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Home Staging unknow to sellers, is it a disease!

By Stephane Vachon

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Tremblant

November 06, 2008 04:12 PM

«Dear seller, we shoud have a Home Stager come and help us out.»

A HOME WHAT?

I don't know about your area, but I work in an region that very few people herd about it. Even worse, we don't have a French translation that we can use that really defines home staging, we say it in English, so after a minute trying to explain this to a client I finally get an answer: " if they don't like the house they don't have to buy it and if I do some changes, maybe, just maybe the buyers won't like it anyway!", well I know that Pink and purple won't help!!!

How do you convince you stubborn clients to use a home stager?

About Home Stagers

I must get a new home stager sending me there proposition each week. They're "growing" in my back yard!!!

I'm not sure that most home stagers are qualified to do the job, there's a course we can take that last a few days to be a so called specialist.

I honestly don't thing that anybody can do this without a minimum of experience or training. It's easy to unclutter, but decorating need a certain touch to it, it's like selling, some are born with it, some not.

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Paula Swayne

Dunnigan, Realtors, Sacramento (916) 425-9715 - Sacramento, CA

Realtor-Land Park, East Sac & Curtis Park -Dunniga

Hi Stephane!

In California, we aren't doing our job if we don't get a home stager in the house! How do we get our sellers to "buy" into it? We offer to pay for the initial consultation. After that, the seller can do the work themselves or have the stager do it. I share the fact that homes we have here sell quicker and for more money when they are staged. I explain that living in a house is different that marketing a house. I tell them to go preview some homes in a new development to experience home staging and "less is more". I have yet to have someone not see the value in it.

Nov 06, 2008 04:21 PM

c m

Colorado Springs, CO

LOOK AT THEIR PORTFOLIO! If a stager cannot produce a portfolio of his/her own work, you are right, they need some experience before you send them to your clients. Some stagers get their "experience" and their photos for their portfolio by doing their own home, or their friends and family, but at least you can see what they can do! As a stager, I know they are eager for you to just "trust them", but you must protect your interest as well, because you are also right, some have it, some don't.

Nov 07, 2008 01:08 AM

Brenda Carus

Century 21 Zwygart Real Estate - Monroe, WI

Professional staging if pretty unheard of around here, but it is something I have begun to mention to our sellers. I wish more would consider it.

Nov 07, 2008 07:03 AM

Stephane Vachon

RE/MAX Tremblant - Mont Tremblant, QC

Hi Paula

I would like to go in California, not for work but on vacation! Well I listen to a lot of american TV show about real estate, your are always in advance I think 5 to 10 year ahead of us. Montreal, Toronto and other major cities get to pace quicker than most of the regions, I guess like our fellow partner Brenda in Wisconsin, region are just not as "tendance" or trendy.

Nov 08, 2008 05:23 AM

Stephane Vachon

RE/MAX Tremblant - Mont Tremblant, QC

Deborah and Cheryl,

Thanks for commenting, I appreciat it, sometimes we just forget the basics in life. A portfolio and/web site should help me.

I thought of offering to advance the money(pay) for a first meeting with a home stager, if I sell they don't rembourse me, but if they don't want to sell or want to change agent, they would have to pay back for they home stager services.

Nov 08, 2008 07:51 AM

Stephane Vachon

RE/MAX Tremblant - Mont Tremblant, QC

Brenda,

Seems like were in the same boat (french expression!). Same here, sometime I have to keep my comments, eh...

I mention it now too, but I think I need to say that the home stager will call them and them she can sell herself if she's good.

Nov 08, 2008 07:57 AM

Susan Emo

Sotheby's International Realty Canada - Brokerage - Kingston, ON

Kingston and the 1000 Islands Area

Hey Stephane - I used to live in Quebec many years ago and still love to visit Montreal for weekend breaks! Stagers here are just coming into their own and you could be the Realtor in your area that makes the difference too. Staged homes do sell quicker and for top dollar and that is why you want to arrange a meeting with your stager and your sellers. Pay for the consultation and Sell them on the concept and reap in the rewards with them.

Nov 09, 2008 07:42 AM

Scott Leaf Personal Real Estate Corporation

Keller Williams Elite Realty, Port Coquitlam, BC - Port Coquitlam, BC

Scott Leaf & Associates Real Estate Team

I agree with you Stephane! I can take a 2 or 3 day course on Art yet I promise you I will not get a painting hung in the National Gallery anytme soon.

Like anything else in this world, when looking for a professional, ask for referrals. As with Real Estate fees, the cheapest price isnt necessarily going to do the best job for you.

I am lucky in that wife is talented, trained and even has some inventory of staging furniture which we offer to our clients, complementary to help stage the home. Sometimes we all get THAT home that needs way more time and talent and thats when I pay for it!

Nov 09, 2008 10:32 AM

Stephane Vachon

RE/MAX Tremblant - Mont Tremblant, QC

Hi Susan,

Nice to know you like the area, did you already come to Tremblant in winter, there just something magic here? I'm just try to find a solution that would help, if I offer to pay in advance I know that not all but maybe most wont keep it clean... When something is free people tend not to be too careful! But I know you are right, I need to add sorry integrate staging in my services.

Thanks

Nov 09, 2008 11:19 AM

Stephane Vachon

RE/MAX Tremblant - Mont Tremblant, QC

Scott,

Yes I should ask for referrals, but I don't know any agent using one that I can ask there feedback. Most of the Stagers here are new in the business, that's the issue. I'll be working on the challenge!

Nov 09, 2008 11:23 AM

Michelle Minch

Moving Mountains Design Home Staging, Pasadena, CA - Los Angeles, CA

Home Staging Los Angeles and Orange County, CA

Stephane: I have met a few French (Paris) home stagers on Twitter lately. If I can find their information I will forward it to you. They may have a way of explaining staging in French that will be helpful to you.

When a client says "if they don't like the house they don't have to buy it ", it means to me that the homeowner has not really made a commitment to sell their house.I'm sure potential buyers are not so plentiful that your sellers can afford to be so dismissive. Some one who really needs/wants to sell is willing to do whatever it takes to get their home sold.

"and if I do some changes, maybe, just maybe the buyers won't like it anyway!" My response to this would be. "When you put your home up for sale, you are entering it in a beauty contest. The best looking houses sell faster and for a better price" The more your clients can make a home look like a magazine advertisement, the more appealing it will be to potential buyers.

If you pay for a home staging consultation, and are fortunate to work with a talented and experienced home stager, the house will look fantastic if even for only one day(you expressed concern that home sellers might not keep the house clean). That one day is your opportunity to take fantastic photographs to post on the MLS, your web site and in printed brochures and flyers. At least you will be able to get people interested in seeing the house. The more potential buyers you get through the door, the better your chance of a sale.

I wrote a post about how to choose the best home stager. If you would like me to email it to you, or post a link here, let me know.

Mar 13, 2009 03:36 AM