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Staging ROI is 378% in my zip code. What's it in yours?

By Juliet Johnson

Services for Real Estate Pros with Vizzitopia

September 22, 2008 12:43 AM

The web never ceases to amaze me. This morning, I discover a tool that will tell you the average Return on Investment of home improvements... by ZIP CODE!!! And in my zip code, it turns out that money returned on staging is 378%. Let me repeat that -

378%

My sales presentation is now down to 1 page. Guess what it says? Do I really need to say anything else? Not a bad ROI, huh - especially in today's market.

What's the tool? It's the Sellers Tools at Home Gain. (the url is http://www.homegain.com/sellertools/)

Web 2-0 for Real Estate

Enter your zip code and you are immediately taken to a 3 page questionnaire that asks which of 10 aspects of your home are ready (i.e. in showing condition). It then priorities what you should work on first... and then gives you average cost, ROI and what percentage of realtors recommended it.

Can you imagine? What a great way for home sellers to navigate the stormy, changeable seas when preparing their home to go to market?

Here's what came back in my zip code, with nothing ready in the house at all -- after all, that's what it's usually like when I get there!

Pretty Amazing, huh?

Now... what is the % for your zip code? I think I read that they surveyed 200,000 realtors/RE-Professionals... is that enough for reliable data? I would prefer to rely on my colleagues in the trenches - you guys - those of us out there doing it every day. Please post your area and your % and let's see if there's any difference. If not, then I say thank you to the 200,000 and I'm using it as a "national average". If the #s do differ, then I think we have an interesting story. Either way, I'm using it. What about you?

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Juliet Johnson Staging services the luxury real estate market of suburban NJ, specializing in the $1 - 3 million niche. For more info about how to leverage web 2.0 for Real Estate, please click here.

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Jim & David Schuelke

Schuelke Plumbing - Los Angeles, CA

It is also important to have a complete inspection of your plumbing system so the home doesn't have any water issues when someone stops by. We work with a stager here in Los Angeles to give each home a chance to shine.

I believe we also have the same online person assisting us with our articles, social networking, and blogs.

Sep 22, 2008 01:32 AM

Louis Cammarosano

Smaulgld LLC - Hampton, NH

Smaulgld

Don't miss the free downloadable homesalemaximizer guide that is on the site. http://www.homesalemaximizer.com

For Home Sellers:
Download the Home Sale Maximizer^TM Guide for more information, tips and tricks for getting your home ready for sale.

*The guide is a PDF file. You can download the free viewer by clicking here.

Also when you are done with homesalemaximizer you can get a free instant homevaluation.

Just click the button at the bottom of your results and then type in an address!

What's Your Home Worth? Get a Free Home Value Estimate Get Value

Sep 22, 2008 01:46 AM

Juliet Johnson

Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL

Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing

Jim - that would be unlikely, since I am the person who does my own articles, social networking and blogs. ARe you thinking of Connie Ragen Green -- she's one of my mentors and quite wonderful -- however, she don't write nuttin' for me; I do it all myself. Which is why it looks the way it does!!! <grin> if you're Connie's guys from that flight to Atlanta - we gotta chat!! I feel like I know you already!

Steve - That's remarkable. Thank you for sharing that!!

Georg - so true, and interestingly put!

Michele - c'mon back, wanna hear what it says for you!

Sep 22, 2008 01:49 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Juliet ~ Just next to the staging line it says "93%". Am I supposed to add up all the other percentages? I think this is a neat tool because I don't feel like I would just be spouting off percentages or surveys; I can actually direct people to the site and they can see it for themselves.

Sep 22, 2008 02:05 AM

Juliet Johnson

Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL

Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing

Hi Kathy, I thought that % was the total number of realtors who thought that line item was a priority - I agree; it's other people's words, not ours or even our "training schools"!!

Sep 22, 2008 02:36 AM

Terri Lucas

Exclusive Home Staging - Redondo Beach, CA

Exclusive Home Staging Los Angeles

Juliette, thanks for reminding me of this tool. I have bookmarked it. BTW, I love your blog. What program do you use NVU, Wordpress? I need to work on my look and get my rear in gear and blog.

Sep 22, 2008 04:45 AM

Sharon Tara

Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH

Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

It is 378% in my area too. This is a great tool, thanks!

Sep 22, 2008 05:47 AM

Lanre-"THE REAL ESTATE FARMER" Folayan

Samson Properties - Bowie, MD

I don't make promises.I deliver results.SOLD HOMES

I haven't done of the zip codes that I farm yet. But once I do,I will definitely come back to give you a report. Thanks for sharing. Great post.

