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STAGING FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS - WILL YOU KNOW IT? I DIDN'T

By
Home Stager with ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey

This is a little humorous story that I thought I would share with my fellow AR's. I just finished staging a home for a client as of yesterday and it was quite an experience. Let me backtrack a few days...

I met with the realtor last Friday as usual for my initial consultation. The seller answered the door, I introduced myself and proceeded with my walk through. He was following me around the house and I was telling him we need to take down these curtains, paint this, bring in furniture for that....such an oblivious stager, huh?? Hey I was just doing my job!

As you all know, my husband is a KEY part of my business as he heads up my contracting team. He was lagging behind on the phone with someone while I went on ahead.

I was about half way through with my walkthrough when my husband came over to me and said ..."DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?" I said WHO? To protect my client's privacy I cannot mention his name, but needless to say, my husband is a HUGE Boxing fan so he was thrilled to be in this gentleman's presence.

I WAS CLUELESS, DUH, What the heck do I know about boxing, well maybe I would have recognized Mike Tyson if he had answered the door. (it wasn't him).. My husband was like a little kid, it was quite amusing.

We got the job which involved lots of construction and then staging. When I placed the order at my rental company and they saw the lease agreement, the office began chatting. On the day of my furniture delivery, the delivery guys pulled up in the driveway and had smiles from ear to ear and could not wait to get inside to meet the "former champion of the world" (I did not say any names). It was amusing. BUT HE WAS NOT THERE, HE WAS AT THE AIRPORT. THESE GUYS WERE BUMMED. They wanted his autograph, I laughed and said to them...here I have it on the Lease Agreement, how much do you want to pay me for it?

The realtor called him and told them there were disappointed men here who wanted to meet him. He was very kind and said he would catch them when they picked up the furniture.

The following day my husband and I met with him to review his newly staged home (which he loved by the way) and to finalize some paperwork. When he heard about the delivery guys again he said he would love to meet with them and did autograph a dollar bill for them.

It was a fun job and NOW MY HUSBAND MAKES SURE HE COMES IN ALL THE TIME, GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW MANY OTHER FAMOUS PEOPLE I MAY HAVE MISSED

I would love to hear if any of you ever had the opportunity to stage for the rich and famous. I know our very own stager extraordinaire Val Allocco did a consult for Vinny Testaverde.

 

 

No Longer Active in Staging. No Longer Staging
Hickory, NC

How cool is that??? Your new tag line... Phyllis Pafumi - Stager to the Rich & Famous.. good thing your hubby was with you or you might still be in the dark... Nope - sorry, don't have any famous clients - yet...  I might could guess a couple names.....

May 30, 2008 04:18 PM
Terrylynn Fisher
Dudum Real Estate Group - BuyStageSell.com - Walnut Creek, CA
HAFA Certified, EcoBroker, CRS, CSP Realtor, Etc.

How fun for you and what a celeb you are to your hubby for "getting the job"...you are right, he'll be your shadow from now on. 

May 30, 2008 06:29 PM
Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating

Phyllis ~ How funny!  I guess famous depends on who recognizes you!  There would be sports figures that I wouldn't know from the mailman, and I would be oblivious to who they are.  No one famous for me - yet! : )

May 31, 2008 03:58 AM
Melissa Marro
Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL
Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Goodness knows I would be just as oblivious!!!

May 31, 2008 01:15 PM
Tori Lynn Wallitsch
Prudential Ambassador / Ross Designs, LLC - Omaha, NE

How funny - I would have been completely oblivious, too!

May 31, 2008 06:03 PM
Elle Larsen, Sold On Sight Staging, Littleton, CO
Sold On Sight Staging - Littleton, CO

Sounds like it was a fun job!  That is very cool that he was so nice about having some fans!  I am with the crowd - there are very few sports figures I would recognize.  I mean, sometimes I don't even recognize my own relatives or neighbors out in public!  But, I am going to share this story with my husband so he won't groan so much next time I tell him I need help on a job!

Jun 01, 2008 01:45 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Phyllis, Val had told me about that job, I was thrilled for her....and now for you (but I don't know boxing either :(  How about Staging for Celebrities?  Wouldn't that be fun? :)

Jun 01, 2008 02:21 PM
Kym Hough
www.Staged-to-Sell - Danville, CA
Staged to Sell East Bay - Danville, CA

I have staged two celebritie home. They were the nicest client I have ever had. One I was a huge fan the other I was not familiar with...one was on a current how that had been running for 8 years. He was so down to earth I had a ball. My favorite room was his office. he literally had 100 or so photos with famous people everywhere. He asked if he had to take them down. I said oh no, that's my job, don't worry about it. It took me an hour to pack them up when we got back . I had a ball! K

Jun 01, 2008 04:04 PM
IMNJ - Internet Marketing Specialist
Internet Marketing NJ - Red Bank, NJ

Great story. I recently had a experience with a famous baseball player who owns a restaurant. After meeting and speaking with him several times he asked me if I knew who he was. "Ofcourse" I said , and went through a short list of his accomplishements. The bottom line is that business is business and I kept my professional cool. I think if I would have showed "the fan" in me the sale would have been lost.

 

Jun 03, 2008 01:53 AM
Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals

We have a lot of famous people who have seasonal homes in our area and with some I am complelety clueless, especially the sports figures. Most recently a basketball star and I am going "sorry I don't really watch sports, I would rather play them".  He  laughed, agreed and the moment was saved.

Jun 06, 2008 07:45 AM
Cathy Lee
CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA
ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

HI Phylliss!  I have staged for a few celebrities in our area.  One was not such a good experience-but the others were exceptional clients.  One in particular was my favorite job.  Not because he is famous-but because this family was so incredibly kind, gracious, in love with each other, had their priorities in the right order.....I could go on and on about this gentle giant!!  We are still in touch and I always have an open invitation to their home in Florida.    We have the greatest opportunities, don't we when we stage homes.     

Jun 07, 2008 03:09 PM
Michele Hess
Simply Staged Inc. - Rockford, IL
Home Stager Rockford - Simply Staged Inc

Cute story Phylliss!  Can't say there are an abundance of "celebrities" residing here in Rockford, IL.  The only one I can think of is a band member from Cheap Trick.  Does that count???  I wonder if he has plans to move??? (Sorry Cheap Trick fans, I am a fan too - just took a "cheap" shot)

Jun 10, 2008 11:40 PM