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A Stager's Advice to Realtors

Lately I've been on the agent circuit, having done recent home staging presentations for local Keller Williams, Re/Max and Prudential GA Realty offices. On the third presentation I realized that there are several key points that I always emphasize when I have the chance. I'd like to share them with you. Here they are:

Never lose sight of the fact that the photos you post to your listings are infinitely more important than the VTs. Why? Because buyers shopping on the internet will always click on the photos first since they pop up immediately and do not require time to load. If they like what they see of the photos, they will then click on the VT. Always place your best photos at the top of the page and make sure they are just as impressive as the VT.
A nicely decorated home and a staged home are NOT the same thing. In the three years I've been staging homes, my most difficult clients have always been those who have spent big bucks to have their homes professionally decorated. Yes, they are lovely, but they are also highly personalized. Decorating is all about surrounding yourself with colors, furniture, accessories, window treatments, etc. that please you. While you are living in the home, that's fine; when you are selling your home, having a beautifully decorated, personalized home can prevent offers. Bring in a trained stager who knows the difference and can prepare the home in the proper way by neutralizing and depersonalizing it. Once your client moves, he/she can call in a decorator to repersonalize the new home.
Remind your clients what, exactly, they are selling; namely space, architectural detail, floor plans and views. If clutter is rampant, buyers will never see the space. If the rooms are crammed with furniture and lighting is poor, the architectural detail will never be noticed. If there is an overabundance of rugs and furniture is not placed properly for traffic flow, the floor plan will be overlooked. If windows are dirty and/or covered with tacky blinds or overbearing window treatments, the views will never be seen.
Homeowners will work much more diligently to make necessary changes in the presentation of their homes when a 3rd party stager is brought in. Agents repeatedly tell me they are surprised and even shocked that the homeowners will "take" the staging suggestions from me after a staging consultation. I don't say this to toot my own horn, but I know this is typically the case when homeowners work with stagers. There is something about bringing in the "expert" that causes them to take note, even though you may have told them the same thing. (I'm sure the case is similar when they hear directly from the home inspector or mortgage broker. They are all ears!)
Having your clients work with a home stager will help to preserve your relationship with the homeowners. You have other battles to fight with them -- namely pricing, so take the day off (or go on a listing appointment) while your stager plays the "presentation game" with your clients.

There's lots more, but these are just a few things that come up repeatedly. Remember that your goal and your stager's goal are one and the same -- to get the house sold. Call a stager today!

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy overton Interiors. Accredited, Licensed, Insured. 770-843-2307

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Patsy Overton, AHS, CNRCP

Accredited Home Stager * Certified Color Consultant

Patsy@POInteriors.com 770-843-2307 www.POInteriors.com

Posted by Patsy Overton on 07/07/2010 12:17 PM

Comments (104)

Working With a Home Stager in the Home Selling Channel

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104 Comments on A Stager's Advice to Realtors

JUL

2010

Good points to keep in mind. I always tell my sellers to look at the pictures we take as their first Open House. The lights turn on. Thanks

I especially like your 2nd point, that there's a difference between a home being well decorated and being staged. This is great advice, and much of it would be a good read for sellers as well as Realtors®.

Janet - great line to use with the sellers! I'll remember that.

Shannon - this is one of those things that is often missed. Thanks for your comments.

It's true about the difference in decorating and staging. A good example here is the annual Symphony Decorators Showhouse.

Annually, they take an expensive home and different decorators do each room in the house. It's nice, but by the time it's done it's so overdecorated it becomes gaudy.

Good points, and your first one is truly timely...those initial photos make or break!

I love your post, Patsy. I wish more Realtors will pay attention to it so I am pressing "suggest" button

Bill - you gotta love those decorator showhouses! The individual rooms are a feast for the eyes, but, as you said, an entire home of it will blind you.

Sea to Sky (Sorry, I don't see your name, although I realize you are a "heavy hitter.") - the Realtors I work with have, typically, never thought of the photos vs. VTs. Thanks.

Thank you, Anna!

I suggested this to be Fetaured. You have GREAT information here for Realtors and ways to go about working with Professional Home Stagers in their area as well as why it is SO important to STAGE!

Hi Patsy~ I totally agree with the importance of a Stager. Just wish all of my sellers did too! They are so used to us working and waiting to get paid only if the home sells, that it can be difficult to get them to part with the money for a home stager on the front end. I tell them it would be the best money they ever spent!

