No matter where you turn these days, you hear about how bad the housing market is. I even heard a comment on a recent showing of an HGTV show that dubbed Colorado the "Foreclosure Capitol of the Country". Whether or not you feel that is true or not, when a media source puts that kind of information out there, it colors people's perceptions.

Is the market down? You bet

Are homes still selling in Colorado? Of course! It is not the breakneck pace that we have enjoyed in recent years past but when homes are priced right and staged by a professional home stager they sell faster and for the most money possible.

Some market correction is probably a good thing. We can sit and blame the mortgage industry and in truth they should shoulder a lot of the responsibility but what has come of this is tighter regulations on an industry that previously has had little or no regulations. That is a great thing!

But where do we go from here?

The answer is UP! As in all things, Real Estate is cyclical and what goes down must come up. We are beginning to see some of that in the Denver metro market. Perception is changing and with that comes a shift in the home buying public attitude and awareness.

Homes need to be priced correctly and be aesthetically pleasing through Staging. These are the two most important factors for selling a home in ANY market. "Trying" a price and giving "Allowances" don't work. They never really have and they never will. 90% of buyers cannot see past what is in front of them and that includes paint color!

Buyers are getting smarter and more agressive but home sellers are getting smarter as well. The practice of having homes Staged before putting them on the market is becoming more and more common place. Staging is not being seen so much as an expense as in an investment in protecting the seller's equity. Merchandising is crucial. It has to look good and create a sense of urgency on the part of the buyer. You know what I am talking about here, just like the urgency you feel when you walk in to a Marshall's or TJMaxx. You know if you don't get that item right then, it won't be there when you come back later.

It is ironic that people will take a vehicle and invest several hundred dollars detailing and cleaning to get a price that is perhaps 25-50% of what they originally paid for it. Yet, when it comes to their homes, they often do not clean, polish or shine up the investment that has probably increased in value since purchase and will net them the greatest return on their investment. Hmmmm....Interesting don't you agree?

Educating home sellers is the key! Helping them to understand that by investing in making their home look as aesthetically pleasing as possible they will garner the highest price possible for the investment that will give them the highest return. Staging is an investment in protecting their equity or at the least helping them to garner the highest price possible. If an average price reduction is 5-10% to rekindle interest in a property, on a $500,000 home that would be $25,000 to $50,000 of their equity - GONE! I don't know about you but if your seller can give away that kind of money, please, give them my address and have them send me the check- my name is spelled PACHAK.

Friends don't let friends sell homes without Staging. Realtors don't let clients list homes without having them Staged and without agreeing to a realistic market price. Education, education, education. Sellers don't know what we don't tell them and they look to us as the experts. Fear is the enemy. Fear of the unknown. Paint a realistic and hope filled picture. Let your sellers know the reality of their marketplace and educate them as to how they can make it work the very best and most beneficial for them. It is a buyer's market right now but when you create a beautiful, well priced product they will come. We Staged a home in Piney Creek last week and it sold to the first couple who looked at it. It was priced well and looked amazing. The formula works. Time and time again the formula works. Empower your clients to do the best thing for themselves when selling their homes. No one wants to spend top dollar for a "dog" of a property.

We can change the perception of gloom and doom in todays market or at least empower home sellers to see that pricing their home correctly and investing in the detailing of their property through Staging is essential for the serious client who wants to preserve the equity they have or at the very least, reduce the amount of funds they would have to bring to the closing table.

"No, Chicken Little, the sky is not falling!" It has been cloudy for some time but I can see the sun peeking through the clouds and it's gonna be a beautiful day.

Perception is reality. What does yours look like today? Become inspired.

Don't discount your time or services, increase your value to your clients. Insist that homes are ready to place on the market with the right price and aesthetically pleasing by being Staged.

Staging Services offered by We Stage Colorado

"Changing the Face of Colorado Real Estate...One Home at a Time!"

http://WeStageColorado.com

Trish@WeStageColorado.com

Trish Pachak ASP Master   Trainer for StagedHomes.com

303-521-8551