This is not a trick question.  I believe the answer is just one hat - an expert in real estate. 

Does your client expect you to be an expert in appraisals, inspections, financing, title, etc.?  No.  I think your client expects you to be an expert in real estate, but have an general understanding of the other areas.  The phrase we were trained to say when we were new in real estate, "that is outside the area of my expertise?"  

With that said, why do Realtors try to be all things to all clients?  Isn't that why the "team" is so popular today?   You specialize in real estate, and the rest of your "team" specializes in their own areas of expertise.  Having a "team" inflates you as a single person real estate company, or broker associate.  It relieves you of having to wear many hats, and allows you to stick to why you got into real estate in the first place - selling and buying homes, right? 

If you wanted to be an appraiser, you would of spent the bucks, went through the training, passed the test, and become an appraiser.  If you wanted to be a home inspector, you would of spent the bucks, went through the training, and so on.  Okay, they why in the world would a Realtor try to "act" like a home stager?  

Some Realtors go so far as say they are home stagers, or say, I "stage" my own listings.  I've seen your listings that you have staged!  You are not a home stager.  Yes, I believe you gave your clients advice, to the best of your knowledge (keyword: knowledge), but when you call me after 3 months or more on the market, and my home staging consultation report lists over 40 items to correct - you clearly do not know how to stage homes!

Staged homes sell 50% faster than non-staged homes (National Association of Realtors, 2004).  This is NARs statistics - not mine.  My statistics are less than 50%.

Selling a home in Denver's slow market takes more than a good Realtor - it includes a home stager! 

Am I to believe that Realtors gamble that they know more about staging than a stager with formal training?  It's possible, but not likely.  I used to be a Realtor who thought I had an "eye for design."  And, I did.  However, after formal training to be a home stager, I found out I had a lot to learn.

I'm sure Realtors don't tell their sellers they want to save the low cost of a home staging consultation, and "do it themselves" for a period of time first.  If it doesn't sell after several months - then they call in the "big guns?"

Why gamble with your commission?  Call a home stager before your listing goes on the market, before the photos go on the Internet, before your open house, before the negative feedback, and before your price reduction! 

To stage or not to stage - that is the question . . .

You do NOT have to stage all your listings - only the listings you want to sell in half the time or less!

I would gladly pay as a Realtor (if I were not already a certified home stager) for a home staging consultation for an owner-occupied home, and get paid a commission at the closing table in half the time or less.  What about you?  Sounds like a "good investment" to me.

Several Realtors I work with repeatedly call after their listing has already been on the market 60-90-120 days or more.  I go to the seller's home, do my home staging consultation, which includes an interior redesign (most of the time), plus a full report listing a minimum of 40 items or more that we (the seller & I) did when I was there, and things to be completed ASAP.  Soon afterwards, the listing goes under contract.

Please tell me why Realtors wait months before calling a home stager for a consultation?  It makes no sense to me.  The "days on market" eat at the asking price.  The more days on the market - the more motivated the seller looks.  The longer the home is on the market, the seller become less motivated about keeping their house in "show home" condition.  And, in that length of time, there could be at least one or more price reductions.  Plus, the Realtor commission is based on the "selling price" not the "asking price," right?

Be proactive - make a home staging consultation part of your marketing plan vs. using a home stager as an "added value" after the home has racked up months on the market.

Staged homes sell 50% faster than non-staged homes (NAR, 2004).  What part of 50% faster don't we understand? 

Home staging is not a new concept, although it appears to be a new concept to most of the Denver area Realtors.  New home builders have been staging model homes since the cave . . . Why?  They know the importance of drawing on emotions to sell their product.  The model home is the first home built in the community.

It's been my experience as a Realtor for over 14 years, and certified home stager, that when I go into a model home with my prospective buyers, they usually fall in love with the home via the furnishings and decor.  They start to imagine themselves living in the home, entertaining in the great room, cooking the holiday meal in their new kitchen - their new lifestyle. 

We then leave and go directly to the "spec" home that is available for the buyer to move into.  Once we arrive, they immediately start questioning if this is the same home they were looking at just minutes before?  Yes, I explain, it is the same home - just vacant, usually with different upgrades, but the same floor plan.  All of a sudden, it does not "feel" the same.  Their imagination just disappears. 

