Real Estate Staging / Home Staging Blog

Home Buyers, that Information is just a Urine Specimen & Retina Scan Away.

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:53:52 -0500

Amazingly, I still see listing information provided on some Realtor sites (both big and small, national and local) accessed in a way that puzzles me. I mean I understand the "WHY" of it, I just don't understand the logic of it. So maybe you can help.

So I look to the realtor community to shed their insight on this perplexity. How does RESTRICTING access to a listing's information and photos on a realtor's web site help a property sell? Why, on some sites, is it still required that a potential buyer first provide private contact information before unlocking a listing's sales information and photos?

While, home staging is what I do, a Marketer is what I am. As a Marketer I have always said, "You gotta market it before you sell it!" Marketer "Me" finds it counter intuitive to lock out and discourage ANYONE from viewing a home's listing information and photos. I can see how once, when the web was a smaller less connected place, this approach may have made sense. But let's face it, time does march on, and as it does, the "what, why and how" of a Real Estate website must be evolve and embrace today's markets, trends & technologies.

In today's world of listing marketing, Realtor websites need to provide access to listing information that takes into consideration the following:

Ours is a culture of immediate impatience. Like it or not, we want it now... on our time schedule.
The levees have broken and the market is flooded. With so much inventory out there, it is easy for a buyer to click away from the listing and your site, as if saying saying, "No big deal, there's plenty more."
That's just "old school" fool. Buyer's are not technological dolts. Every day shoppers freely access information on products and services they are interested in buying from sites in every industry... INCLUDING real estate.
We are leery of what is beyond that "SUBMIT" button. Face it, buyers care less about THAT locked listing then they do about their privacy.
There are no "tire-kickers" or "nosy neighbors" on the web! Well, there are... but who cares? Its the web.
Buyers who take an on-line look will cost you nothing. Not looking could cost you a sale.

I am sure there are plenty more reason why it is a good idea to have open listing information on Realtor websites... but then again maybe not. Either way, I would be curious to get other's spin on this.

But as it stands for me right now, when you strip away all the mumbo jumbo it comes down to this... If you got a prospect (hot, warm or cool) at the door, ringing the bell, wanting to come in to look around, why would you stop them?

Were these 1,000 Marketing $$$$ well spent? A seller wants to know.

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:47:55 -0500

When a home stager is hired one of our primary jobs responsibilities is to stage the property in a manner that best solves any problem or perceived issues buyers may have with it.

But what happens if the buyer disagrees with what was done by the hired stager?

CASE IN POINT: Recently I received an Email from A. M. in Chicago asking for advice over a dispute he was having with his stager regarding the worked she had preformed.

A. M. writes…

Hello Craig,

My name is A.M. and I am having a disagreement with a stager I hired.

I am trying to sell a 2-bedroom condo in Chicago and recently hired a professional to stage the empty condo.

The property is unique in that the living room is very long and narrow, which is why my realtor and I thought it was important to stage it to show its potential. This is the only living area of the property so it has to look like a living room.

We've since (the staging) had ten showings without an offer.

I had two friends over… both of them said is "this room looks like a hallway".

They also said that the way it's staged does not show the potential of the living room.

I called the stager… and she maintains that the room is properly staged and that I need to respect her professional opinion.She discounts these opinions because she says she's the professional.

Do you have any tips on how I could deal with my stager?

Thank you very much,

A.M.

In the interst of "full disclosure" I have created a quick video show that should give you a complete overview of all that was done and how Adam's $1,000 was used to stage his property. Link: $1,000 Staging. Done RIGHT or Done WRONG. (Or you can just view a smaller version of the show at the bottom of this page.)

So... now that you have a complete picture, I have a few final questions for you to consider.

1. Given the budget, A.M.’s instruction, and the style of the home, did the stager stage the home correctly?

2. Did the stager provide a good solution for the problematic living room?

3. If A.M. feels the solution provided does not solve the living rooms problem, what should he do?

4. What actions do you suggest the stager take to solve the problem?

Whether you are a seller, stager or realtor... I am curious to know what you think about those $1,000's.

Thanks,

Craig ("Me" back playing Actively in the Rain)

Are You Trying to Sell the "Dreaded" Vanilla Box?

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:12:46 -0500

There is no denying that real estate marketplace is in a major depression. Nothing seems to drive home that grim point more then a quick drive through any neighborhood, for placed in the front yards of so many homes is a vast array of For Sale signs. But while a sign in a front yard drives home the point for what is happening with single family home sales, what is taking place in the condominium market is sometimes harder to see. Why? Well, often there are no for sale signs "up" for condos, so it is easy to overlook the fact that there are many condos for sale today too.

In some ways selling a condo is even more difficult then selling a single family home. First, it is not uncommon that in larger developments, one condo in a building is competing with another condo configured with the exact same floor plan, features and finishes. Plus, except for slight cosmetic changes to the exterior façades, it is also not unusual to find one building full of condos to be pretty much the same as another building full of condos in the same neighborhood.

Your sellers need to realize that with so many condos to choose from, they all start looking very much alike. In the buyer's eye, without much distinguishing one condo from another, they all become just another Vanilla Box.

While through the years there are many versions of the Vanilla Box, the typical Vanilla Box of today has the front door near a central corridor, sliding patio doors to a balcony in the front, and a kitchen in the middle with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and an island that separates the kitchen space from the open plan dining/living room area. Dreadfully, so many condos are pretty much the same...floor to floor, building to building, neighborhood to neighborhood.

Because so many condos are relatively the same, the chance for a sale can become quite competitive. Plus, if your seller is currently living in a Vanilla Box in a neighborhood that offers similarly priced NEWLY constructed Vanilla Boxes... the shiny new Box will most likely be more appealing to a buyer, than a scuffed, scratched, worn and torn used Box.

Good news is that the hope for a sale of a Vanilla Box is not a lost cause... for either your client who is trying to sell their unit, or for the builder trying to sell one or more units. Both types of sellers, for different reasons, can benefit from hiring an EXPERIENCED home stager.

Realtors will be glad to know that a Stager offers creative custom solutions that will help individual seller trying to sell their unit in a number of ways. First, they will point out the problem areas that make a used home look used, and then offer low cost suggestions that make the condo feel new again. Next, while it is a fact that a furnished property is easier to sell then vacant; your sellers need to understand that due to size constraints of the home (typically condos are more compact) furnishings in the condo needs to be re-set in a way that they actually helps the condo show and flow better when being toured by buyers... and a stager can help here too.

Staging is much more then decorating, and the more a realtor understands this the better it is for both the realtor and their sellers. In fact, good staging is a balance between adding the right amount of visual appeal, without having the interior décor distract the seller's eye from the property they are considering buying.

For the builder, a Stager can also be of great service. Who hasn't been a bit surprised to experience a builder's empty vanilla white unit after touring their lush and lovely model? For this reason large builders have for years had model properties for buyers to first tour. Today, the opportunity and benefit of having a model unit need not be a selling advantage reserved only for the larger builder. Smaller builders can hire a Stager who can provide low cost, yet beautifully designed staged-model solutions. PLUS, if the builder is selling multiple units in one building and the staged model unit does sell, the model can then be easily moved from one unit and re-set in the next. The added flexibility of a "rolling" model offers yet more flavor and appeal to the Vanilla Box.

So yes, without a doubt this is a tough market to sell in, especially when it comes to condo sales. But properties are selling. Fortunately, Realtors have a opportunity to truly help their clients, be they a builder or an owner, who are trying to sell a Vanilla Boxes. Realtors that work with stagers can change the flavor of their listings from FOR SALE to SOLD.

Flavor It Forward...
Me

PS: As I was writing this post the following comment came in from a seller whose house we staged just 32 days ago. "Good news we have an offer on our place and are currently working out all the details. I really think the staging did the trick so I can't thank you enough!" -DG

Stagers hear this all the time... I encourage you to find an EXPERIENCED home stager in your area. Know how and when to use them and you and your sellers will win... I guarantee it.

Picture What You Preach

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:36:45 -0500

Because the end result of a staged home can be a great visual impression, home staging is seen as an image industry. Image companies in the fields of advertising, interior design, and landscaping have for long known that to sell and grow their own businesses; they must present a good visual image of themselves. As image businesses they know and rely on their logos, business cards and websites to communicating their knowledge and creative skill to apply basic design principals in their respective fields.

If home stagers are going to sell to home owners the need and importance of investing money to beautify their homes, which is the product they are selling, then the stager needs to invest money in to do the same for what they sell... which is their staging services To be competitive, a home stager needs to invest in their business image. A stager's image, communicated through a business card, brochure, website and portfolio, must demonstrate knowledge of and skill to apply basic design principals. Doing anything less is hypocritical.

Home stagers also need to practice what the preach to Realtors. If stagers are going profess and advise the importance of using good photography to capture and present a home for sale on-line, then again, a stager needs to do the same for photography they show of the their work on-line. A stager's on-line portfolio is a key, yet often overlooked, tool communicate quality, skill and ability.

Stagers can maximize their on-line credibility is by addressing the following 3 points with their portfolio.

Show Versatility & Proficiency - Every market is different and a stager's work should represent the types of homes being sold in the markets they serve. However the more depth and diversity a stager can show the better. The most compelling portfolios will show staging work that was done in both big and small homes, vacant and occupied homes, low to high end homes, and the ability in to work with a variety of design styles.
Use the Same View Point - Proof of a stager's skill and ability is often shown in Before & After photographs. But quite often the Before photo is taken from a totally different position in a room, from the After photo. The best sales testament and visually dramatic impact Before & After photography will have is when the Before & After photo is taken from the EXACT same angle.
Take Quality Photos - While it may not be possible to take perfect and compelling Befores, the After image needs to be well photographed. Over flashed, under flashed, and blurry photos will hurt even the best staged After transformation. Stagers that invest the time and money to take quality photos visually communicate their commitment to their profession.

