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The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do To Sell Your Home! Laura S. Baker, Ready? Set,...Sell! Home Staging & ReDesign, Jefferson, South Central, South Eastern WI

By Laura S. Baker

Real Estate Agent with First Weber Inc WI LIC #125698

March 11, 2011 04:46 AM

You just never know who you will meet or what an impact that meeting will make upon our life or your business here in Active Rain. Playing in the rain has brought me a new friend and associate close to home!

When you get such an incredible testimonial from a fellow Active Rain Blogger, you just have to share it! I have to give Tim Peterson, A Keller Williams Realtor® out of Madison WI, a quick shout out to say Thank You! He recently wrote this overwhelming blog post about yours truly. This post is not about agreeing with the content, but rather a simple thanks for the shout out. Thank you so much Tim! (I'll send that check to you soon.) ;-D

Tim Peterson Keller Williams, 608-721-2468 or email at million_dollar_seller@yahoo.com Sun Prarie, Madison, Cottage Grove, WI

The Single most Important Thing you can do to sell your Home

Current Market Statistics tell us that there are now 9 homes for sale for every qualified buyer. WOW!!!

So what can you do to make sure yours is the one that sells? Very simply. You can never make a good second impression. Your house has to be that one shiny penny standing out in a sea of others for sale.

Just as you would never do your own surgery or dental work or represent yourself in court---You need a Professional.

Someone that can make your house stand out from all the others and make people envision living there and how it is 1 of a kind. Statistics from 2009 from RESAshow us that houses unstaged were for sale and not sold an average of 277 days-when the same homes were staged they sold in an average of 63 days

You need a Professional Stager-and The best I have seen in all of Southern Wisconsin is Laura S. Baker.

Laura Baker, has incredible innovative ideas and can work on any budget . most importantly you get someone who has seen it from all sides. She has experience in Buying and rehabbing her own properties as well as extensive experience and training in Staging homes for Clients.

I have dealt with many re-modelers and home stagers both here in Wisconsin and in Key West Florida on homes ranging up to $3 million dollars and I can tell you from seeing her work I would recommendLaura Baker above anyone else.

Whether you are a FSBO selling your home by yourself or with an agent you owe it to yourself to contact Laura Baker. There are far too many people out there calling themselves decorators and home Stagers that will happily take your money and leave you with a half done job.

This is the most professionalHome Stager I have ever met and if you truly want to sell your home for the most money in the fastest time please contact Laura Baker.

Laura S. Baker
http://activerain.com/stagingfirst

Of Course my Comment to Tim Peterson was;

Thank you,... and can you condense that into a couple of sentences for a testimonial on my website? :) You will have to visit his blog post to see his answer to me! The Single most Important Thing you can do to sell your Home by Tim Peterson. Keep trying Tim, although I just loved the restaurant reference, I'm thinking that comment is just a little long for a testimonial as well. Looking forward to working together!

One other thing Tim, Do you happen to know a Keller Williams Realtor who recently traveled to Orange County CA for a conference for KWRE who was excited to meet Gary Keller and had a conversation with a lovely, talented, stager while at the airport? If you do, please introduce him to me. We need to talk.

Tim Peterson, Madison Wisconsin Real Estate and Auction Services

We Specialize in Helping solve problems for the buyer or seller.

Give us a call for a free no obligation quote on what we can do 608-721-2468 or email at million_dollar_seller@yahoo.com www.TimTimHomes.com

www.madisonwisconsinrealestateandauctionservices.com

Visit our main website for free complete access to the MLS and home Searches-even sign up to receive emails about listings the moment they are posted on the MLS

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Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Awe Li, You are always such a ray of sunshine! Thank you so much.

Mar 11, 2011 06:59 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Well Thanks Ellen. I miss you! Sorry I have been negligent about coming by lately. I'll be right over.

Mar 11, 2011 07:01 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

You bet Cinnamon. He and I have talked regularly since this. He is respectful, kind, helpful and very smart.

Mar 11, 2011 07:04 AM

Craig Rutman

Helping people in transition - Cary, NC

Raleigh, Cary, Apex area Realtor

Now that's a testimonial worth repeating! Kudos to you for sharing it and to Tim for saying it.

