I just got an email asking that same question from Ray Nellum.  It's funny - it is so ingrained in me that I assume that everyone knows why people should stage their homes before putting it on the market. Those around me, shake their heads, and tell me, "I know - it's like preaching to the choir."  I realize now that I need to change my range of audience and do a better job of spreading the word!  Thanks Ray for the wake-up call.  I'm on a roll, I think I'll have to do a blog on 5 reasons for a homeowner.

Realtors - Here are 5 reasons why you should encourage a home owner to have their homes staged.

5:  Attracts a broader range of buyers as Staged Homes are more appealing and are recognized as the BEST properties to see.

4:  Great Listing tool.  Not only do your photos look better, (Accredited Staging Professional  Masters (ASPM's) are trained to take professional quality photos), the listing is placed on the Staged Homes website - it gets over 6 MILLION hits per month. (This is HUGE considering that 80% of homes are looked at on the internet before people even bother looking at the house live with the realtor.)

3:  Usually the homeowner pays for the staging, which means no out of pocket for you.  Less time marketing the listing and less money spent on advertising the listing means savings for you.

2:  Your listings will sell in half the time than a non-staged home!

1:  Your listings will sell for more money - 7% more according to last year's StagedHomes report.  A recent US Dept. of Urban Housing and Development (HUD) recently conducted a staging study that showed staged homes netted 17% more profit than unstaged homes!  (Thanks Jessica Hughes for that report  http://www.realtown.com/articles/sellers/staging-20-take-your-business-to-the-next-level  Money invested in preparing a home for sale will be paid back with a premium (and at no cost to the realtor!).  Homeowners are happy, Realtor's happy: translation, everyone is happy.  Happy customers = referrals and repeat customers! 

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a Realtor who called me by chance over the phone.  I was the 4th stager he called, but the only one that took the time to share the information that I did with him.  He told me he wanted to get a competitive edge in the Real Estate market.  He was meeting an investor who was interviewing several Realtors for 2 listings.  He wanted to stand out from the rest and thought staging would help him look like he was ahead of the times (we're in Charlotte, NC not San Francisco...).  He interviewed me and I told him all about staging and shared with him the statistics and numbers.  I emailed him a two page informational piece he could use in his presentation.  He called me the next day to tell me that he got the business.  The investor was impressed that he was keeping current with the trends and was on top of what really makes a property sell - needless to say, I have 2 very exciting staging projects and a loyal fan!