Like it or not.... just as a home that is for sale is being judged by how it looks, stagers are being judge by the business image they show. The best home stagers will picture what they preach.

Stage It Forward...

Professor Realtor... Can You Teach Me SOLD?

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:03:36 -0500

We all know that even though the market is "bad" homes are still selling. Of course you don't have to be a genius to know that they are not selling at the rate they used to... but they are selling.

So if you have clients trying to sell their properties yet asking the question, "Why isn't my home selling?," The answer. to what they think is a profound question, is actually quite simple... but a bit multifaceted. Let's face it; what they need to be taught is that the sale of a home in today's market really is just dependant on a few basic principals that must be mastered and advantageously applied.

The first lesson, teaching a seller that hiring the right listing AGENT, is the trickiest. Picking and working with a savvy and strategic Agent who is both skillful with a variety of marketing tactics and who is also adept in working through a myriad of sales issues, that can stop a sale once a buyer makes an offer, is crucial. A wise and learned Realtor, who has a proven track record and that demonstrates they have mastered both the marketing side and the sales side of real estate, will sell a property and is worth every penny they are paid.

The second lesson, sellers must pass the class on, is PRICE. Above all else they need to understand that asking price of a home today can not be dependant on what the price would/could have been in the "good old days". The price of a home must be appropriate for today's market... AND, because there are so many other homes in the market, it also needs to be aggressively competitive. Home buyers want and will spend the least to buy the most they can. Sellers, who hold out for more, will end up getting a detention... that is, MORE time on market.

The next lesson to cover is on CONDITION. The educated know that the better the condition a seller's home is in, the more attractive it is to buyers, who do not want to spend their money repairing and making simple updates once they take possession. So while teachint sellers that hiring a home inspector, who focus more on structural and mechanical conditional issues, you may want to expand your seller's knowledge and share with them the advantage of working with a home stager. Stagers will help sellers address and tackle the numerous smaller maintenance details and repair concerns that influence potential buyer's perception of condition.

The fourth lesson is a multifacited lesson on PRESENTATION. Presentation issues, which takes place both on-line and on-tour, is a class even some Realtors could sit in on... Better photos capture and tell a better sales story. Gone are the days when a Realtor could take poor quality digital snapshots and loaded them into an MLS system. Today's buyers, who lives are busy and hectic as a seller's, use the Internet to prescreen properties. In addition to having quality photos, sellers must learn the importance that their property must look great when being toured by a buyer. Master Realtors know that experienced home stager will guide and direct your sellers to set and present their homes so they can be easily toured and distinguished from your possessions in it.

The fifth and final factor is not so much a lesson, but more about participation. A seller must be and stay INVOLVED. Sellers need to know the importance that they raise their hands to fully share concerns, needs and objectives right from the start and continue until the property is sold. They must also realize that while candid honesty is key, it must also be two way street. Sellers, who stay informed, watch the market conditions, objectively listen to the feedback after showings and positively act on key information will find their home sold.

So that's it... those are my my basic lessons that influence the sale of a home in this buyer's market... which can be a tough class to pass. How sellers choose to work with and apply the knowledge gained in these lessons will ultimately result in a pass (sold) or fail grade in home selling. It's our job to make sure they know.

Teach It Sold...
Me

Not All Bananas in the Bunch are Ripe and Ready

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:07:37 -0500

So my home selling pets, would you like to pick a home stager to regularly work with, but are not sure which in the bunch to hire? Plus does it seem as if daily there are more and more staging bananas out there to pick from?

Well, you are right; it can be a tough to know which stager you should bring to your seller, especially since staging is still a relatively new service offered in most parts of the USA. You are also right if you noticed that there are many new bananas rapidly joining the staging bunch.

To make a wise and informed choice, that best serves you and your sellers, you need to understand that a "professional stager" may just be an average green Jane or Joe who just fell out of a training tree. Many stagers are newly transformed into "professionals" merely due to the fact that they sat through a one, two or three day foundation training course. That's it, in as little as one day... a newly credentialed staging banana is thrown into the bunch.

So be wise and discerning, staging credentials that hype "trained," "certified" or "accredited" can be a bit deceiving... especially considering onyone can be trained and graduated from some foundation staging training programs in as little as one day. This is not to say that there are plenty of well qualified stagers who have been trained through these courses. But remember, above everything, the ripeness of EXPERIENCE trumps all else... even "credentials."

Unfortunately, unlike Realtors in the real estate industy, Stagers in the home staging industry are an unregulated wild bunch. Because this so... your sellers are at risk, especially in this tough selling market! Picking a green stager could cost them some green and a sale. So while staging looks mighty tasty, to those of you who are looking for some hope and help, don't blindly accept the fact that a stager, with a horde of initials after their name, has the experience needed and fully yet knows what they are doing.

So how can you pick out a green novice stager from the ripe experienced stager? Well, it is not the difficult, if you keep in mind that home staging is an "image" industry.

Considering it is a stager's job is to create a good first visual impression of home seller's property, then a good stager needs to do the same for themselves. A good stager knows the importance of and how to present a good visual first impression of their company and their work.

To start to weed out amateurs from the experienced, first look closely at the stager's portfolio, for examples of their work. Also, make sure that you ask the stager if they ACTUALLY staged the properties they show in their portfolio... believe it or not there are some foundation training programs that give green stagers a set of "starter" portfolio photos. Finally if you have any doubts, of course you can always ask the stager for testimonials from past clients and/or references.

So that's it, pretty easy actually. That is all you need to know and do to be a good home selling monkey and pick the ripest stager that will best help you and your sellers.

Ripening It Forward...

Monkey Me

First Impression-ist Masterpieces Now Hang in the Active Rain Gallery

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:05:49 -0500

Last week something new began to be seen in the great hallowed halls of Active Rain. Beautiful blog masterpieces started to appear. Active Rain gave to us all another great new improvement to help us all better differentiate and further brand ourselves through our blogs. We now all have the access to a FREE tool, the ActiveRain Customizer, that allows us to easily create a visual masterpiece of our own blogs.

I have scoured Active Rain's walls to find 15 fine examples of blogs that have a new and improved branded" look. I encourage you to click and open the examples below, to see in detail what others have already done. You will notice that some blogs have a look that is simpler, for they have been designed by "beginners," while others look more complex, because they have been created by seasoned designers. DON'T BE INTIMIDATED!!! It is quick, easy and fun to create a great first impression blog. If you need some basic instruction to get you started? Here are links to four blogs that will guide you along...

Brad Carroll (who created the ActiveRain Customizer) first wrote this post: ActiveRain gives the "Green Light" on Customizing - ActiveRainCustomizer.com
Margaret Woda put a great deal of time to author this excellent and informative post: Dumb Real Estate Agent Finally Gets It
Jeff Turner, that techy guru and zen master, also chimed in with this post: Editing Images For Your Customized ActiveRain Blog

AND these Instructions are from Brad's blog outside of Active Rain. These are GREAT instructions too. How to Redesign Your Active Rain Blog!

Again, this is just a small sample of all the creativty taking place, if you have created your own masterpiece... please post a link to it in a comment below. I am sure others will love to see all the fresh new looks being shown in the Rain.

Finally, I have to say that these visual changes all call to mind the stager's mantra... "First impressions matter!" Funny thing is that what my fellow stagers and I have been saying now doesn't only apply to how a property looks when it is selling in the marketplace. First impressions now also matter when you are presenting/selling yourself in your blog.

So go and tap into your inner Monet... and enjoy yourself as you create a Impressionistic Blog Masterpiece.

I FINALLY Gots Me a Purdy Puddle... in the Rain

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:09:57 -0500

The ONLY problem I have EVER had about Active Rain was it is UGLY. YUP UGLY and I have not been afraid to let the Rain Gods (Matt Heaton and Johnathon Washburn) know how I felt.

But there is a saying, "you only get to complain if you are willing to provide a solution." So not only did I register a complaint, I also tried my best to get them over to the "pretty side". I sent them mock-up ideas JUST to get this site LOOKING better.

But the AR guys could only move so fast on all the improvements they were providing us. I could no longer wait. To be honest, the reason I went OUTSIDE Active Rain to start my second blog (Home Staging; Rants & Ravings) is because I am in the "first Impression" business. Much like an advertising agency or an architectural firm or landscaper... I knew that HOW I looked in my blogging media was as important as what I had to say.

But I did not give up on Acitve Rain I knew that when they finally did work on the "pretty," they would do it right, as they have done with so much here. VICTORY! You guys did it.

Active Rain has given us all a FREE and very easy tool to make our blogs look great. Now it does have a few quirks and glitches that need to be addressed. But I did play with it this morning... and I just wanted to say that it only took me about 3 1/2 hours time to do what you see. You might say I now "staged" my blog.

Which leads me RIGHT into the real reason I am writing this post. For all of you who think your blogs can compete soley on what you have to say... then you really need NOT to alter ANY anything visual about your blog here. BUT if you want your "property" to stand out a little bit more, because let's face it... WHAT you have to say isn't the only think that is important when you are selling your message to your readers, then I am sure you will take the time to visually "package" your message.

