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Tuesday Truths- Do you really trust other Real Estate Professionals?

Blogging helps us to let others know who we are, and what we have to offer, whether it's hard core skills, or inspirational messages. But do you really trust the person you are reading? We can learn so much if we are open to new ideas, and take the time to see who is behind a blog. Staging was a term I had never heard of until I joined Active Rain. This Real Estate Network has so many different fields of expertise.

I read some Staging and Feng Shui articles but it wasn't until I looked on my County Dashboard that I saw there was a Stager near me. Janice Sutton of 1st Stage Property Transformation lives and works in Murrieta/Temecula.

I read her blogs, liked what I saw, and made contact. The first time last year that we attempted to stage a very needy house didn't work out. But a few weeks ago, I gave her a call again. One of my listings wasn't getting any activity and I was running out of options. Wanting a fresh perspective I called Janice. We set up an appointment for her FREE Consultation, and she gave me her opinions.......

Before Pic with Window Coverings

Oh you should have heard me....

"Oh no" I don't think my Seller would want to do that !"
"But I like that Turquoise carpet"
"What ? You want to take down all those expensive window coverings?"

Oh my I sounded like it was my house. This lasted about 10 minutes before I caught myself, and realized I called a Stager for Advice....so why was I being resistant? So I shut up and listened!!!

I still wasn't sure how I was going to approach my Seller to paint and re-carpet, and I couldn't give his name and number out without his permission.

But first I had to believe in what Janice was saying......and I did, as Staging is her area of Expertise.

Don't get me wrong....I was pretty protective of my client, and I wanted to save him as much money as possible, while getting help with the listing. I figure this wasn't going to be an easy task, but I would give it my best shot, and that's exactly what I told Janice.

I did call the Seller, and explained about staging, why I thought it would be in his interest to do as the Stager recommended, and the cost involved. I really thought he was going to refuse to relist, and just send me on my way. Not only had we not gotten the House Sold in 6 months, but now here I was asking him to pay out even more money. But actually he wouldn't be paying more money in the long run, just the first upfront fee for Staging, and paint and carpet. He said he'd think about it and let me know......and it didn't sound encouraging.

Before Picture of Staged Home

A week went by, and I got an email.....he decided to Stage his home.

I let Janice know and it didn't take long before she had the painter out there, and the carpet guy.

It was the same day the carpet guy finished that Janice was out there setting things up.

I was amazed at the energy that she had, and the way things were already starting to look when I got there. Furniture, plants, taking down the window coverings to let in more light; Staging.....she obviously knew what she was doing, and that's what I wanted.

Master Retreat after Paint and Carpet

Staging After Shot

Now that all her work is done, it's time for me to do mine :)

I did say this was a transaction with 3 Active Rain Members......

First....Melinda Jones from Sun Lakes Realty in Banning gave me the referral. Working together in the past, and trust that I would do whatever I could for the client has resulted in several referrals from Melinda.
Second.....That would be me :)
Third Janice Sutton of 1st Stage Property Transformation in Temecula- a city about 45 minutes from the property.

Professional Respect and Working Together for the common goal of helping the client......Yes 3 Active Rain Members Working together.

I just love what Janice did with this home........and of course I thank Melinda for the Referral.

Staged Kitchen by Janice Sutton of 1st Stage Property Transformation

How about you, do you trust other Real Estate Professionals, or people that work in fields that are associated with Real Estate?

By: Kathy McGraw- CELLing Realty in Riverside County and Authoring the Blog California Real Estate and Life

Posted by Kathy McGraw, Riverside County CA Real Estate on 09/02/2008 03:40 PM

Comments (81)

active rain, staging, working together

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81 Comments on Tuesday Truths- Do you really trust other Real Estate Professionals?

SEP

ohhhh lala.....what a transformation...........oh the art of delegating and relying on expertise!

Kathy thanks for your support today - i really appreciated it...:-)

Hi Liz- First off you're welcome....anytime I can help let me know. And as far as the ohhhhh lala transformation, didn't she do a good job? I was shocked at the transformation, pleasantly of course.

