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REALTORS --- Which houses need Professional Staging®?

By
Real Estate Agent with Coastal Properties Group International

This is a legitimate question on my part, how do you decide during the course of preparing a house for sale, that a Home Staging® Professional should be brought in?  Please comment ... Home Staging® Professionals want to know!

Time & time again I hear, "Staging is for the luxury market."  “Staging is too expensive.” ETC.  Why?  I say (and see it happen every day in real estate), that Staging is for any home, in any market and in any price range.

  1. PRICE - at any price point the right Professional Staging will peek buyer interest by showcasing the property, demonstrate lifestyle, adding pop, adding interest, show flow in & around the home as well as feature the extras the house has to offer.  If you are not investing in Professional Home Staging then you are reducing the price more than necessary.  "Staging is always less than your next price reduction" says Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging®  Lower price means lower commission!  Realtors® you have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the sellers investment in the property by getting it Professionally Staged!
  2. MLS PICS - if a property is vacant there is nothing to see in the PICS; these PICS are not going to maximize buyer interest and the property will not be shown much.  Vacant homes are cold & empty leaving potential buyers with those same negative feelings.
  3. CONDITION - sometimes there is so much clutter & dirt you don’t know where to begin.  A Home Staging Professional knows where to begin.  He/she knows what to do and most importantly they will read the homeowner well and know how far they are able to bring them along to Stage the property.
  4. BUDGET - a creative Home Staging Professional will be able to do something at any budget point (set by the seller) to Stage the home and improve its presentation in the market place.
  5. SELLERS - which sellers need a Home Staging Professional?  They all do!  Every one of us bring into our homes all the things we believe we “need”, the things we love and the things that are part of the life we have built with our loved ones.  It’s hard to hear that our family PICS need to be packed up, that the sports room needs to be dismantled as everyone may not like the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It’s hard to hear that our beloved collection of Chia Pets is not what potential buyers need to be talking about as they view the house.  Home Staging Professional’s know what to gently say to motivate the seller to get those things out of site and begin the marketing - turning a home into - a house into a commodity for sale!
  6. MARKETING - Staging is marketing!  The right Home Staging Professional is one that gets that.  One that is trained and does more than go in & “pretty up the place”.  In truth, the right Home Staging Professional understands that above all else we need to maximize the equity in the home for the seller and get it sold ASAP.

 

Every home that is listed needs a Home Staging Professional!  Realtors there are Home Staging Professional of all shapes & sizes.  BEWARE of hobby stagers; some are talented, some get it but the best Home Stagers run serious businesses, have professional Staging training behind them, are involved in our industry and know what it takes to be your partner in moving real estate quickly with maximum return for the seller AND you!  I urge you to make a difference in YOUR business now & in 2011 by finding the right Home Staging Professional to add to your team; one you can trust & rely on to help you market those listings!

Time & time again I hear, "Staging is for the luxury market."  “Staging is too expensive.” ETC.  Why?  I say (and see it happen every day in real estate), that Staging is for any home, in any market and in any price range.

  1. PRICE - at any price point the right Professional Staging will peek buyer interest by showcasing the property, demonstrate lifestyle, adding pop, adding interest, show flow in & around the home as well as feature the extras the house has to offer.  If you are not investing in Professional Home Staging then you are reducing the price more than necessary.  "Staging is always less than your next price reduction" says Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging®  Lower price means lower commission!  Realtors® you have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the sellers investment in the property by getting it Professionally Staged!
  2. MLS PICS - if a property is vacant there is nothing to see in the PICS; these PICS are not going to maximize buyer interest and the property will not be shown much.  Vacant homes are cold & empty leaving potential buyers with those same negative feelings.
  3. CONDITION - sometimes there is so much clutter & dirt you don’t know where to begin.  A Home Staging Professional knows where to begin.  He/she knows what to do and most importantly they will read the homeowner well and know how far they are able to bring them along to Stage the property.
  4. BUDGET - a creative Home Staging Professional will be able to do something at any budget point (set by the seller) to Stage the home and improve its presentation in the market place.
  5. SELLERS - which sellers need a Home Staging Professional?  They all do!  Every one of us bring into our homes all the things we believe we “need”, the things we love and the things that are part of the life we have built with our loved ones.  It’s hard to hear that our family PICS need to be packed up, that the sports room needs to be dismantled as everyone may not like the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It’s hard to hear that our beloved collection of Chia Pets is not what potential buyers need to be talking about as they view the house.  Home Staging Professional’s know what to gently say to motivate the seller to get those things out of site and begin the marketing - turning a home into - a house into a commodity for sale!
  6. MARKETING - Staging is marketing!  The right Home Staging Professional is one that gets that.  One that is trained and does more than go in & “pretty up the place”.  In truth, the right Home Staging Professional understands that above all else we need to maximize the equity in the home for the seller and get it sold ASAP.

