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Accentuate the Negative?

By
Home Stager with Design by Marla

In this slower real estate market, agents and buyers are trying hard to make their homes stand out from the rest.  A few (I'm glad to say this is not a trend.) are accentuating the negative, instead of the positive!

An agent in Columbus, MO. advertised a listing in this way:

 "It's not pretty.  It's not clean.  It doesn't smell good.  But it's really cheap." 

The MLS did not want to post the listing.  They asked the agent to re-write it.  After some discussion, they eventually accepted the listing as originally written.  The real estate agent said her plan worked and she got a lot of calls from people looking for fixers.

 

I guess if you are willing to price your home under the market value, this may be a strategy to get attention and hopefully, get a quick sale.  Personally, I would rather spend a few bucks so that I could accentuate the positive and not have to price my home under market value.

A professional home stager can view your home or listing with an objective eye and give you suggestions for improvement so you do not have to accentuate the negative!!

Marla

Design by Marla

 

Show All Comments Sort:
Melissa Marro
Keller Williams First Coast Realty - The Marro Team - Orange Park, FL
Jacksonville Real Estate and Home Staging
Intriguing concept.  I've seen those homes and maybe it's not really a bad technique when you know they aren't going to do anything to resolve the situation.
Mar 11, 2008 04:43 AM
Sandra Hughes
Redesigned Spaces - Northern Virginia - Fairfax, VA
Redesigned Spaces - Fairfax County, Virginia
I actually kind of like the marketing ploy as it is what it is.  Of course, this is only IF the current sellers wouldn't make the necessary changes to put their property on the market in a favorable light.
Mar 11, 2008 04:47 AM
Marla Hofstee
Design by Marla - Burbank, CA
Design by Marla- Home Staging, Burbank & Los Angeles, CA

Melissa,

So true.  Sometimes honesty is the best policy.  If the sellers aren't willing to put forth the effort to make it better, don't lie- call a dog, a dog!!

Mar 11, 2008 04:48 AM
Katherine Anderson
Coldwell Banker Hobin Realty, LLC - Hampton & Rye, NH, USA - Exeter, NH
Managing Broker
Marla:  Your post reminds me of a listing I saw in the MLS back in the 80s.  The remarks really stuck with me.  It said:  "This one's a real dirt bag!".  Can you imagine?  Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is.  I'd much rather have an agent be up front and honest than be a creative writer and find out at the showing that the place was a dump.  Glad the MLS allowed the comments.
Mar 11, 2008 04:52 AM
Elaine Manes Gage
Home Staging Online Services - Denver, CO
Staging done ONLINE!
Marla- I think it's along the lines of the "We buy ugly houses" signs I see posted on the side of the road! It's kind of an attention getter. But, I still think it's sad...it's like saying "we can't even pretend this house is nice"!
Mar 11, 2008 06:22 AM
Abby Roselli
ALR Home Staging and Showcasing, LLC - Staten Island, NY
Staten Island Home Stager
Hi Marla, An REA that I've worked with in the past did that very thing...I was at a home she'd hired me to come by and rearrange some of the furniture and accessories for...while there someone popped in to see the house.  I over heard her say "And check this out...there's no back yard!  It's all concrete for off the street parking!"  I kind of chuckled and later commented about it...she said "there are people that do not want to deal with the upkeep of yards so it CAN be a selling feature."  Alrighty then...that's why she's the REA and I'm the stager!  She does what she does best and I'll do what I do best!  =)  LOL
Mar 11, 2008 07:17 AM
Gary Barnett
Home Matters - Indianapolis, IN
Home Matters Property Stylist Group, Indianapolis
Hello Marla, Back some years ago (I won't say how many years) they use to advertise these in Southern California as "Fire Sales".  It always let buyers know not to bother looking unless they were willing to bring it back to life.  They were also always priced accordingly.  Seems like we see a lot of homes today that are in the same condition as the fire sales but are not priced accordingly.
Mar 11, 2008 07:25 AM
Yvonne Root
rooms b.y. root - Prescott, AZ
Home Stager - Northern Arizona
Marla, So far I've never had to suggest to potential clients what my dad sometimes recommended for certain properties but this story did remind me of it. More than once I heard Daddy say, "I wonder how much it would cost to bring in a bulldozer." Some places must be more than "cheap" to warrant purchase. Thanks for the laugh.
Mar 11, 2008 11:07 AM
Marla Hofstee
Design by Marla - Burbank, CA
Design by Marla- Home Staging, Burbank & Los Angeles, CA
When life gives you lemons-- make lemonade!  Personally, I'd rather make a Mojito!  Oops, that's lime.  At times, we all need to work with what we get and make the most of it!
Mar 11, 2008 11:33 AM