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How To Provide a Recommendation Report to Your Sellers

By Dana Smithers

Education & Training with PRES Staging Resource Centre

November 19, 2012 01:12 AM

How To Provide a Recommnedation Report to Your Sellers

As part of the PRES staging training course we provide students with over 25 templates that they can use to get started in their business. The Recommendation Report is one of them. I recently heard of a stager going in to provide recommendations for the seller to prepare for selling BUT she didn't even give them any kind of written information so they could refer back to it once she was gone. I don't believe this is right. Sellers have enough to worry about without trying to remember what the stager told them to do.

PRES stagers use a two-step process.

1) we take in a clipboard and a blank Recommendation Form and go from room to room recording the changes/challenges that need to be addressed. If the client wants to take their own notes we provide them with a clipboard and form, but I recommend you also take your own notes.

2) If, the seller wants a written report we transcribe our hand-written notes into a typed templated Recommendation Report something like this one. We can also provide photos of each area with this report to make it easir for them to have somethign to refer to.

I'm also a big fan of the on-line consultation form that you can get from Market Ready Real Estate. If you prefer this format, use PRES in the code indicating we sent you there.

Either way please provide your overwhelmed clients with a report they can refer back to as they move ahead with this very BIG JOB!

This is a SAMPLE ONLY of one that Dana J. Smithers provided to a client a few years ago.

Client Information
Name:				Report Date:
Address:
				Submitted By:

Priorities to Help You Sell Sooner!

Contact Strong Brothers Moving Company 604 xxx xxxx and rent a storage locker from them as well.

Clean up the front hallway entrance. Store and remove all the shoes. Put a small table at the front. Remove all the family photos and all the baby pictures.

Clean out the garage. Make room for at least one car. Set up the laundry area as a separate space in the garage.

Remove all the clutter throughout the house – create open space everywhere. Show off the better features. The toys are taking over the house – store them.

Paint hallway walls and bedroom as recommended. Benjamin Moore paint colours selected can be matched at any paint store.

In-law suite needs clearing and cleaning out. Fireplace needs to be the focal point. Remove kitty litter from kitchen and hide.

Room/Area	Challenge	Recommended Solutions Edit/Remove/Replace
OUTSIDE
Exterior	Christmas lights	Take down all around house
Exterior Paint Colour	Dark forest green, dated	Paint in green colour to blend in with neighbourhood CC 602 – Stanley Park
Roof/Gutters	Dirty	Clean out more obvious growth
Walkway/Pathway	Stain on cement Green flyer box Not inviting	Remove with TSP or stronger solution Paint grey/black same as outside trim or remove altogether Bring potted plant from backyard to front area put in lots of bright flowers

Room/Area	Challenge	Recommended Solutions Edit/Remove/Replace
OUTSIDE (cont’d)
Door	Dirty	Clean with TSP and/or Mr. Clean Magic Erase
Garden/Yard	Empty pots Children’s toys Planks of wood on side	Plant bright coloured plants in pots Put majority of outside toys in storage Remove all wood/stuff lying around house
Patio/Deck	Not welcoming	Put pots of colourful flowers outside Clean upstairs and downstairs decks Remove all clutter
Garage	Cluttered Laundry facility is overcrowded	Take empty bottles to recycling Clean out and store paint cans Set up distinct area for laundry Paint garage in neutral colour CC 458 – Shale
INSIDE
Entranceway	Broken blind detracts from warmth; dated look Shoes & coats Area Rug No mat	Buy pleated shade or inexpensive roman blind (Home Depot) Put basket/shelf from downstairs BR in hallway below window – put shoes and clutter in here Remove area rug; buy new welcome mat in sage green
Hallway	Old carpet doesn’t flow with upstairs Remove baby picture and other art Hallway walls need painting & art	Remove carpet – if okay wood underneath leave, or buy laminate to match upstairs Put in more welcoming picture Put colourful vase or flowers on shelf Paint same colour as living room CC 460 Inukshuk Put Eiffel Tower picture along wall
Bedroom-Downstairs	Wicker/storage shelf Family photos	Put in hallway Remove all family photos Have one or 2 attractive pictures in room
Bedroom-Master	Open shelf with clutter	Purchasing a new unit this will be good Put 2 art pictures up as per discussion
Bedroom-Guest	Small table with doily	Put table in storage Put 2 small picture above tables as discussed
Bedroom-Laura’s	Cluttered and crowded Wood paneling	Store at least ¾ of her toys Paint entire room in a light taupe colour to match the carpet
Living Room-Downstairs	Too much furniture Too many knick-knacks Too many tables/shelves Wrong focal point No kitchen/dining table	Put love seat in storage Pre-pack ¾ of accessories & collections Store shelving units Make fireplace focal point – arrange sofas facing each other – art above Put TV on angle near window Put sofa table behind sofa on left Purchase small table with 2 stools or chairs for kitchen

Room/Area	Challenge	Recommended Solutions Edit/Remove/Replace
INSIDE (cont’d)
Living Room-Upstairs	Entertainment unit 2 large sofas Art work Children’s toys Window sills	Take apart; remove top and put in storage Put unit on opposite wall (longer) leave some space between each piece Take down all the family photos in shelving units and on walls – especially above window Paint window sills in same trim colour as existing trim colour on baseboards Store one sofa and/or remove rocking chair
Kitchen-Upstairs	Clutter on fridge Desk area	Remove all of the things on the fridge with the exception of 1 or 2 things (if you must) Keep it as much clutter free as possible
Kitchen-Downstairs	Way too much clutter everywhere	Remove clutter Remove cat food & litter box for showing
Dining Room	No colour Uninviting to eat	Put colourful vase or flowers on table Table runner with colour or placements with colour
Bathroom-Upstairs	Sparse and cold	Put more clean & fluffy towels in Flowers or plant in corner Nice air freshener Hang art picked for this room
Bathroom-Downstairs	Clutter Towels Shower curtain	Remove things off shelves that show Neutral colour towels and new neutral colour shower curtain Air freshener

Follow Up Required

		Home Owner will be making the recommended changes themselves

		Home Owner will make some of the changes themselves

		Home Owner will require PRES Staging Resource Centre to assist with the following:


	Service	Start Date	Finish Date
		House Staging Rooms:

		Shopping

		Sourcing for Rental Furnishings

		Move-In Services

		Other Future Services

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to provide our Recommendation Report to you.

We know this will help you sell SOONER and for MORE MONEY.

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Dana Smithers

PRES Staging Resource Centre - Vancouver, BC

PRES Staging Training, Redesign Training & Busines

Karen I see we are on the same page. It's really our relationships that grow our business.

Nov 20, 2012 12:03 AM

Monica Murphy

Preferred Staging, LLC - Potomac Falls, VA

ASP, IAHSP, RESA

Dana - I really like the idea of giving our clients a written report of some kind, which I used to do (a checklist type of form), but I found that even doing a simple check list takes a lot of time, and to write things out takes even longer. We ask that the client take their own notes, as we have found this to be a more effective use of time, and as is the psychology of making a list - if they write it, they're more likely to remember it and then actually DO it. Also, by having the home owner take their own notes, it involves them in the consultation - they're going to pay better attention if they know they have to take notes.

So, with a report like the one above, how long does an average consultation take?

Nov 26, 2012 09:50 AM

How To Provide a Recommendation Report to Your Sellers

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Dana Smithers

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