Mar 11, 2011 07:06 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Ahhhhhhh,,,,,,,,,,......................! I love my friends here in the rain! David, THANK YOU! It's not often one gets a shout out like that and it really feels good.

Mar 11, 2011 07:10 AM

Lenn Harley

Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA

Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

I respectfully submit that I have a great admiration for stagers who understand that staging can and should compliment the preceeding work of an experienced listing agent.

I also respectfully submit that an anecdote doesn't not a trend or authority make.

I further respectfully submit that if staging is the prosimate cause of the contract of sale, why not just stage and sell. Shucks look at the money the sellers could save.

Just dump about 100 years of history in the development of the real estate listing and sale industry, stage and put an ad in Craigs list and let the buyer and seller do the deed.

Then the stager will deserve some credit for the sales.

Mar 11, 2011 08:21 AM

Sharon Tara

Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH

Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

That's a great testimonial, and more importantly it was a great thing for Tim to post it. It says a lot that he took the time to do so.

Love your response to "black cloud" but I don't understand her need to rain on your parade. It feels inappropriate to me. I think you struck a nerve there. She appears to be threatened by stagers, not sure why.

Mar 11, 2011 09:49 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Craig, I can only say THANK YOU for everything!

Mar 11, 2011 10:37 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Hey Lenn,I knew you would be back and I am glad you are! This is much better. Now I kinda think I understand where you are coming from. As I said in the first paragraph this post is a testimonial for my skills not about the content, however; you bring up a good point.

I hate to tell you this, but If I am understanding what you are saying correctly this time, I have to agree with you somewhat. If you ever catch me running around shouting "Staging Sells Houses"go right ahead and be my black cloud (no disrespect intended, but I kind of like that nick name for you) LOL! Honestly, I don't think Tim meant that either. He is new to blogging and I don't think he ever thought it might be interpretedthat way. From talking to him, he is a good Realtor® developing a great team.

Let me tell you how I feel about staging. If you follow my blog posts (which of course you should be ~ insert sassy grin here), you would know I feel the Realtor® is the one who is the star of the show. I would not, nor would I ever suggest anyone should try the FSBO route. Quite the contrary! A Realtor is a highly trained person whom I have the utmost respect for (well the ones that deservethat respect anyhow ~ I have a high set of scruples here kiddo!). I feel a stager is and always should be just a part of the Realtors® supporting cast, just as a quality photographer should be, as well as a good title company and a good inspector.

Can a house sell without staging? Oh H-E-double toothpicks it can! But, everyday a house sits on the market it costs Realtors®, Sellers, Lenders, builders, etc money. Who has that to burn (unless you just sold off a bunch of great website urls)? Not me! Not most people. My goal as a stager is to helpsave equity, marketing costs, in other words money and time on the market. To show off the homes best features and downplay it's negatives. I hope I do not now or at any time come across as superior to a Realtor®. If I do, rain down upon me Black Cloud! Sometimes we all need a little help keeping our ego in check.

My highly intellegent friend Zinger said it very well, "I know that in most cases the house will show better and will sell faster to a similar home at a similar price but not staged." Apples to apples, the staged home usually sells faster. Anyhow, thanks for coming back. If you are okay with it and you would like to discuss this further, I would love to give you a call. Or, give me a ringy dingy! :)

Mar 11, 2011 11:21 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Dang, that was way too long! Thank you for the compliments Sharon. That was great of Tim wasn't it? Black Cloud, nah! I don't think she's intimidated by anyone,... well maybe God,...maybe not.

Mar 11, 2011 11:27 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Hey Zinger, do you know how much I love you? Great topic here ha? :)D And bask we should. Even though it is cold as he.. here, I am basking! Thank you so much for the awesome photo. I am having it made into a large canvas! I just love it. I hope you have a wonderful Friday evening! It's time to put my feet up, have a glass of wine and watch a chick flick,... or maybe "Social Network"!

