If you have ever walked into a house where there were strong pet odors, you know how strong the influence of smells can be.

One of the most neglected ways to market a property is through aromas or scents. If you doubt this, have you ever wondered why so many new home salespeople are baking cookies all day long in their model homes?

Several years ago, a research study testing perfume scents used cinnamon rolls as a control group. When tested, the men in the study overwhelmingly preferred the scent of cinnamon rolls over all perfumes in the study.

To create the “cinnamon roll effect,” purchase canned cinnamon rolls and put them in the oven at 150 degrees so that they heat up but don’t bake. Another approach is to sprinkle cinnamon on aluminum foil and place it in a low oven. In either case, the cinnamon aroma will make the home feel much more inviting.

By the way, I highly recommend against baking during an open house. A number of years ago one of our new agents became engrossed in a conversation with an open house visitor. She lost track of time, left the cookies in too long, and the oven caught on fire. You certainly don’t want that happening to you, especially if it sets off the smoke alarms.