In my experience, Staging a property will usually not only get it sold sooner, but for a higher dollar. In a slow market it can give it the edge it needs to standout above the others. I have always been a believer in staging. The first time I used a stager was in Newport Beach, CA in 1989. When I moved to Coeur d'Alene / Hayden Lake, ID in 1990 I couldn't find any Stagers here so I had to use the knowledge I had learned from my Stager in Newport Beach. I am very happy that several Stagers are now in our communities. They can and do make a big difference!

Pam- I had read about Staging and Feng Shui here. I felt pretty lucky that Janice lived close to me, and her blog got me to call her. Part of what I told my Seller was that the Staged Home would help us more than the empty house. I think your clients were lucky because you already knew something about Staging :) Thanks for your comments, they're appreciated.

I love the photographs and your post. Awesome results! Kudos and congrats on the AR teamwork. :-)

Kathy, this is a big topic and I love your writing. I joined this industry basically I hate this industry. There are many un-qualified agents in this industry, in my mind. That said, once I joined this industry,I found that there are many good agents to be trusted.

I think there is nothing wrong with home staging itself. It helps people find the hidden beauty of a property. Not everybody is good at design and home decoration. If you can help a potential buyer visionalize a property, I think you are helping him/her.

Kathy, this is a wonderful post. I'm so glad you listened as I know by looking at the photo's it will help the house sell. I am a huge believer in staging and said so many times here. Even if the house is not the right fit for a buyer the feedback is always positive in the showing condition.

One house I listed lately, my stager was out of town for 2 weeks, then by the time she had got back and had it staged it was several days. The feedback from the first few weeks was like night and day. My seller was starting to feel bad.

Good luck on a quick sale, let us know when you get it under contract.

Kathy,

I think staging is a good idea...the trouble I have is most of my properties are vacant and the sellers don't want to spend the money to stage when they know they are already selling lower than anticipated. Also I have short sales out there too and we all know the banks and sellers ain't paying a dime for those services so it's making it harder on stagers I'm sure.

Hi Kathy,
When I first saw this I thought you were a day ahead but yes, it is Tuesday! That is what happens when I take Monday off.

Staging is just not done here very often and is still a very foreign idea to most. I have met a stager that just relocated here and I am very anxious to work with her. I am trying very hard to convince a builder with some vacant homes to give it a try. Your story gives me more ammunition and hope.

This is such a great example of the power of staging. The folks who resist will have to wait longer to sell the home in an already over saturated market! Thanks for this excellent post

Kathy, I think Staging makes such a differnce. I love my stager. She can make chicken salad out of you know what. It always amazes me that when I tell a seller they should do such and such, they sort of resist me, when she tells them - done no problem. When I want something done, I just make sure she mentions it to the seller. Teamwork!

You are funny, resisting the stager. I think it is trying to save the seller money? Thinking we can get away with certain things.

C-Tann Starr- Thes Photos make Marketing this property that much easier....I like the green fern in the foreground of the kitchen :) I always like it when people can trust each other, and be honest enough to question.

Huiting Zhuang-Thank you, and I liked how you said "find the hidden beauty of a property". Yes, for me Staging was something I felt was worth it as the property had already sat in an over-saturated Market with little interest......now it doesn't look "boring" anymore :) Thank you for taking the time to comment.

Missy- Yes I can imagine how your listing was night and day different in the feedback. This house is beautiful, but we can't sell it if we can't get anyone in it :) If I have a FENG SHUI question I ask Carole Provenzale of Long Island, and now that I found out about Staging....my go to person is Janice Sutton :) It does make a difference.

Neal- I hear you loud and clear, and Sellers hear you. I have another house..never lived in, that could greatly benefit from Staging, but they are already hoping to just break even. Staging is one of those things that even though we know it helps, a Seller won't do it if they are upside down on the House already.

Cynthia- I would say "Especially for Builders".....they have already invested so much money, and why wouldn't they want to present their Home in the Best light Possible. The Models here are Staged absolutely beautiful.

Russell- Thank you....and yes in this over-saturated Market, and so many people wanting "cheap" first, it's important to show the Home in it's best light :)

Audrey- I am just smiling...first Missy, now you made the comment "my stager".....hmm I wonder if I can call Janice "my Stager" :) Oh and you were right, I was trying to save the Seller money.....isn't that part of my Fiduciary Duty ....LOL :) Yes, I did resist Janice, a natural first reaction to her not liking "my" house......but as you saw I caught myself, and remembered why I called her in the first place.

