This is being posted in response to many requests to have this complete series published as a whole blog - complete and in order. So, here it is.
It seems there is a lack of information available to Realtors about how the process actually works. It really is very simple, but lacking clarity on the Realtor's responsibilities may be what is holding some agents back from using the service. Here is a simple outline that may help you navigate your way into adding a stager to your team:
A. Find a Stager.
1. Start right here - Activerain. This is a real estate network, is it not? Post a request for a stager referral, search the site for someone near you, or contact an active stager on the site and ask if they can put you in touch with some one.
2. Ask your receptionist. If there is a stager in the area, chances are he/she has stopped by the office to drop off business cards and/or brochures. Chances are, they are still sitting on her desk, waiting for someone to ask for them.
3. Ask other agents. Some may not be willing to share their secret weapon, but others may be more than happy to get more work for theirs. A referral from a happy Realtor is the best you can get - you just have to ask for it.
4. Keep your ears open. If others are talking about staging, join in the conversation and mention that you are thinking about using it for your listings. In this situation, it is your best opportunity to get a candid and honest response about how staging has worked for them. It may also give you a better idea of what stagers are worth looking into.
5. Search the internet. You will notice that this is not the first on the list. The first four options should give you a personal reference, and that is what you really want. While most professional stagers will have a website, you may not be able to find them (unless they have really great internet skills) without the url in front of you. Their sites, while informative, do not tell you whether you can work with them or not - I'll expand upon this in my next point. You can run a local search or try the next two methods:
Home stager training companies. New ones are cropping up every day and most offer a list of graduates* on their sites. Here are some places you can look, but be advised that this is not a complete list, nor should this be considered a personal endorsement, as I do not have experience with all of these companies and not all are created equally.
stagedhomes.com, stagingdiva.com, homestagingexpert.com, csptraining.com, midwestschoolofinteriorredesign.com, allaboutredesign.com
Home stager listing services. These are cropping up just as fast as the training companies themselves. These services, however are in no way complete and most are paid services and not used by all stagers.
homestagingresource.com, usahotproperty.com, interiorredesigndirectory.com, homestaging4profit.com
6. Now that you have a list of potential staging partners, now what? Meet with them individually. Take them out to lunch or coffee, ask them to give a presentation at your office, whatever, just spend some time with them BEFORE you set them up with a seller. While personal references are awesome, it does not give you any insight into whether you can work together. See if your personalities and personal/work ethics gel. Ask ALOT of questions. Find out what services they offer, ask to see photos if you haven't already, ask about the staging process, get an idea of fees, etc. You are part of a TEAM and you need to know the strategy to win the game.
You may find that one stager prefers vacant listings, while another only does occupied homes, leading you to work with more than one - and that is okay. You want to add some one to your team that works well with others and if they cannot work with other stagers...
*Accreditation, certification, etc. is not required to work as a stager. To find out more, see Kate and Craig
B. Introduce the concept of Staging to your clients.
For most of you, this is probably where you hit a wall. If you have never used a stager, what do you say and when do you say it?
This is what I suggest:
The Best time to mention it: During your initial phone conversation. At this point, you have not been inside the house and they cannot be thinking that there is something specific you are speaking of. You can simply explain to them that the consultation is something you offer to all of your clients (you have not singled them out) and therefore it relieves you from having to address these things in the future - at least not without the written consultation to refer to. This makes you the good guy!
If you are pressed to explain to them what staging is, read Staging vs. Price Reduction by Carol Rumak, The Most Effective Use of Your Marketing Budget by myself and Home Staging, Internet use, and Real estate Marketing by James Frazier. You can also offer to bring the stager along with you to the listing appointment so that they can answer all of the questions and keep you out of the hot seat.(ask your stager if this is an option.)
If you just listed, but didn't offer it at the time and really think they need it. Be honest with them that this is a new service that you did not offer at the time of the listing. Be enthusiastic about it and ask them if they are willing to "Try this out" with you. Do not - I repeat - DO NOT indicate that you think they are in dire need of a stager. You are just going to offend them and damage your relationship. Even if they ask you directly, don't go there! Make them your "partner" in this new venture and ask them to 'help you out' by trying this new stager. Ask for a lot of feedback from them as if they are your spy. Then encourage them to see what happens and do what the stager says. Using a "we're in this together" approach tends to work with most people and keep your relationship in tact. The best part being that this is not a lie (please do not be dishonest), because you are in this together and they see you as an active and involved agent - not just someone who stuck a sign in the yard and left.
If you are about to expire and want to retrieve the listing. Just like the last example, be honest and let them know that this is a new service that was not available when they originally listed with you. Ask them if they would be willing to talk to a stager and find out what they have to say. Explain to them that a stager can offer a neutral third party oinion as to what has impeded the sale and then assist them in adressing these issues to increase the potential to sell. If you have viewed you as a good agent and you can honestly say you have done everything available to you to sell their house, chances are they will relist with you and take advantage of this new service.
Agents, let's face it. Most of your clients are aware of the need to prepare their homes to sell. Most of them may have done a few things, but most homeowners lack the ability to emotionally disconnect from their home and their stuff to effectively prepare it for the market. A stager is a neutral third party and for some reason, sellers are more likely to listen to a stager than a Realtor when it comes to making changes to their home. They may even be hinting that they want one. If at any point, your seller asks you if they shoud "do anything" or "Do you see anything that might be a red flag", etc., do not hesitate to offer a staging consultation - because that is what they are asking for. Even if you think they don't need it, you may be surprised what can be done to turn a good house into a great house.
