Home : Blogs : Stacey Holt : Stacey 's Blog

I Cried This Morning Because of Stupidity!

So this morning I sat down at my computer and went through the entire listing roster for my company...we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 155 listings and do you know how many of them are staged? 3!!!! And to top that off 70% of them are vacant! It broke my heart so much that I actually cried!

I am the full time Marketing Director for my company and have started a staging business on the side. I have tried with everything that I am to get these agents to let me help them without ANYONE taking me up on the offer. So what do I do? I feel obligated as the marketing director to make them stage these homes...some of which have been on the market for 7 months...but I know that I can't make them see. I have given all of the facts, shown before and after photos again and again but they don't want to take the time...I even had one agent tell me this morning,

"Why would the homeowner spend time to paint their house? They are selling it. It will be bought 'as is.' That's a lot of wasted time and money on their end because they are moving into a new home. They would rather spend the money there."

My mouth was on the floor! How stupid can you be? Like I have stated in a previous blog, in my area of the country, North Alabama, they JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND! They think its perfectly ok to take a picture of the master bathroom with the curling iron out and all of the bottles of stuff on the ledge of the spa tub. It's a spa tub afterall, it will sell itself? Come on seriously...I am to the point now of being ANGRY and I just want to smack them over the head.

Well, I have given up on the agents in MY OWN COMPANY and have started marketing myself to other agencies in the area and so far it is paying off. It just makes me so sad that the very people I am closest to and could help the most, and the fastest, are so content with letting their listings just sit on the market. Oh well, that's their problem.

Posted by Stacey Holt on 07/02/2008 01:53 PM

Comments (23)

Post is included in group: Stage It Forward...
Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You
Post is included in group: Online Marketing Help Center
Post is included in group: Staging Secrets
Post is included in group: Staging Successes

23 Comments on I Cried This Morning Because of Stupidity!

JUL

2008

Aloha Stacey, Sounds to me like you need to practice the cold call. If I were in your shoes I would go directly to the sellers, unless of course there is some rule against that. Cold call, cold call, cold call!!!

Hang in there. More and more people are seeing the value in staging.

I believe in it, and I'm in a similar culture here in Laramie, Wyoming. Just last week I almost argued with a Seller for over an hour about the importance, they just didn't see it. I said "well, at least get rid of the 50+ boxes in the family room..." He ignored all my advice and listed it as-is with a discount brokerage, at a price that I said was way too high. I'm interested to see how it goes, hopefully I was wrong about all of it, but I don't think so.

On the otherside of things, I did my first staged listing about a week ago and really did a lot for an agent in my opinion. I even cut down a large tree in front of the house and built a planter in its place. All on my dime, as part of the service. I put 60% of their furniture in the garage, and was pleased when on the MLS showing, out of 25 agents who came through, ZERO looked in the garage. I'm sure they thought the sellers just lived in a very clean and nice way.

Anyway, it's on the market 8 days now, already had an offer. Very good in this market where the average DOM is 150 days. I'm interested to see how long it takes to sell. I spent about 10 hours including 2 other people for 1/2 that, staging it. Will it pay off? I believe it will but want to see it happen before I decide if I keep doing it or not.

And I wish I had an affordable stager here who cared so much she cried! lol, good luck, I'm sure your passion will pay off!

I agree with staging in most cases... How do you however convince a seller of a vacant property with little money and upside down on his mortgage to pay that extra dollar to stage their home? Just curious... I have a few of those and know it would be good but you can't squeeze water out of a rock so to speak..

Since you are a stager...maybe take the plunge and do a highlight staging in a home that you know that's all it needs to sell? Maybe that will get them pumped about staging and can see the difference? Just a thought. It's been a hard road here in Texas to help Realtors understand but I gave away a few staging reports at the beginning and now have a constant stream of clients who get it. Good luck and keep us posted.

Cynthia...It doesn't have to take a lot of money to stage a vacant home...you just need enough to give each room a purpose...and renting the furniture is the best and most econimical way. Paint is also inexpensive and if they don't have a lot of money to spend and have some crazy colors going on, it would help to at least do that.

Cindy...That is the road I am taking...thanks for the advice and I will keep everyone posted...I am actually working on my first two stages right now...can't wait for the outcome!

Unfortunately it is really hard for those of whom you are close to view you as a professional stager or 'the expert' when they knew you in your other role first. I think that proving yourself elsewhere may be an important part of the equation for you. The caveat is that it may get you in trouble with your full time job in this case.....

Why not offer to do one as an example. Maybe even an agent who is either very vocal or a top producer. Then once they are in agreement for how valuable it was they will help ignite the rest of the group.

Karen...I have offered to do free stagings to these agents and still no one wants to do it

Melissa...the funny thing about that is my boss encouraged me to do staging...I think I'm going to have him make it mandatory for the agents to stage all of their listings...lol!

