Why do some Realtors suggest NOT to stage a property?

Do Realtors actually tell seller not to stage a home.  I find that hard to believe.  I can see some not including it in their presentation.  But they would be very foolish to suggest it does not matter.

Thanks for the insight! I think alot of agents are mis-informed about stagers! I've used them and they have helped!

Hi Kim - The only thing I can think of is that the Realtor must have thought he'd have to pay for it out of his commission and put himself first.  Not good, but it's the only reason I can think of.  I try to sell my sellers on staging all the time.  If they can't spend the money, I use whatever I can of their own stuff to do at least some staging, and make them store whatever I don't want in the house until it is sold.  Most folks have way too much furniture and "stuff".  If it is vacant, I ask them if I can "borrow" some of their stuff for a light staging.  If they can afford it, I definitely urge a professional staging.  Trouble is, so many these days are short sales and the sellers don't get any of the proceeds and can't afford to spend anything to sell it.

Kim:  It is just because of misinformation. . .most Realtors do not know the value because they have not been exposed

I honestly believe that agents "get it." The bigger challenge may lie in the fact that most homeowners don't believe they can afford to have their home professionally staged. 

Regarding your staging in this post - it's incredible. I can see how the layout of the room may have posed some challenges for the buyers if the home had been left vacant. Congrats on such a quick sale.

Kathy

We recommend it but sometimes run into people that take it personally and think we are criticizing their decor. We have to explain that its not about decor and that the way we live in our homes is different than we sell them.

Kim, that's VERY common place in my area.  Three times I've even had clients all lined up to do a staging (they called me and they would pay) and their agent or the agent's office members have talked them out of it.  I have an agent in 1 office that uses me frequently and he gets bombarded by negatives from the rest of his office. 

I have only one theory that hasn't already been mentioned.  They really don't want staging to work.  They want to go back to "the good ole' days" when property sold almost before it was listed with NO attention to condition.  Of course, that isn't going to happen and houses are sitting on the market for years.  I truly believe that they think that if NO ONE in my area stages their listings then no one will need to stage their listings.  Preposterous, I know and hard to overcome, especially when they always hear about the results that my stagings produce.  Hard-headed, stubborn, stuck-in-the-past and not servicing their clients. 

I recently asked, in a large REA meeting who had read Gary Keller's SHIFT and 1 person raised his hand. It's just SAD!!!

This very conundrum has left me scratching my head on numerous occasions.  Their is one Agent in my area who has probably a DOZEN listings, all newly upgraded or new construction ON THE BEACH and he refuses to Stage.  He stated, and I quote "I haven't seen that it has benefitted the Seller to Stage a property vs. ones that have not."  Yet, when we had spoken, my company had just Staged a home in the same neighborhood, NOT on the beach and it sold 48 days after we Staged. He simply dismissed it.

Yet ALL of his vacant listings have been on the market for over 1 year - some even over 2 years! Yep, he wants the good 'ol days back.

Excellent post Kim and I'm hopeful more are reading it.  You did an amazing job working with the layout of this home and this is precisely the reason home sellers need you!

Kim it's a question that has many of us wondering if some agents are just not living in today's "real" world! It points to the importance of our continuing to educate the public -- homeowners and agents -- about the powerful benefits of home staging.  By the way your staging of this home looks fantastic!

I usually work with property investors who sell their own homes (if they can, if not they turn to a realtor).  My first realtor happened to also be a property investor.  Makes you wonder... 

Had to comment on the fantastic staging,  I can see where no furniture in that home would be very confusing for buyers.  I love it!

Kim- that's the million dollar question, isn't it?  I asked a realtor/friend the question (about why more realtors aren't suggesting staging) and she thought it might be because they're reluctant to ask the Seller to spend more money, especially after they've pointed out to the seller that they will probably not get what they'd hope to get for their house. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that your staging was remarkable.

Really nice job Kim on this property. Love the colors and I can imagine it was quite a challenge to work with those angles and fireplace!

As to Realtors not recommending staging or even going so far as to discourage it - sounds like they don't want to lose any control.... even if its not in their clients best interests.

Vacant staging is a no brainer if the client can afford it. Occupied staging consultations can be introduced tactfully by the agent by telling the seller they recommend staging to ALL of their clients because they know it works and will help them get a quicker sale. That takes some of the "what's wrong with my house" out of it.

Tessa, bingo!!  Control, they are afraid of loosing their client if they are not open to it, they do not push it!

I have had 2 of these situations in the past year--one recently. In each case, they were vacant resales. The seller had already purchased another house and really needed to sell. In both cases, they were willing to invest a significant amount of money to do it right and realtor advised against it! I was honest with both sellers and said the realtor must have either had a bad experience with a stager or just wasn't educated about the benefits. Of course, the realtor is not the one left with mortgages, utility costs and taxes on 2 properties. Both sellers were professional, educated people yet were intimidated into doing nothing. In one case the seller opted to rent instead of sell and the other is waiting for the listing contract to expire and will reconsider staging at that time. I have referred that seller to a realtor that is a strong advocate of staging!

I've had this happen quite a few times.  I had one seller say "my REALTOR is discouraging me from staging, let's prove them wrong and stage it."  After the agent walk-through, they commented on how they loved it!

Realtors inLancaster Pa believe in staging.  It does work!  Most people have a hard time visualizing what a place could look like.

Buyers respond to staging.   Staging is money well spent on the seller side.  Especially in a buyer's market.