So, why should you recommend home staging for your sellers in Buffalo and Western New York?
It’s been such a pleasure and educating experience being a member of Active Rain. I’ve learned that there are so many of us Professional Stagers and Re-designers out there, and how prolific our services are in many hot spots in the States and in Canada!
What shocked me, when I first joined this business, was how this industry is virtually unknown (and untapped) in Western New York. There is a huge Staging presence in Metropolitan New York City and California, and even right across the border in Ontario, Canada. The competition is amazing in these spots…but we are relative newcomers here in my own back yard! (This is great for me and other Home Stagers in the Buffalo area, with very little competition.) Perhaps it’s because Buffalo and Western New York has such affordable (read: “cheap!”) housing!
Yet, when I research listings on the Internet in my area, most homes look just awful on the inside and out. You know what I mean: toilet lids up, pet dishes in the kitchen, empty cold rooms, snow still on the ground when it’s already April…
I love what I do. I wish I could stage EVERY new home listing, as I love this business and its effect on the real estate market. Nevertheless, I am puzzled that more Realtors do not use our professional services on their new listings.
I have noticed that recently, some real estate brokerages tout that a new Agent has become “certified” as a home stager. I think that’s a step in the right direction, in that they can advise the homeowner on how to better show their home.But what happens if the Realtor is uncomfortable being the “bad guy?”
A few days ago, I received a call from a Realtor who was listing a sizeable, newer home…but the homeowner was a friend of hers. She was not sure how to approach her friend with things that needed improvement, and wanted to hire me for a consultation. I can hardly blame her. She needed a third party to tactfully give her friend feedback on the home’s condition, recommend some improvements, so that the home would show its very best.
That’s a pretty awkward conversation to have with a friend, especially if there are pet smells in the house, poor curb appeal, and furnishings and accessories that detract from the home’s best features. You certainly don’t want to disappoint your friend when the home doesn’t sell in a month or six months or a year, but you also don’t want to alienate them by hurting their feelings about their personal tastes and saying “Get rid of that waterbed!”
Professional Home Stagers are just that—professionals! It’s our job to transform a home so that it will appeal to the most potential buyers. We are here to help get that home sold quickly and to ease the stress that goes along with trying to sell a property.
We take our time getting to know a seller, yet quickly making the home look like a show-stopper to get buyers and other Realtors excited about the home. And if it results in a bidding war, that’s awesome!
I’m hoping that more Realtors in the Western New York area will contact a local Home Staging Professional for their next listing. We are always available for presentations at your office, or just to sit with you and discuss your timeline, your needs and your budget!
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