Dear Mr. Seller, I TRIED to Help You, but ...

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Dear Mr. Seller, I TRIED to Help You, but ...

Dear Mr. Seller,

You contacted my company 3 months ago and requested a staging proposal for your home. It's in a premier Portland neighborhood and you said you knew it needed some help before listing. You'd already bought another home and were packing up your things to move out in a few days.

When I arrived to view your home, it was surprising to see a huge pool table in your dining room! We laughed together about that and also the long heavy dark velvet drapes! Your home needed major cleaning and packing up of many small items. I knew we could help you!

We'd be able to work with most of your furniture that you'd be leaving behind, and we'd provide the necessary missing pieces as well as accessories, art, trees & plants, etc. as needed. We discussed that if we were going to work together, I'd give you a detailed list that would include which furniture pieces to leave behind as well as some easy cosmetic improvements that you could do yourself.

You told me that your listing agent did not believe in home staging. I was surprised to hear this, because I thought that your home was one of the better candidates for staging that I've seen this year, but I kept my opinion to myself. I told you that our company keeps track of our staging statistics, and we're proud of them. I knew we could help you!

Later that day I emailed you a very cost-effective proposal that included staging your home using your furniture and providing accessories and other items from our inventory. We'd stage your home to make it appealing to your target buyer. Our proposal also included quality digital photos for the online listing ... critical in today's challenging market. I knew we could help you!

Later, I was disappointed that you decided not to stage your home. Looking at the online listing, it was a shock to see the photos of your home! They're dark, out of focus, crooked, and don't even show the best features of your home. I won't show them here because that wouldn't be discreet, but I noticed the heavy velvet drapes are still there, and your furniture is not in the right position to showcase the space. The photos are about the worst I've ever seen. I knew we could have helped you!

After 6 weeks on the market I noticed that you took a $30,000 price reduction! After another 4 weeks, I saw that your price had now dropped $50,000! Hmmm ... your agent discouraged you from staging (even though you would have paid for it) but has no problem recommending that you drop your price by $50K?

Wow! Staging your home with a professional staging company would have cost a tiny fraction of your first price reduction -- but you decided to drop your price by $50,000 instead. How does that make sense from a financial viewpoint?

The sad thing is, today I drove by your home again on my way to staging one of your neighbor's homes, and saw the new sign addition now hanging from your "For Sale" sign ...

portland home stagers

Mr. Seller ~ We really did try to help you! I wish we could have.

*** *** ***

For help making sure your home shines for potential buyers, contact Room Solutions Staging in Portland OR to learn more about our home staging services. We work with Homeowners, Banks, Realtors, and Investors to prepare homes to SELL. Give us a call at 503-246-1800 for more information. To see Before & After photos of both our Vacant and Occupied properties, view our updated Portland OR home staging photo gallery.

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Staging That Sells Portland Homes!

Portland home stager Maureen Bray of Room Solutions Staging was a Featured Designer for HGTV's popular show "My First Place"

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Posted by Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon on 09/15/2009 12:57 PM

Comments (104)

Home Staging in the Home Selling Channel

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Originally posted at: Home Staging in Portland Oregon Blog: Dear Mr. Seller, I TRIED to Help You, but ...

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104 Comments on Dear Mr. Seller, I TRIED to Help You, but ...

SEP

2009

So sad. I hope his agent sees this, but he or she won't , because they are probably to busy helping their clients flush their equity down the pooper than to research local stagers.

~Michelle

Maureen-OMG- Such a great and yet sad post. We can only do so much and it's sad to see the "what could have beens" . The photo at the end of your post tells the whole story.

What a fantastic post Maureen! I promise not to steal all your articles but I'd love to reblog this one also! You said it all-- we so want to be able to help and it's so sad to know what we could have done, given the chance. I couldn't have said it better!

I never understand huge price reductions rather than the comparatively small investment in staging. All we can do is continue to get the word out and help those we can-- and then rejoice in the success stories!

Oh yes - I KNOW you could have helped them! Why they didn't come running after the first price reduction I cannot comprehend! I was at a clients house yesterday who also could use a lot of help. It was interesting to see the agent push for a large price reduction rather than staging and a small price reduction. Maybe it's what the agent is most comfortable with and is the easiest, but I don't think it's in the best interest for sellers!

