Active Rain member Laurie Jarett wrote a blog post this week for real estate agents about how the FSBO Seller is NOT a Big, Scary Monster! What a great title! It occurred to me that home stagers might be worrying about similar things and not approach them either.
With FSBO properties being so common in the marketplace, you’re probably wondering how to attract some of them to your home staging business. Targeting FSBOs or “For Sale by Owner” properties is a great idea but remember, they’re selling their homes themselves so they don’t have to pay an agent.
This could mean they don’t want to pay anyone for anything or it could mean they aren’t spending money on an agent so they have a lot of money to invest in helping their house show better.
If you’re thinking of approaching these homeowners about staging, try doing an Internet search on “FSBO yourcityname” which should bring up some of the FSBO companies that operate in your area. Check photos of your local FSBOs to find out which ones need the help of a home stager. I would then directly approach these owners explaining what home staging is and what it can do.
Be mindful however, that many FSBO properties have specifically requested not to be contacted by sales people and you have to respect that.
Before meeting with them, ensure you have a collection of before and after photos of your own work to show what a difference staging can make. Explain to them that 70% of prospective homebuyers in the US and 90% in Canada shop on the Internet before ever scheduling a viewing. These buyers are reading listing information, poring over photos and deciding which homes to see with or without their agent, regardless of whether it’s a FSBO or not.
Make the homeowner understand that with people shopping online before they decide to see homes, the way their house is presented on the Internet is absolutely critical. Good photos are essential when listing a house on the Internet.
Explain that you can help make their photos much more enticing by how you would decorate their house to sell. In conjunction with that, you could offer to give them better quality after photos for their website, and that could be part of a package you charge them for.
> Read what one Omaha Staging Diva Graduate did for a FSBO property.
Home stagers, do you market to FSBOs? Have you found a foolproof approach? Have you had little luck? Please share your experiences by leaving a comment below.
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging
Debra Gould knows how to make money as a home stager and she developed the Staging Diva Training Program to teach others how to earn a living doing something they love
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