I was driving in the car today and listening to the radio when an ad came on for How Realtors Help homeowners sell their homes. I understand and agree that Realtors are excellent guides for the home selling process. They deal with people and situations that homeowners shouldn’t have to and they provide essential information which is crucial when it comes to getting the most money for your biggest asset – your home.
What I didn’t agree with and continue to have issues with is how these ads claim Realtors can help homeowners stage their homes. Professional stagers don't claim be be able to sell homes so this marketing strategy has me scratching my head. We can't be all things to everyone and there is no weakness in sourcing out professionals for a job. Creating the mistaken impression that realtors have the ability and talent to both stage and sell homes is misleading.
The ad I listened to was a mock phone call between a realtor and a client and when the term ‘home staging’ came up, the client squawked that he didn’t need home staging! Instead of replying that the realtor would be bringing in a professional to assess the condition of the client’s home, the realtor in the ad backed off and said they should concentrate instead on marketing the home. Realtors - why would you want to waste money marketing a home that doesn't show well? I just don't get it, its like throwing money away when you could be investing in your listing by enlisting the services of a professional stager.
Home staging is a crucial part of the home selling process. Many realtors who sell homes do not have the design talent or experience to act as a home stager for their clients. In fact many have never even talked to or worked with a professional stager so they aren’t aware of what a stager does or the magic we can work in a home. This is a shame because the changes we make add quantifiable value to a home and allow sellers to realize the full potiential of their investment.
So, here are how professional home stagers can help:
~ We offer an objective view of the property, seeing the property as a buyer will. Our recommendations are thorough and detailed so even DIY home owners can follow them.
~ We talk about things which are hard to address; smells or acres of overly patterned wallpaper. Things which buyers would have objections to or which can make the difference between a buyer picking your home or passing on it to buy another property.
~ We address function because bottom line, all spaces and rooms in your home need to provide a visible function for buyers. Function increases a home’s value sometimes even more so than upgrades or modern decor. Professional stagers ensure every room is a definable and usable space which buyers will appreciate.
~ We take the mystery out of de-cluttering and neutralizing decor. Every realtor says these things are important – and they are – but most home owners are mystified by this edict. How much to de-clutter? What is neutral? Why neutralize? Professional stagers address how much to pack away and what decor choices will make buyers stampede to make an offer!
~ Advice on smart upgrades and tips to increase a home’s curb appeal. We offer tips to catch buyer’s attention and keep them engaged for the whole visit!
~ Adding the WOW to any home with simple yet stunning designs which are created to capture the hearts of all buyers who walk through. By maximizing focal points and architectural elements, a professional home stager will focus attention where it should be – on the selling points of any home.
~ Providing valuable contacts to contractors, landscapers, cleaners, and organizers to help the process of getting homes ready as simple and cost effective as possible.
~ Access to beautiful rental furnishings which are instrumental in ensuring vacant properties both show and feel like a model home. Professional stagers also normally have a large inventory of modern home decor accessories which can give any home a stylish flair.
~ We provide recommendations and advice on all aspects of getting a home ready for sale so that Realtors can do what they do best: sell the home!
Realtors are an integral part of the home selling process. So are professional home stagers. Realtors who partner with a professional stager are telling their clients right away that they care enough about the condition of the home not to gamble with its presentation. We can’t all be good at everything. Realtors are knowledgeable about pricing homes right so they capture buyer interest. Professional stagers are skilled and experienced in showcasing a home so that once a buyer views the property, they can’t help but fall in love with it.
TO Together, realtors and stagers are a potent combination. For home owners selling your home, ensure that the realtor you choose brings in a professional stager to guide you through the preparation process.
It’s been quoted a few hundred times and I’ll quote it again:
"Price brings in the buyer, staging sells the home.”
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