Great information. Thanks for sharing. It is very difficult for Sellers to look objectively at their own homes.

You are absolutely right about "A nicely decorated home and a staged home are NOT the same thing." Staging homes draws the buyers in, and nice decorated home merely expressed the taste and personality of the home owner.

I guess I had never really thought that a person with a well-decorated home could still benefit from a stager's opinion. Not trying to discredit you at all, it's just a line of thinking that had never entered my head. It's something I need to think more about; thanks for the food for thought.

Patsy- great post and worthy of many re-bloggings. These are excellent points, most particularly :"A nicely decorated home and a staged home are NOT the same thing."

Look in any Stager's home and you will see a nicely decorated home, however, when the Stager places her home on the market, you will most likely see an entirely different picture.

I include a staging consultation in my listing services, because it helps me sell my listings faster. I remind my Sellers that their home is now a commodity! Great post for a re-blog!

Good information. Thanks for sharing. And good points too!

Great points Patsy. I caught an episode of HGTV's Real Estate Intervention last night, that tackled the same "decorated/designed is not the same as staged" theme. Very true that staging helps potential buyers see themselves in the space, whereas designers & decorators are creating a very personalized space. I love seeing the Symphony Show House (et al), but it's a different art altogether.

And I'll definitely second your comment on the photographs!

I like these points. Staging is about the buyer's desires not the seller's selections. The third party approach to information just works, guess it's human nature! Buyers only see what you show them.

I want to reblog.

So true Patsy, as others have stated "A nicely decorated home and a staged home are NOT the same thing." You've made some terrific points!

All good information here today, thank you for getting it out to us on AR today.

Patricia

This is a great post! Thx. I esp like the part about nicely decorated home does not equal staged home. Completely agree. I always say "neutralize everything."

ALL GOOD POINTS; I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TELL MY AGENTS A GROUP OF GOOD PHOTOS CAN OUTPLAY VT'S

Great Post, thanks for sharing your insights!

Really great points Patsy! I too love "A nicely decorated home and a staged home are NOT the same thing" as I get this response A LOT and it really and truly is NOT the same thing! It must be an issue EVERYWHERE!

Thanks for your feedback everyone, for your "suggests," and for your reblogs. One of the brokers who introduced me recently to her agents in their team meeting said this, "When Patsy and I were getting to know each other, discussing the benefits of staging and setting up the meeting, I emphasized that I would like for her to give staging tips at the meeting. When she mentioned that staging and decorating are two different things, I stopped talking and started listening." It's truly one of the main misconceptions about staging. I'm glad you all get it!

Hi Patsy -- As a REALTOR and ASP, I see both sides of the coin and regarding bullet #2, sometimes a very well done decorating scheme can work wonders for a home and cause it to sell, even if it's personal. I've seen the draw of that for certain buyers, and the staging community is really against that as a general rule, and I mostly disagree with it.

All soooo true. Another good one for my "proof folder". I know that it will be taken better if it is coming from a professional. I'm printing it now!!

I am so glad your post got featured Patsy. All very good points. I had a staging consultation where the home had been decorated with extremely expensive things from a high end design study in town but they could not get it sold. I made some minor adjustments with placement of furniture and had them change some overpowering paint colors and it did the trick. The home owner hired me to come to her new home, better yet!

Patsy - Great post and congrats on the feature! As you've probably seen from my posts, I support the concept of staging; as a former builder I've seen the results firsthand.

Patsy, good advice. I am a believer that people look for the pictures.

Patsy--This is a great post. I am just getting to the point where I realize how important staging can be.

I am going to re-blog your post because I think it has so many good ideas.

Good common sense advice from an obvious pro. We are seeing fewer staged homes in my market in Norther Virginia which, I'm sure, is related to the downward pressure on home prices.

Patsy,

I love your post. A feature it deserves. You've raised some excellent points. I'm bookmarking for future referance.

Thanks for sharing your insights with us. I'm glad I stopped by.

Great Post concerning a well decorated home and a stage home. Here's another way I've heard it said, " The the way we live in our home is not the way we Sell our Home".

Wonderful insight, Patsy. It's sometimes tough to get sellers to clean up their homes, remove knick-knacks, and put away clutter, let alone stage them... but it's oh-so necessary. I think this is especially true for smaller homes and condos. Thanks for the tips!

Since so many potential homeowners start their search online, pictures have become even more important. Thanks for the great information!