 

Every home that is listed needs a Home Staging Professional!  Realtors there are Home Staging Professional of all shapes & sizes.  BEWARE of hobby stagers; some are talented, some get it but the best Home Stagers run serious businesses, have professional Staging training behind them, are involved in our industry and know what it takes to be your partner in moving real estate quickly with maximum return for the seller AND you!  I urge you to make a difference in YOUR business now & in 2011 by finding the right Home Staging Professional to add to your team; one you can trust & rely on to help you market those listings!

vacant mls pic

 

5058 Creekview Ct, Belleair FL

Laura Strunk
Keller Williams Realty Centre - Ellicott City, MD
Howard County Maryland Realtor

I believe any home except homes being sold "as-is" will benefit from home staging.  I get all of my homes stages by a professional stager, unless they are as-is.     One of the biggest mitakes most realtors make is being a jack of all trades.     A good professional stage has the training and the skills that realtors do not have. 

Nov 29, 2010 10:34 PM
Barbara Hensley
RE/MAX Properties - Rockwall, TX
Homes for Sale in Rockwall County, Texas

Very informative!  Thanks. 

Nov 29, 2010 10:34 PM
Jan Whitlow, ASPM
Coastal Properties Group International - Indian Rocks Beach, FL

Good point, Laura and thank you, Barbara!

Nov 29, 2010 10:44 PM
Anonymous
Susan Orneck

Most realtors don't exactly see thru the eyes of a buyer...nor do the sellers. Realtor's can only enhance the exposure and justify their price better with staging.

Home owners are more receptive to taking advise from a stager than a realtor. Every house you've staged for me has sold pronto!

Your the best....even with my most reluctant sellers!

Nov 30, 2010 01:02 AM
#5
Anonymous
Theresa Minichiello

As always, Jan...great information and I couldn't agree more! Happy Holidays to you!

Nov 30, 2010 02:32 AM
#6
Jan Whitlow, ASPM
Coastal Properties Group International - Indian Rocks Beach, FL

Sue & Theresa ... thank you.  God Bless this holiday season ...

Dec 01, 2010 12:20 PM
Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Pictures don't lie.  Most of the builders stage their model homes.  It sure makes a difference.

Dec 03, 2010 12:51 PM
Jan Whitlow, ASPM
Coastal Properties Group International - Indian Rocks Beach, FL

After further thought I should have prefaced the heading with "DO YOU THINK" ... an interesting tidbit came my way this week.  I was contacted by a family member preparing their mother's home for sale.  During the preview he mentioned to me who the listing agent is.  I know her.  She is a seasoned Realtor known for working in the local luxury market.  She has Staged her luxury listings, in Tampa Bay, for years.  The interesting thing is her opinion on Staging for homes in the lower price ranges.  She says, "No, Staging just for the luxury market."  WOW, I have seen it make a difference in the sale of homes; staged them all the way down to $32,000.  Staging makes a difference in any market, any home AND any price range.  Well, mom listened to the Realtor and that is fine.  I believe it would be much better to Stage the home but I accept her point of view ... more later ... when I Stage the property.  LOL

Dec 03, 2010 10:20 PM