In the competitive Connecticut real estate market, the difference between a home that lingers and one that sells quickly might come down to how it makes buyers feel in the first few seconds. According to Kristin Egmont, a real estate agent with more than 20 years of experience in Fairfield and New Haven County, the buying process mirrors the way people choose an Airbnb.
“It’s exactly like when you book an Airbnb,” Egmont said. “Buyers are going through each room with excitement. They’re envisioning themselves there. You want to present your house in a similar fashion to a vacation, because buyers are spending a ton of money and they want to be excited about buying your home.”
This insight is backed by a recent example that Egmont highlights: a rental property that was beautifully staged by the tenant, a vice president at a major retail company. When the owner decided to sell, the home’s presentation was already in place. The result was seven offers, with the home selling for $80,000 over the asking price. Even when the first buyer backed out after an inspection, the seller moved to a backup offer and closed faster than originally planned.
Egmont emphasizes that buyers purchase emotionally, often making a decision within the first 30 seconds of viewing a listing or walking into an open house. This emotional response is similar to how people browse vacation rentals—they imagine themselves in the space, waking up in the bedroom, cooking in the kitchen, or sitting on the deck. The listings that succeed are not necessarily the largest or cheapest, but those that make the viewer feel something.
For sellers, the highest-return improvements are often the simplest. Decluttering tops the list. Egmont frequently sees homes where overcrowded rooms—dining rooms with oversized furniture, walls covered in family photos, shelves packed with collections—distract buyers from the space itself. When buyers cannot see the room, they cannot picture themselves in it.
“Remove the stuff so they focus on the room,” she said. “Then they can envision what their pictures will look like on the wall, what their furniture will look like. If it’s too complicated, the buyer just can’t get there.”
Curb appeal is equally important. A fresh coat of mulch, power-washed siding, and flowers out front can make a significant difference. Egmont recently oversaw a transformation that included addressing exterior wear, such as moss on the garage roof and chewed moldings from the owner’s dogs. That home received five offers.
Professional photography, a social media walkthrough video, and a launch strategy built around momentum are also part of the process, but they all start with a simple question: would a buyer be excited to book this? Egmont’s seller process page provides more details on how she prepares and launches listings.
Egmont, who works with buyers and sellers in Fairfield and New Haven County, notes that this approach is not about spending a fortune on renovations. It is about presenting a home in a way that allows buyers to see themselves living there. Sellers who understand this are the ones walking away with multiple offers and sale prices well above asking.