Sometimes we, Rel Estate Agents, as well as the Sellers let our emotions come to the forefront, and we need to remember WHY we called that Professional in the first place :)

Kathy - What a great post. The pictures were wonderful and really seem to showcase this home. Good for you to recognize your initial resistance and move past it. It sounds like you've really kept the best interest of your client at heart. Best of luck in getting this SOLD!

Kathy, What a wonderful story! How nice to get the referral and to call Janice, a real pro for her expertise. I think the home looks fabulous and bet the owner is thrilled with ALL of you! Good luck, I hope it sells very fast.

I wish we had real stagers in our area -- and homeowners that have money to spend. But alas, we are a low income type of area, so we make do. ~ Evelyn

Kathy, What a nice time for me to be online---hit refresh, see your lovely comments (which I believe we were cross commenting) and find this as a FEATURE!! I'm thrilled, congratulations, it is a wonderful post (and thank you for the mention :)!

Great topic. thanks for bringing that up

Wow, the transformation was wonderful. I appreciate what you went through with the 'trust' issue. Sometimes, that's the hardest part of making a much needed change. I'm glad that your client was able to take the steps necessary too. Best wishes for a quick and successful sale. The home looks great!

Kathy, you're a "back seat stager"! We have been working with more buyers that listings, but one thing that, to me, is non-negotiable is a staging appointment (we love Val Allocco). SHE presents the ideas to the seller, leaving us to do what we do. It's wonderful that you found a great connection- the house looks amazing!

This is what is so significant about active rain -- we can meet and "trust" people we would not have probably known otherwise. This is a great example of how important a social network can be. Kudos to all!

Kathy - I'm a big proponent of staging and the concept was foreign to me before I joined AR. Now, if I can just stage my own blogs, my posts are like the proverbial zit of the blogosphere;-)

Beautiful! Kathy it is a hard lesson and I struggle with it daily. I am not good at everything. I need to deligate. The home looks great and I am sure it will sell quickly!

Of note, when I sell my home down the road... I'll probably be hiring a stager myself.

As far as your question goes...do I trust others working in the RE related arena??? Hmmm...slippery slope here I think, so I will proceed with truthful caution. LOL. First, I think trust is to be earned on a case by case basis regardless of who I'm dealing with. Second, I think we all have to be smart enough to distinguish between strategy and dishonesty. In this business this is probably the hardest lesson to learn. We are all trying to look out for the best interest of our client and sometimes this can be mistaken for dishonesty or lead to mistrust. I do believe however that if we follow basic rules of ethics we can ensure that we handle the situations professionally, honestly, and in the best interest of our clients. I think more often than not, we get in the mentality of "us against them" when dealing with other agents, and really we both have a common goal. If we keep that common goal in mind and always perform according the Code of Ethics when dealing with each other and our clients and customers, we would all be much happier in the long run!

Lynn- thank you very much....Working with and for the Seller takes trust. We spend a lot of time in the beginning going over things, and figuring out what to do, and then everyone needs to Trust that the Professionals know what they're doing. I did indeed have to catch myself...those first reactions aren't always correct :)

Carole- I love what Janice did, and I too hope it sells fast....I still need to watch out for my client LOL :) The faster we sell it the more money the client has.....

Evelyn- I hear you....and sometimes we just need to do the best we can with what we have. Every situation is different for sure. In this case the Seller will actually save money the way we structured everything....that is if we sell it within the listing period.

Carole- I had no idea this was Featured until I saw your comment in my email :) So I guess Janice, Melinda, and I get an extra kudo for our work :) If I hadn't been reading your Feng Shui I would never have found out about the Stagers.....:)

Travis -:) :)

Lola- thank you for that comment....yes it really was getting past the Trust, and also for the Seller to Trust what I was telling him. I see this as a win-win for everyone. Now we just need to get it sold :) Oh, I will say I found my first Agent Business Card left on the counter yesterday. Now that in itself is a big plus :)

Kathy, this is an awesome article. So many times we (ok, I'll speak for myself) feel the need to butt in when I shouldn't be butting in. It's that protective feeling that wraps around the client. Too motherly? I don't butt in when it's a home inspector talking and doing his/her work, but why do I try to micromanage everything else? Shame on me.