I don't care if you are "staging" a blog or staging a property that is for sale... visual impressions matter! I hope you all have as much fun purdy-ing up your puddle in the Rain, as I did mine.

Thanks again to the AR guys!

PS: For more information check out this post by Brad Carroll. ActiveRain gives the "Green Light" on Customizing - ActiveRainCustomizer.com His company devevloped the tool that gives us this purdy ability.

Wall Steet Journal Blogger is Clueless about Home Staging

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:32:00 -0500

Boy this is timely... considering all I have been flapping about here in the Rain.

I just came across this article on the Wall Street Journal's website.

"The Allure of the Fruit Bowl: Home Staging ‘Twiddles' With a Buyer's Mind"

It reinforces the fact that Realtors don't understand what we do. They don't get that it is the "The PREP before the PRETTY." And the PREP is what PAYS OFF!

I encourage you to read this so you understand more clearly how Realtors and Home Sellers are misinformed and then misconstrue the message they share about home staging.

As an industry we have a long way to go... but they will get it.

Stage It Forward...

PS; if you feel the need to comment don't do it here... do it there.

PSS: I was NOT going to let that article go with out commenting on it. Here is my rebuttal...

You have got to be FREAK-IN kidding me!!! Is this guy for real? He so does NOT know what a stager does. He is VERY myopic in his understanding. It is unfortunate that the Wall Street Journal published this... it dilutes the possibility that staging HONESTLY holds.

How scandalous! How conniving! How shady of the seller to put their home's best face forward to make their house be as appealing as possible. I guess the same could be said for anyone applying for a job who decides to wear their best blue suit, gets a haircut and shines their shoes in a shady attempt to lure a potential employer to hire them.

God forbid you buy or sell a home that is clean, freshly painted, everything in working order. Minor repairs and touch up have been made. And it LOOKS good. There IS value to moving into a home that has all its issues attended to. Staging is NOT just the pretty setting of a space... it is also the PREP of a home. Painting and scrubbing and repairing!

I have seen MANY times a staged home sell faster... EVEN in this horrible market. Is there no value in selling a home FASTER? THAT is part of the appeal for the buyer. If a home LOOKS better it can demand more. If there is less to do when you move in (remember your TIME is money) and you need to not spend the dollar on the materials or contract labor to fix that which needs attending to then is that not worth more?

EVERYTHING in this Country... from the food we eat, to the clothes we buy, to the cars we drive are "packaged" and marketed.

If you want to look at staging from one person's pessimistic viewpoint, and stay in the dark ages of real estate with an old school mentality then go nowhere else. IF you want to be an informed consumer then I invite to read my blog at: http://www.thestagingblog.com/

Craig Schiller
Real Estaging
Chicago

Ruffled Feathers makes for some Good Flapping in the Rain

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:20:40 -0500

When Active Rain "works" it does something quite wonderful. It grows, and expands, and teaches, and challenges. It creates dialogue in places and spaces where there was none.

I think sometimes we forget that we all here are a community. An ever growing community, but a community non the less. In the "good old days," when there were only a few thousand members, there was a daily banter of ideas bouncing back and forth. Those of you who were lucky to be here then know what I am talking about. Some of what was shared was of great "industry" value; some was just plain "trivial chirping". But no matter what, there was a connected sharing taking place across the blogs and within the comments.

Today, with so many members now sharing so much of themselves, and with so many different types of content being able to be shared (i.e., listings and statistics) sometime it is hard to chirp an idea out through the loud quacking.

But every so often a bird's song is heard. So here is my tale to how Active Rain can give wings to a discussion.

It all started when I posted my blog Successful Selling in an Ugly Market Ain't Always Pretty!. In that blog I got one of those comments that just ruffles my feathers. It seems that when I write a post that shares the virtues of staging there always seems to be someone that takes a shot at me. It is as if they load their comment with common bird-shot and shoot off something like, "Yudda Yuddd Yudda Price Is King". They never quite hit me, but they do ruffle my feathers. I hate that one!

OK... so now what? Well this time, ruffled feathers and all, I was going to pluck that common rebuttal clean. Which lead me to write my next post. Chipping Away at the "PRICE IS KING" Myth Too Many Realtors Rely On In it I had you all pondering the potato chip, no not the Ruffles kind, as I laid my trap. (Wow talking about mixed metaphors, and double entendres that actually make sense. But I digress). In that trap I caught that old Blogging Bird Broker Bryant. (Wow... an automotopia too. My English teacher would be proud. But I digress.) He squawked in a comment in a way only he can.

Proud of my catch... I was going to make sure the whole world saw my trappings. So I posted this: Best Blog EVER Finally Hits Its Target... of ONE. Well, I may have caught Birdy Bryant, but he surly was not dead. He squawked out this post Does "Staging" a home in Poinciana FL make sense? and posted it over in the Stage It Forward... Hen House. Oh my God, if that didn't kill him it should have. Now ALL those chicks, and a few roosters, were cackling all over his post... plus a few of you from out here in the big Rain puddle were chipping in.

This trophy catch asked questions that challenged us yet also gave us Stagers insight and understanding as to how and what we need to do to share our staging message. But I wasn't gonna let Birdy Bryant get the last chirp in. PLUS there were now a few from his flock squawking in with more issues I thought could be discussed. Maybe it was over kill, but I blasted him with a double barreled dozzie of a comment... that also went out into the Big Rain as yet another one of my posts entitled: Is Your Ignorance Bliss or a Missed Opportunity?.

Now that that post was out there... seeded with that enticing word "ignorance" I laid in the brush waiting. Low and behold I caught me a Hitzelberger. Now I never saw a Hitzelberger before, but boy could that bird sing. And sing he did with more to know and ponder in It's not just ignorance.. (Unfortunately, right now it is a "Member Only" post. So if you are not logged into the AR puddle... you won't be able to see it)

Well, by now you get the point and I am sure this hunting story will go on. I thank you for letting me tell my hunting tale. I do invite you to go hunting or start quacking out new ideas that grow and expand your way of thinking, because they always are in-season.... here in the Rain.

Quack it Forward...

PS: I gotta admit I got my sites set on the wise, yet elusive, "Harely Bird" that sits in a forest over in Maryland.

Is Your Ignorance Bliss or a Missed Opportunity?

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:39:45 -0500

I have been writing here on Active Rain for nearly 2 years now and have seen the presence of home stagers explode here. Even though we share much of ourselves to this great community, in general it AMAZES me how ignored, snubbed and misunderstood our message has been by the overall Realtor community here on AR... and, to be honest, out there in markets we serve. So many Realtors seem to have shut down ANY possibility to understand ANY opportunity staging offers. There has to be a message that will finally alter the perception the general Realtor community has of who we are and what we do.

I know that if I write "staging CAN help every single home that is for sale that NEEDS it" is a bold and audacious statement. But before you write me off as a staging kool-aid drinking crack pot, bear with me. I think that what many Realtors think staging is, actually is NOT all that it is.

-- If a home seller goes on-line and gets a list of "10 Things You Can Do To Ready Your Home for Selling" and does as it advises... THAT IS home staging.

-- If their Realtor then comes to look at the home and advises 10 more things to attend to, that better readies their home for market, and they do those things... THAT IS home staging.

-- If a Stager is hired and they come up with 10 MORE things for the seller to attend to and the seller or the Stager does them... THAT IS home staging.

Just as SELLING a house does NOT always require a Realtor, staging a house does NOT always require a Stager. However, Realtors and home-sellers who have worked with a good and reputable Stager have learned that we do see more issues that work against the homes sale and offer more creative ideas and solutions to ready/package/market a home for selling in ways they never considered.

FIRST and MOST OFTEN what a Stager does is advise, council and direct the seller as to what they can do to BEST to prepare their property for selling. A Stager can also coach the seller on how to quickly, easily and inexpensively accomplish and address that which can be done to help make the home more appealing. These consulting services are typically VERY inexpensive... in some markets less then $100.

Staging MUST consider the sellers budget. How much CAN the seller invest and what will be the return on that investment must be considered. Also keep in mind, staging costs is NOT only about what is paid to the Stager. The monies spent for staging will also include what a seller invests to make a home more presentable that is not paid to a Stager. Paint, flowers, light bulbs, the kid up the street who is paid to mow the lawn on a vacant property etc. are all part of what it costs to stage a home.

Staging is NOT ALWAYS about bringing in props. Stagers start by addressing the basic condition of the home and offering ideas and solutions to improve it. The final thing we do, if and when needed and the budget allows, is add the "bling" of props... if it is an equitable option.

There are basically 5 Levels of Service that Stagers can offer... but NOT all Stagers DO offer all 5:

CONSULT: Focusing on the condition of a home, a Stager visits a Seller's property to instruct and direct Seller on what they must do to best ready and set their own property for market.
RE-ARRANGE: A Stager is hired to set a Seller's property and uses Seller's existing furniture, art, and accessories, to achieve the best sales impact possible.
ENHANCE: Stager is hired to set a Seller's property and uses the Seller's existing furniture, art, accessories, and brings in additional decorative props and/or furniture they own and loaned or rent to Seller.
VACANT: Total furnishing and setting a Seller's (personally owned) vacant property.
MODEL: Planning, designing, furnishing, and staging a builder / developer's vacant spec or model property.

Information is POWER... the more a Realtor knows of and understands what we do and when to use our services the better for them and their sellers.