Thanks Patsy. i couldn't agree more with your point #2. One time I was intimidated when going on a listing appointment, only to find out the owner was a full time interior designer. The home was beautiful but was highly personalized. I made a couple of casual staging suggestions and was pleasantly surprised with how well she took them and implemented them. Just goes to show you that decorating and staging are two different things.

Chris, there's no question that some decorated homes can show well, but most that I've seen need some tweaking. Typically they are overdone. Just last week I staged a home that was beautifully decorated in muted colors, but it was overstuffed with furniture, had way too many rugs covering the hardwoods(which ate up visual space), and had several portraits of her children hung in prominent places. Needless to say, it had been sitting on the market for quite some time. The homeowner "got it" and allowed us to do our jobs. She was very pleased with the results.

This is such good information, and I need to learn so much more about staging. I always recommend a professional stager, but many people think they watch enough HGTV that they do not need to spring for the extra expense. That leaves me to give them the "hard truth advice".

I also like the advice about the photos being worth far more than the v. tour. I think I'm going to re-blog this, too, if you do not mind! Thanks so much!

Hi Ptasy, great post and what a wonderful following. Congratulations!

Great points. Now if we could only get clients to listen...

Great post and nicely worded, Patsy!

I thought this was going to be staging tips, but this was good too.

Thank you for sharing this post.

A wonderful post Patsy! You hit the nail on the head! Thanks for putting it out there.

Patsy-

Thank you for the post. You've made some very interesting points here. Do you suggest all family photos be removed as well. I've had clients remove them before, but for security concerns.

Great post thanks for sharing! I think in this crazy market people underestimate staging but it's even more needed in today's competitive stage!

Jamey

Congrats on your feature-I am so in agreement al all these points-it IS all about selling space Patsy!!

Patsy: Good advice, especially for those in higher price brackets. Here, where you can buy a house for almost nothing, it's not as urgent,

Patsy, this is a great reminder for all of us. Staging has not caught on real well in our area but your points are well taken.

EXCELLENT POINTS...Trust me I am taking notes. Thanks again!!

JUL

2010

Patsy,

I recently used a stager and coincidentally, the house sold quite quickly.

Food for thought definitely. I agree with your obseervation, that clients are more likely to listen to a third party, when it comes to staging. It is also a good way to communicate, that their personal taste / style in decorating might be an obstacle in selling NOT because it's "bad", but because it's personal. Touchy subject.

Patsy, great post! Congratulations on the feature too. So true. As you know, staging homes is not a big thing here, wish it was.

I like photos better than video, I think they will look at video but only after the stills too. And if they aren't done right they look horrible!

You are so right about this. Those photos are what make the difference in attracting buyers. People are always amazed at how I move things around (i.e. out of photo range) and hide their little votive candles for photos. They even admit it looks better, but the items go right back in place when photos are done. A stager would probably have better luck getting sellers to maintain this look until the home is sold and settled.

Todd & Devona - Yes, always remove all personal photos.

Margaret - Sounds like you've learned a little trick we use! When the sellers absolutely refuse to remove certain objects, at least move them out of the way for the photos.

Patsy, Great advice. I especially liked bullet number three: remember what you're selling. I always include a floor plan in my virtual tours.

Number 4 is also so insightful: Although I am also a certified stager in addition to being a realtor I frequently hire a very talented stager who did a presentation in our office years ago. She does a one hour walk through with the client going from room to room giving advice while I write it down for them. They are then free to do what suits them with guidance from me should they want it. It works very well. It takes me out of the line of fire but they circle back to me for discussion. I love adding it to my listing presentation as a "service" . Many times I do the staging myself but there is always the client this approach works better for.

Have a great day!

There's been a lot of discussion about taking retainer fees. I'm still not sure sellers would agree to it but if they did, using that money for a stager would be an excellent idea.

Excellent post! And I think that these thoughts should be conveyed to RE agents as much as possible so that they understand the enormous value of staging-(even with an affordable consult and report) and they can convey this to their Sellers.

Absolutely correct and well said! ROSI is the key. Convey this and they will reap!

I like your post. Very good points. I like working with Stagers too.

Would LOVE to see some of oyur BEFORE and AFTER staging successes!

Maybe in a another blog post?

Patsy --

Thank you for sharing your perspective and points on working with home sellers, Particularly, your last point regarding preserving relationships. It is helpful to engage another professional who can tell a seller 'this has got to go!' I find my clients are more open to that advice from stagers I have used. And, in the end, they understand the added cost to selling their home has brought them a better price for their property. Then we all benefit that we have given the best professional advice to our clients and have supported their best interests. The results are referrals and more meaningful relations with clients.

