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Target Marketing and Lifestyle Merchandising: A New Paradigm in Home Staging

By
Home Stager with Nickian Home Staging

This post was originally posted to the Nickian Home Staging Blog under "Target Marketing and Lifestyle Merchandising: A New Paradigm in Home Staging" on June 6, 2011.

The home staging industry is changing to be more effective. There is a new paradigm shift, developed in part by Matthew Finlason, host of HGTV’s “The Stagers”. Nickian Home Staging has successfully embraced the techniques employed by Finlason after attending his Advanced Staging and Marketing course. This new model makes it critical to target your buyer when preparing a home for sale. Home staging has evolved from simply de-cluttering, de-personalizing and neutralizing a home, in an attempt to appeal to the widest range of buyers. This is a somewhat one size fits all or blanket approach, which under many circumstances can be counter-productive. We are now moving towards better understanding the target buyer and focusing on what the buyer wants. It is about creating an installation where the dreams and aspirations of the buyer are addressed. Nickian Home Staging is at the forefront of this new trend using Target Marketing and Lifestyle Merchandising concepts.

Step 1: Target Marketing

Target marketing involves breaking down a market into segments and then concentrating your marketing efforts on one or more of a few key segments. Imaging pitching a baseball to the batter with a blindfold on or practicing archery with your eyes closed. In both cases, being prevented from seeing your target would make it almost impossible to hit. This concept is also true in real estate. Selling a home without knowing who your target market is will prevent you from reaching your objective. Target marketing is the key to increased sales. You need to know the answers to the following questions to successfully market your property:

  • Who is your buyer?
  • Why would they buy this home?
  • What is their demographic?
  • What is their psychographic?
  • What are the demographics & psychographics of the neighborhood?

Step 2: Lifestyle Merchandising

Once we identify the target buyer we will zero in on their lifestyle. We combine our research and analysis with the demographic and psychographic profiles of the potential buyer with our design aesthetics. Once all that research has been done it is critical to know how to translate this information into a meaningful and successful staging design plan. When staging a home, we are telling a story, mindful of the dreams, aspirations and lifestyle of the targeted buyers rather than presenting a neutralized, sterile looking presentation. Every piece of furniture, artwork, and accessory that we use in our story is carefully and thoughtfully selected. Home buyers buy a lifestyle.

NEW YORKERS LOVE THEIR DOGS: CREATE A STORY & EMOTIONAL TRIGGER FOR PROSPECTIVE BUYERS

Bedroom with Dog Picture

About the Author: Gary Sefferman is President and Creative Director of Nickian Home Staging, a boutique style home staging company serving the New York City Metro area, including Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Westchester, Northern New Jersey and Fairfield County Connecticut. Nickian’s focus is working with home sellers and their real estate agents to prepare their property to appeal to the most likely buyers. As Certified Advanced Stagers Nickian Home Staging transforms a property into a buyer’s must-have through the use of targeted lifestyle marketing techniques.

 

Copyright  © 2011 Nickian Home Staging – All Rights Reserved

Comments(5)

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Birgit Anich
Birgit Anich Staging & Interiors, 203.807.4040 - Norwalk, CT
CT Home Stager Fairfield & New Haven County

Great post, Gary!!! Studying and understanding the buyers with a system and translating it into the staging design is so critical when working with lifestyle merchandising and target staging techniques.

I am re-blogging your post to give this important post more exposure.

Jun 06, 2011 03:36 PM
Janet Jones
Just Your Style Interiors, LLC - Kihei, HI
Home Staging, Interior Redesign Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

Gary--I keep reading about Matthew Finlason's paradigm shift for home staging and it makes complete sense.  Love how you implemented that in the staged master bedroom. 

Jun 07, 2011 12:02 AM
Julia Maher
Nestings: Connecticut Home Staging and Model Homes - Fairfield, CT
Connecticut Home Stager

The process of determining the target buyer is also a great way to illustrate to sellers the importance of Staging.  For example, it's helped me "sell" Staging to folks who are down-sizing, have dated furnishings, and agree their target buyers are young families...hence the need to update.

Jun 07, 2011 03:07 AM
TERI LINDSAY
Reno, NV
STAGELIGHT HOME STAGING CO.

Gary, thanks for the "push" to revolutionize home staging.... a term I have never been comfortable with. I much prefer Lifestyle Merchandising with the concept of a target market.  After all, we are NOT selling homes...... people create a home after they have moved in and claim the space with their personal furnishings and personalities.  Real Estate Stagers are helping sellers market their house/condo, and creating appeal by presenting a property in its best condition (justifying the set asking price). Right?

Jun 10, 2011 01:43 PM
Brenda Hughes
Evansville Home Staging & Re-Design - Evansville, IN
Home Staging & Re-Design Southern IN, KY

Great post Gary, I am proud to be a fellow graduate of Matthew Finlason's course.  I am still

learning and growing my business.  I love everything about what I have learned , I felt like I was in

a box before as far as what was acceptable in Home Staging.

I have reposted your post, couldn't have said it better

Thanks

Brenda

 

Sep 19, 2011 04:17 AM