6 Reasons Why Successful Real Estate Agents Use Cleaning Services

First impressions mean a lot, especially when you’re showing a house to a potential buyer, and getting a client’s home ready for sale is not an easy task. The goal is to make everything look brand new and appealing enough to convince potential buyers. This is why thorough cleaning of the house is vital if you want to sell a home at top dollar and in the shortest time possible.

No doubt, real estate school goes over the importance of other things like fixing stuff, repainting, and eliminating. However, cleaning the home is the most essential and inexpensive step in preparing the house to sell quickly. A thorough home cleaning means much more than breaking out buckets, soap, and water. It involves a professional investing more time, energy, and paying attention to every detail. Regardless of how often homeowners tidy up, a home on the market will inevitably require a more profound, intensive cleaning.

The good news is that making a home sparkle has been made easier with professional cleaning services. Cleaning services are responsible for ensuring the place is free from dirt, dust, and alarming smells. They also make sure homes are ready for extreme scrutiny by focusing on things like discolored surfaces, stained carpets, and smudged appliances. 

Having seen firsthand the importance of cleaning services in the real estate business, agents say there are six main reasons why you should always recommend a professional service before putting a home on the market. 

Sells faster at a higher price with the right first impression

Hiring a professional cleaning service allows you to leverage first impressions correctly. It’s the perfect chance to put the right idea about your property in potential buyers’ heads.

According to Tal Shelef, Co-Founder of Condo Wizard, “There is only one chance to make a first impression and making sure that your home looks as perfect as possible will definitely help you reel in those buyers.”

Shelef explains how professional cleaners add significant value to the home through the right first impression. 

“Hiring a cleaning service when selling your home will definitely help you sell your home faster and hopefully, at a higher price,” he said.

The idea is not to have anything that stands out or distracts a client from the home’s potential. Once a client is at ease and feels the space is clean and safe, it’s easier to convince them this is the home for them. 

 

Helps buyers visualize living in the home

If buyers can’t imagine living in a home, there’s no way they are going to pay for it. Buying a home usually starts with clients visualizing themselves in the space.

“If I see stains on the walls and in the carpet, I’m thinking that’s one more thing I have to do before I move in, and I’m less likely to buy it,” said Jeneva Aaron, Founder & CEO of Thehousewire.

“There have been cases where I’ve bid on properties under the condition that it would be cleaned before move-in day. Most buyers are going to want that, so take initiative and have it cleaned before the topic even comes up in conversation,” said Aaron.

That’s not the only thing clients expect. They also look to agents to relieve some of the stress of buying a home.

“When I look at properties, I’m not just thinking about if I like the house or not and how much it costs—I’m thinking about how much time, effort, and money it’s going to take to make the place livable,” says Johell Aponte, Texas real estate license holder, and owner of Move On House Buyers.

Aponte says while you can include a free deep cleaning as an incentive for the new homeowners, it makes more sense to deep clean it before you showcase it on the market. 

“Personally, when I look through a home, I search for signs of decay, mold, dust, outdated features, and other problems that will present larger issues the longer they go unchecked,” explained Aponte. “Do I need to replace the windows or the flooring? That’s something I’m always keeping in mind.”

Clients tend to shy away from homes that don’t seem clean, shiny and new, so experienced agents understand why it’s so essential to hire a professional cleaning service if they want to sell the home at or above asking price. 

 

Creates enough time to market the home

As an agent, you can’t spend all of your time trying to make a home look good when you should be out there marketing it. With the help of professional cleaning services, you can focus more of your time and resources on marketing rather than worrying about the property’s appearance.

“Having a cleaning service come in also frees up your time to focus on other aspects of your sale like arranging viewings, open houses, and talking to your agent,” according to Jen Stark, Founder of Happy DIY Home.

“The cleaning service will come in and help you make an excellent first impression on your prospective buyers, and this can shorten the home’s time on the market if people like what they see,” she explained.

The key is to spend your time achieving valuable results, not going back and forth with homeowners on what needs to be done. 

 

Makes the home show-ready

No matter how often a client cleans, there will always be things that need to be fixed or changed out to prep a home. 

“When I first meet with clients, I walk through the home with a buyer’s perspective in mind. I take note of upgrades, features, damages, and any areas of improvement. I give my clients a to-do list to get their home what I call “show-ready,” according to Maxine Peck, founder of Maxine Peck Real Estate.

Peck explained that hiring a professional cleaning service is one of the most effective methods of making your home show-ready.

“This list includes all work to get done, tips to declutter, and a recommended cleaning service that is customized to their needs. Taking the extra steps to get your home looking its best will ensure you sell for the highest price,” she said.

Peck explained that the benefits outweigh how time-consuming the process can be. Once a home is ready, agents come in and take professional photos, and bad images will deter many buyers. 

 

You can’t be too careful with COVID-19!

As the world is battling the effect of the novel coronavirus, the concern and need for cleanliness has only grown. Hiring a professional cleaning service for deep cleaning before showing will help put clients, agents, and future homeowners at ease. 

According to Diana Rodriguez-Zaba, the president of ServiceMaster by Zaba, cleaning a home is more important now than ever, “Especially now with the pandemic, it’s recommended to have a professional cleaning company disinfect and deep clean the home before you move in.”

Many showings are now done virtually because of the pandemic, so small dirt particles may be hard to pick up on if buyers are watching on a screen. It helps if agents can assure them all surfaces have been wiped down and cleaned with the proper chemicals by a professional. 

 “That will provide you with peace of mind knowing your new home is clean and safe to move into,” Zaba said.

 

DIY cleaning doesn’t always do the trick

Some homeowners are tempted to save money by cleaning their property themselves. This may seem like a good idea at first, but when the actual cleaning starts, you’ll most likely regret not spending the extra dollars. 

Agents say it can be very stressful to prep a home, so they often recommend clients avoid the hassle and leave the job to the pros. 

Andra Hopulele, of Point2Homes further emphasized the relevance of a good first impression during the marketing stages. 

“First impressions are key, and nothing can put a buyer off like a crack in the wall or a stained carpet, even if you assure them that it will be taken care of before they move in,” said Hopulele.  

Real estate agents from every market agree that a home’s thorough cleaning has become more essential, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Surfaces need to be thoroughly cleaned by professionals so that potential buyers can feel safe as soon as they enter the home. Just like what you learn when you get your license, first impressions matter, so don’t take the chance of losing a potential buyer and tell your clients to hire a professional cleaning service for the home before potential buyers even see it.