get a bit of a scent about

[ida2]

Hi,

In the following paragraph, what does the bold part mean?

‘You see a lot of things working in real estate. I’ve had families in the city who are selling up because they’re going bankrupt – I’ve had men selling their homes after a marriage breakdown – and I’ve dealt with some heartbreaking widows over the years. People get a bit of a scent about them when they’re just ready to move on. Sometimes, life drags us out of places – other times, we leap out of places, and we make our own futures. That’s exactly what I’m doing here in Milton Falls. I feel like that might be what you’re doing too.’

Source: A Mother's Confession, by Kelly Rimmer

 

[Barque]

It literally means people who are about to move have a certain smell but the speaker's using it figuratively, to mean that he (she?) can identify people who want to sell their homes and move because there's something about them.

 

[ida2]

It literally means people who are about to move have a certain smell but the speaker's using it figuratively, to mean that he (she?) can identify people who want to sell their homes and move because there's something about them.

Thanks a lot.