Loved the way you wrote this AND the message you sent.

Kathy nice job of showing how mutual trust can get things done. Maybe I should do something the same for the lender/realtor connection?

kathy- Great post. Sometimes it is just so hard to let go and let someone else take the reins but as your post shows, when we do amazing things can happen.

Laurie-Thanks for that comment...I too think Janice did an amazing job. I'm laughing at your term "back seat stager" and you're SOOOOOO right :) But even "back seat stagers" can learn to keep their mouth shut when tit comes to tat :)

Joan- Absolutely. We can learn if a person is really "Trustworthy" by our standards, and if we are comfortable working with them. Social Networking has opened up so many doors for so many of us, I have talked to more Agents in Missouri than I probably have in California :)

Jason- Hi there....that comment was typical Jason, :) Anyway seems like neither of us knew about Staging,

Katie-Oh you said it so well.....we aren't all good at everything so delegate :) Knowing our limitations, just like the properties limitations can be overcome with honesty and mitigation.

Jason- See...just like me, you know that there is a time and a place to trust others to do their jobs :)

Christy & Robyn-That was a very insightful answer. I think most of us believe Trust has to be earned. And our Blogs and comments can give others a pretty good idea of who we are. But not always. Some people don't write their own Blog, some people flower it up a bit, and some people never let you see past the Hard Core Stuff.....but a good mixture of all helps others, other Professionals, and Clients know a bit about who you are as Step 1. Step 2 would be to call and or meet in person.

"Always perfom according to the Code of Ethics" is very important, agreed.

Kathy, great article. I often try to gently tell my sellers what needs to be done, having watched way too much HGTV in the past 10 years. I love your idea of getting a stager to tell them. Maybe they'll take it better from someone else. And if not, well, you weren't selling the house anyway! Another agent will only lower the price, and tell them to stage it.

Trust other agents, Active Rainers? you have to start out with trust in mind, and let them earn it for the next transaction.

If today is Tuesday, does that mean tomorrow is hump day already? Yeah!

Obviously we all need to be a little more open with this trend. End results looks great, after all that you probably wondered why you didn't think of it sooner. I just went thru it a few weeks ago with a stager, & we'll see how it goes.

First off congrats on the feature Kathy. Second, this a great story and brings up a good point. I think that we are naturally tentative to trust people (I know that I am). I wouldn't say that I don't trust other people in our industry as much as I am cautiously optimistic about the results they will produce. We just get burned too often to expect perfect results. I am glad to hear that everything worked out so wonderfully for you this time.

Kathy ... it looks like you and the stager .. and AR helpers and partners .. are doing well together. Keep up the good writing. Best wishes.

Harrison K. Long, Explore properties group, Irvine, CA

Definitely follow up on this to let us know if it indeed helped get the home sold!

Kathy, the house looks beautiful, Congrats on everything working out. Do I trust other realtors, it is really difficult to trust the ones in my own market area, especially when some of them are known for their dishonesty or have "S ______D" me over in the past for a buck, listing, sale. I try to give the benefit and think positive.

Paint, especially, is such a quick and inexpensive fix, but it is amazing how many buyers refuse to consider a house I show them because they don't like the paint colors in a couple of the rooms! I tell them they can change it to their choice for less than $100 in materials, but they will turn down a home that they otherwise love just because of colors. Try to tell the seller to paint and you get a lot of resistence - "it's my favorite color!"

Maybe your seller finally realized that you might be right, since it had sat unsold for so loong. And if those were your before and after pictures, you should have that house sold in no time! Congratulations!

I really do feel like a member in a community with all the friends I've made on Active Rain. It's hard to find people you know you can trust, and at least you get some insight into the bloggers here by reading what they write.

I think in this sort of market sellers need to hear the truth, especially if the need to sell their house, there is no time to beat around the bush. The sellers home should have been staged from the beginning. It is part of all my listing presentation. I give a $350.00 staging credit that the seller pays for in the beginning, and at closing I will credit it back to them

hi Kathy, congrats on the front page feature, it's really nice to see the results of Rainers working together, we make such a good team, all 107,000+ of us. ;-)

Kathy - what a great unfolding of events and transformation of the home. Selling the value of staging presents it's own challenges however I believe it is part of our duty as trusted advisors to make certain a Seller understands that staging does help sell homes. If a buyer does not make an emotional connection and experience the feeling of home - they are off to the next house ... and there are plenty of them! I look forward to reading your post telling us how soon the home sells and how much more money you got for it.