Powerful statements, I think you should re-blog this so that more RE Agents can read it. Perhaps it will hit home.

I bet your could have staged the entire home for under $1,500 and the homeowner and Realtor did not even consider it. What a shame! A $50,000 price reduction and now the Realtor is trying to rent the property. I am in an area where staging is still relatively new, I hope stories like this will help open everyone's eyes to at least consider having the main areas of their homes professionally staged. We really provide an invaluable service and the end result is the sale of the home -- doesn't everybody win?

Maureen, this is the conundrum that I keep encountering here. We know that our services are invaluable and an essential component of a successful sale, but when an agent resists and instead advocates for repeated huge price reductions you can't help but wonder just what the heck are they thinking?

Wow, Maureen -- so sad! This is something we all experience but your post here really spells it out. You really could have helped him. I hope you still can.

Michelle ~ it's indeed sad, because in this case the seller found me online and requested a proposal, but his agent told him his home "didn't need staging." No one is the winner in a case like this, and everyone could have been, including that agent!

Kathy ~ yes, the photo tells the story ... price reductions (in this case, 2 so far) and now it's also "for rent." This story could have had a happy ending!

Michele ~ please feel free to reblog -- more agents should probably read this. I prefer to celebrate the staging successes, as you said, and fortunately we have lots of those!

Margaret ~ You may be right that the price reduction is "easier" for an agent to recommend ... but in the end, the agent AND the seller would make more $$ with a simple investment in staging the main impact rooms, for a tiny tiny fraction of the price reduction. We need to continue to educate everyone about this don't we?

Laura ~ please feel free to reblog this post if you like! (As the writer I don't think I can reblog it myself.)

Kate ~ YES! We know that staging would have really helped this home (and many others that we see). However we can only keep showing homeowners and agents our staging statistics that prove it really works!

Kathy ~ Good point .. what ARE they thinking? Who wouldn't want a quicker sale? We like to see our clients -- and their agents -- happy with a faster sale.

Karen ~ I know that as professional stagers, we all have stories like this. It's frustrating to not be able to help these folks when we know we could have made a difference. On to the next client! :-)

This is really a sad story:(

Unfortunately, it happens more than anyone can imagine and it breaks my heart to hear them over and over again. I really hate saying "I told you so buyer!", but I find myself saying it more and more. Why oh why don't they just let us help them?

Great post and right to the point.

Oh Maureen, great to the point post! Aren't you still left scratching your head over the reluctance of staging but NOT the the $30,000 and $50,000 price drop???

This deserves a re-blog....there...DONE!

Emma ~ It does happen all too often, you're right. Fortunately I have lots of other happy clients who have had us stage their homes and had quick sales. I guess we can't win them all!

Cyn ~ yes, scratching my head all right! Just today I was informed by one of my Realtor partners that 2 homes we staged last week SOLD today!

Connie ~ We all know this is sad but true. Thanks for the reblog!

Boy, did you hit the nail on the head. This should be blasted around for every home seller to see. I can't believe there are so many price reductions. I know there is an urgency sometimes for some people but a redesign is pennies compared to the money that was just lost.

Oh I want to reblog too!!

Cindy ~ It's true as you said, staging the main impact rooms in a home is just pennies compared to the equity this seller threw away! Thanks for re-blogging ... I see we still need to do more educating!

Maureen, what a sad situation for everyone! The seller has lost out on selling his house, the realtor has lost out on his/her commission, you lost out on a new staging client, and now there is a buyer out there who lost out on the home.

I don't feel sorry for this seller at all. You did everything to show them the way to save their equity and they chose not to do it. Unfortunately, now they are renting... sounds like they really didn't have to sell and wasted everyone's time. Oh and the REA, well, maybe they knew all along ;)

It is sad to look at dismal photos on the MLS. What is it with attachment to drapes? No drapes are worth a price re duction. Take them down! What does it cost you to move some furniture, truly just a bit of sweat equity.

Catherine -- in a case like this, unfortunately everyone loses. It could have had such a better outcome!

Lori ~ I did all that I could to help, you're right. Now I'm helping 3 of his neighbors sell their homes -- and 2 of them sold this week after only 2 weeks on the market!!

Bev ~ Even a staging consultation would have helped this seller a lot, but I guess he thought his agent "knew better."

