I often hear comments about Realtors providing their own home staging talents and services to their clients.  Having been a Realtor for a number of years, I can relate to Realtors that do home stage their own listings.  I did for years!

However, since early 2007 I have been a referral agent only and focus all my time and energy on my Home Staging Business.  As a dedicated, full time professional home stager I have learned is that there is a tremendous difference in staging as a Realtor as opposed to home staging as a professional home stager. 

One of the differences that first struck me was the home seller's attitude towards my recommendations. 

As a Realtor making suggestions for de-cluttering and re-designing to improve the marketability of the home seemed to be somewhat offensive to the prospective seller.  If I approached the subject at the time of listing, I didn't come across as "friendly" or as "enthusiastic" as the other Realtor that portrayed the "all is hunky-dory", with no criticisms.  If I waited until after I had the listing to lower the boom, well . . . that's just not honest, good business.

I find that upon entering a home as a professional home stager I generally have very open acceptance.  Home sellers drink in all of my advice, digesting all recommendations, understanding that it has nothing to do with how they live in the home, but rather, how they can best present the home for sale so they can move on with their life.

As a Realtor making a cosmetic suggestion the seller often felt resentment, as a stager making a cosmetic suggestion the seller interprets it as professional advice.  Keep in mind, I was the same person with the same knowledge, talent, delivery, poise, and tactfulness, but when it came to home staging the sellers liked my staging hat better.  

The second difference I've learned is the level of service I can now offer to home sellers.

I now have a structured home staging business with a business plan, profitability, and the necessary inventory to accommodate the home seller's needs at affordable prices.  Let me stress two words, . . affordable and profitable. 

•·          Affordable to the home seller, which will encourage a profitable sale

•·          Affordable to the Realtor and profitable as providing inventory, shopping, storing, and time are not eating away at the anticipated commissions to be earned

•·          Affordable to me, the home stager, as I have a specific business plan for home staging that produces profitability.

I recently finished this home staging re-design for the market here in the Atlanta area.  It has inspired this post for all of the reasons stated above.

As a Realtor, did I have the talent?  Absolutely!  As a Realtor, did I have the knowledge?  You bet cha!  As a Realtor, could I have convinced my client to make the changes?  Maybe!

However, if I had been this client's full time Realtor, without my focused full time home staging business, I seriously doubt I would have been able to affordably and profitably accomplish this re-design.

Here are the photos from my first visit to the home.  As you can see the clutter is not representative of how they lived, but rather the home in the midst of packing.  My task was to filter through what they had that I wanted to remain behind so I could accomplish the re-design using as many of their own items as possible.

The next set of photos is from my second visit to the home.  As you can see, I recommended they remove the majority of their belongings.  At this second visit I was able to determine the inventory I was going to bring in and at the same time identify some items for the seller to purchase that would be of benefit to them in their new home.

The following photographs are the pictures the Realtor took and posted on MLS after my staging was completed.

Realtor and home stager?  . . . Possible.  

Picking your Hat to be profession specific?  . . .  Affordable and Profitable Perfection!

How folks live in a home is their business, how folks present the home for sale is my business!

For tips on how to prepare your home for sale and information on staging a home in Atlanta, visit the web site of PEACHTREE HOME STAGING or call us at 770 595-8809. 

We do occupied and vacant home staging with professional perfection! 

Peachtree Home Staging is a proud APPROVED AND ACCREDITED Business of the Geater Atlanta Better Business Bureau and the Real Estate Staging Association.