Original question "do you really trust other Real Estate Professionals" and my answer is yes, many of them, with the understanding they are working for their client just as I am mine. Some, I trust unless it comes to money and one in particular, lets money get in the way of her good sense, but that is not my problem, all I have to do is be aware of it. A select few I would trust to the moon & back! The staging looks great and I agree, it helps when homes need it.

Hi Kathy, I am a firm believer that the majority of Realtors are Trustworthy, the few exceptions you should not focus on. Re.: Staging. I loved the post. Too bad too many Sellers are cheap and do not get it. The old adage : .....Don't confuse me with facts...I have made up my mind already...

A great example was Sunday: a was taking buyers out in the Marina del Rey area. We saw a home relatively in expensive finishes on the inside for about $1.9m my clients stayed 20 min enjoying the house since it was Staged, btw no view of the Marina, Grand Canal nor the Ocean. Then we went to a Superb house $2.3m great finish, views all the water. Not Staged they stayed about 10 min. They said they liked it but it was missing something.....How about Staging:))

Kathy... Looks likestaging is becoming more popular these days... Thanks for sharing

Kris- So you Micro Manage certain things huh......I wish I could say that I never did, but that wouldn't be true :) Ahh but I'm older and wiser now, and allow others to do what they do without the need to interfere :) Not always...but mostly..... LOL :)

Fred- Sounds good to me. Lenders and Realtors are very important Teams :)

Martha- Oh how right you are. If we don't trust then we want to do it ourselves :) After all we know what we'll do. good point.

Linda- LOL yes tomorrow is Wednesday...hump day if you will ;) Blogging, I know for me I want to trust whoever I am reading. I also feel very offended when I find out someone has someone else writing their Blog unless it is stated as such. To me that is trust...that what and who I read is as they portray themselves. That is Step 1.....

Lyn- Yes, I love the results for this home, and I hope yours has good results as well.

Hi Ryan- I liked your comment, especially the Cautiously Optimistic one :) Some people do let us down, but hey if we concentrated on them all the time well we might miss the good ones.

Harrison- I have had some pretty good successes from my Blogging, and I have also had some negative experiences. But all in all I am very happy with the relationships I have built through Blogging.

Kelly- I sure will :) thanks....

Christine- It's a shame when people will walk all over someone else for a dollar. At least that's my opinion. Yea it would affect someones trust level. I guess I've been pretty darn lucky so far....most of the other people I've worked with have been trustworthy. Sometimes we have to work with people that we don't trust, not that we like it , but it's our job.

Thanks for the compliment...Janice did a very nice job :)

Susan- I am so glad to hear that you not only found Active Rain, but also that you're having good experiences. Now that the Membership is over 100,000 people it''s harder to find like minded people...and also know who to trust, and who not to. If I were to generalize I would easily say that most of the people on here are good hard working trustworthy people. The other handful....just click aways from them.

Thanks for the compliments...those are a few of the Before and After pictures.

Tatyana- Sounds like you have known about Staging longer than I have. My specialty is Land Sales, and the only Staging we do with Land is possibly clean any debris off it :) so Active Rain taught me a lot of different things for Residential.....and I too am giving the Seller a credit towards the Staging. thanks for your comment....I like to know what different people in different areas do.

marti- Thanks my friend...and yes it really is so nice to see what we can accomplish together. You're a perfect example of trust.....week after week you give to the community. And week after week you have built up trust with the members. Social Networking at its best :)

Kathleen- It really was an unfolding of events wasn't it LOL :).....and yes, I'll let you know when it sells. I am going to use a couple of these/my pictures to show other Sellers if we need to Stage their homes.

That was a really great PLUG - did she pay you to write that article or are you getting a discount on your next stage job?

Kathy -- Thanks for the great post and the fantastic before/after shots. As a realtor who stages her own listings in Lexington, KY, I too can attest to the power of staging. Some of my listing clients do resist my staging and their houses inevitably take longer to sell and sell for less in this market.

