Special offer

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

Reblogger Michele Rose
Home Stager with Rose-Colored Staging

This is a wonderful article from a Professional Home Stager in Portland, OR, but it equally applies to our Burlington County, NJ audience as well!  Home Stagers really want to help you sell your house!  Call Rose-Colored Staging for a consultation today!

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 but 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  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 and would 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 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 cost-effective proposal that included staging your home using your items and providing quality furniture & accessories from our inventory.  We would stage your entire 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 are dark, out of focus, crooked, and don't show the best features of your home.  I won't show them here because that would not 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.   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 6 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 addition now hanging from your For Sale Sign ... 

portland home stagers

We really did try to help you!

     ***                        ***                        ***    

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.  Room Solutions ~ Staging that Sells Portland Homes.

Room Solutions Staging in Portland       Staging that sells Portland homes!

Bob Jakowinicz
National Realty Centers Livonia--Bob Jakowinicz - Livonia, MI
Michigan Real Estate Agent-- MI Real Adventures

Michele, lol I doubt their agent said not to stage the home.  I'm sure the sellers told you that but more as a way for them not to do it cause they did not want to.  Nice story 

Sep 15, 2009 07:58 AM
John Rakoci
Eagle Realty - North Myrtle Beach, SC
North Myrtle Beach Coastal Carolinas

I agree with the above. Any time someone is willing to spend to help me sell I'm greatful.

Sep 15, 2009 08:08 AM
Michele Rose
Rose-Colored Staging - Mount Holly Township, NJ
Burlington County Home Staging & Redesign

Bob and John:  Actually, this article was reblogged from Maureen Bray in Portland, OR so it was not my first-hand experience.  I reblogged it because this is more common than you might think!

There are agents who do not want to be bothered in any way with staging.  As a Realtor and a Stager, I don't get it, but I see it all the time.  I have even had clients tell me their agent told them not to bother with staging, but they hired me anyway. 

Ultimately, if this client really had wanted to have his home staged, he would have, regardless of what the agent thought.  And I agree-- anything a seller wants to do to get the house sold is fine by me!  But why choose a huge price reduction instead?  I just don't get it...

Sep 15, 2009 08:55 AM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Michele ~ Thanks for the reblog of my post!  I do want to clarify for your readers that the Homeowner in this post DID want to stage his home but his agent talked him out of it!   He told me that his agent "has only been in the real estate business for about a year."  Apparently she still has a lot to learn!

Sep 15, 2009 11:43 AM
Michele Rose
Rose-Colored Staging - Mount Holly Township, NJ
Burlington County Home Staging & Redesign

Maureen, you are welcome!  This is a fantastic post-- should have been featured!  That poor homeowner!  And why would an agent interfere in that way!  Her commission was reduced-- and now she's getting nothing.  What would have been the harm in even trying staging-- even if she didn't understand it?  I would try just about anything rather than have a listing go unsold!

Sep 15, 2009 12:51 PM