between buyers and a property.
connect emotionally and remember the experience more vividly.
THE BIG PICTURE The purchase of a home is not just
financial; it’s deeply emotional. Engaging all five senses ensures buyers don’t just see a property, but experience it.When buyers feel at home, they are more likely to make one their own.
MICHELE VAN DER VEEN
Michele Van Der Veen is the host of Good Day segments, including Flip It, Decorate Like a Designer, and Stage to Sell. She started her career in real estate investment more than 30 years ago. A published author, Van Der Veen has been recognized and featured in international magazines for her unique approach to interior design. Acquiring a formal education from the Interior Designers Institute of California, her experience stems from building custom homes to flipping more than 100 homes and working in commercial real estate development alongside her father at a young age. Not afraid to push the limit on her designs and investments, Van Der Veen will often be heard reassuring her team about her decisions by saying “Don’t worry, we are the comps!”
For more on Van Der Veen’s work or to contact her, visit iHeartHomescorp.com.
36 | think realty magazine :: december - january 2026
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