I think buyers' tastes have become more sophisticated since the advent of HGTV and other decorating shows. And I think this increases their expectations when it comes to buying a home -- they expect it to look like the professionally decorated homes they see on tv. The few homes that are professionally staged these days seem to fit the picture in the buyers' minds of what a new house should look like, and they're more likely to buy because of it.

Some homeowners are naturally gifted in presenting their homes in their best light, but for the rest of the owners out there, a good stager can make all the difference!

Isn't AR great?

What a beutiful transformation. Thanks for sharing and good luck getting it sold!

Tina in Virginia

Hey, I trust most of them. I can feel the energy and know if if is someone to be suspicous of. Years ago when I was making lots of money in real estate, I gave free seminars to help other agents because when you do good for others, good comes back to you!

Not signed in...RE: Money...money has a way of corrupting many people, and in desperate times, it's even more so. Do you remember that saying "Trust but verify" our Blogging shows you over time who is who. And at least most of the people you have had good experiences with.....

Endre- You have an interesting example from your own experience......but judging why someone did or didn't do something (like Staging) is out of my realm of expertise. We may think we know something, but more times than not facts are missing that would have allowed us to see the other side of the coin.

Anyway, I'm so glad to hear so many people that have had good successes....just verifies for me my decision to call in the Stager.

Roland- Well if I didn't think it was before I sure do now with all our Colleagues here either Staging or using Feng Shui Principles.....both of which I learned about here.

Baffled- Ahh if you knew me better you would know that I say what I mean....If I think someone did a good thing I say it. If I think someone is an Idiot I say that too. If I trust someone I have no problem letting everyone know. Nobody has ever paid me to "PLUG " anyone...but if you think I could get paid for this then I guess I made my point.....and she really did do a great job as evidenced by the photos.

I am curious on the "Baffled" name....don't you Trust enough to give us your real name when insinuating that I may have written this for profit.

Sharon- Yes AR is great.....so many good people, good tutorials, and advice from Professionals in all aspects of the Industry. I like what you said about staging....and sometimes new things take time. Example in point. I just got a call a little while ago from a neighbor in that complex. They asked if it was sold, then if it was rented, and voiced their concern about a truck having pulled up and put furniture in the house. They were also concerned that the blinds weren't all the way closed :)

It's more than the Sellers that don't know about Staging :)

Tina in Virgina- Thanks.....:)

Cathleen- I really like that attitude...and believe in it as well. Why would I want to work with someone that doesn't understand the Internet....makes my job harder. Why would I want to work with someone that can't email...makes my job harder.

Why not teach others what we know so we are all better? And that's one of the big benefits of Active Rain and the power of Social Networking.

Hi Kathy, the photos do tell - what a transformation! Your story demonstrates trust and interdependence, notwithstanding the uncertainty. While our blogs don't tell all about us, somehow I feel that they do show a great part of us. Congrats on finding the right partners.

I have sold a home that was staged and I'm talking about in the first few minutes. The wife went crazy throughout the whole house, so I know it works. You still have to price the home right to make it all work and I still can't get over the CMA pricing for something that's staged. Very Good blog

Kathy, you will have to keep us informed when it sells. I just took the ASP real estate part of the staging class & WOW what a transformation it can make.

Sherry- Trust and Interdependence....sounds good to me :) You're right, our Blogs don't tell the whole story, but they usually give enough; enough for the first part, then a personal contact helps to get to the next level. And Thank you for taking the time to comment....I love your area of CA, way way different than mine.

Bob- Excellent point..."You still have to price the Home right." Thanks for you comment.

Marchel- You just took a Staging class.....good for you. I am still trying to work on my International License :)

Its a must to work with other agents. At first I thought it would be counterproductive because I just didnt understand how it would work. Now I find most agents wonderful to work with. We all have a common goal and should strive to be polite and work together.

Shane- Shane, it sounds like you figured it out already. Working together is so much easier and more pleasant than working against each other. We are after all in this together. Good for you!

As a general rule, I would say yes, but I also know I've been asked repeated by so many different companies to do things that are illegal, and I find that very disheartening. When I have enough info for 'airtight' case of impropriety, I will report it, and only once did I get enough, although I came close a second time, but couldn't put all the pieces together, but I haven't given up on that yet either. I will not tolerate illegalities.

