For most of your clients, their homes are their largest asset and when they decide to sell, getting the most for their property is their greatest concern. Staging®, or preparing their home for sale, can help your client to get the price that they demand. When a home is Staged® it makes a first impression on the buyer that the home is move in ready and allows them to envision themselves living there. Below is an explanation of why Staging® should be an integral part of your marketing plan for every listing and how it can benefit you and your clients.
One of the most common misconceptions about Staging® is that it is only for "tastefully challenged" homes, high-end homes, or homes that have been on the market for a long time. Staging®, however, is a valuable service that you as a Realtor can use for any home you list no matter what price, style, or size. When a home is properly prepared for sale, it makes an impact on buyers and buyer's agents and often leads to a faster and more profitable sale. For this reason, it is important that you introduce Staging® as part of the way you prepare a listing for sale and only begin marketing the listing once the Staging® has been completed. Just as you would detail a car before offering it for sale, you also want to detail your client's home before putting it on the market. You would not want to buy a car with a dent in the fender, flat tires and torn seats, and similarly buyers to not want homes that are worn, dated, dirty and dark. Staging® will give your listings an advantage over other homes in the same price range because buyers are looking for properties that are clean, clutter free and move in ready. By investing more time up front getting the home ready for sale, your seller will have a successful and smooth sale.
Preparing a home for sale can benefit both you and your seller. Studies show that homes that have been Staged® sell faster and for more money than non-staged homes. A recent Stagedhomes.com report notes that homes that were Staged® sold almost 3x faster than non staged home in an average of 6.8 days. The equity increase for those homes ranged from 3% on average to almost 50% in some cases. This means larger profits for your clients and greater commissions and earnings for agents. The investment in Staging® a home is less than the price reduction that your client may have to take if they did not properly prepare it for sale, and the rewards of Staging® are higher returns and happier clients.
As a Realtor, Staging® will give you a real edge over your competition because you will repeatedly get your clients the price that they deserve for their homes. In setting the price for your client's listing, you cannot change the market conditions or the location of the property, but you can control the way that the home is seen through the eyes of the buyer. You can make suggestions to your client about how the home appears and how it can be improved to be more appealing to the most possible buyers. The key factors to consider are:
•· Cleanliness or "Q-tip Clean". At all times the home should be ready to show to potential buyers. The windows should be washed, carpets cleaned, floors mopped, furniture polished and dusted. Bathrooms and kitchen appliances should sparkle.
•· Clutter or lack of it. When you are putting a home on the market you are selling the space the home offers, not the owners' personal collections and memorabilia. It is important to encourage your clients to pack away these items before they put the home on the market so they are not distracting to the buyer. You only have one chance to make a great first impression and you do not want the buyer to overlook the great built-ins in the living room and only notice the trophies on the shelves. Remind your clients that "space sells" and "clutter eats equity".
•· Color. The way a buyer envisions themselves and their belongings in a home is a huge consideration in their decision to purchase it. When a home has a color palate that is very specific to the sellers' tastes, it makes it difficult for the buyer to imagine their things in the room. Often times a buyer will pass on a home with unusual paint colors because they view repainting the rooms as an additional expense that they do not want to incur. Suggest to your clients with bold colors to consider repainting their home in more neutral hues. This will make buyers see the space as their own and not decorated to the seller's likes.
Often times, however, your client's homes will need more than a quick sprucing up. There can also be sensitive subjects such as taste or odor that you do not want to broach with your client and you may not want to risk offending them. An ASPTM, accredited staging professional, can act as an objective third party and help you to get your client's home ready for sale so you do not damage your relationship with your client.
An accredited staging professional will visit your client's home and prepare a detailed written report of the interior and exterior of the property noting how a home can be made more attractive to potential buyers. The report can include a checklist of what your client can do on their own to get the home ready for sale and can include a visit to the property once the client has completed their "homework" to make sure the home is presentable for sale. In addition, a Home Stager® can help your client to "declutter" and rearrange the furnishings in the home to make it seem more spacious and livable. A Stager® will also give your clients advice about color selection and curb appeal enhancement. For homes that are vacant, a Home Stager® can help your client with furniture and accessory rentals and arrange the items in the home.
It is difficult to predict future market conditions and prices of homes but as the market trends away from a seller's market and becomes more of a buyer's market, Staging® will greatly enhance the way the buyers view your listings. With Spring market fast approaching, educating yourself about Staging® will give you an edge on your competition and using a Home Stager® will add value to the services that you provide your clients.
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