SEP

2009

Whew....tragic but you are spot on Maureen!

Cathy ~ You're right, it's a tragedy when sellers are discouraged from staging ... My Realtor partners wouldn't dream of even listing a property without at least a staging consultation!

well sellers think they know everything right?

How unfortunate, Maureen. Not sure what the agent was thinking in light of the fact that the seller was willing to pay for the staging.

Kathy

I see this type of thing happening more and more as inventory increases in the market. Each home has to stand out with it's best face forward!

Sellers will not listen will they Maureen - what a shame - an 80K hit. How dumb and getting dumber...

Really well written Maureen. I recently spoke with someone in a similar situation who didn't feel they could afford staging because they had dropped the price by half a million already. I told them to call me before they dropped it another half million. Makes me want to cry!

I am always amazed by the number of people that will ASK for our professional expertise and then make a decision that hurts them or costs them money in the end.

It's not like we give advice to hurt someone. My intent is always to be helpful. My credentials adress my qualifications...maybe I just need to work on being more convincing. Joy

Excellent post, Maureen--thanks for sharing it.

This is such a sad story. And even more tragic is how common it is. So many sellers are unwilling to put a relatively small investment in preparing their home so they can gain a great return and a quicker sale. Ultimately, they end up losing a huge amount of equity and gaining a great deal of stress in their lives. It's the "penny-wise but pound-foolish" strategy.

Keep doing your superb staging work and tracking those statistics, and more and more of those reluctant to stage sellers will be begging for your help.

I would love to re-blog this as well!

Thanks, Maureen for this excellent post and like others I would like to reblog.

Maureen - It's sad that so many fail to see the benefits of staging, especially in a home as you describe. I've seen so many successful sales that occurred after staging that I KNOW it works. But then, there are some who say there's no business benefit to using the Internet.

Hi Maureen,

What a great post! What IS it with agents who cannot see the logic of staging? I see it frequently here in SW Florida. When you consider the small investment of staging a home properly and the HUGE ROI....it confounds me! As an Accredited Staging Professional, I take helping my sellers very seriously and by the time the property sells (often for very close to asking price) I feel such a sense of accomplishment as a result of helping them reach their goal.

Keep up the good work - both spreading the word about the importance of staging and assisting those sellers who have the guts to proceed regardless what their ignorant selling agent advises.

All the best to you!

Connie Addison

Accredited Staging Professional

Realtor

ABR

CDPE

Great post Maureen. And congratulations on the feature. Its easy to see you could have helped this seller. I love the line "your agent discouraged you from staging (even though you would have paid for it) but has no problem recommending that you drop your price by $50K?" That's always a hard one for me to figure out. Why are price reductions OK, but spending a fraction of a price reduction to stage a home, is not.

Hi Maureen--Excellent blog! I enjoyed your example of what happens often when the homeowner is considering Home Staging...and is talked out of it by the listing agent! The photos online are so often overlooked....and then add the price drop.....multiple times over what the staging would have cost....it baffles my mind. I hope your 'letter to the seller' opens a few more eyes to the value of our professional service! Nice write-up!!

Wow Maureen! Great post. This is such a sad situation! $50k price reduction? Are you KIDDING me right now! I know you could have helped them! Perhaps when the listing expires and the home hasn't sold you can contact them again and recommend a great listing agent that will work hand in hand with you to get the home sold for a great price!

Whoo-hoo girlfriend...a feature AND the newsletter! It's great that the message is getting out there and it appears that a few are listening....HEY AGENTS...listen to Maureen! We can help!

I had a listing last year that I knew needed staging. I spoke with my seller about having a consultation done and she asked me to see what I could find. Her home was listed above $350,000 and I really believed that it would have to be staged in order to get it sold because it was so unique. I contacted a home stager and she was very helpful and gave me some prices regarding consultation and then the staging process. She was even willing to drive almost two hours to the seller's house for the consult. In relation to the asking price of the home, again over $350,000, it seemed to me that the pricing was small...around $2500 if they went through until the final stage. Less of course if they only did a consultation, etc. I took the information to them, explained in detail how staging works to the benefit of a seller and how staging often helps sell a home much quicker, especially in the upper end market.