Stacey, I know you are so discouraged but when you start getting clients from other agencies and can show them some of your results- maybe they will finally see the value.. JUST Hang in there - keep at it.. God bless,

I agree with Cheryl! Run, don't walk to the offices competing for listings with YOUR office, and see if you can find someone intelligent enough to get the big picture! It doesn't matter if a seller wants to spend his money on their new house! How is losing money on their 'old' home going to help with that??? OK, now I'm angry...I'll count to ten! Stacey--we all faced this at one time or another, and I can assure you, the winds of change will blow through north Alabama, too! ;)

Stacey - sorry to here about your frustration. Like Cheryl said....dont get discouraged! Remember that for as many people who wiont work the way you want to - there are as many who will. The important thing is to stick to your "guns" and keep advicating for staging - it does work!

There is a model home that was staged with furniture from a local furniture store...the furniture sold the home. The buyers are working out a deal with the furniture company to buy it with the home. Maybe this could be something you could take advantage of in your area. I am sure there is some local furniture gallery that could use the advertising. Stay motivated! This too will pass.

I agree with Melissa. When people see you in one role it can be near impossible for them to see you in another role. One of the most freeing things I ever did was move away from a small town where everyone had expectations of who you were and what you could do. I believe Maeve Binchey wrote an entire series of books based on this. Put your shoes on, meet and greet other Realtors who will only know you as the Staging lady.

A mentor of mine gave me this little note 30 years ago and it is still as true today as when he gave it to me.

nononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononoononoyes.

You have to go through a lot of no's to get a yes. Stop wasting your time immediately on people who say no to you and get to the one who will say yes. You only need a few clients who say yes to Staging to build your business and expertise.

Good Luck Stacey although I don't think you need it. You seem to be one determined lady.

Stacey,

We have 10 agents in our office....5 of us are ASP's....you think we don't know what it is about. The funny thing is that I have heard Realtors from other offices make "catty' remarks about our staged homes. I guess they haven't noticed that our staged homes are bringing more and selling faster and we are getting more listings. I hate that for them.

JUL

2008

Yes, go to the competition, except make sure it won;t be construde as a "Conflict of Interest" within your own office or by the Big Dogs.

I could give you an entire list of rebutals to why homeowners should spend just a "little" money to save a LOT, but it sounds like it would simply fall upon deaf ears.

JUL

2008

Stacey-

The hardest part of our job is educating others of the need for staging.

Most of our clients are NOT referred to us by real estate agents! They are home sellers who have seen the staging shows, contact us through our website or referral from friends and want to sell fast. The agents that do refer us to sellers are the more savvy agents here in town.

Keep going! It'll pay off!

~Leslie

Stacey - I too am from North Alabama, Rainbow City to be exact. You think Huntsville doesn't understand -- try down here!!!! I've too have been doing this song and dance for a couple of years now. I worked for a real estate company for five years and became a stager about 2 years ago. Recently I was introduced by the broker of that company to someone as "she used to work for me and now she's TRYING to get into staging". I politely told her that I was no longer TRYING to become a stager, I WAS one. I wonder if it will ever finally click around here!

JUL

2008

Stacy, you are right to do what you are doing. Go to the other companies and when those agents start selling those listings, your agents will take notice. It is often in our own backyard that we don't appreciate what we have. And, send in an article to your local newspaper highlighting one of those agents quoting how the staging helped...and you write it and promo your company. That will do it!!! You go girl. It's coming.

Stacey - It's not about spending money - it's about saving money. You've heard it before:

"The cost to stage a house is ALWAYS less expensive than the first price reduction."

And not only the price reduction, but the carrying costs, too - the continued mortage, the continued upkeep, the continued utilities, the continued HOA fees, etc., etc.

There was a house in my neighborhood that was for sale. The owner refused to spend "one more -*%- penny on that house!", despite the fact that all 4 of the realtors they went through told them they needed to remove wallpaper, paint, change the carpet, upgrade the kitchen (still builder grade), and get rid of the 3 pairs of fishing/wading boots that were hanging in the unfinished basement (a scary sight to see when you turned the corner). Nothing was done. After a year on the market, they ended up renting the house. So now they're landlords and they STILL have to maintain the house.

Some people will just never get it. Once your staged homes start selling, maybe then they'll get the message.

Monica

Stacey~ maybe your manager needs to step in and say that the company's listings need to meet certain standards for MLS picture purposes. Maybe the two of you could pick a property and do some before and after shots. Show the sellers how much improved the photos are after the work. Good luck!!

When I first started my business I went to the agents that I knew from prior years. We had a business relationship and to this day the just don't get it. I too marketed myself to other agents and with much success we have staged and sold. These other houses SIT.

It's time to meet and greet new agents, they need you

Phyllis Pafumi

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?