Patsy,

Great post. I am going to bookmark it. You hit it gal!!!

Patsy;

This is an excellent post to educate not only realtors but the general public. Kudos to you!

Congrats on being featured!

Nice post, I'll be getting it out to my agents!

Thanks for opening the discussion about photos! Many agents obviously do not realize what an impact their photos make on buyers and buyer's agents alike. The camera reveals everything in harsh, objective reality. While our brains may justify what our eyes see when actually viewing a home, the camera is not so kind.

Pictures should showcase the home, not the owner's furniture! How many times have I seen a picture of a sagging bed or a dining room set or perhaps a sofa or big screen TV. We are not selling furniture. If a photo does not showcase a feature of the home, why would you include it?

Keep helping agents. Thanks.

Thanks for the 6 good points Patsy. What will it take to get you to move to Wisconsin? :)

Patsy,

Great post and all so true; "decorated home not the same as a staged home" and third party Professional makes all the difference. I just confirmed an appointment the morning of, and later received a message to cancel. Evidently the REALTOR (I had never worked with before) that was going to pay for my consultation completely turned the seller off by saying that I will most likely tell her to do something. I explained to the REALTOR that Stagers have a way with working with sellers and next time would she please allow me to speak with the seller. Heck I bet I would have had a completely different solution than the REALTOR thought.

OH, I so agree with the photos over the V-tours and I think yours is the first I've seen mention so clearly why potential buyers will look at photos first. Thank you, thank you!

Now, Agent Aaron #48 please understand that "High Price Brackets" do not dictate whether a not a house should be or is worth staging. I live in the San Antonio, Texas Hill Country and know Austin pretty well. I also drive to my RESA meetings in Austin monthly and know many successful Stagers. We have all staged houses in the lower brackets, the cost may not be what you expect, you should look into it further.

Thanks again Patsy!

Michael - Given the Atlanta heat today, it won't take much at all to get me to relocate to Wisconsin!

The photo thing is something I always harp on with the same results... "I never thought of it that way before."

Thanks, everyone, for your comments!

Patsy,

Thanks for spreading the word about Staging and for explaining that Decorating and Staging are two very different things.

My background is as an architectural photo stylist, so I Stage for the photos as well as Staging for the actual first impression.

Keep up the great work!

I recently staged a "beautifully decorated home" that the agents said there wouldn't be much for me to do as it was already so beautiful. I spent over 2 hours taking down personal pictures and replacing them with artwork found in the basement and moving furniture to create more space. Your second point is definitely true.

Great Post! I totally agree on every point.

Aloha,

Karla Casey
Principal Broker

Great post, from a fellow ASP and REALTOR!

Great post. It's great to see so many positive responses. Nice that Realtors are starting to see the value of staging. And it doesn't have to be expensive for the sellers either, but the return is usually HUGE!!

Great Post Patsy! I staged homes for a few years and I loved hearing potential client talk about there home and how beautifully decorated it was only to arrive on consultation day to find the home overly accessorized. All I can say is God Bless you and the job you do! :)

You have convinced me to work with 3rd party stagers.

What a great and informative post. Thanks so much for sharing these important tips! I will take them to heart!

Great advice here, I totally agree with the pictures.

Thanks for the good advice. I am clueless when it comes to staging. I was born without an artistic or stylish bone in my body!

I charge a staging fee which is only paid if the house does not sell. Sellers seem to appreciate when they are told up front that I will stage the house to look its best in pictures. I always tell them that living in a house is quite different from selling a house.

Patsy ... Thanks for this article on home staging for sale. We try and remind our clients about what it is that they are selling, and you reference "space, architectural detail, floor plans and views". Good stuff.

Patsy, you hit it girl! So glad that this post is featured.. well worded and to the point. Realtors are the lifeblood of our business... these tips are FAB!

Patsy - great post, I couldn't agree more!! Love the point about remembering what you are selling. Because if buyers can't see it, they sure as heck aren't going to buy it!! I wrote a whole blog post on why interior decorating is NOT the same thing as staging. Too many listings I go to are 'beautifully decorated' and I'm overwhelmed by borders, faux finish paint jobs, 'themed' rooms, collections of strange animals ... decorating is all about tailoring a space to fit one person or family's needs and design tastes. Staging is all about creating a space that appeals to a vast multitude of potential buyers, not just the family who owns the home. Too many times homes that are 'beautifully decorated' sit on the market waiting for 'just the right buyer' to come along and appreciate them.