The "ignorance the Realtor community has for home staging" is partially the Home Staging Industries fault. A common mantra a home Stager tells a seller is "what a buyer sees in a home is what they believe they will be buying". So if, when the buyer tours a home, they see a kitchen that is a skuzzy, fifthly mess this is what they believe they are buying... even if the seller has every intention of cleaning the kitchen prior to moving out. A buyer only knows what they see.

The Home Staging Industry also suffers from similar false perception. For the most part Realtors only know what they SEE of home staging. Much is what is VISUALLY shown here on AR, Stager's websites and portfolios are beautifully set rooms within homes that are for sale. The pictures and images that Home Stagers show of their work is most often the most extravagant staging they have done. We show the "BEST" of our work in the hopes that Realtors will somehow magically understand that we do and offer is many other types and levels of service.

What we SHOW is NOT ALL we do. But the other things we do are harder to show. How does a Stager show the fact that they are advising a seller to scrub the scum out of a shower stall, to hide away the kitty litter box from prominent display, to replace the 2 of 4 burnt out bulbs in a ceiling fan, knock down the spider webs gathered in corners, repair a window with a broken seal, clear out the fire trap of clutter that fills a furnace room, or remove art that might be considered controversial and distracting?

There is a litany of things unique to each home we address each time we are called in to stage. Unfortunately, all that can be done and is done does not hold the immediate visual impact the final dramatic images we display of rooms we set as Stagers. Thinking that showing the most dramatic transformations tells our story best is working against us... this is an area WE need to address as an industry.

Don't let the words "staging" or "Stager" trip you up. While these words are relatively new, what we advise has been given as advice in real estate sales for year. All that has really changed is that there is an INDUSTRY committed to understanding the intricacies of how a home can be best merchandised and marketed as a product so that it appeals to a buyer and entices them to buy.

More and more home sellers ARE getting what we do. They are beginning to call stagers in BEFORE they even have a Realtor. Stagers are going to be referral sources for you. So for this reason and ALL that I wrote here in this blog I encourage you to find a good stager in your area, and understand what they do and offer. I guarantee good Stagers hold more opportunity for you and your sellers then what many of you have first allowed yourselves to believe.

Best Blog EVER Finally Hits Its Target... of ONE

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:39:11 -0500

Daily hundreds and hundreds of bloggers post here on Active Rain... all with the hopes that what we write connects to an audience. What makes blogging on AR uniquely different from other blog platforms is the fact that because it is a social network, posting here first reachs a tighter member audience made up of professional from all areas of the Real Estate industry.

Comments from our peers can give us the immediate "gratification" of knowing if what we said, what we wrote, worked or not.

Sometimes when we write something particularly well, the All Mighty & Mysterious Rain Gods will feature our posts and send it into the AR stratosphere with a little Gold Star. Then comments abound.

If you have spent anytime here on AR you most surly have read one of the most creative, prolific and interesting bloggers who has a whole galaxy of Gold Star Blogs... that blogger is Bryant Tutas. Broker Bryant has much to say, says it well and has gained the respect of many Realtors ALL over north America.

Broker Bryant and I "go way back" as we both started here on AR just about 2 years ago now. I with my "Rants & Ravings" on Home Staging and he with his "Ramblings" about Real Estate have written a lot and seen a lot happen here and in the real estate industry. Through the years I would post my blogs and Bryant would comment back and vice versa.

While I knew Bryant liked what I had to say, finding it interesting and informative, I also had a gut feeling some of my messages were not hitting DEAD ON with him. How do I know this? Well, call it intuition or call it paranoia, but somtimes I felt his comments communicated a certain degree of skepticism about this thing called "staging." I am NO stranger to this skepticism. It is a skepticism MANY Realtors have.

I have learned in life that just because you say something, or write something, does not mean the message you intended was received. As frustrating as that is, if people don't get your message then you might need to rework it until they do. The miscommunication might not not reside in their ears, but in your words.

So without his knowing, Bryant had become the litmus test for whether this particular message hit its target or not. Other stagers KNOW that when I write, about this particular topic, I write in the hopes that Broker Bryant would get the message. If he got, it I knew I would have a message I could use over and over.

Fast forward to this past Monday...

On Monday I posted, what I thought, was my best post ever! Yup EVER! I spent all day Sunday working on the graphic and then writing and rewriting what I had to say. I knew this post had a GREAT graphic, was WELL written and took the reader on the type of verbal journey I like to take them on... hitting them with the point I wanted to make right at the end. So confident in this post, I just KNEW the All Mighty & Mysterious Rain Gods would launch it for all to read (especially Bryant) with one of those coveted Gold Stars. Realtors (especially Bryant) would FINALLY "get" what I have been trying for them to "get" for 2 years now. Finally, all over north America, ever Realtor (especially Bryant) who had resisted or never considered using a home stager would be beating down the doors of their local stagers. The whole real estate market would turn around. Oil prices would drop! Peace would reign supreme... all from my post. I thought it was that good.

So I posted. Then I waited. I went back and checked. So sure of myself. "Did I get my Gold Star yet?" Hmmm.. not YET. So I waited... I went back. ONLY to realize... NOTHING! ZILCH! ZIP! NADA! NINE! No Gold Star. "Sh_t, this one didn't do it either!"

But then something amazing happened...

There was a comment posted by an old blogging buddy. And while his March market report for Poinciana FL is not great, his comment reveled he got what I had been trying to say for so long. Better then a Gold Star... this post HAD hit my target of one.

So thank you BB, sometimes aiming for a small audience can inspire a big message.

PS: I have to extend a personal appology to Broker Bryant. Sorry about your having to take a "hit to the eye." While I am good at Photo~~Shot~~ (oops I mean "SHOP") I am not THAT good.

PSS: Here is a link to my BEST POST EVER... after this "EVER!" Read it and be transformed! (LOL) Chipping Away at the "PRICE IS KING" Myth Too Many Realtors Rely On

Chipping Away at the "PRICE IS KING" Myth Too Many Realtors Rely On

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:22:00 -0500

I hate to break some Realtor's chips... but for many of you the belief you have, regarding the role pricing plays in real estate sales, is not cracked up to what it could be. Believe it or not there is a simple yet profound parallel lesson that can be learned from how Lay's potato chips are packaged, priced, marketed and sold and how real estate is packaged, priced, marketed and sold.

Let me be clear... when it comes to selling anything, be it real estate or potatoe chips, Price IS King. It is a fact that the seller (market) will only get the price the buyer (market) is willing to pay... that makes price "KING". But I think that too many Realtors have collapsed the concept of "KING" down to mean it is the ONLY thing that matters when it comes to selling real estate. They don't understand the full ramifications of HOW pricing is but one factor managed and integrated into the overall real estate marketing and selling process.

So let's crunch on the pricing lesson to be learned from the potato chip...

Yesterday I saw a compelling news segment on CBS Sunday Morning. In the piece the correspondent reported on the dynamic, and well-regulated world of food labels. Intererviewed for the segment was the Product Manager at FritoLay who is responsible for marketing their "natural" potato chip product. While we all know that Classic Lay's Potato Chips (Bet'cha can't eat just one!) have been a snack "staple" for years, FritoLay knows consumer tastes change. Because markets and tastes change, FritoLay ongoingly develops new potato chip products.

Surprisingly on camera, the FritoLay's marketing manger shared a little "secret" about one of those newer products they sell... the Natural Potato Chip. She confessed that basically Lay's Natural Chips are exactly same product as the Classic Chips. BOTH, nutritionally the same product, are made using the same type of potato and cooked in the same way. The only real difference in the two is that the "natural" chips are salted with sea salt, a salt PERCEIVED to be more natural, are cut thicker and are put in bag that is earth tone in color and has a matte (paper bag like) finish. Classic Chips go into a shiny yellow and red bag.

Ok, so what! The chips are the same. What's the point?

Well... there is one major difference between Natural and Classic chips. FritoLay admitted that they put LESS chips in the Natural Chip bag AND the charge MORE for them. That's right, less product for MORE money. How could they get away with this if PRICE IS KING? Well, FritoLay's knows that buyers buy what they want...in this case what the want "natural" chips. Buyers do not perceive Classic Chips as natural... even though they really are. If they want to sell chips to the "natural" buyer, they have to sell a product that is viewed as "natural." The packaging then becomes essential in driving home the "natural" point.

So even though these chips are basically the same, because the potato chips are packaged in a way that buyers relate to them... they buy them. FritoLay knows that buyers buy products, as simple as potato chips, when they connect to it.

Or said another way... even though homes are often the same, when homes are packaged (staged) in a way that buyers relate to them... they buy them. Stagers know that buyers buy products, as COMPLEX as a home, when they can connect to it. A stager's job is to package the chips (homes) in a way that the buyer will relate to. THAT is what staging is all about.

So, while it is important for a listing to be priced right, if as a Realtor you are not considering or have not looked into working with a home stager in your area, because you believe in the myth that "Price is King," then in my opinion you are relagating yourself to be a Real Estate Couch Potato.

Chip It Forward...

PS: 2 of my past posts, originally posted and "featured" here on Active Rain, describe the importance price plays in selling a home, and to this day are still quite popular and downloaded on a regular basis. If you are interested, check out:

Successful Selling in an Ugly Market Ain’t Always Pretty!

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:34:08 -0500

Even though we live in a consumer society, it's an odd fact that home sellers typically do not view their property as a product for sale in a marketplace. Because this is so, a home's sale often languishes. But this need not be the case. Basic marketing teaches us that how a product is perceived and received within the market can be altered and impacted.

