In case you missed it, I am running a 5-part series on Seller Objections:

1. "I don't believe in staging"
2. "My kids are preventing me from staging"
3. "I don't want to pay for it"
4. "I am too busy to keep the home staged"
5. "Me and significant other both work and we have no time"

(I did make a boo-boo and missed last week due to crazy staging schedules. I do apologize!)

How many times have your seller stared blankly in your face and doesn't want to pay for anything to get things done? (I can already sense you nodding on the other side of cyberspace). And how many times have your seller star blankly into your eyes wanting YOU, THE AGENT, to pay for it instead? (Yes, you are nodding even more). Here are a few tips why your seller should be paying for staging and not you, the agent:

1. Seller needs to be involved: The sellers are often forgotten in the process when we as real estate professionals are focusing on the sale of the home. I have seen over-zealous agents who are hell bent on specific ways to stage and market the home (that's another blog post soon) and the sellers are pretty much completely veto out of the selling process. Wait, whose house is this on the market for sale? Sellers need to feel involved in order for them to care about the staging, especially when they are living in the home while selling. It will help them feel more motivated to keep the home staged.
   
   
2. Seller needs to show his/hers commitment for the sale of the home: I know many agents would do that for the clients out of their generous hearts, but then the sellers often botched up the staging. Why? Because the sellers didn't pay for it! How many times have you seen people waste things simply because they didn't pay for it? There is reason why BNI (Business Network International) charges a membership fee, because people need to feel that they have committed to this action by paying, then they will show up regularly. Same with your seller.
   
   
3. It's your time: You are a professional. Do people go to the doctors and say no, I absolutely will not pay for this even though it can help cure me? No, unless they have no will to live. Similarly, why would seller turn down something that can help them significantly increase their bottom line? Chances are their heart may not be there in the sale. They may not wanting to move nor in a real need to sell the home. In that case, the battle drags on. I have seen clients who would not work with their agents every step of the way because their hearts are just never in it. Would you want to spend your time and effort haggling? Not only it will influence your emotional state, it will also affect your efficiency.
   
   
4. It's your bottom line too: Like sellers are protecting their wallet, you should protect yours. You work hard, you are doing your job and doing the best for your clients, and you already invest a great deal into their marketing. Most people only know that agents get 6%, but they don't realize that agents split that with the buying agent AND their offices. After expenses, agents only retain roughly 1% of their commission (correct me if I am wrong on this one).
   
   
5. Because you don't want to pay for it either, you pay for the cheapest bid. The end result was crappy. I have seen this happen a lot. Agents don't want to pay for it either so they only want to do the cheapest bid. I am not saying cheap is not good, there are people who do well on a very reasonable budget. However, that's very rare, because like any other professionals, stagers have to pay bills as well. There is a reason why a reputable and professional stager quotes you for the amount he/she quotes. A reputable and professional stager will not gauge you and will work within your budget. You cannot expect high end furnishing on an Wal-mart budget. From my experiences, agents tend to nickle and dime the stager or even wanting to sacrifice the effects of staging just so they stage the home. Just because you stage the home doesn't mean it will help pushing the traffic to the open house. I have seen bad staging that turned buyers away.

What to do if your seller absolutely will not pay for staging:

1. Find out why: Is it a financial difficulty? They are carrying 2 mortgages? Then talk to your stager about it. I tend to bend the financial policies when I know sellers have extreme financial difficulties. If they fundamentally don't believe in staging, find out why. My first post covers that: "I don't believe in staging."
   
   
2. Negotiate: Instead of you footing the bill completely, consider asking the sellers to pay a portion of it.
   
   
3. Instead of full on staging, ask your stager for a consultation report: While full on staging job can cost several thousand dollars (depend on your area, it can vary), a staging consultation report costs about $150-$600 depending on your area, home size, etc., where the report outlines specific instructions that your sellers can do. Sellers may much more be willing to pay for the smaller amount instead of full on staging. The stager usually also offer upgrades in services if sellers feel overwhelmed.
   
   
4. ASK your stager for help! It's not our first days at the rodeo. We, as professional stagers, have seen these things and have been down this road before. Stagers can make a presentation to help your sellers visualize why they should stage and the potential differences staging can bring and add to their bottom line.

Got more tips to share? Feel free to comment below and add your 2 cents!

Happy selling,

Cindy

Cindy Lin is the proud owner and principal designer of Staged4more Home Staging & Redesigns, a hands-on, customer satisfaction oriented staging and redesign company that offers flexible solutions to cater to individual seller’s needs. Staged4more serves all San Francisco Bay area. To see before and after photos of Cindy’s work, read her blog, ask her questions, visit www.staged4more.com