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Agents getting Staging Certification

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams

Hello Everyone,

Has anyone taken that ASP course?  How much help was it.  I am thinking of taking the ASP course in Portland next month.  It seems like it would be helpful, but I was curious how other have enjoyed it.  Please let me know what you think of the course.

Comments (2)

Brad Sundin & Stacy Sundin
RE/MAX Excalibur - The Scottsdale.com & Tempe.com Team - Scottsdale, AZ
ABR, GRI, e-Pro, ASP

Hi Jason,

I took the course here in Phoenix last August and it was insightful.  The main benefit I got out of the course is the ASP designation to tout us in our listing presentations.  Of course, most clients don't know what this designation means.  I let potential Sellers know that I've taken staging courses, have the designation, but only did this for our clients so that I could stage their homes (with their existing furniture) so that it shows like a model while it is listed for sale.  I let them know the monetary value of this free service I provide & it really adds an additional benefit to listing with my husband and I.  Staging is time consuming...I have spent upwards of 5+ hours in client's homes staging/cleaning them and they view this service as "above and beyond" the call of duty.  Oh, I also have a company that I refer them to (and offer to shop with them) if they want to rent furniture to put in a vacant home.  So far, none of my investors or Sellers have wanted to incur the additional cost of renting furniture. 

Do I think you HAVE to have this designation? The answer is really dependant on what your staging plans are.  You could get all the staging information on the "how to's" in a staging book.  Barb Schwartz offers a book for sale after her course, which I purchased.  I also purchased a video to leave with my clients (which I have only given out once).  I felt that most of the content in the course (that I needed) was pretty well summed up in the book. 

Do I feel that the house will sell faster if it is staged?  Well, my philosophy is "if it shows better, it will stand out among the rest", therefore it has better odds of being a top contender for a Buyer.  But honestly, no, I haven't seen any IMMEDIATE results from a staged house (but of course, that is my opinion thus far). My husband is very "numbers" driven, he wants stats on everything we do & we have our entire business broken down into numbers.  So, after I took the course he wanted me to watch the house that our class had to stage (as a requirement of the course with the instructors help) to see if it sold really fast since it had been on the home for so many months prior to being staged.  Well.....after 1 month I checked status - ACTIVE, 3 months later checked status - ACTIVE, then I gave up checking.

I hope this information helps you.  I do use staging as part of our marketing plan with Sellers, but you can get a lot of staging advice & ideas from your local Barns & Noble too.  It just depends if you want a few extra letters next to your name (which never hurts).  :o)

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.  I will be happy to help you in any way I can.  

Apr 24, 2007 07:00 PM
Terrylynn Fisher
Dudum Real Estate Group - BuyStageSell.com - Walnut Creek, CA
HAFA Certified, EcoBroker, CRS, CSP Realtor, Etc.
Did you take the course?  Was it helpful and are you working and having everything you need to succeed 6 months later.  That is the question?  Hope so for your sake as it's a big commitment.  Good luck.  Terrylynn:-)  
Dec 09, 2007 06:58 PM