Is there really an 8 second rule when it comes to first impressions?

I remember listening to one of those Miami morning talk shows a while ago and the DJ was talking about the 8 second rule pertaining to relationships. He said according to “a study”, women basically size up a potential mate within the first 8 seconds. By then, a woman potentially has already decided whether or not she would ever have a sexual relationship with him.

So, why do I bring this up? Fast forward to September 16, 2009, a friend told me she wanted to have her house perfect for buyers because of the “8 second rule” in real estate. Immediately remembering that morning show episode I thought to myself, “What is this 8 second rule in real estate, and why have I not heard of it?” Is this like the 80/20 rule, which gets applied towards everything in life? You know, 20% of the people do 80% of the work, etcetera. So now we have an 8 second rule?

That night I went on-line and searched for the 8 second rule, and I found a rule! Basically what the 8-second rule says is that if it takes longer than 8 seconds for a computer to open up a web file, we will go elsewhere! Does this mean that our attention span now lasts for only 8 seconds? How long are you willing to wait for a web page to come up? If you are a buyer and walk into a house, are you going to walk out after 8 seconds? Or will you make it to the master bathroom with Jacuzzi Tub? I have never seen anyone walk out in 8 seconds, but I have had customers not want to go inside after a "drive-by". So there you have it... I suppose there is an 8 second rule, and we need to have our "curb appeal" in check before putting the house on the market. And... don't judge a book by it's cover, ladies.