My seller's response? They didn't have the money to be able to stage the home. Truly, I don't believe that was it. The home they were in clearly showed they did and the mortgage on their home was minimal compared to their list price. Their response was if the consultation was free and if they could get a guarantee that the home would sell if they staged it, then they could do it, but up front, they couldn't afford it. I was disappointed to say the least. I really believed that they needed it and I believe the home would have sold. As it was, we didn't have one phone call on the property during the entire listing...so they relisted with another agent believing that another company could market the home better and dropped their price by $20,000. Then once that listing expired they just took it off the market completely and it is still unsold.

Just like the comments above...a $20,000 drop in price...eventually the home not selling at all. I don't think $2500 would have been bad.

Great spot-on post Maureen. I agree with all the other comments so far. What a shame when sellers won't listen. Why price reductions seem to be so easily acceptable compared to the small yet valuable cost of staging is still a mystery to me.

Morning Maureen, Very well thought out and presented post ! Maybe the difference between paying a stager and taking a price reduction is that one iinvolves writing a check and the other requires no check !

Lisa ~ If only he knew we could have helped him!

Kathy N. ~ It's hard to figure out why he listened to her, really!

Sandy ~ with so much competition, staging a home today can help to make it looks its best. In this case, I'm convinced the home could have looked spectacular. It's in a great area and just needed our help.

Kathy K. ~ sometimes they don't listen, but for those of us who know we could have helped them, it's hard to understand.

Allegra ~ Wow -- half a million drop!! That is serious money. Hope they come to their senses.

Joy ~ You've made a good point. All we can do is offer our expertise. I never try to "sell" potential clients on staging, because I believe that our statistics and the photos we include in our proposals sell themselves.

Mary ~I'm sure as professional stagers we've all seen cases like this one, and it is sad. Thanks for the reblog!

Sandra ~ thanks, please feel free to re-blog.

John ~ LOL that's right "the internet is a passing fad." I guess someday people will understand that professional staging does indeed help the seller and their agent.

Connie ~ Congrats on being such an enlighted agent and getting your staging designation. The country needs more agents like you! Your sellers are lucky that you're there for them.

Michelle ~ This home was a classic example of the "bachelor" homes that I've staged ... and they all SOLD quickly! It is hard to figure out why, in this case, he decided against it.

Kathleen ~ it's too common an occurance and together, we need to work harder than ever to educate sellers and agents that a very small investment in staging can make such a difference!

Stephanie ~ You are so smart! That is exactly what I should do -- I work with some amazing agents who understand that presenting a professionally staged home can make all the difference in a successful outcome.

Ginger ~ I know you're only too well-acquainted with this situation too. It's hard to see happen because we know we can help the seller .... but also have to realize they have to help themselves too. Thanks for your support.

It seems so simple when you put it that way! Excellent post. What would posess a realtor to refuse staging that a seller had offered to pay for? In today's market, we gladly accept any assistance that is offered.

Wow. Great Post! I am a HUGE believer in Staging and the cost/benefit. I am sending this off to a seller I currently am working with now (who has an upper bracket home) and a 3 foot mauve " 1980" center piece that is the first thing you see when you come through the door! All buyers want to be visually blown away when going through a home. That is just a fact.

Hello Maureen, doesn't this just make you want to scream. We have experienced the same thing with agents discouraging staging yet they are running to their computers every couple of weeks to throw away more and more of the owners equity. I believe Bill is right in that for some home owners the money they spend up front is real money to them but the money they spend on the back end through price reductions is like play money. Money is money whether it's cash up front or un-realized equity on the back end.

Great blog, GREAT BLOG!!!!! I hope you listed it in the Realtor section too! Did I mention that this is a GREAT BLOG!!!!!

Their Realtor really gave them some bad advice - shame on him/her.

It's the new world of HGTV and pristine builder model homes. If you're not staging your resale home these days, buyers will simply turn up their noses and move on. Not staging definitely causes sellers to lose money just like in your case - sometimes even tens of thousands of dollars.

Maureen--This really hits the point and drives it home. Hope every seller who needs a "little help" will chose to spend a few $$$ up front instead of dropping and dropping the price by 10's of thousands on the back side and still not get the job done....

Carolyn ~ thanks for sharing your similar story. It's amazing that people haven't really "done the math" when it comes to staging. All we can do is try to help them!

