Sellers preparing their home for an open house may be tempted to put a
batch of cookies in the oven, following the conventional wisdom that
the smell of baked goods will make buyers feel at home – and more likely
to buy.
You may get a tasty snack for your efforts, but don’t count on a sales contract.
Recent research says complex smells, such as chocolate chip cookies
or potpourri, are a distraction and have no bearing on buying decisions.
Instead, Eric Spangenberg, dean of the college of business at
Washington State University, recommends simple scents, such as orange,
lemon, green tea, cedar, pine, basil, cinnamon, ...