JUL

2010

Decorating and staging are definitely two different things. I think it makes sense to have a stager.

Great tips Patsy! I have book marked it to share with clients! Thank you! DeeDee

I got a call just yesterday evening from a Realtor requesting a consultation on her listing. The homeowner is a decorator. Here we go again!

Thank you for a great post. I will save it to share with my clients. Sellers who have worked with a good stager are happy they did. The home sold quickly, their stuff was organized and ready to move. It's a real win-win. I find that convincing some home owners to hire a stager is not so easy, even if I am providing the stager. It is easy for us, agents, to say de-personalize your home, it's hard for the home owner to disconnect from their own style and values.

Thank you for the advice. Serves to remind us of the fine points of 'packaging' our listings, an important marketing tool in our selling efforts.

Great information and insight. These are exactly the reasons we partner with other professionals at our agency. The challenge is helping the sellers understand the difference between decorated and staged. Well said and thank you.

GREAT INFO, IF MORE SELLERS WOULD LISTEN.WHEN WE PUT HOMES ON THE MARKET,, IT IS SHOW TIME !!!

Patsy...look what I missed by going to Raincamp in Portland Oregon. What a great post, reblogged 19 times (including me) and a feature. Congratulations!

Thanks for the great post Patsy I wish you were near Williamsburg!

JUL

2010

Kathleen - That's exactly why you need to use a stager. Let him/her do the "dirty work" in getting the seller to divorce themselves from the property. I always disarm my clients by saying, "What I'm telling you to do is exactly what I'm having to do in my own home now that it's going on the market, so don't take it personally. It has nothing to do with your personal style or mine; it is simply what needs to be done to depersonalize your home so that the buyers can picture themselves in your space." We are trained to know how to communicate to them to disconnect.

Ginger - Thanks! How was Rain Camp? Hopefully, it will come to Atlanta soon.

Hi Patsy-

I saw that Jim Frimmer had re-blogged this for you and it is indeed excellent advice. I am not surprised that Sellers listen to a stager over their agent. I think that the reinforcement and the specialized advice makes Sellers feel more confident.

Sara in San Antonio

We are often called in after the house has been unsold for awhile. We perform our tweaking magic and everyone comments that they had no idea so much improvement was possible. The surprising part to us is that rarely are photos of the improved spaces put onto the MLS.

JUL

2010

All of your points are good, but I especially love your clarification of the difference between a decorated home and a staged home. Smart agents will use your words to convince their sellers that they do need a stager.

Jan - so true! I think it's my job to remind the Realtors to upload new photos. Many times, I take them myself and send them to the agent for that purpose.

Hi Patsy, good points for sellers to consider when selling a home.

JUL

2010

Hi Patsy, Great post!

Can I offer a suggestion? When using jargon in posts such as VT or VTs it would be helpful if you at least once use the full term followed by its abbreviation in brackets. Then when you use that through out the rest of the post we can then understand what you are talking about. I am from Canada and our local board does not use the term VT so I don't quite know what you are talking about. (I assume it is some sort of write up or remarks about the property, but I do not know for sure)

Thanks for sharing this info!

Harry - Excellent advice! VT = virtual tour. I will spell it out in the future; at least, initially. Thank you, and sorry to leave you hanging.

AUG

2010

Very well stated Patsy, especially the "a nicely decorated home and a staged home are NOT the same thing" that's a quote that should be in everyones arsenal. Also on the pics, I always post the board max of twenty of my best pics of the home & yard, drives me crazy when other agent do not. Thanks for the line.

Steve - thank you! And good for you posting 20 great shots with each listing. Love that avatar!

AUG

2010

These points are all worthy of emphasizing over and over again, Patsy! Thanks for a great summary of key points to make with REA's.

Leanne - thank you. I began to realize I was saying the same things over and over again, so decided it would make sense to write it down.

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Patsy Overton

Duluth, GA

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Patsy Overton Interiors, Atlanta, Georgia

Address: Atlanta, Alpharetta, Cumming, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Roswell, Conyers , Snellville, Athens, Gainesville, Buford, Woodstock, Dunwoody

Office Phone: (770) 843-2307

Cell Phone: (770) 843-2307

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Welcome to my blog! I'll be writing mainly about my life as a home stager and all the crazy things that happen along the way, but will also post on the "other stuff" from time to time. I hope you find the read informative, interesting, and just plain fun.

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