Hi Kathy

I am still learning, like leaving comments and returning to see if the blogger (does this sound right - don't wish to offend?) respond to my comments. For some reason, I seem to be picking those blogs with titles that intrigue me, and many of these fellow ARainers like yourself are not from Central Coast CA. As a matter of fact, I have commented on fellow AR blogs from the Mid-West and East Coast, and none from my area. Umm, you know something? I could use more inter-dependence too! Pardon me, but where is White Water, CA? (951) area code is North CA?

Great blog on trusting other experts. We always ask others to trust us with our advice and area of expertise, but sometimes it is hard to trust others. Great Job and Great Transformation. Use this information to help other sellers make the same move.

SEP

Great blog. I have always wondered about staging and am in the process of bringing in a local stager to do a roundtable with some of the local realtors i work with. I gotta believe in the current marketplace anything that can be done to make a house look better has got to help.

Ron- Yes as a Notary I have had many ask me to backdate Docs, and as you said to do other things that are illegal. But on the whole, those people are not Blogging and trying to develop a network :)

Sherry- I'm glad you came back....Picking Blogs with Titles you like is fine. And it would be unusual in a forum this size to find people only in your area. I am in Southern California, about 23 miles west of Palm Springs. Whitewater is also called West Palm Springs, and parts of it are North Palm Springs. It's all Desert....If you want any help or have questions send me an email. I'll go look at your Groups and things. There are many ways to get the most out of this platform.

Brian- Thanks. And very true...we ask others to Trust us, and we need to do the same :)

Roy- Sounds good. And I would say that you want to make sure the person really is what they say they are, and look at some of their work. Just like a Lender, and an Agent...some are better than others. But that sounds great to introduce the field to others.

I've used a stager many times. It makes a huge difference not only in how the house looks on showings, but how the house looks in those all important online photos...

Kathy,

Sometimes listening is the greatest act of trust.

Blog 0n!

Steve

Kathy, this is great. Congratulations to the 3 of you.

I do trust some people in other fields, and then again, there are others that I don't trust.
I definitely would work with a lot of people I've 'met' here on Active Rain.

Others, I probably would have to get to know better, before I worked with them - probably not so much because of them, but more because of me. I'm very protective of my clients, and would want to make absolute sure that the person I chose to do whatever, would treat them as I do, and would be ethical, etc. As you say, we need to make sure they are who they say they are.

Kathy,
Beautifully written and wonderful photos!
I trust the people I work with in this industry....this is a small area and word gets out fast, so the majority of business people here are honest and good at what they do or they wouldn't last very long.

Congratulations to Janice on a beautiful job and to you for getting your client onboard with staging....best wishes for a quick sale!

Jo

Kathy - what a great testimony to active/rain, blogging and staging ... I always find it amazing what brings us together.

Jennifer- Your point is one that I noticed right away. It took me hours to go everywhere online and change pictures....but they do make a difference :) Thanks for that insight...it's an important one.

Why hello Steve- Yes....too many of us forget how to listen sometimes. If we don't listen we might miss something very important, even something that's not really said.......Thanks for coming by Steve, and I hope all is well with you.

Sylvie- Forgive me for laughing but I can hear the wheels of thinking going on in your head :) The yes, I trust this one, but I don't know that one, well maybe these guys........:) Loved your comment....thanks for that. I'm going to have to point Janice and Melinda to this Post....we don't always play in the same playground around here, and that's what's nice is we moved to Step 2 from our initial Blogs to Personal Interactions.

Jo-Ann- She did do a good job, and boy I really feel the pressure to get this sold now... LOL :) I don't trust everyone at all, but I try to trust everyone. Don't know if that makes sense but I believe trust is earned. I read someones Blog, but more importantly is their comments on others blogs.....I have learned more about people that way than by the Articles they write. Thanks Jo-Anne... I hope Janice comes by and reads it soon :)

Hi Kathy- Yes, isn't it amazing. Who would have thought when we signed up for this Social Networking site that we would actually make real friends, real business associations, and experience so much here. Who would have known that Active Rain would fulfill so many different needs all in one place?

