Five sold this month!

Tis the season when business typically slows down with the holidays in full swing. It's true that we've gotten fewer new staging clients overall this last month, but there must be something in the air, other than Christmas carols, as five of our current staged listings have or are about to close in this last month. I'm just hoping that along with the new positive stock market swing, this does mark the beginning of an upswing for our Northern California real estate market. And while taking down staging doesn't bring much creative spark, it means a lot of sellers have benefited from our help. But we also bring something to the new buyers we've been able to serve by our work. This was made clear to me recently when I met the young new buyer for this Orinda home where we carefully selected updates for this estate sale. In our brief encounter she must have pointed out to me at least 5 of these updates as specific points that had drawn her attention, without my prompting, allowing her to see the incredible potential this great home had to offer. Yes she's aware of the original kitchen but their family can live with the painted cabinets for a while, etc. As she pointed out to me, neither her husband nor her have "the eye", and I suspect the original "diamond in the rough" we started with may well have been too overwhelming in its original condition. She's not alone: most people can only see what is presented to them, and agents tell me again and again that presentation is key is selling in this market where buyers demand exceptional value.