Sep 22, 2008 06:59 AM

Melissa Marro

Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL

Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

ooohhh... I bet you get a cute monkey for this!! I love homegain & not too terribly long ago I blogged about them also and got an adorable peach gorilla in the mail - it's part of their gorilla marketing campaign. Darn, did I spoil the surprise?? shoot..... he's really really soft & cute!

BTW, I know that was off topic, but fab stats and great info!

Sep 22, 2008 08:56 AM

Melissa Marro

Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL

Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

btw, I answered YES to everything in their survey, except, "is your home staged" and I answered NO to that.... here is what they said....

Area of Home	Average Cost	Increase in Selling Price	Average Return on Investment	% of Agents Recommended
Staging Buy some fresh flowers, live plants and other decorations to liven up the home. Consider hiring a staging consultant.	$ 380	$1,878 - $2,350	456%	86%

Sep 22, 2008 08:59 AM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Juliet, I actually used Homegain myself years ago when I was considering moving (and there was no activerain :). It's a huge site and I'll have to go and google my zip just out of curiousity.

Sep 22, 2008 09:16 AM

Kym Hough

www.Staged-to-Sell - Danville, CA

Staged to Sell East Bay - Danville, CA

Oh my this is just great. thanks for doing the research for us Juliet. I will add it to my next presentation. Kym

Sep 22, 2008 10:07 AM

Tessa Skeens

Hampton ReDesign, Home Staging and Redesign - Grand Junction, CO

Staging For Realtors, Builders & Investors

Juliet - Thank you! This is great and the timing is perfect as I am putting together a marketing presentation. Its always great to be able to point to objective statistics :)

Here is the scoop on my neighborhood - actually same stats for two different zips.

Cost - Increase in $ - ROI - Agents who Recommend

$ 647	$1,973 - $2,473	244%	86%

$ 647

$1,973 - $2,473

244%

86%

Sep 22, 2008 10:21 AM

Laurie Calhoun

Gloria Home Staging, Inc. - Winter Springs, FL

Seminole County FL Home Stager

Juliet - The number is 456% for Winter Springs, FL (near Orlando). Your timing was perfect! We have a presentation to a real estate office tomorrow, and part of it is going to be statistics to back up staging. Thanks!

Sep 22, 2008 12:39 PM

Juliet Johnson

Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL

Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing

'Struth! 456%, Laurie? Wahoo! Now dem's some numbers, eh? Glad to hear the timing works... so often those things come one day too late!

Tessa - 244% - nice, not over the moon, thanks for docking the info. ... I might be tempted to use "national numbers" since there are other areas with quite dramatic percentages. Might be...

Kym - You're most welcome!

Carole - I had no idea the site was well established and that Melissa has already blogged about it, and that Louis is a regular commenter here on AR, with over 16,000 points! Sometimes, I feel so out of the loop. There really are some wonderful tools out there, aren't there?

Terri - thanks for the kind comments on the blog. I do use WordPress for some of them, but not the AR one. That is all AR, with beautiful header from Marti Garaughty of The Art of Marketing You. Splendidly creative fella.

Sep 22, 2008 01:03 PM

Terrylynn Fisher

Dudum Real Estate Group - BuyStageSell.com - Walnut Creek, CA

HAFA Certified, EcoBroker, CRS, CSP Realtor, Etc.

Cool tool and even better statistics. Nice when what we know is verified in statistics for the world to see. Good post.

Sep 22, 2008 08:45 PM

Juliet Johnson

Vizzitopia - St Johns, FL

Jacksonville Photography & Digital Marketing

So true, TerryLynn... so nice to be able to say - look, don't take my word for it, here - let's do it now, live online hereand you can see for yourself!

Sep 23, 2008 01:33 AM

Brenda Harmon

Century 21 Beal, Inc College Station, Texas - College Station, TX

Juliet,

Thanks so much for the tips.

Sep 23, 2008 01:56 AM

Louis Cammarosano

Smaulgld LLC - Hampton, NH

Smaulgld

We made some changes to the Home Sale Maximizer page last night.

We added a button to allow you to easily forward the Home Sale Maximizer to a friend. You can also order free Home Sale Maxmizer desk top guides as well as download the free PDF survey and checklists. You can find it at http://www.homesalemaximizer.com

Sep 26, 2008 02:53 AM

Lisa Roy

SPACELiFT HOME STAGING, Greater Vancouver - Vancouver, BC

Thanks for the tip. I e-mailed them to see if they have a similar program for canada!

Sep 28, 2008 02:42 AM