I really wish Developers and Builders were also in larger numbers here on AR. Even the "builder" groups seem to be filled more with Realtors and posts about their listings, than the Builders and Developers themselves. Please, if you have a viable relationship with a Builder, Developer, Contractor or the like, PLEASE invite them to join Active Rain!
"Why?" You might wonder
We just finished a conversation with a local developer in the Los Angeles area. We were actually referred to the developer by his Realtor who is representing (9) brand new homes that have been vacant and on the market since October 2007 AND this developer also has (42) brand new, vacant townhomes that have also been on the market with high interest but few if any offers. (Which tells me the price is right, but when viewing the home there is nothing exciting about it to make an offer)
The Realtor said that the biggest complaints she is hearing when people are viewing the properties are:
•· "Rooms feel small"
•· "What is this space for?"
•· "Wow, white..."
•· Or what many of the woman say is, "I just can't see it..."
What the Buyers are really saying is:
•· "Tiny - my furniture won't fit"
•· "What is the heck IS this space for?"
•· "White, white, white = sterile, cold, institutional"
•· Woman are visual beings by nature, if they can't "see it" they will convince their significant other of that as well.
So, we called the development company and spoke to the Assistant, she even said, "Yes, where I was before, they always Staged their properties and they always did really well. This company could definitely use a good Stager." She requested our company information and said she would forward it to the owner.
About a week later, I spoke to the owner personally, explained what we do, that we are conveniently located in the nearby areas of the properties and shared some of our most recent successes with Staging. He asked that I mail him some company information. (Yes, snail mail - not email). So we did, we put together a package with all our information, before and after portfolio, all the backup statistics of the benefits of Staging, what Staging does, is and isn't, that we were recently featured in the LA Times, etc. etc. etc.
When we followed up with the Owner of the Development company today, he simply said, "I am not ready to proceed with any Staging at this time." - huh?
He has at least (51) vacant properties that have been on the market for months and he is not ready or willing to spend a fraction of his carrying costs to Stage even (1) home or (1) townhome? I don't get it!?
So please, if you know of a Developer, Contractor, anyone who is in Real Estate on ANY level, they need to be here on AR and read up on ways they can market their properties. Sticking a "for sale" sign in the front yard is not enough in today's market and economy - after (8) months of stagnant listings, I would have thought this Developer (especially with everyone else around him on-board) would have been jumping all over the opportunity to help sell his properties..... (big sigh)
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