Do you have the gift of staging? My question is not whether you are a certified stager but whether you have an innate gift for design.
Recently, I watched an episode of HGTV’s Design Star. Vern Yip (a judge), said of Meg Caswell (ultimately this year’s winner) something to the affect that you could give her a pile of junk and she would innately know which pieces were the good ones.
I connected and recognized her gift is one of my talents too. I utilize it in home staging. In August, we listed a townhome previously listed twice with different agents. Yes, the price was too high on listing #1 and at the beginning of the recently expired listing #2. But, though the expired price was in line with market values, other properties went under contract but not this home.
The Homeowner was frustrated! Although priced correctly, her home, in good condition and so clean, remained unsold. Her walls, carpet, tile floors, cabinets, knobs and 13 year old appliances were white. The only color came from bath wallpaper (ugh!) and a floral sofa. Her decorating elements were dated and a mix of styles.
I recommended she remove the master bath wallpaper and chose a neutral paint. I asked she replace the dining area light with a more current fixture and replaced her white kitchen cabinet knobs with bronze knobs I found at Lowes for $1 each. We walked her home and I indicated which furniture and accessories to remove and which to leave for staging. I brought in additional linens, lamps, pictures and accessories, a smaller table and chairs, a desk for an office area and rearranged a few pieces. Her floral sofa proved more challenging than I imagined but, utilizing her items and mine, it all came together.
We listed at the same price as her recently expired listing and her home went under contract 11 days later. After a year and a half of trying to sell in a falling market, she was ecstatic!
Reflecting on this years closed transactions, I realize how often my innate staging gifts led to a successful conclusion. I lament it took years to understand it’s easier to build a business using gifts one actually possesses rather than struggling to acquire gifts one wishes one had.
Are you utilizing your innate gifts to grow your business?
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