More then just being decorators or designers, good home stagers are more focused in applying a full array of strategic marketing principles and practices which positively influence the consumer about a product in a market.

So even though a staged home might look attractive, it is important to note that staging is NOT solely about making a home look "pretty." In fact there are homes that CAN look visually attractive and STILL not be staged. Any Realtor, home seller, or builder who thinks that all staging is is making a home look "pretty" is grossly ignorant to the reality of what a good stager does and therefore probably not using a stager and benefiting from what we do.

The "Why" and "How" a home is prepped and set for showing and selling is what real estate staging is all about. Much like what happens every day in retail stores across America (i.e. TARGET), real estate staging is actually more about the process of strategically setting up (merchandising) a house in a manner that makes it not only easy for buyers to tour, but also creates a way for their eyes and heart to connect to it with a powerfully effective first impression that lingers and stays with them.

I am not surprised to find there are many pretty homes that are not selling. But a staged home, that is priced right, will sell quickly, even in ugly markets.

Market It Forward...

Why Are Realtors in the Biz... if this is What They Do?

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:49:54 -0500

Yesterday I received a call from a desperate home seller looking to home staging as marketing solution that would help finally sell his $499,000 town home which has been on the market for months and months now. The buyer was quite frank about the fact that when compared to similar units for sale in the development, his townhouse was the most expensive. But he justified the price difference saying it was because his property had been extensivley remodeled with new finishes, fixtures and updates.

Intrigued... I wanted to take a "sneak peak" as I was talking to the seller on the phone. So I asked the him for the name of his Realtor and the name of the company he sold for. Having never heard of the company, I did a Google search to find their site. To my surprise NOTHING came up. The listing real estate company had NO website. Ok, that is a bit odd, but no big deal... the seller happened to know his MLS#. So off to realtor.com I went.

At realtor.com I punched in the MLS#... and WA-LA! As is typical, the listing popped up with an exterior shot of his property! (Shown right/below) But to my surprise and dismay that was all there was to look at. Just ONE picture featured to "show" the ENTIRE property! JUST ONE?!!! If you ask me there is no excuse for this and is nothing less then a marketing crime. Why a crime? Well, with approximately 80 to 85% of homes buyers FIRST pre-shopping properties via the Internet... what would you say having only one listing picture for the buying public to preview is?

Curious to take a look at his competition... I dug a bit deeper on realtor.com. I then found 2 comparable properties within the exact same development. (SEE clipped ads shown in the larger graphic along with larger original ad) One property listed for $84,000 less then the property the caller owned and the other listed for $89,000 less. Now I know there could be and probably are good reasons why these comparable properties are cheaper... but that is NOT what I want to discuss here.

I was glad to see that each Realtor, of these 2 cheaper properties, invested the time and money to tap into one of the most basic yet effective marketing tools available to home sellers today. Each used MULTIPLE photos, of homes that they are marketing, to help build and reinforce buyer interest. Each of these cheaper competing properties had nine pictures to look at and review. Considering the seller, who I was talking to, had a property that offered more, in terms of remodeling and updates, would it not be helpful to capture and display those differences to potential buyers?

We all know that this industry is rapidly changing one. Each day there seems to be some new gadget or service (like home staging) that comes out to help a Realtor market and sell their listings. While it can be daunting to keep up with all the changes, some things, including some technology, can be easily and inexpensively integrated into the basic sales and marketing services that a Realtor provides to their clients. A perfect example of a new "basic" is the use of digital cameras and photography. Because photography is now so easy and accessable it has changed the industry. What a buyer sees of a property no longer needs to start when they physically tour a property for the first time. (Watch my CURB APPEAL SHOW)

I am not saying this it the SOLE reason why this property has not sold... as there could be a zillion others. But if a Realtor chooses not to provide even the most basic of these new services, in my opinion, they have just committed a crime.

"OOPS" goes the Staging!

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:13:18 -0600

From the time we were small kids we were taught that there is a difference between what is good & bad and what is right & wrong. While those FIRST lessons of life had to do with basic relationship skills and behaviors, as we got older we gained awareness of other good & bad, right & wrong rules that applied to other areas in our lives. Rules, we grew to realize, help to guide us in subjects we study, the sports we play, the hobbies we undertake, and the work we do. In short, we gained knowledge that there are proper ways things are to be done if you are going to do them well.

So while learned knowledge is a good thing, we also have learned that correctly applying that knowledge can prove to be a quite a challenge. Like everything else in life, this also holds true to home staging. Even though there are Realtors who are knowledgeable and appreciative of home staging, some have come to realize it takes skill and ability to properly apply that knowledge. This is one of reasons why the staging industry is on the rise. BUT...(notice that is a BIG BOLD "but") if you are young in your understanding, there is something ELSE you need to know about staging and stagers. Not everyone that says they know staging or claims they are stagers really can do it. There are far too many people now claiming they KNOW how to stage, yet their final staging results demonstrate their gross lack of understanding and break basic staging rules. AND I have to admit this really ticks me off!

Let me give you a glaring example of a problematic staging in the form of a short video I playfully call "OOPS Goes the Staging!" (Be sure your speakers are on.)

For the sake of fair disclosure, I want to let you know we here at Real Estaging are VERY familiar with the property featured and critiqed in the above video. as we lost a staging bid on for it. So while some might think I am upset because we lost the job to another person... that is just not the case. (Anyone that has been in sales for any length of time knows that is the way it is in sales... "You win some and you loose some.")

Anyway, the reason I am ticked-off is because good and proper staging DOES follow certain rules, process and approaches that when done well and done right will help the property sell. It is upsetting to know that this Chicago developer finally got the "stage the property and it will sell" message and was willing to invest hard earned money, only to get a final "staging" that actually works AGAINST their property's sale. Plus what makes this even worse is the fact that this was to be the model for a multi-unit property.

Unfortunetly many Realtors and home sellers really don't know exactly what good home staging is or is not. Why? Well, for one reason staging is still a relatively new concept and has yet to be fully embraced as a viable marketing tool for selling homes. So if you are wondering, "What is GOOD and BAD staging? What exactly makes staging RIGHT from what makes staging WRONG?" Well, to help you understand let's start with 4 Basic Staging Rules most of you have likely heard of. These basics are...

De-clutter and organize the home to minimize visual distractions.
Neutralize the home's look so that it appeals to the largest buying audience as possible.
Arrange furnishings and accessories to best show the home's space and features.
Add what's missing to finalize the home's appeal.

As you watch my "OOPS goes the Staging!" video keep these very basic rules in mind. By the time you are finished watching it, you will beging to see and understand a little of what bad staging is and where this staging pooped out. And if you remember nothing else I hope your remember this... filling a property chock full of pretty furnishings and accessories is NOT staging!

When staging is done well and done right... it sells homes! PERIOD!

PS: If you would like MORE detailed explanation of the 12 BIGGEST STAGING OOPS in this property... click on the "DETAIL" button located along the bottom of the embedded video.

A Tale of 2 Stages

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:58:31 -0600

For home sellers it is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the age of wise choices, it is the age of foolish decisions, it is the age of sales success and the age of missed opportunities.

In short, now is an age where sellers are finally realizing that how their own "sales tale" plays out is more within their control then ever before. More and more know that to sell their home they need to take responsibility and a proactive role in its sale. How? Well, besides hiring a Realtor, today's sellers are starting to finally believe that they must do all they can to make their properties look and be as visually attractive as possible.

In fact this posted tale is about two couple who did just this... they hired experienced professional that knew how to add the right appeal required to get buyers interested in their properties. What makes this tale more interesting is the fact that this all took place during the worst real estate market in years and at the slowest selling time of the year... a cold and snowy Chicago December.

Late last year, we here at Real Estaging got a call from two different Lincoln Park couples. While each seller had different were at different points in the sales cycle, each wanted to hire a real estate stager to advise them as to what they could do to best prepare the homes they were selling, yet still living in. The first couple (Home #1 -above) had not yet listed their home and they wanted to get it in tip top shape before they formally put it up for sale in the market. The second couple (Home #2 - below) unfortunately had had their home on the market for over 6 months and was not getting ANY offers on it. This couple was tired, weary and was ready to get on with their lives.

So we here at Real Estaging stopped by each home and did what most stagers do... we toured the properties and gave the typical and predictable staging advice and suggestions (i.e. declutter, depersonalize, make repairs, clean up, thin out and rearrange the furniture). But while staging consulting advice is good and helpful, both homes still need more. It is "MORE" that makes this staging tale a bit different and helped make 2 prospective buyers respond in the favorable ways they did.

You see both these homes needed just a bit MORE in the way of decorative accessories and furnishings (props). While bringing additional props into occupied homes is not always a typical service offered by most home stagers, we here at Real Estaging have found that by adding a few select accessories, a home can be totally transformed and given a final FINISHED look that influences buyers to make offers. Adding the right props helps to: 1) Add visual appeal, 2) Tie the home together so that it has flow and continuity, and 3) Solves perplexing space issues. The red dots in both sets of pictures above marks the props we add in some of the rooms.

So the first set of pictures (Home #1) is from a Lincoln Park home staging that got an offer just a few short hours after it had been toured by the very FIRST person who looked at it. For this particular property we loaned the sellers 45 props to give the home a finished / polished look. In particular, we replaced a massive coffee table with a smaller one, brought in a kitchen table & 4 chairs (they did not own one) and replaced "controversial" wall art with more understated art.