Let's not continue doing real estate like we've always have - let's look at the facts: Staged homes sell 50% faster than non-staged homes (NAR, 2004).  What part of 50% faster don't we get in this slow market?

Realtor Benefits:  Home staging sets you apart from Realtor competition, Effective marketing plan, Less days on the market, Less marketing dollars, Higher commission checks based on the best price possible, Happy sellers & Referrals.

Seller Benefits:  Home staging lets their home stand out from the competion, Faster sale at the best price possible, Less days on the market = less stress, Increased equity from the sale of the home to put towards the replacement home, plus increased confidence in you as a Realtor.

Home staging as a "value added" service to all your sellers - priceless!

Most home staging proposals are complimentary, and most professional home staging companies accepts credit cards.  Staging vacant homes costs less than a price reduction!

Why is home staging so important before the home goes on the market?  You would think the answer would be obvious - but obviously it is not. 

Home Staging Fact:  According to Denver's Metrolist (MLS), 93% of prospective homebuyers search the Internet before contacting their Realtor. 

Why?  I'm sure the homebuyer is thinking, who better knows what I like than myself?  So, they are doing their homework by searching the Internet, and making decisions on what homes they would like to see based on the photos of homes or lack there of. 

With that said, why are there not photos of the interior of all homes, or I should clarify, "good photos" of interior of homes?  Some answers might be, the home is vacant, therefore, who wants to see photos of vacant rooms?  Good point.  However, there are home staging packages for all budgets.  Even a "light" staging with accessories only vs. vignettes or fully furnished rooms, is better than nothing at all. 

Another answer may be the interior of the home does not show great, therefore no photos.  In rare instances this might be a true statement.  However, a home stager can perform magic with a room make-over, or interior redesign of the home.  They work with what the homeowner already has in order to revitalize each room.  Furniture may be removed to make a room feel more spacious, furniture rearranged showcasing the focal point of a room, window treatment removed for an updated look, color brought into a neutral decor with accent pillows, art rearranged or removed, and bright florals added for a punch of color. 

When the home stager is finished, the home will showcase the "best of the best" of the the homeowner's furnishings.  The photos will be more appealing on the Internet, and the redesigned home will be warm and inviting to the prospective buyer who enters the front door.

In the case when there are no photos, because there is no furniture in the home to showcase, then the Realtor should highly recommend bringing in furniture to lease from a home stager. 

Home staging costs less than a price reduction!

As a Realtor for over 14 years, and owner of a home staging company, I thought I'd seen it all, until I saw the inside of a bathroom with the toilet seat up through a wide-angle lense!  You're kidding me, right?  Unless you have an "exceptional and out of the ordinary" master bathroom suite to highlight, I can't imagine why anyone would want to see a photo of the inside of the standard bathroom.  I talked with a professional photographer this week about "what's up with photos of bathrooms in the MLS?".  His reponse was that they promised the Realtor 20 photos, so they had to deliver.  Okay, I get that.  However, I'd rather have 20 great photos of the other rooms in the house, and select the 10 best photos to upload to the MLS, that showcase the home.

The photographer went on to say, that often when he shows up to shoot photos, streaming video or virtual tour, that he's thinking, "Wow, photos of each room could look so much better if only . . . "  However, it is not his job to rearrange rooms, remove pieces of furniture and decor, organize, declutter, clean, etc.  Consequently, you get high quality, high resolution photos, and tours of homes that should of used a home stager first.

Denver's Metrolist (MLS) reported November 2006 that 93% of prospective buyers check out the Internet before calling the Realtor.  With all the inventory we have today in Denver's slow market, buyers will "click" to the next home when there are no photos, photos of vacant rooms, and just plain bad photography.

Having a home stager as part of a real estate team would prevent most of these problems.  The refrigerator with 101 magnets on it would disappear, and the upgraded refrigerator that is included in the sale of the home would reappear.  The 40 glass pig collection would be pre-packed, the toys rounded up and placed in a container and out of sight.  The couch covering the fireplace would be rearranged, which would uncover the fireplace, which is a selling point and focal point of the room.  Extra pieces of furniture would be removed to create more spacious rooms.  We're selling space, right?  They (buyers) can't buy it, if they can't see it.  All scatter rugs would disappear, artwork hung too high would be brought down to eye level, the extensive family tree photo collection would be pre-packed, etc.  I think you get my point.

