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Builders are "Building" a Need for Home Stagers

By
Home Stager with One Savvy Move

Framed HouseMany of you read my post this week about having the opportunity to bid on staging a custom builder's model.  In preparation, I took some time to walk through other model homes in the area. I'll call it "checking out the competition!"

As I was standing in a model talking to a sales agent, I suddenly realized I was shaking hands and talking to someone who desperately needs my services!  Did the builder's agent have a home to stage?  No. But she has buyers with contracts to purchase the homes she sells and those buyers can't close the deal until their current home sells! That builder is so lucky I walked in the door, I can make his or her life a whole lot easier and more profitable. 

Every week I read the real estate section and marvel over the incentives that big builders are offering buyers.  Big screen TV's, college tuition for their children, paying the first six months of mortgage payments. . .the incentives are endless.  They should really offer a valuable service like staging!

I can help the buyer sell his or her home faster and for more money, freeing them to move into that fabulous new home.  Isn't that an incentive worth offering! Home I went to plan my attack. 

Ironically enough, during a google search to check my website rankings for the week, I stumbled across an interesting article published by the Chicago Sun Times highlighting the top 50 builders of 2006.  Check out what #5 is up to.

 

5. Pulte Homes

$379.2* million, 1,200* closings

Pulte Homes has about 10 developments in the Chicago area. In the builder's south suburban division, single-family homes as well as town houses are available at Cedar Ridge in Lockport, Autumn Creek in Yorkville and Prescott Mill in Oswego. At Canterbury Woods in Plainfield, single-family homes begin at $301,990,

The north division of Pulte Homes recently announced a home staging program to help home buyers sell their existing home faster and at a higher price.

Pulte's preferred staging company is Order in the House Staging Services Inc. "One client's house was on the market for nine months before we performed a staging consultation. After our recommendations, the home was involved in a bidding war three weeks later -- and sold for more than the asking price," said Lorrie Witt, co-owner.

Incidentally, Pulte is the parent company for Del Webb Homes, a builder of developments for active-adults 55 and older. The home staging service is available for select Del Webb sites too. Del Webb is 14th in the 2006 Sun-Times survey.

 

Builders realize the value of Staging!  Congratulations to the ladies who developed this alliance with Pulte!  This opens the door to some fabulous opportunities for the rest of us.  Has anyone else tapped this market?

I for one am going to spend some time developing marketing materials to present to the large home builders in my area!  Hopefully I can "build" a profitable relationship with them.

Comments (10)

Heidi Franklin
Remax Partners - Corona, CA
Great article and I think you have a fantastic opportunity to help. I have a friend who is a great decorator and is considering doing staging. Iwill pass this article on to her.
Apr 13, 2007 04:42 AM
Yvonne Root
rooms b.y. root - Prescott, AZ
Home Stager - Northern Arizona
Lori, Yes! Yes! and again Yes. Good post, good information and good of you to share.
Apr 13, 2007 05:00 AM
No Longer Available
White Rock, BC

Great post, Great idea.  Good luck to you!  Keep us posted on your progress.  When you think about, what a winfall, the staging company.

I think I will think about this approach also.

Joelle Green

Apr 13, 2007 12:33 PM
Michelle Minch
Moving Mountains Design Home Staging, Pasadena, CA - Los Angeles, CA
Home Staging Los Angeles and Orange County, CA
Lori: What a wonderful idea. Thanks for passing that information on to the rest of us.
Apr 13, 2007 02:40 PM
Lori Gilmore
One Savvy Move - Joliet, IL
One Savvy Move Home Staging

Thank you all for the comments.  I think there is tremendous opportunity here. . .

I am a lone stager in my area and I love having and "understanding bunch" to help flesh out ideas!!  Playing in the RAIN is fun and profitable!

Apr 14, 2007 04:30 AM
Joan Staker
Time to Stage - Arlington Heights, IL

Great post ,Lori.  I enjoy your writing style.  You are one of my bookmarks.  I am a lurker, but one of these days, I'll get posting.

I have to play the proud friend and associate of someone else with a Pulte connection, another of their preferred Staging companies, Smart Surroundings,LLC.  The company owner is an Active Rain member-Andrea Osterkorn of Glen Ellyn, Il.  I believe she was actually their first partner, in another region, and has been working with them since around September '06. So she was really ahead of the game.  Andrea also just launched Stager Online on 4/11.  She and I both got our Staging training through the Midwest School of Interior Redesign, where she also did her Redesign training.  My Redesign training was through the Staging and Redesign Academy.  Both of us are  members of The Society of Decorating Professionals and The Midwest Redesign and Staging Association. A number of other AR's are also members of the SDP.  Andrea has been kind enough to share her success with some of her fellow alums from MSIR.  We all continue to learn from and share with each other.

Thanks, again for sharing your ideas, successes, and observations. 

Apr 14, 2007 03:02 PM
Lori Gilmore
One Savvy Move - Joliet, IL
One Savvy Move Home Staging
Joan - I am so happy that people like Andrea pave the way for the rest of us.  There are so many new construction projects in the area that the opportunities should be endless.  I am off to check out her website and the others you included.  Thanks for your comment and you really should post!  I am absolutely new at this, but I have learned so much already.
Apr 15, 2007 10:43 AM
Phyllis Pafumi
ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey - Old Bridge, NJ
ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ

Hey Lori

I work with Del Webb in Manchester, NJ. Do you work with PUlte Homes on this program??
Please email at phyllis_pafumi@yahoo.com, I would like to ask you some questions, thanks Phyllis

Phyllis Pafumi

Apr 15, 2007 01:00 PM
Anonymous
Kari Caswell

Lori,

I love this idea.  Thanks so much for sharing it!  It's Springtime & that means it's a good time to approach builders with a great new incentive idea for them to offer to potential buyers. 

I am new as a stager and am looking for creative ways to market my business and get my name out there!  This is definately one of my favorite ideas!

Thanks Again,

Kari Caswell, House Appeal, www.houseappealdecor.com  

Apr 20, 2007 04:34 PM
#9
Lori Gilmore
One Savvy Move - Joliet, IL
One Savvy Move Home Staging
Hi Kari - Glad you were able to benefit from the idea!  By the way, I love your website!! Well done!
Apr 21, 2007 06:46 AM