Debby ~ it's a mystery to me too!

Bill ~ Well, the check for staging would have been less than $2000! Compared to a price reduction of $50,000 -- what were they thinking? It's hard to imagine why they resisted.

Mark ~ it's all about working as a team to get the property sold -- the seller, agent, and stager can make it happen!

Helen ~ I hope you're able to convince your seller to stage that home -- good luck!

Gary - I love your comment "Money is money whether it's cash up front or un-realized equity on the back end." SO TRUE!!

Kym ~ Thanks! Why don't you re-blog it in the Realtor groups? I didn't include it there ... but you could.

Virginia ~ I'm afraid you're right. Most good agents would have recognized a willing seller and a great opportunity like that when they see it! Thanks for your input.

Dianne ~ So true! HGTV has spoiled the buyers....now we just have to show the sellers -- and skeptical agents -- how to get with the program!

THANKS everyone for your comments ... I'm running out the door to stage a new-construction home for a repeat client who DOES understand the powerful advantage a professionally-staged home can provide. Will respond to all comments when I return! P.S. The home I'm staging today is just up the road from this one -- but the outcome will be quite different!

People that try to go on the Cheap, buyers and sellers often end up spending more in the long run.

Strike- not staged, you lose.

Strike- lost commission, agent loses.

Strike- customer loses, more money at closing.

Three strikes and you're out, ALL OF YOU ARE OUT!

Everyone lost.

wow this is awesome! thank for posting, i hope agents and home sellers read this.

Maureen... I am back on AR. I am always wondering about the folks who do not stage. It seems like we are always talking about this. Will sellers and non-convinced agents ever really get it? I have stalked a property too watching it's slow downward decline. It is funny to see both a for sale sign and a for rent sign on this property. Despertate times/desperate measures... Think a stager/redesigner could have helped? Hmmmmm.

I own a handyman business, and after watching one of my long time customers struggle to sell, finally had to suggest staging ... and ask why realtor didn't recommend it. Customer did just reduce price, and will pull listing for the winter if doesn't sell by 11/1. Then we will stage in Feb/Mar and go back on the market ... but I'm not the realtor ... but you can bet there will be a new one.

Valuable article which I will re-blog.

This may sound stupid; however I feel for the house being left in the hands of renters who generally have no commitment to maintaining a house.

Mind, the same could be said of many buyers.

Stupid homeowner accepting the opinion of a realtor who wasn't very bright either: no sale, no commission.

Sounds like that agent was lame all the way around...

A professional agent would welcome any and all improvements that make the house more appealing and easier to sell.

Maybe that agent was in the class with some sellers I used to encounter.

I rememer one of them saying "If they want it cleaned up they can clean it after they buy it." (That house, by the way, finally went to a short sale back when short sales were almost unheard of.) I always wondered who these elusive "they" people were, who the sellers thought were dumb enough to pay top dollar for a house that needed 2 weeks with a competent cleaning person.

You can't help them all - but it's too bad you have to waste time preparing proposals for the ones who are being controlled by idiot agents.

Keep on helping the smart ones!

Marte

Marte Cliff, Copywriter
www.copybymarte.com

Maureen,

FYI - I posted a link to this blog on my twitterfeed @HappyHomeStager

Realize that the final decision was up to the homeowner, and it was THEY who decided. Decided to NOT stage the home and decided they WOULD list with the agent who did not realize the sheer studpidity of NOT staging the home. Why is everyone upset with the listing agent?

Great post Maureen, the picture is icing on the cake and says it all.

I think Bill hit the nail on the head: The cost of staging generally has to be paid up front and out of pocket. The cost of a price reduction only comes at the back end and "on paper" -- to some, that's more appealling, even if it is about 10X what a staging would cost. There was a great debate about this on AR a few weeks ago with realtors generally saying they could sell staging more if stagers would agree to get paid once the home sold; stagers were generally not embracing this idea.

Resistance to staging on the part of agents was one of the factors that led me to become a real estate agent myself, after successfully establishing a staging business. Now we take the bull by the horns ourselves and don't need to rely on agents' "approval" of staging.

All the best to you Maureen. Really great post.

