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Home Staging: Seller’s Advantage in a Buyer’s Market

By
Home Stager with Home Matters Property Stylist Group, Indianapolis, Indiana

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The predominant media buzz about the current "buyer's market" is everywhere today, making it appear that sellers have lost any advantage in this highly-competitive real estate market. Yes, there is a huge inventory of homes competing for a smaller and choosier pool of potential buyers. This is enough to make even the most seasoned home seller fear that their property will only sell at a giveaway price or after a long time on the market-or worse; that it may not sell at all. Yet, the homes of some sellers are selling more quickly and profitably. How can it be? 

This leads me to another media buzz (music to the ears of every home stager) which says that even in the current market, staging remains one of the very best investments a seller can make to protect their home's equity and increase its resale value.  According to HomeGain's 2009 national survey of realtors, home staging yields a whopping 586% Return on Investment (ROI) and can help "get your home sold quicker and for more money."   The survey ranks home staging as the second best ROI (after cleaning and decluttering) and yielding the third highest price increase to a home's resale value. 

Also buzzing in the media is word that home staging is changing the landscape of the real estate industry and having a positive effect on the overall economy.  In August of 2009, CNN.com and CareerBuilder.com listed home staging as one of seven "cutting edge careers... making a mark and poised for growth in the coming years." This research validates the significant results of home staging-even in this buyer's market and this economy.

That's why it's critical for us, as members of the professional home staging industry, to provide a more balanced perspective on the often-gloomy media buzz. We can do this by reassuring home sellers that they still have tremendous power to significantly improve the value of their homes and ensure a faster, more profitable sale; and that we are here to support them every step of the way. We need to constantly remind home sellers and realtors that, at a time when fewer homes are selling, we help ensure that our clients' homes are the ones that sell. In today's buyer's market, home staging gives sellers a distinct advantage. 

Home Staging is a great marketing tool to successfully connect with your targeted audience.  It can work for you!

Home Matters Home Staging and Training a professional home staging company "Servicing the needs of our Real Estate community here in Metro Indianapolis and all of central Indiana" We help real estate professionals, home sellers, builders and investors with their home staging needs as well as helping real estate professionals and stagers to develop their home staging and re-design skills through Coaching and expert CSP training.  For more information regarding our services, please contact us at 317-209-9801 or visit us on the web. http://www.homemattersllc.com/

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Home Matters is a home staging company that offers services for both occupied and vacant homes. We work with all budgets and have received Angie's list highest rating for the past three years. Visit Home Matters website for more information.

Al Raymondi
Ocean View Realty Group in Ormond By The Sea Florida - Ormond Beach, FL
Ormond By The Sea Florida - Home and Condo Sales

Good article Linda.  Thanks.

Apr 15, 2010 07:35 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

Preach on Linda! Great use of current stats to show the value, benefit and ROI of home staging! From your words to the RE community's ears.

Apr 15, 2010 10:27 AM
Melissa Marro
Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL
Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging

Get this woman a soapbox and a megaphone please!!!  Keep putting it out there Linda!

Apr 15, 2010 03:09 PM
Linda Barnett
Home Matters Property Stylist Group, Indianapolis, Indiana - Indianapolis, IN
Home Matters Indianapolis Indiana

Thanks to everyone!  Yes there is help out there to showcase and sell properties.  It is working to help people move forward; one house at a time. 

Apr 16, 2010 03:58 AM
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

Good post, Linda.  As professional stagers we need to continue reinforcing the positive message that home staging is a powerful and effective tool when selling!  A client told me recently that when friends heard she was putting her home on the market they said "Oh, trying to sell in this market?  It will take forever, and you won't get what you want."  However she was determined to do everything she could to make sure her home looked it's very best -- and hired my company to stage her home, working with her own furnishings.  She also asked me for a recommendation for a good Realtor -- and she had professional photos included ... the result? The house sold in 24 hours for over asking price .. it's now closed and she has moved on!

Apr 16, 2010 05:46 AM
Cathy Lee
CL Design Services Home Staging - Danville, CA
ASP, IAHSP, RESA Danville, CA

Shout it from the mountains Woman!! I nominate you for President Linda!!!

Apr 16, 2010 04:09 PM
Cindy Bryant
Redesign Etc. Home Staging - Houston, TX
"Houston Home Staging Pros"

If we all preach it, surely we will reach North America...lol and by the sounds of it the UK, and Australia.

Apr 17, 2010 06:06 PM
Michele Hess
Simply Staged Inc. - Rockford, IL
Home Stager Rockford - Simply Staged Inc

Excellent post and information Linda!  Thanks for sharing.

Apr 18, 2010 10:56 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Linda- when do you start the World Tour, because we want you to Shout it Out!  I like what you said and how you used the recent stats to support it.  Sellers do not have to feel as if they have no control in this market.  There is something they can do!!!

Apr 19, 2010 07:49 AM
Linda Barnett
Home Matters Property Stylist Group, Indianapolis, Indiana - Indianapolis, IN
Home Matters Indianapolis Indiana

Maureen;  There's nothing more important than the power of a testimonial.  They tried it and success was given. Homes are selling, and often times sellers just don't understand how much control they truely have in the process.

Cathy;  Stager should be loud and proud.  We help people move forward with their lives.  It's a good thing. 

Cindy; Yes lets all join the stagers choir.

Michele; You are so welcome, I'm happy to put my 2 cents in.

Kathy; Sellers have more power than they realize. 

Thanks to everyone for stopping by and leaving your comments.  Take care and Happy Staging!

Apr 20, 2010 02:14 AM
Rebecca McArdle
Stunning Staging & Redesign, LLC - Fort Wayne, IN

Great post Maureen!  Home Staging really is changing the real estate industry, in a good way :-)

May 23, 2011 12:27 PM