Congratulations Kathy! I was so excited to wake up and see this FEATURED POST. It is so nice to see all these wonderful comments from Realtor's that are expressing the benefits of Home Staging! It would be great to one day see home stagers as a part of the REALTORS TEAM. It would be a win-win for all!

Thank you for trusting me and spreading the word to help educate the Real Estate Professionals about Home Staging and how creating alliances can be successful.

It was my pleasure to work with you. I believe Professional Home Stagers and Real Estate Professionals have the same common goal........to help clients SELL their properties fast and for a profit!

PS - Yes, I would be honored to be called "My Home Stager!" :) It has been my vision to be able to partner with Great Professional Realtor's.

I have some pretty strong opinions about "Professionalism in Real Estate". If you haven't already, I encourage you to read the two blog postings I have made in the past.

http://activerain.com/blogsview/597510/What-Would-I-Want

http://activerain.com/blogsview/591639/Why-The-Heck-Do

Thank you This is a GREAT win/win/win story... ActiveRain has so much to give. I am new (2 months now) and still can not beleive how many giving people and how much knowlege is here for all to share. Thanks for the wonderful post! Brenda :)

SEP

What an amazing story and how often do we argue with appraisers, inspectors and yet we invite them in to give us their professional opinion. This is a great post and you deserved that star in the corner! Sometime doing what is needed isn't comfortable.

Janice- I am so glad you found this Post, although I'm not so sure I like you knowing my inner thoughts of my initial resistance just kidding :) But like I said....I called you because I trusted you......so the only thing to do was let you do your work so I could do mine. As you can see from my comments....I love what you did to the House......and my pictures are so much better now for my Marketing.....Thank you for doing such a nice Professional Job for my client, OUR client now :)

Monica- thank you for sharing those.

Brenda-I remember back to when I started....I had no idea what Social Networking was, and had no idea how to Blog. You're so right the thing I like about this forum is that people are giving, and you can get help with just about anything on here. If you ever need any help let me know....and thanks for the comment :)

Todd-Yes we seem to do it to all the other Professionals....it's nice when we can read their Blogs and get a feeling for who they are, and work on that Trust :) Thank you....I was surprised when Carole told me this was Featured :)

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. It's tricky. I'm working on a partnership but I'm not sold yet.

Staging will always help sell a home. It helps people visualize the space and also detracts from cosmetic blemishes.

Edie

Tracy- I think we have to follow our gut....and you're right it can be tricky. If you're working on a partnership you'll know if it feels right. I had a partner for awhile, and although I liked the person very much I seemed to have put in 100% effort and my partner only about 50.....just make sure everything is clear up front....and also in writing.

Edie- After this experience I am sure I believe you :)

Kathy, it's human nature for us women to be adverse to change...it just is. You, as a team, did a fantastic job! Has it sold yet or did one of you jump out and take it? I wouldn't blame you with it looking like that! Thanks for the treat.

Later in the rain~Deb

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Nice post. I agree we should trust the experts. I wish I can convince a seller to stage.

SEP

Great pictures Kathy! Do have more "Before" photos to share?

Cheri

Deb- I think you're right....we do need tow question it's our nature :) I really would love to have this house....it feels right, has a bunch of upgrades and the yard is nice too.....we've had calls but no contract as yet.

Gita-thank you....and as for convincing the Seller....I really think that if they aren't backed into a corner, and have time....that most should be able to see the benefits :)

Cheri- I have a ton of before shots...and the first 2 pictures on here are Before.....those dark window coverings are gone as is the turquoise walls and carpet. It took me hours to change all my Marketing stuff with the new photos....:) Thanks for coming by, and thanks for the Referral :) Hey did you tell anyone about the Broker with 2 different shoes LOL :)

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Just wondering if it has sold?
If not, have you noticed an increase in interest / showings?

I am a Certified Home Marketing Specialist and well-versed in what staging does for a property. However, even I have a seller who - no matter what I've said and done to try to convince - is adamant vacant property looks more appealing.

Hi Lori- Not yet...but I have been getting calls which is a good thing, as before we didn't even get any calls. You have a very valid point....everyone is different and some people are adamant about their opinion. But for everyone that doesn't listen there is someone that does...:)

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