For the second home (Home #2) we had to add a few more items. For this listing we brought in about 50 items. One problem we had to address was the fact that the fireplace had no visual appeal. It needed some accessories to add some visual interest and attraction to it. Another problem was with the wall directly to the right of the fireplace, it had NO art on it. The massive 12 foot high wall was a big, blank and boring! We are now proud to say that after being on the market for six months, the sellers of this property finally received an offer just 1 week after we staged it!

So that is our tale of two stagings... that ends happily for two Lincoln Park couples wanting to sell their homes. It all started when both took a long hard look at the real estate age we are in and then chose to do all that was necessary to help them market their homes successfully. Each may now be saying... "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better opportunity to move on now that I have staged than I have ever known." (Sorry for the sappy ending... but you get the point.)

Staging It Forward...

Where is that Staging Waldo?

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:03:29 -0600

Many of you have emailed wondering just where the heck I have been for the last month. Well, I really have no better explanation than to say that I have been busy "working" on many things I needed to do to succeed in a market that has thrust upon us all new challenges. While there have been quite a few changes around here... I thought I would share some of the bigger things that have been keeping me busy.

Soon after my trip in December to Sacramento and the Stage It Forward Round Table discussion held there... the holidays were upon us. And typical, for that time of year, my life got "holiday" busy. So, while there were plenty desire to play in the Rain, there was really no time. But as time went on I found I was actually enjoying my break, for it gave me some space to reflect on all that has/was/is transpiring in my life, in the real esate industry and with my staging career. If you ever have been on a religious retreat you know the clarity you can get when you remove yourself from what normally surrounds you... this is what I found myself needing and doing.

One thing I really got clear on was the fact that my life was not in balance. To be honest I felt the imbalance for awhile... but it became crystal clear to me when I was in Sacramento. During the Round Table discussion one of the attendees made the comment. "You can't serve two masters." WOW, while I have heard those words before... they rang very true in a new way for me that day.

I finally "got" what those closest to me were saying was true. I was trying to do so much for others and the industry and in the process literally neglecting what I needed to do for me. I was depleting myself down to near exhaustion. You would think I would have got a clue when I found it quite disheartening to look at myself in a mirror and literally saw a stranger looking back... all that I had taken on was taking its toll.

Then to add insult to "injury" (or should I say vanity?) I received the bill for my health insurance premium. An unfortunate reality of being self employed is the fact that you are sometimes not able to benefit from a group health plan. To be insured you need to be self insured. Well the bill for my QUARTERLY premiums, for a policy that doesn't even cover the cost of meds, arrived. The quartely premium went up from $2,500 to $3,800... that is a whopping $1,300 more per quarter! OR put another way... it was going to cost me ANOTHER $5,200 a year more to stay insured! It doesn't help that a few years ago I had a bout with cancer... so I have a nasty pre-existing condition that makes switching plans almost impossible.

This shocking reality that I was now going to have to spend $15,200 annually for health insurance forced me to really look at what was/is working to my benefit financially and what is not.

I reflected on what I believe the home staging industry needs, what it wants and what it will allow itself to have. I have come to a personal conclusion that for a number of reasons, at this point, the industry is just is not ready to allow itself to have what it needs to be in alignment with what many want and see is possible. While there are many factors that keep us where we are, one thing I see working against us is an underlying degree of mistrust and mean spiritedness that keeps us trudging forward instead of soaring. But we are were we are, and it is what it is. While I have done and will continue to do all that I can to move this industry forward, it is clear to me that this segment of the real estate industry will unfold (grow) the way it will. I, like many of you, can do what we can to help, but we can not force it to move any faster.

So while I have been and will continue to be committed to staging and the real estate staging industry... I must be judicious and selective where I invest my time, energy and resources so that they best provide me what I need personally, professionally and financially.

While the challenges I face are unique to me... I know they are no greater then those that face you. I have learned that my willingness to be honestly transparent about myself is one of the reasons people appreciate what I say. I share this because I think that many of you are like me... small business owners in a newly developing industry caught in a difficult economy and challenging real estate market. I believe it is important and healthy that we take a good hard look at who we are and who we need to be as we move forward on our own paths. The willingness to be honest with ourselves is an important part of our growth, development and ultimately our success.

So to the many of you that sent me emails or called concerned and wondering where this Waldo went... thank you. He is back Staging It Forward with the same passion and resolve, but in a way that might appear publically to be a little different from what you saw before.

Staging that STARTS on a BANG... But ENDS with an OINK

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:08:53 -0600

Without a doubt, home staging can help sell a property. Even in this slower market, with so many home sellers having postive results using the services of an expirienced home stager, it is no surprise to find that time and again the blogging stagers here on Active Rain write posts to share their stories of the many wonderful success they have created.

So as much as I don't want to or like to report this, I have to admit that not every home that is staged benefits from the staging. Sometimes staging just can't do enough to make the home sell.

Why doesn't staging sometimes help a property sell? Well, there can be any number of reason why the best of staging efforts might be negated, but 3 of the most common reasons are:

- The property was overpriced.

- The property wasn't marketed properly.

- The home's staging was not maintained.

While these are 3 of the more common reasons why the impact of staging will be reduced or totally negated, sometimes there are even odder circumstances that staging just can NOT fix.

Recently we here at Real Estaging had just such a situation. This past summer we were hired by a builder to provide a solution for a problem he hoped staging would solve. The builder had us come in and stage a new and totally vacant property that had already been on the market for well over 1 year. Once staged, the builder was QUITE pleased and now encouraged that the staging would finally give the property the bang it needed. Unfortunately,... the staging still was not enough to help sell this 3/4 of a million dollar property.

To read the whole story as to why this property did not sell, and to see a video that will show you exactly what now for nearly 2 years now has kept (and keeps) potential buyers from falling in love and buying a perfectly fine home, click on the image ABOVE.

Enjoy the show...
Me

The Stage It Forward Banner Unfolds and Rises...

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 10:51:25 -0600

Jackie Peraza recently wrote a good post entitled Banner's, Bloggers and Staging that I encourage you to read. In is she asks an important question about Stage It Forward and what is happeing under its "banner". I've learned that if one person is thinking thoughts like this... others are too. Question like this need to be asked and should be asked.... so thank you Jackie. I am so pleasee you asked this question. I know you and I share a similar hopes for this industry. Sometimes the reply is better heard, just because the question HAS been asked.

So, in her recent post, Jackie questions what SIF is, in a legitmate statement of concern. She asks,"I didn't really understand when I signed on to blog and post within SIF that I was agreeing to being organized under any one person's or any one group's banner. I'm asking now, is that a pre-requisite to blogging or posting in this forum, if so; perhaps I should know that here and now and at that point I'll at least be able to make an informed decision.."

Below is my LONG reply, so if you don't want to read all I have written, here is my reply in a nutshell. First, like Jackie, when I created and I "signed on" on to Stage It Forward I didn't know I was organizing a banner. As it was from the begining, being part of SIF on AR requires nothing of you, it is community of voices you can chose to be a part of. In fact there are many members that do not blog or even comment. Plus, there are also those that come from the "outside" to read what we say and are not members of SIF either. But like life, Stage It Forward has been and is an evolution that is unfolding and rising.

So to be as transparent as I can be,starting here, I have written a more detailed account of SIF history and how this has evolved and opened up under the Stage It Forward BANNER and were it is going >>>

As for joining under "one person's banner" I agree this should not and is not the intent of this group. As the founder of this group, I first wrote of the vision I had for something I saw that could help create a new bigger, better, organized industry and I gave a name to that vision. I called it "Stage It Forward". That original blog has been paraphrased and shown in the side bar text on the home page of this group since its inception. For what ever reason people saw something possible in the words I wrote and the group I formed under those words. There were other staging groups that formed at about the same time and there are other staging groups that since have formed here on AR. But this group has caught the collective attention of MOST stagers that are on Active Rain for a reason. I believe that reason is because people and assocaitions adopted, share and build upon the vision I first wrote of over a year ago.

As long as ActiveRain keeps this as THEIR policy, the SIF Community on AR is and will always remain FREE to join. Members are also FREE to leave if it is NOT what a member wanted, hoped for or thought it would be.But, on the flip side, what Stage It Forward evolves into and offers does NOT require people to be members of this blogging community either. In fact, recently I told facilitators, who have asked, that ALL stagers (SIF members or not) are invited to and welcome at SIF RoundTables.

But having a vision, writing that vision, refining that vision is a process that grows and evolves. Take, for example, our own country, it was "birthed" out of a vision first written as a declaration. It is a widely held belief that Thomas Jefferson led the way when he wrote the initial draft of the Declation of Independence, which then evolved and was refined by others.

Literally, the very moment I thought of Stage It Forward I sat down and wrote the description of a possibility that I saw for all stagers. These would be the founding words that launched the group. In fact , 4 days after I wrote that KEY post entitled STAGE IT FORWARD..., where I first wrote of the vision and possibility I saw for the future of the home staging industry, Audra Slinkey sent me an encouraging email which wisely said, "I noticed a good little business niche for you in the last blog :)." Over a year ago Audra saw possibility for what Stage It Forward could become. But where my intital "vision" came from I don't know. I do know I was impressed with what I saw in the "big" Rain: and I knew part of what home staging needed was group where all voices could be spoken freely.

So to keep true to what I saw possible I know I had to incorporate a united collective voice into ALL that I have done. I have learned that in order to unite you have to listen to the "collective voice of the disgruntled" as well as what I call the "collective voice of those who are quietly content". Both are members here in Stage It Forward. For me the difficulty has been reaching out to the collectively "entrenched" and leery of any and all who strive to make this industry better. Plus, I have already come to see that the more one tries to do, the more there will be those that will set you in their sites as a target and take shots at you try to undermine you. This industry has seen PLENTY of this negativity. I wish I could say it is over.