Tanya in Montreal

Tamara ~ The small investment in staging this home would have been such a smarter way to go for this seller. His home was a real "bachelor pad" -- and we kind of specialize in making homes like this look fabulous! Thanks for your feedback....we stagers LOVE it when agents recognize the benefit of staging -- because what we do helps agents too!

Gene ~ Sad but so true! When will they learn?

Eddie ~ I like your analogy -- 3 strikes and EVERYONE is out! Next time, let's all hit a home run ....

Kate ~ I hope so too. Thanks for chiming in.

Todd ~ good to see you back here! Hmmm ... I know we could have helped this guy! Great SW Portland location ... good home but terrible presentation and the worst imaginable photos. Where was his good sense?

Tina ~ thanks for sharing your example of "how not to market your home." I hope they have better luck next time when it goes back on the market.

Sharon ~ the seller did say that the agent was "new" to the business. Guess she hasn't seen the powerful benefits that a professionally staged home can provide!

Marte ~ well said! I love helping the smart sellers and agents who recognize that our work makes a difference -- and those are the ones I choose to concentrate on. (Today I staged my third vacant house for a "dream" client; he's a developer and Realtor who said he absolutely would NOT put a house on the market without my help .... his homes always sell fast.)

Laura ~ Thanks, that's much appreciated!

Michelle ~ Apparently this seller listened to his young agent, but shouldn't have. I think readers felt that a seasoned agent would have said to their seller, "if you want to pay for staging, please do!" But she just discouraged the whole idea.

Ana ~ Yes, the photo really says it all, doesn't it? I saw this home twice again today as I drove past it to stage a beautiful home just up the road. Everytime I drive by I just know what could have been .... oh well.

Tanya ~ Let's see, the price reduction so far is $50,000 -- and staging was less than $2,000. That's 25 times more money than staging would have cost! I've thought of reactivating my real estate license for the same reason as you got yours -- to help the seller and not have to "sell" agents on the concept that I've known for years works! Thanks for your feedback.

I totally know staging sells!! People drool over a staged home.

We have the same problem when sellers and buyers think they can sell or buy homes without Realtors(r)... Hmmm..

Maureen, Great post...I re-bloged and flaged it for a feature!

Betty ~ Drooling? I like your enthusiasm! It's great to see agents like you who understand that staging is effective! Thanks for your feedback.

Joan ~ No kidding, those FSBO types are usually just prolonging the selling cycle trying to do it all themselves. Do they diagnose their own illnesses too? Could be just as dangerous!

Donna ~ Thanks for that! I think this story is kind of universal and could happen in Anytown USA.

SEP

2009

Wow Maureen. If my Client offered to pay...then why not stage the home?

Mark ~ That's what I just don't understand either. The seller said his agent said "staging isn't needed" and he listened to her! If I could show you the current online listing photos, you just wouldn't believe what a poor presentation this home has. It's the worst set of online listing photos I've ever seen.

I appreciate it a great deal when sellers agree to stage! YAY! It makes my job a whole lot easier! Thanks you wonderful people that have the talent for it!

Hi Maureen, excellent post and you described it in a great interesting format, love it!

I know this one we all have or will experience sooner or later and with your permission I will reblog.

This triggered one more thought comming from Bill Gillhespy "Maybe the difference between paying a stager and taking a price reduction is that one involves writing a check and the other requires no check" and I think, maybe not in this scenario, that it is a sad but true statement. It seems that some sellers rather take the price reduction.

Mary ~ A professionally staged house should make the agent's job that much easier, we agree! We love helping our clients and their Realtors.

Barbara ~ Please feel free to reblog, of course. In this case, the seller would have likely sold his home by now ... it would look so much better both online and in person .... so he may have just "cost himself" a lot of $$.

Hi Maureen, yes thank you and yes he would have saved ton's!!!!!!!!

I like to look at challenges and turn them into opportunities, in some cases there is somewhere a mental block about spending for selling, so how could we unleash this block for opportunity, would love to find a solution :-). I subscribed to your blog today :-) Great work!

SEP

2009

Thanks Barbara, it would be wonderful if we had a solution for dealing with skeptics like the seller and his agent in this example. We shouldn't feel sorry for them though -- we tried to help!

Ouch - that just makes me sick! Your post is very effective!

I just don't understand it. How can sellers not stage and do major price reductions?

