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Staging Realtors...How do other Realtors compete?

By Teresa Meyer

Home Stager with Cincinnati Home Stager

August 22, 2007 04:18 PM

Our hometown newspaper (The Cincinnati Enquirer) featured an article titled “Setting a Scene that Sells” and “Realtors have plenty of stage tricks to boost sales”.

The article showcased only Realtors that stage their own listings and for the 6% commission they charge, the staging and loan of props is included. According to the article, these staging Realtors spend about $100-150 per listing. You can read only a portion of the article online here.

I think this is a wonderful talent to have as a Realtor but it got me thinking. What about all the other hardworking, wonderful, experienced Realtors out there that do not stage their own listings? Most agents just do not have the interest, talent, or time to do this.

So how do these Realtors compete?

Since homeowners are watching and becoming quite educated by shows like “Designed to Sell” and “Sell this house” and all the other media they read or watch about staging, homeowners will be looking for Realtors that stage or at least offer staging services as part of their marketing plan.

How will you compete? Simple. Partner up with a professional Stager and include them as part of your team! Let the staging professional handle all the details of properly preparing and staging your listings.

Don’t lose a listing because you don’t offer staging services...A Stager on your team can be a tremendous asset in growing your business.

Happy clients=More Referrals.

Teresa Meyer is the owner of www.stageastar.com , a full service professional home staging company in Cincinnati, Ohio serving Butler, Hamilton, and Warren counties. Cincinnati Home Staging....helping Sellers, Realtors, and Investors prepare their home and listings for the Cincinnati real estate market.

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Cindy Lin

Staged4more School of Home Staging - South San Francisco, CA

Host, The Home Staging Show podcast

Interesting. I actually just got a call yesterday from a realtor who staged her own listings. Over the phone she was telling me how she would stage it yada yada yada but basically she used to carry inventory to stage her listings but once the market got slow it doesn't justify for keeping things in storage so she got rid of most of them. She also didn't want to shelp furniture for like 10 miles.

I also met a realtor who is now studying to be an interior designer because she feels that it's her passion. She hates being a realtor so she tried staging for awhile. Then she said "I didn't realize I actually have to move furniture myself so I quit staging. Now I am back doing real estate." I think from the outside, everyone's job looks easy. It wasn't until we are actually walking in someone else's shoes that we understand how much work it actually entails.

There are top producers in the bay area that have teams where there is a stager within the group or the realtor has their own division of staging, cleaning, etc. when they get to be pretty big. There are also a lot of husband-wife team where one sells real estate and one stages. But unless you have a team and enough business to support it, I feel that it's difficult to juggle both successfully in my opinion.

Cheers,

Cindy

Aug 23, 2007 07:05 PM

Teresa Meyer

Cincinnati Home Stager - Cincinnati, OH

Home Staging Cincinnati-OH.

Totally agree with you Cindy. I think overall some Staging Realtors may win listings because it includes staging. I agree that it would be hard to do both and I'd like to think that a Realtor that uses a professional Stager is going to get even better results because its all we do and we have the eye, experience, and inventory to make a house look fantastic. (I do know there are some staging realtors that do a fantasic job here on AR so don't yell at me for that statement) LOL!

Aug 23, 2007 11:44 PM

Anonymous

Brian Bloom ~ All In One Staging inc.

I actually posted something similar to this yesterday about Realtors taking staging courses now, and I think it might have been Cindy( i can't remember) but they said there is no way a good busy Realtor can stage a house with how much work it takes.

Before we decided to open our own staging business, my partner and I were in-house stagers for my family's Real Estate and mortgage company, We worked just for them and under their insurance But we realized that there were so many other Realators & FSBO's out there we were limiting our self so we decided to go our own way.

Im not worried that these Realtors are going to actually stage a house their self, I think they are advertising to customers the importance of staging a home now a days and bring credit to the staging community.

Just my opinion.

BB, All In One Staging inc.

Aug 24, 2007 03:09 AM

Michael Hoffman

Michael Hoffman & Associates - Pickerington, OH

CAI, AARE, CES, BAS

For all the stagers reading this...please think about developing a relationship with the local auctioneers in your community. Here's why:

1. Say your client needs money for new furnishings to better stage the house - the auctioneer can sell their old stuff for cash to buy new.

2. Say your looking for great antique furniture to furnish an older home - the auctioneer may have something in an auction that would work.

For the agents reading this, here's a couple of reasons for you to develop such a relationship:

1. Say your client needs a down payment for a home and has a bunch of assets they could liquidate for cash - again an auctioneer can help.

2. Need to clear out an estate to get the house ready to market - call an auctioneer.

Please note that I am a fan of staging...just trying to build better relationships between REALTORS and auctioneers.

Aug 25, 2007 02:37 PM

Joanne Brown

Rockland County Real Estate - Nanuet, NY

i am thinking of going to barb schwarts class for agents. my main reason is to get more listings. has this proved beneficial to anyone? i like to decorate, but do not wish this to be a main job, mostly for getting business, and if the property were in dire need i would turn it over to someone in the business of staging. anyone you know doing this?

and what do you think about the asp?

thanks

Aug 31, 2007 09:30 AM

Cindy Lin

Staged4more School of Home Staging - South San Francisco, CA

Host, The Home Staging Show podcast

Hi Joanne

Staging will help you to differentiate from non-staging realtors. I was at the ASP convention this year and met an agent from San Diego. Her business triple in a year because of she combines staging with her listings. She went from a single mom, broke, discount broker to full commission. Now people may not know her name, but if they are selling the house, they want "that gal who stages." I also have a client of mine who recently got her ASP and still works with me on vacant homes. Having her ASP helped her to understand what staging is about and she was able to do some consultations for her listing clients. You also get DRE credits for ASP designation and you can put it on your marketing materials.

Cheers,

Cindy

Aug 31, 2007 09:48 AM

Joanne Brown

Rockland County Real Estate - Nanuet, NY

thank you, i am not familiar with all of the designations you have cindy, what i did want to do was to put stager on my marketing materials for the public. what are dre, iahsp, and iris?

Aug 31, 2007 09:55 AM

Joanne Brown

Rockland County Real Estate - Nanuet, NY

thank you, i am not familiar with all of the designations you have cindy, what i did want to do was to put stager on my marketing materials for the public. what are dre, iahsp, and iris?

Aug 31, 2007 09:55 AM

Cindy Lin

Staged4more School of Home Staging - South San Francisco, CA

Host, The Home Staging Show podcast

Hey Joanne

DRE is department of real estate, I believe. What I meant is that your ASP designation should be applicable for your continue ed hours. Check with your local board. Also your trainer should know if it is applicable.

IRIS is interior redesign industry specialist.

You automatically become an IAHSP member when you finish your ASP. IAHSP stands for international association of home staging professionals.

ASP can either be a realtor designation or if you take the 3-day course, you can start your own business as a stager. IRIS only does redesigns, they don't do vacant staging. Moreover, Barb comes from a real estate background so it is probably more applicable for your purpose. IRIS is really for redesign to live, but now they have jumped on the bandwagon for staging as well.

Hope this helps,

Cindy

Aug 31, 2007 10:04 AM