So listening to, gathering and sharing the collective voice is what I have passionately try to make sure is incorporated in all I do for SIF and its members. Unfortunately, in the gathering and then the sharing, some people are going to make the assumption that Stage It Forward is ALL "Craig". Ongoingly, as SIF has been unfolding, I have been working hard make sure it is not seen as such. Knowing this would an issue I knew I had to be proactive. So when Callie Waterhouse first asked me if I would speak to a group of stagers in AZ, I was honored. It was important that I did not make it all about "Craig", the INDUSTRY had/has to be the star. It is for that reason I contacted stagers across North America (literally right before I was heading to the airport) and asked that they submit a question we could use for the AZ discussion. I promised that I would be sure to give them credit for their words. From what was to be submitted I hoped to get 10 good questions that would spark dialogue. Well I got more... I think it was about 20 good questions. So I thought of a way to incorporate them ALL into the discussion giving ALL a chance to "be heard". I listened. I gathered. I shared.

As we all now know, this first RoundTable went SO well and the questions were SO good and sparked SO much conversation and because so many contacted me wishing they could have, what is now called a SIF RoundTable, in their areas, I came up with a way to organize it on behalf of all. I listened. I gathered. I shared. The same ORIGINAL questions, first submitted by others, would be used as a springboard for discussion at these too.

But something like this must be organized, so I asked for help. Yvonne Root, a participant in the AZ SIF RoundTable, offered to help. To make an undertaking such as this worthwhile, they MUST be led. But again NOT wanting this to be the "Craig" show, I have been adamant that we are ALL just Members. Yvonne and I had a discussion and chose the word "facilitator" to describe the member who leads the discussions. We thought the word conveyed leadership without title and power. In fact, Yvonne, then researched and then sent me an email with the definition of the word "round table" and the EQUALITY it conveys to all who participate.

While I am the founding member of this group of bloggers that is and has grown under under what is become the "Stage It Forward..." banner, I am still just a member. While I have taken on roles and responsibilities in places BEYOND what a typical member is doing on their own fronts for SIF's sake, this does not make me better then any other. It is just where my passion is. I gotta admit where that passion comes from I do not know. All I know is what I have been doing has helped and I willing enjoy doing what I can. As time has unfolded, who I personally have evolved to be in SIF and this industry is changing. THIS was not something I set out to do, planned to do, schemed or connived to do. It just opened up. What I've said and what I see and how I say things connects with people. But as the saying goes, talk is cheap. So SAYING it is one thing. Putting it into action is another.

"Action" means that which does, and will fall under the Stage It Forward banner will expand. As I am sure Audra wants for her foundation training program (HSR) and her new industry association know as ASHSR. Expansion is the natural progression of things. As SIF evolves, over time, my hope is more WILL become involved because more good opportunities to participate will be made available. But as I have tried to do now, as SIF expands I will continue to LISTEN, to GATHER and to SHARE the best collective message that I can.

So... if members here believe in what is ufolding under the Stage It Forward banner... I invite you to stay. If people DON'T like or believe in what is evolving, I invite you to stay or leave. Either viable choice is their's to freely make. But Stage It Forward's evolution will continue as it's banner rises higher.

Stage It Forward...

Jennie Connected the Dot... Now I am Gonna Paint the Picture!

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:10:26 -0600

While I have learned much from fellow members here on Active Rain and in Stage It Forward... I have to admit there are some member's posts I follow more regularly. What they have to say about Home Staging and the Home Staging Industry time and again captures my attention.

So recently when Jennie Norris, a Vice President at stagedhomes.com, connected one of the critical and troublesome industry "dots" that other home stagers in others markets have experienced... I was intrigued.

Jennie wrote a bit of an expose' on home staging and what she felt were wrongful pricing strategies in her post entitled Get off your back and on your feet - and walk out of the red-light district! I have to say THIS POST really got my attention. If you have NOT read her post, Jennie describes her frustrations with what she felt were low ball fees other stagers are charging for their services. Jennie writes "When are we going to stop giving it away - and realize the VALUE of what we bring to the table? And if you are out there undercharging because you think it's the only way you can get business - for shame! Take another look at what your market will bear - and don't leave money on the table!"

While low ball pricing may be a new issue for Jennie in Sacramento, it is NOT new to other stagers in other markets... including myself. It is good to see that Jennie finally connected one of the problematic issues (dots) that I and others have written of in the past. But you might be surprised to know that I believe the fact that lowball pricing is occurring, it is NOT that big of an issue. WHY lowball pricing IS occurring is a bigger issue that I want to address.

Let me paint a bigger BIG picture why the industry is experiencing some of the difficulties it is right now. While this is NOT going to be a pretty picture, this also is NOT a post trying to point fingers and BLAME ANYONE for where the industry is at. To be honest blaming doesn't change these facts. What I hope to do is show and propose solutions that benefit all. BUT here is where we are within this industry NOW:

FACT: It is very EASY and FAST for someone to become a home stager. NO formal training is required. (This happens to be the category I fall under).
FACT: Because foundation training programs have made it SO easy and fast (from 1 day to 1 month) to become a trained certified/accredited stager, there is NOW and continues to be a glut of people freshily graduated and empowered as a "professional" stagers entering the market place. In some markets there are more then it can bare. Of course the larger the market the greater the probability a stager WILL compete with some fellow graduates from the same foundation course they took, as well as graduates of other foundation training courses.
FACT: The home seller/consumer has NO idea what good staging is or is NOT. The home staging industry has created NO way do differentiate or compare common types of service or FEES for those services we provide our clients. (For example the auto indsutry has common TYPES of cars: Compact, Economy, Midsize, SUV etc...)
FACT: When starting and operating a staging business new stagers who are hungry for business WILL undercut the "going" rates in order to get some work under their belts. Sometimes a new stager's "pay" could be the opportunity to capture amazing after photos for their portfolio, for services they have actually provided. (I did this when I started.)
FACT: The home seller/consumer market has NO idea what staging costs. What a homeseller believes staging costs is is often based on a distorted understanding... which often comes directly from TV shows like Designed to Sell. This show NEVER takes into account the LABOR fees to pay for Lisa LaPorte (a VERY talented staging host) or her team of laborers.
FACT: The real estate market is extremely slow... and in some markets totally stalled. Because it is so slow, less people are trying to sell their homes and those that are, are VERY cautious about spending their hard earned money on staging... for MANY home-sellers, staging is an unproven risky venture. So if they are interested in staging, price is the ONLY way to differentiate so the cheaper they can get staged... the better.

Again where the Home Staging industry is is the result of MANY players and MANY circumstances working in tandem and unfolding over time. If you see this as an attack on any one person, company or orgainzation you are mistaken. Again... blaming is ugly and useless. What I hope is that WE can create a masterpiece of a solution. However, I will say this, there are those individuals, companies, and organizations that must step up and work together and do their parts to create solutions... instead of trying to breakdown any attempt at building this industry up. Also, standing on sidelines doing nothing is equally harmful. One fine example of a company working to improve the home staging industry is Brook Furniture Rental. Brook's sponsorship of 2 SIF RoundTables and their formation of a staging advisory panel is a HUGE step and huge commitment that will benefit ALL.

Getting back to what can be done... First, all members of the home staging industry must realize this industry is no longer made up of 1,2 or 3 players... it is made up of 1000's... stagers, vendors, and trainers. The Stage It Forward Group on AR and now SIF RoundTables are a START in the breaking down of the barriers between those individuals and companies that for whatever reason try/wanted to operate in a protectionist bubble.

RESA has been trying, (with some success) to get foundation training programs to work together. What RESA is undertaking is NOT to get foundation training companies to share proprietary information and methodology, but to set some guidelines and define some standards that can be communicated to the general public as to what constitutes good training. The public needs a way to KNOW what a TRAINED STAGER is and how the consumer can differentiate a formally trained stager from a "yesterday I arn't one today I is one" stager.
SIF RoundTables are NOT about fellow members trying to to gain access to a companies proprietary information and "have ideas given to them for free"... as was recently communicated to a group of stagers. The issues we are tackling are bigger and touch all stagers regardless of where they were trained, what market they are in, who there competition is, or how big/little old/new their staging company is. Banning, thwarting or scaring people away from opportunities such as this keeps us stuck.
The SIF Quartley Qwick Staging Stats (QSTAT's) WILL help to begin to address some of the issues above. In fact, SIF QSTAT's will directly address the pricing issues Jennie spoke of. The stager who got the job will know what average rate for staging is for a DEFINED type of staging in that market. Currently, how a stager ultimately chooses to PRICE their services is totally up to them. BUT with QSTAT's bench mark price ranges could be communicated. The competing stager's who presented THEIR solutions would have NATIONAL, STATE and LOCAL data that can be presented to the consumer to EDUCATE them to make an informed decision. You might say the playing field would be leveled... NOW individual stagers can compete.

There is so much more I can write about that will help begin to paint the masterpiece of a industry so many of us see and believe in. But for now... this seems to be enough.

Sorry this was so lengthy...

Is ROCK & ROLL "Where Its At" for Home Staging?

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:50:57 -0600

A winter's drive over the holiday weekend gave me a chance to reflect on all that I see going on in our industry. As I stand back and look WHO we are and WHERE we are... the more I am sure this industry is not quite YET ready to handle the BIG vision so many of us want. I see our collectivey industry action speaking louder then our words. This is not a BAD thing, this is just an "IS" thing.