Maybe it's time to send him a letter, that will be forwarded to his current address, and remind him that staging is cheaper than a price reduction

Joetta ~ Too bad the seller didn't take our advice. We know we could have helped him.

Virginia ~ I don't understand it either. That home has been on the market now for a few months and it would need a whole new listing with great photos and staging ... he knows where to find me!

Shortsightedness hurts sometimes. Use this as an example at your next appointment. Just have the image of the signs and talk from there.

SEP

2009

Bev & Bob ~ now there's an idea! Kind of a conversation starter ...

SEP

2009

Ugghhh!!! This is so frustrating to read Maureen! (but you did a wonderful job laying it out)

It reminds me of a festering wound that one thinks a band aide only will help then to find out you'll be amputating the leg because you waited too long. (I've got Halloween on my brain today ;-} The Realtor here has done the client a grave disservice and the client should have fired their "doctor" a long time ago.

Well put, Karen! I would imagine this seller is long past disappointment by now. He really got some bad advice, but then again, he listened to it!

As an active and successful professional, I think it's important that I let my customers know what their options are. I find it very difficult to not "belive" in staging a home. That seems a little like a student not "believing" in studying. If you are going to successfully market a product to the consumer, it must be presented in a manner that is appealing to the consumer.

But, If the house was over priced, and I mean way overpriced, staging isn't going to solve it. It will absoultely improve the perceived value of the property. it will absoultely improve the likelyhood of it selling by making it appealing to the public. And, compared to the similar property down the street that is not staged... it will win out!

In any market... the seller must do everything they can to improve their position with the consumer. Marketing is a very important part of what we do. Staging (or preparing a home for market) is a very important function of the marketing process, along with pricing and advertising.

When a home goes into the rental market, it still needs to be marketed. Sticking a "for rent" sign out, isn't going to solve the problem.

How can you not "believe" in staging?

Dava ~ You've made some excellent points, and I agree with you 100% -- I couldn't believe it when the seller told me that his agent "didn't believe" his home needed staging. However having staged a lot of homes this year I can confirm it needed a lot of help -- that it didn't get. As you said, even rental properties can benefit from staging. Thanks for joining into the discussion and for being a believer!

SEP

2009

Maureen,

I can completely empathize with your frustration. In the future I wonder if you might be a bit more bold with the prospect. You said: "You told me that your listing agent did not believe in home staging. I was surprised to hear this, because I thought that your home was one of the better candidates for staging that I've seen this year, but I kept my opinion to myself." Looking back on how it turned out maybe you could have respectfully noted that many realtors, especially those who have been in the biz quite some time, are just now becoming aware of just how effective staging is. Furthermore, I remind prospects that staging is an investment that pays BIG dividends. W ereally do help people - so don't be afraid to tell it like it is!

Thanks for your great post!

Suzanne

Columbs Home Staging

Suzanne ~ In my written proposal to this seller, naturally I mentioned the effectiveness of home staging and even included my local staging statistics -- so he got the message ... but too bad he wasn't listening! What we do helps our clients but sadly they don't all take advantage of our skill.

Maureen: This is so true. I did a post about this 6 months ago or so where the seller reduced the price $50,000+ but would not stage the house. His words: 'We've decided to go in a different direction', was given to the stager and myself. I still can't believe the price reductions were OK but the home staging pricing was not. Bad financial decision? You bet.

Lyn ~ thanks for sharing your similar experience. Those sellers who "decide to go in a different direction" no doubt soon wish they'd stayed on track with professional advice!

Aloha Maureen,

Thanks for the well put post. It is a sad commentary on the state of Real Estate marketing and merchandising when sellers will reduce the price more readily than take a step in the right marketing direction at a fraction of the cost. Tn this case they had nothing to lose.

Peace,

Aloha Kimo ~ you're right, the seller had nothing to lose, and much to gain ... we can hope others are more open to the concept of proper merchandising.

NOV

2009

Sometimes it has more to do with the emotional aspect. Even when we offer help, sometimes it just all seems "too much" for people.

NOV

2009

Maureen,

Although this blog has been out for a while, I just happened upon it and am so glad I did. The timing was ironic as this morning I spent a good amount of time reading a re-blog by Lenn Harley that really slams staging -So What Exactly Do You Say When Sellers Ask You THIS Question???. Lenn reblogged Michelle Molinara's great post and the realtors' comments poured in, the majority greatly disparaging of stagers and the services we offer. These basically dispute the need for staging, and most realtors claim they can 'do it themselves'.

