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NAEBA's Slimy Survey and Wretched Report - "You can't handle the truth!"

Think back to your college statistics class or high school math. What makes a good survey? When is a survey biased? Not all surveys are done correctly and fairly to produce accurate, truthful results. There's one in particular that really upsets me... NAEBA's anti-staging report. There are more members in my city's area Board of REALTORS than there is in the NATIONAL Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. That said, how do the results of their survey compare to a survey with a more diversified group of participants? There are no concrete statistics proving that staging did not work consistently for any of those who participated in the survey. Truth poster over plywood walls

A good stager is not out for the money, but is looking to help get the home sold as quickly as possibly and for the highest selling price, thus maintaining a positive reputation for themselves, their businesses, and the staging industry. According to the 2003 HomeGain Survey of 2,000 real estate agents nationwide, home staging produced an average return of 169% of the initial investment, with 76% of Realtors recommending home staging services. http://www.homegain.com/news/ibd080400?mi=ae&ht=hp_rn_ibd

Good staging advice does, in fact, add equity to the home. If the roof needs replacing, we tell the homeowner to do so. We tell them to replace anything that is in bad condition and would deter a sale because a buyer would have to replace it, such as leaks, flooring, or light fixtures. Often we suggest kitchen updates. A kitchen is the number one selling feature of a home and has the highest return on investment of any interior home improvement. Another way staging can add equity is through the homes selling price. Appraisals are based on recent home sale prices in the area. If the homes in the area are selling for the highest prices then the value of the area homes are also going to go up.

It is up to the real estate agents to fully disclose a home's flaws and issues. It is up to a homeowner to ask the questions and really analyze the home before they buy it and get a home inspection. A good stager, who is truly a professional, does not cover up serious issues; instead they insist that the homeowner make all repairs before even considering showing the home.

What do you think about this bogus report? Has staging helped you?

Posted by Rachel Backus - www.stagedmakeovers.com on 09/20/2007 10:40 AM

Comments (11)

naeba, survey, report, homegain, adding equity, board of realtors, interior design, home improvement, disclosure, inspection, repair, roof

11 Comments on NAEBA's Slimy Survey and Wretched Report - "You can't handle the truth!"

SEP

2007

Nice title, I was not sure what I would find in here, and that is why I clicked it.

Thank you! I knew I had to be creative with this one.

I am not familiar with this report. Could you advise how to access it? Thanks.

Linda - I apologize for not adding the link. I inserted it into the blog. The actual title of the report is "How not to get tricked by staging, and potentially save $5,645 when you buy your home."

I am learning more about staging, because a staged home sells better, should I be learning this service to give to my clients

This made quite a stink last month didnt it! here is a link to my post on it and we did a survey on what actually happens http://activerain.com/blogsview/181994/NAEBA-Response-Survey-Take I am working on a handout of our own regarding the benefits of buying a staged home.

Anecdotal surveys are just that. A collection of recent experiences from a group of people in a period of time. I'm not sure anyone could represent that as statisitically accurate.

It is great to hear what you believe good stagers are supposed to do. What you list is generally not my recent experience, but I hope it is the future of staging. Many of my clients are not visual people and they have difficulty trying to imagine furniture placement and possible layouts. I love when a home has been staged because it is easier to show than a vacant or cluttered home. I take my time to point things out like...the bed is much smaller than a real bed or no one in this room could see the television in this layout.

Many of the staged homes I've recently toured had marketing displays with brochures and business cards of the stager saying THIS HOME WAS STAGED BY... It is an expense the seller was proud of and stager must have been as well. I think this is an interesting chapter in the Real Estate Story.

SEP

2007

Ethan - It is definitely a service that is needed in this tough market. It is better for REALTORs to use an outside stager to play the bad guy role instead of doing the staging themselves. Homeowners don't always take suggestions well because they are emotionally attached to their home and their personal style. A stager knows how to tactfully make changes. Every homeowner is different, some more sensitive than others. Using a stager preserves the positive relationship between the agent and the homeowner. Giving this service to your clients can be a marketing tool, like a special treatment. Almost all homes need staged.

Shell - Thanks for the link. I will check out your survey. Stink is right! I can't wait for it to go away.

Dana - I hope that more stagers will do the right thing. The profession is young and is still weeding out those who do it for fun and those who are serious business owners. Staging makes a huge difference for the homeowner to visualize their own belonging - I agree. About the small funriture thing, honestly we use it because it's easier to move and store, but I am glad you point it out to your clients. Thank you for being supportive.

Rachel is anyone taking the NAEBA report seriously? Are consumers even aware of it?

Maureen - I sure hope not, but I read about it somewhere new everyday (but that's my job and google alerts brings them to me). The intention is to get consumers to read it, and it has made some newspapers and a whole bunch of blogs (blogs which the average consumer may not ever see). It's spreading like wildfire. I hope the readers can see through the report like I did.

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