Home staging would showcase the postive in a seller's home, and minimize any negative, using their existing furniture and decor; however, some of it may be pre-packed, creating more spacious, warm and inviting rooms.  All this helps prospective buyers imagine themselves living in another person's space.

Home staging would not cure the problem with bad photos.  Even professional photographers often do not "see the house through the eyes of a buyer."  Why not have the home stager meet the photographer at your new listing to help guide the photographer to guarantee the best photos possible.  Only one good tree for the photo shoot?  No problem.  That same tree can be place in several spots in the room or several rooms, to dress up a photo. This could be an extra service you offer your seller.  It's all about the service, right? 

Add value to your marketing plan and include photos, streaming video, virtual tours, etc. by a professional photographer.  Realtors are not necessarily great photographers.  We are experts in real estate.  Why not pay for a streaming video tour (more cutting-edge, and no more expensive than most virtual tours), that also includes up to 20 photos for our clients, or just the professional photo package?   I understand, we are trying to keep marketing dollars down, but at what expense?  Again, if 93% of prospective buyers select homes from the Internet, all photos should look great!  

More importantly - add value to your marketing plan by offering a home staging consultation for an "honest" evaluation.  Let's separate ourselves from the Realtor competition, and separate our seller's home from the large inventory of homes already on the market.

Let's raise the bar in real estate - make a home stager part of your team!

Sellers miss out on the most valuable marketing tool, which is home staging, because the Realtor they hire is not educated regarding the value of home staging.  As a certified home stager, and a Realtor with over 14 years of experience, sellers choose a Realtor because they "assume" we can sell their home faster and for more money than the competition.  However, 95% of my contacts for home staging over the Internet is from the homeowner/seller - NOT the Realtor.  They comment that their Realtor knows little or nothing about the subject and suggest "they" find a home stager.  You're kidding me, right?  With that said, we (Realtors) don't look so "cutting edge" and smart. 

Why is it the homeowner knows more about the subject than Realtors?  Home staging has been in the news for years, and with the popularity of the shows on HGTV, most people (homeowner/seller) have an idea what home staging is. 

All Realtors are not created equal.  Some Realtors think they have an "eye for design," therefore, they do not need to hire a home stager for a consultation before their listing goes on the market.   The truth is, very few Realtors have an "eye for design."  Realtors are experts in the field of real estate - not necessarily designers.  The two do not go "hand in hand."   And, even if the Realtor does have an "eye for design," it doesn't mean they feel comfortable giving their seller an honest evaluation of their home. 

Some Realtors think the home staging consultation fee is money they can save.  Whose best interest are we working for?  Home staging is in the seller's and Realtor's best interest.  Especially when statistics show that homes sell 50% faster.  That translates into getting paid 50% faster.  I'd rather have a closing (that's when we get paid, right?) in half the estimated days on the market, wouldn't you?

Some Realtors think home staging is only for "high end" homes (owner-occupied & vacant).  What?  Are you saying your high-end seller is more important?  Would you rather rack up the days on the market on your less expensive homes vs. high-end homes?   Our goal is to sell homes faster and for more money - all homes.  How would your seller feel if they found out you only staged high-end homes?

Realtor teams are popular.  They represent a group with unique areas of expertise selling a home.  What better team member than a home stager?

Realtors can set themselves apart from their competition.  Realtors can add value to their marketing plan by offering a home staging consultation from a certified home stager.  Home staging will set the seller's property apart from the competition too.  It's a win-win!

Realtor Benefits:
Less days on the market, Less marketing dollars, Higher commission checks at closing, plus Happy Sellers!

Seller Benefits:
Less days on the market, Faster sale at the best price possible, More money for replacement home.  Happy sellers refer their Realtor!

Home Staging Costs Less Than a Price Reduction!

Staged homes sell 50% faster than non-staged homes (National Association of Realtors, 2004).  Staging is not a new concept.  New  home builders have furnished model homes for a reason.  The prospective buyer can imagine themselves living in a furnished home vs. vacant home.

The "staged" home has personality, warmth, showcases the positive features, feels larger, and visually helps buyers with the placement of their own furniture. 

Myth:  A vacant home needs to be fully furnished throughout, and is not affordable. 
Not true.  The key rooms for staging is the "heart of the home."  There are home staging packages for every budget: accessories only, vignettes, and fully furnished rooms.  On occasion, the homeowner may have inventory for the home stager to use.

Home Staging costs less than a price reduction!