The key is to approach it casually, yet enthusiastically and have a good attitude about it. Keep your eyes and ears open for the right opportunity and go for it. If you are serious about adding staging to your list of services and have a stager, add that to your marketing materials and your website. It may make a difference when a potential client is deciding whether to give you a call.
C. Set up a meeting with your client and the Stager.
The purpose of this meeting is for your client to learn what staging is and how they can use it to benefit them in the sale of their property. This meeting will also be used to determine what needs the seller may have and how the stager can most effectively meet them.
The best time for this meeting - at the listing appointment. They will get the full explanation of what this service offers and how it will help you market their property. It may also assist them in determining whether they will list with you. ( as a side note: should the potential client contact the stager on the side, saying that they are going to list with another agent yet would still like to go ahead with staging services, the stager's answer should be NO. They are brought in as a member of your team, therefore you are a package deal.)
Otherwise, if your client is listed with you and has agreed to meet with your new stager, have them call the stager - or vice versa - to set up a time at their convenience.
Should You be at this meeting? I would say this is up to you. If you are unable to attend, your stager should contact you immediately thereafter to inform you of the results of the meeting. However, your client may view you as more involved and/or supportive if you are there and may appreciate your presence to discuss certain things with you. Communication is the key to a successful staging project and you want to firmly assert yourself into the loop.
Once the client has a full understanding of what the process entails and consents to go ahead with the listing, or the staging process at that time, your stager will then inform you whether a consultation or bid is in order. You may proceed at that appointment or set up a time to return.
D. The Consultation/Bid
To clear up a few things first, neither of these things will be accomplished unless you have a signed listing agreement, if you are the one that brought the stager in. If your stager came along to the listing appointment, it was just to assist you in the explanation of what staging is and what the process entails - no recommendations are given at that time. Until they sign on the dotted line, they get nothing. This is great for you, because you now have two people working to get that listing, not just you.
Consultation: Is a detailed written report outlining what steps should be taken to improve the salability of the property. This can be used by the homeowner as a kind of roadmap to guide them through preparing their home for the real estate market. This is the information they need to do it themselves. This is what the consultation fee is for - information. There is no guarantee that the stager will be brought in for further assistance to the homeowner. I, myself, present my information in a prioritized list that assists the homeowner in deciding how best to use their resources. Also, I generally walk through the house with them - report in hand - and explain my recomendations to them so that they fully understand what is being presented to them.
Some homeowners may find the list overwhelming or too time consuming and may choose to hire the stager to complete all or some of the work outlined. This work is rarely charged to the Realtor, unless they offer to pay for all services. (That is a topic for another blog) A bid for such services can be done at the homeowners (or agents) request.
Bid: Is a bid for services such as bringing in furniture and accessories, staging the property, etc. It is just like getting an estimate for new windows. There is no charge for this, because there is no information given other than how much to complete the job. This is more commonly done for vacant properties, though a seller who has been through the process before and is fully aware of what will occur may request a bid without a consultation.
After these reports have been delivered and everyone is in agreement as to what path will be taken, the work must be completed.
E. Staging work is completed in a timely manner coinciding with your marketing plan.
What work is to be done? Well, that is entirely up to the seller. After walking through the report recommendations with them, the seller and the stager can formulate a plan to make the larget impact upon the property, while keeping with in the seller's resources.
What resources? (These without a doubt vary with every property, therefore all of these things should be discussed for optimum results.)
Time- When the listing agreement was signed you undoubtedly gave them a projected market date at which time you will place the listing online, etc. It is imperative that the work be completed in this time frame so that You will be able to take advantage of the house in its absolute best condition, for more effective marketing photos. Time is also impacted by the life of the homeowner, who may choose to do a large amount of work themselves, or delegate it to others.
Budget - Not everyone had unlimited funds to complete every recommendation a stager may suggest. The stager should be able to assist the seller in identifying what changes will make the most significant impact for their money. This may also impact the time frame, as some seller's may choose to do most of the work themselves to save some money.
Abilities - DIY homeowners may delve into their projects head first and not need any assistance from anyone to get their house ready for the market. Others may be totally helpless in this arena and require large amounts of assistance to reach the desired end. How much help they receive is also dictated by budget.
With the help of your stager, the homeowner should be able to strike the proper balance of these three resources. They should be able to get the work done in a timely manner without breaking the bank or becoming overwhelmed by the process.
F. Market the house.
Why is this the last step in the process? Because now the house is READY TO SELL, or as close to it as you are going to get. If you complete the staging process before placing a house on the market, you are able to take full advantage of the first 30 days of marketing by placing photos online of the house looking its absolute best. These photos are critical, as online is where 80% of all potential buyers beging their home search. If you photos do not show well or worse yet - do not exist- chances are those qualified buyers will move on to the next listing that does show well online.
Also, homes that have been staged show better in person, improving your chances that a buyer will make that ever important emotional connection upon entering the house. Staging should take care of any first impression issues - if the seller is willing to remedy them. This should also increase your ability to hold a successful open house - as the house is ready to be seen.
However you choose to market a property, staging makes that marketing more effective by giving you a show-worthy listing that you can be proud to sell.
There is no reason, however, that staging cannot be introduced later in the process. It is just most effective when used first, so that you do not have to repeat any marketing efforts.
See? It really is very simple. As a Realtor, you really have a limited amount of work to do in the staging process. If you have partnered with a professional and organized stager, she/he will complete the work necessary within your expressed time frame and keep you informed every step of the way. As an Accredited Staging Professional, I believe that communication is the key to a successful staging experience.
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