Mar 11, 2011 11:46 AM

Tim Peterson

Wisconsin Realtor Safety and Concealed Carry Classes - Madison, WI

Realtor Safety Training Classes

Hi Laura-I truly believe Staging a home DOES sell it for more money and quicker. Quick example. Most buyers look in a range for homes. say 200,000 to 250,000. With the internet accounting for over 80% of buyers search for homes-they then choose to drive by or go to open houses of 12 properties. Does any one really think they would stop at the homes that are unkempt-or lets say they get inside and the first bedroom is all packers colors and the next red and white for the badgers?

The true value of what you do is to make the home that the buyer can envision as their own-with neutral shades and spectacular grouping of furniture to let people take mental ownership. Its like you are taking the home and transforming it not into a showplace like a decorator for 1 particular style but rather to open it up to any possibilities that help the new buyers make it their own. And some of the simple tips you have shown me are so cheap yet lend themselves to improving the saleability of homes. For example-removing the screens so the home looks brighter when a buyer first sees it. Replacing or even watering the mulch so the landscaping stands out. Cleaning out the closets as most people tend to hide stuff there and most buyers look there and keeping the garage as junk free as possible--all literally free things that I do not think we as realtors even envision yet to you is second nature.

As for your question I an sorry but have not talked to anyone who went to Family Reunion this year. Sorry

hope to talk to you soon

Mar 11, 2011 01:40 PM

Tim Peterson

Wisconsin Realtor Safety and Concealed Carry Classes - Madison, WI

Realtor Safety Training Classes

By the way I would be happy to introduce you to anyone I can but with Keller Williams now being the 2nd largest Real Estate Company in the United States and Us having 4 offices in madison area alone I need a little better description

Mar 11, 2011 01:43 PM

Tim Peterson

Wisconsin Realtor Safety and Concealed Carry Classes - Madison, WI

Realtor Safety Training Classes

Wow Laura now I see this is the top post under madison wisconsin News on Activerain-congratulations

Mar 11, 2011 02:03 PM

Judy Klem

Transition Stage LLC - Shelton, CT

Home Staging, Senior Move Management, Fairfield/New Haven counties

Hi Laura - So awesome - and not at all surprising for one as talented as you!

Mar 11, 2011 02:18 PM

Amy Hahn

Pine Knoll Shores Realty - Morehead City, NC

Realtor/Broker - Crystal Coast, NC

I think you are an amazing woman/Home Stager and sooooo deserve this recognition. Kudos to you and to Tim! We are lacking in the home stager department here, but I would love to have you close enough to help a few of my sellers. So....That being said, Here's a little sunshine for you....

Mar 11, 2011 09:53 PM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Awe Tim! Thank you so much for having my back! Let's get together soon my friend. I know for sure that the first home I staged would have lingered and sat on the market for a very long time. It would have sat until the price got low enough for a rehabber to find it interesting. The couple who were selling it, this was a big portion of their retirement money.

Mar 12, 2011 03:35 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

It really was awesome Judy. Tim is a great guy and I am glad Active Rain gave us a chance to meet. I have truly been blessed with all of you that I have met here in the Rain!

Mar 12, 2011 03:38 AM

Laura S. Baker

First Weber Inc - Lake Mills, WI

Realtor (920) 728-4118, First Weber Inc

Amy, you are so awesome! I so wish I was on that beach right now, but I guess this beautiful photo will have to do.

Perhaps I will become the traveling stager? A ticket and payment for staging services and I'm there! Hey, now that would be ridiculously fun! Do you know any other NC Realtors® that might go in on a ticket for me to come down there and work? :)D

Mar 12, 2011 03:43 AM

Amy Hahn

Pine Knoll Shores Realty - Morehead City, NC

Realtor/Broker - Crystal Coast, NC

I do know a few NC Realtors...How 'bout Craig Rutman? My Mom, Marian Goetzinger, My best friends...Paula Stadiem, Brenda Ballard, Bobbie Hill? Hmmmmm? As president of our local association, I'm thinking a Seminar by "The Laura Baker" would be great......One day! Just in case you didn't know it....Love Ya!

Mar 12, 2011 07:22 AM