the less said is better.... you don't know what they want.... they don't and won't know what they want until they see it....and it may very well be something they never wanted to see.... 

hence, the old adage of "buyers are liars"....they're not liars...they're just confused and don't know what they're looking for...but when they see it, you'll know.

I would say to the buyer "This home doesn't have a very large kitchen but it does have the open floor plan you're looking for as well as the french doors leading out to the deck -  would you like me to schedule a showing?"
I like to have this discussion Beforehand so a buyer knows I've listened carefully to what's important to them - and I am trying to accommodate their wishes based on the inventory available.

My clients will discover on their own. I generally engage in a discussion like "how does the size of this home feel to you?"  Or "will this work for your needs?"  Asking questions stimulates thought. 

Several times my agent showed me homes that did not meet the specs for my investment properties, and many of these I purchased anyway.

I am living in one of those right now.

I'm going to ask them what they think. They may experience a lightbulb moment. Requirements and tastes will change over time, sometimes very quickly.

I let my buyer prospects form their own opinions.

Priorities can change the moment a prospective buyer walks in to a house.  It happened to me a few years ago - the house we fell in love with had everything on othe list I said I didn't want and nothing I said I did.  The location and land hit buttons we didn't know we had and boom, we HAD to have it.  Anything inside the house we knew we would change, even if it meant taking down walls, etc.  (And we have!) LOL  Just let 'em look but solicit feedback, of course, so you know what is or isn't pushing their buttons.

Their idea of size is more vlaid than yours.

I like Maria Sapio comment.

If it's that much smaller no need to point it out. They'll see it. And if a large kitchen is a critical item on their list, I wouldn't show them a home with small kitchens in the first place unless there truly were no other homes available to show.

Exactly what Maria Sapio said - and as Bob Crane said, many buyers fall in love with homes that don't have every one of their previously set criteria!

OMGosh...Stop the selling! 

If the buyer has eyes they can see for themselves.

Eve

Real estate, like life, involves compromise.  I present options.  I ask questions and I listen.   Buyers make the decision.  Size like sighs matter(s).   

I try not to state the obvious. Most buyers (not investors) seem to know as soon as they walk in the home whether it's "the one" or not.

I let the buyer check out, wander and decide in person. Many a buyer have fallen in love with something they thought they did not want

Barbara Todaro nailed this one!

Maria Sapio makes an interesting point.

     I might prep the Buyer before going into the house, "this doesn't have as large a kitchen as you said you wanted, but let's see the house anyway because..." 

  Otherwise, they may walk into the galley kitchen and ask, "why we are in this house with a tiny kitchen?".

I implement discussion....

I would not make a big deal out of it but ask for the feedback. There may be other tradeoffs

I would ask them if they think the kitchen would meet their needs. In that way you are not saying the kitchen may be too small, but rather does it work for them.

I try to refrain from stating the obvious.  Sometimes other property characteristics will cause edits to their "must have" ;)

I point out the repair concerns and health and safety concerns.

The floor plan is obvious enough for them to decide. However, if they've told me no homes with _______X_______. I don't contradict that typically.

Nathan Gesner - I usually want them to say that - my question is 'What's missing?'

I have been surprised many times - to see the buyer like the home that did not have their 'must have' features!

Always highlight the positives.  They may "see" it, but not "see" it.

Nathan - Two things about this. One, I have sold a lot of homes to clients who had specific requirements, only to have them buy a home that did not have those requirements. Things like the number of bedrooms, whether the home was a single or two story, even the size of the home, or requiring certain upgrades. I guess the point is, you never really know what the buyer wants until they see it, and sometimes they don't even know. Secondly, I always ask for feedback on any home I show my clients. That way, it helps them figure out what they want in a home, and I can get a better understanding of the type of home that may fit their needs.

I had buyers look at a house last week and the kitchen was smaller than they wanted but I let them continue to talk about all the other wonderful amenities the home had and then soon said they could live with the small kitchen as it wasn't so small.

I ask the client what they want  do

I'm sure they will figure it out when you get there. Many times they don't pay attention to the actual room sizes in the MLS which will exactly tell them. Oh well .... 

Find out what their primary need is and then work on their wants. We have worked in this business long enough to find out that buyers typically don't really know what they want. 

I wouldn't straight up say, "you said you don't want a small kitchen, this house has a small kitchen" but I would ask them what they thought of the kitchen and if it would be satisfactory for them, possibly even remind them that this was an important feature for them and make sure that they wouldn't regret buying it (I'd only go that far if they showed interest in the house and wanted to make an offer).  People buy homes that don't meet the criteria they said they needed to have all the time.  We used to be surprised when it happened, but it's actually pretty common.  The harder thing to overcome is sending them exactly what they ask for and then they go online and find a bunch of houses that are nothing what they told you and ask why you didn't send them (because they dont fit your criteria!) and then they buy one of those. -Kasey

Nathan,

Always point it out.  

A tiny kitchen house is selling for 950K

A larg kitchen newer house is selling for 1.2-1.6M

Let their budget dictate their heart.... No $, no kitchen. Perhaps show them a shack?

Others have given good answers.

Nathan Gesner I like Maria Sapio 's answer.

"Would it not be great to have everything  you want

without having to pay for it."

That reality compels buyers to 'adjust' their everything, to the reality in which they live.

They will eventually ask, "Will the sofa fit here and allow viewing of the 75 incher over there?" "We may need to get a smaller display." Now you know they know.

I would probably say something like this...have you seen the kitchen? What do you think of it?

I have had buyers compromise on these specifics if the rest of the home fits the bill.  I would show it, and see what they think.

I show it to them and let them decide.  Priorities are always changing.

Buyers will point out what they like and dislike. They don't always stick with their wants - likes.  Maybe there is a feature they prefer over another.  

We wanted a wooded lot last time we bought. But my layout and views are awesome! We choose the hilltop over the wooded lot.  They will know when they find what works. 

If a home does not have a certain feature that my buyer wants, but inventory is limited, then I simply say that it may not have that dream kitchen/fireplace/master bath, but perhaps dreams can come true here anyway.

I preview most homes and would not show it and tell them why

How would they miss it if it was so important to them?

I must be missing something

let the buyer look at the home

Let the prospects make their own observations. 

Soometimes during showings silence is golden. Buyers have eyes.