Unfortunately, some agents feel that it is easier to ask their clients to reduce their price, rather than stage early in the game and avoid these dreaded, costly reductions. It comes down to this with a $300,000 home. The average commission is $18,000. When a price reduction occurs, it usually is around $10,000.00. That means $10,000.00 out of the seller's pocket and reduces the agent's commission by $600. No wonder they would rather push for a price drop that helps make their job easier - despite how it can substantially affect a seller, it has little effect on the agent.

I appreciate this post and what it reveals about how much difference staging can contribute. Again, we stagers are not claiming to be all things to all people, but we are saying that staging can help broaden a homes' appeal to a much wider base of clientele. That's what it's all about.

I'm sorry these clients didn't listen to you Maureen, but no sorrier than they must be at this time.

Great post,

mel

JUL

2010

Hello Maureen, I'm here via a re-blog by Cynthia Bartch. Just wanted to say that I completely agree with getting a home staged...a very important segment of marketing a home in it's best light.

JUL

2010

That is to bad...they could have saved themselves headaches and extra money if they listened to you. This seems to happen a lot with individuals who offer their advice and expertise. They pay you but then do not listen...it can be frustrating because you truly do want to help...especially if you have already been through the situation they are pre-paring to face. Great Post!!

JUL

2010

Nick ~ I'm so glad to hear that you're a supporter of home staging. It usually results in a "win win" for all parties involved -- the sellers, their agent, and the happy new buyer! Thanks for your feedback.

Laura ~ it's true that sometimes our clients unfortunately don't take our advice, and then wonder why their house didn't sell. We can only continue doing our best to educate sellers about the proven techniques that professional home staging offers.

JUL

2010

Wow, featured almost a year later! and well deserved!

Thanks J. Phillip ~ I'm surprised to see this post resurrected, but I guess the premise still holds true ... staging would have helped this home but the owner and his agent were reluctant to spend a small amount, and instead took a $50K price reduction and it STILL didn't sell. The home is still being rented.

Happens far too often -- one can only try and if the seller is not interested .. well what can we say.

Staging works...So many resist it due to the price. No, it won't get you a higher price, but it well get the home SOLD!!! Your choice - staging costs or months of mortgage and maintenance while the home languishes on the market. Oh....and btw, that $50k reduction? well that might have been avoided had you listened. While you were waiting, mulling the cost of staging - prices dropped like a rock.

Maureen:

Why would the listing broker "not believe in home staging?" That is pretty unenlightened and was extremely costly in this case.

To many sellers, staging = real money and price reductions = theoretical money. A dumb way to look at it.

I can understand not believing in the Easter Bunny, but how can you not believe in staging?!?

Maureen,

I always recommend staging - this great post will help me demonstrate the potential cost of ignoring that advice!

All I can say is, Wow. Some people just do not have the good sense to not cut off their nose just to spite their face...

Maureen, it was interesting to hear the seller wanted to use your service, but the agent was against it. Sad ending! I think you could have helped them.

JUL

2010

Bob and Carolin ~ it's true, we can only present the benefits but can't twist their arms. Too bad the seller didn't help himself!

Ruthmarie ~ I liked your addition to the "letter" -- he should have listened better before the huge price drop.

Claudette ~ The seller told me that his agent was fairly new so perhaps she didn't have the experience to know that staging a home can improve its condition and appeal. Likely she told him later that it didn't sell because of "the market." But take a look at the online MLS photos below ...

Richard ~ nice to hear you put it that way!

Irene ~ yes, ignoring the advice I would have provided this seller was quite costly.

William ~ I was thinking the same thing. Thanks for your feedback.

Michael ~ this house looked so bad ... yes I could definitely have helped them. Take a look at these photos, which were used in the online listing: this listing agent should be ashamed of herself!!

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Maureen Bray ~ Home Stager Portland OR ~ Home Staging Portland Oregon

Portland, OR

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Room Solutions Home Staging Portland OR

Address: PO Box 19024, Portland, OR, 97280

Office Phone: (503) 246-1800

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