Early last week I made a comment in a post regarding how home stagers could learn from the Realtor community who annually benifit from coming together and learning together as our own unified group like the NAR. There are MANY of us who are beginning to understand and believe in the fact that having common association(s) can be a good thing for ourselves and our clients. Terrylynn Fisher generated more compelling dialogue on the same subject when she wrote her own thoughts and feelings about having and an END GOAL of a NAR like association for staging in her post entitled: Exclusionism keeps us small and weak!

It is no secret that to ultimately achieve an end goal it must first be envisioned. Having the END GOAL of a NAR like organization/assocaition for the home staging industry is AWESOME... and I embrace THAT goal 100%. But I thnk maybe we are trying to hard. Not loosing site of the END GOAL, maybe what is more important is that we FIRST define and take smaller steps that start moving us to that "associated" END GOAL.

To helps us see where we are and to help us define the steps to move ahead we need to ask ourselves "what do we as stagers REALLY want for and as our industry?" Then take a hard look and ask if this is what our collective actions are communicating in spite of what we think? Is what we REALLY want happening equal to the vocal minority that is shouting for a BIGGER picture? If you think it is then why does it feel like we are still stuck here?

Why isn't there this vast tidal force moving us toward a greater good that some of us are shouting for?

Well, I believe part of the reason is the fact that our industry is riddled with distrust, misunderstanding, conflicting philosophies, and egos. PLUS this industry is trying to GROW and UNITE during the WORST real estate market in decades. But even though this obviously is NOT ideal, this should NOT stop those of us who are committed to creating something more for ALL in this industry.

So as an industry (or fledging industry) how we ARE working to get unstuck? Well maybe, without realizing it, we are getting ourselves out of this rut by starting with a rock and roll motion... kind of like what one does to get a car unstuck out of a snow bank. I have come to observe that sometimes when someone tries to rock forward for this industry, there are those that roll back. Is this BAD? I have to say "No". Do I like it? Well I have to say "NO" again. But it is a reality.

Case in point...SIF now has over 25 Roundtable discussions planned for all over the USA and Canada, and even though we have "rocked" there are some who feels it is necessary to roll with their own independent gathering of stagers they too have dubbed a "round table". What are this person's "underlying intentions"? I really don't think it matters? Is this a bad thing that it is taking place? I really don't think it is. This just is the rock and roll I am talking about. Different interpretations of a similar thing can be helpful, but who we are and HOW we respond matters MORE.

When someone seems to rolls forward the rolling back response can seem like negativity.(Please do not confuse this use of the word "negativity" with with mudslinging.) But I am beginning to see how this BACK and FORTH motion WILL create the monument that will get us unstuck so that we can trust and fully embrace bigger goals like creating an NAR for home staging.

There are a lot of little things that can be done to get us unstuck and driving on to our associated END GOAL. To get a car unstuck there are a number of things one can do, like: put on chains, throw down rock-salt, shovel out the snow packed under, or just give a push... likewise there are many little things we can do to help move us all along and to be associated in a way that benefits all.

While I have hoped we would move faster... this is not all doom and gloom. I have come to learn that our industry IS moving and moving in the way it is supposed to. My hopes are based on MY rocking vision... but with each passing day I see there are those rolling with equally important visions that need to be taking into account too.

Just my thoughts as I rock and roll...

A Thankful Message for all our "Colors"

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:02:25 -0600

Oddly, of all weeks, I stumbled on a old song... we all have heard before.

But sometimes an "old" song can sound new.

In light of recent Home Staging Industry issues and dialogue... this song holds a hope-filled message that seems to fit our needs, wishes and dreams.

The song simply reminds us to think bigger, see more, be open and be respectful.

Its message is one all in our colorful industry can benefit from... in a new context and way.

"For if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you will learn things you never knew you never knew."

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours... Me

It's CLEAR... 21 SIF RoundTables Across North America Are Going to REFRESH Our Industry!

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:16:49 -0600

Yesterday both Chicago and Manhattan successfully held their respective Stage It Forward (SIF) ROUNDTABLE discussions.

Earlier today I spoke with Val Allocco who was the facilitator for in Manhattan. Val said that their group had about 15 attendees at the luncheon sponsored by American Furniture Rental. (THANK YOU AFR) Val will share her own sparkling account of the 3 hour Round Tabletable discussion they had here: TRI-STATE ROUND TABLE MEETUP - NOV. 16TH, 2007 I guess the fact that Manhattan is read for their NEXT round table... tells us that SIF is on to something here.

On to the Chicago RoundTable...

IT ROCKED! In Chicago the event was graciously hosted by Brook Furniture with a wonderful lunch (and of course bottles of water.) Due to space limitations we had to limit our group to 20. But I'm thrilled to say that we had a "full house". You talk about karma... at the last minute someone could not make it and there was another fellow stager anxious to fill the seat.

EVERYONE arrived early and we started right on time. One of the most interesting things was meeting other stagers that READ our words here in Stage It Forward, but are not blogging or commenting. There was a cross section of stagers with all types of background and years (some times months) of experience.The 2 hours flew by and we ended right on time. But the house would NOT clear. People hung around and talked one on one for another 1/2 hour. The POSITIVE energy was electrifying.

I will share more of the actually content of the meeting in another post. But I will say that we came up with some FANTASTIC ideas... which we all can start working on IMMEDIATELY. Other ideas will take more time to develop... but the seed was planted. Its ready for watering.

THANKS to all who took the time to share their ideas and passion... and I would like to personally again express my thanks to Brook Furniture Rentalyour commitment to the staging industry is fantastic. I know many of you are envious that some markets have Brook Furniture to work with... while unfortunately you can't use then in TYPICAL Brook fashion, they still have a message for you that I know will mean a lot to all SIF members.

Turn on your speakers and click here for Brook's Message to SIF members.

Staging It Forward...

PS: These were 2 of 21 SIF RoundTables are scheduled across NORTH AMERICA... check here for the RoundTable closest to you. Please note... Today we added yet another location, CENTRAL FLORIDA will be hosted by Judy Kinkaid in February.

The next 2 SIF RoundTables (were ALL are welcome) will be:

MA, NH, ME, VT, CT & RI
Tuesday, November 27th
Facilitator: Margaret Ann Innis
margaretinnis@yahoo.com

EASTERN PA, DE, & Southern NJ
Friday, November 30th
Facilitator: Kate Hart
kate@hartstaging.com

STATISTICAL VERIFIABILITY... Key in Our Crawl Toward Professional Recognition & Acceptance

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:53:48 -0600

On Monday I introduced SIF Quarterly Qwik Staging Stats (QSTAT) program to the stagers here on ActiveRain, and yesterday I introduced the concept to the Realtor community in a post called REALTORS... Will Staging Stats Crack Your Nuts?. While that post was fortunate to be FEATURED on the main page in the "big" Active Rain... I have to admit I was disappointed in the lack of Realtor Comments.

As you know posts on the main page of ActiveRain usually attract many comments. (In fact as of 10:05 AM CDT of the 20 Featured Posts on the main page -of which my post from yesterday is still part- there are 960 total comments. This means the average number of comments a post is receiving is 48.)

So that I say "USUALLY"... is because as I write this post, only a handful of Realtors made a comment (THANK YOU to those that have). But MOST of the comments have come from Stagers. To me Realtor's silence speaks LOUDER than those that commented.

It is for THIS reason this particular post is even MORE important. Good staging stats WILL support the Realtor to suggest and use staging (when needed) as a marketing tool to help the seller sell. It is that simple.

What I wanted to address today is something we must consider if we are going to gather appropriate data and then share statistics to be credibly relied on. For "data" to be taken as credible it MUST be verifiable. Verifiable data about home staging is a key element that will help make ALL in this industry be respected, accepted professionally and relied on.

So while going "back to paper," in this age of automation, may seem a bit backward it actually works in our favor. A reporting system that relies on paper, by default, sets up some barricades and filters. Barricades that are not part of the online survey systems which, because they are often open, expose the findings to be skewed and manipulated. We MUST error on the side of caution.

SIFS BUILT IN CHECKS & BALANCES
Consider these 5 points regarding the EXTREME importance of verification of SIF QSTATs and the way we are going to be gathering staging data...

If one is serious about submitting SIF's QSTATs they will need to invest the time (as little as it is) to file out the QSTAT from.
Faxing the QSTAT over is going to require the person invest in a long distance call.
The fact that there is a chance that by submitting their QSTAT's their submission many randomly verified (and they will be) will help to deter people from submitting false data.
RANDOM SPOT contacts (phone OR email) to Realtor's to verify stats will send a message of PROFESSIONALISM to them about the Stager who submitted the QSTATS. False data will reflect poorly on the Stagers credibility.
If our data is challenged, paper gives us an easy audit trail.
A person signature is their word... each submission must be signed off on before it will be even verified.

Finally one other direct BENEFIT to those who submit data is that stagers that submit QSTATs will have quarterly records that they hold on to and file. Later down the line we have plans to create a tool that will allow individual stagers to go back enter THEIR own data and crunch it against both State and National Data. HOW COOL IS THAT!

Now I know our approach is NOT 100% perfect... but as I said, we must first CRAWL before we walk.

Staging It Forward...

IMPORTANT!!!!!! BY WEEK'S END SIF WILL ANNOUNCE A TRIAL RUN TEST PROGRAM FOR QSTAT DATA SUBMISSION!