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My first vacant staging Job- Feedback anyone?

By Holly Gray

Home Stager with Rising Moon Interiors

June 08, 2008 12:49 PM

Wow, I have never blogged before, but I wanted to share some news! I finished my first vacant home staging job about a month ago, I am so excited!! It has been a long road introducing this somewhat rural area to the concept of home staging. Most Realtors here recognize staging will work, but so far many people don't truly grasp the value. It is no marketing secret that when you have a product similar to hundreds of others available, you have to really set it apart from the rest, be it homes or anything else...You've got to Make it Shine! I hope to really educate sellers on the need to be competitive in this flooded market. The cost of hiring me to stage is so much less than reducing the price of a home. I would love to hear what some of you other stagers are doing in terms of marketing. I am hoping that as the concept gains in popularity here in the Flathead Valley, more and more people will get on board! Just to give you all an idea of what I do, here is my video link http://www.realestateshows.com/298618 Please enjoy, and of course feel free to let me know what you think!

Thanks, H.

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Justin Williams

Independent - Virginia Beach, VA

Loan Officer

Hello Holly!

Welcome to Activerain and Huge Congrats to your 1st Stage Job!! Such a milestone, Im sure you would enjoy the company of other fellow stagers here on Activerain, so join as many groups as you can continue blogging and Im sure you will find an increase in success in referrals and clients, glad to have you on board!

Jun 08, 2008 12:54 PM

Lisa Ryan

Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty - Montgomery, NJ

Selling Princeton,West Windsor and Montgomery Town

Hi Holly~ you did a great job!! I especially like the tropical colors. Glad to hear that Realtors in your area are coming around to the staging concept.

Jun 08, 2008 01:00 PM

Roxanne Schilling

Coldwell Banker Lake Tulloch - Copperopolis, CA

Holly, I also welcome you. I am a Realtor. In my area new subdivisions are the only ones that are into staging. I am a little negative on the idea. I think it hides the true character of the home. I think right now, price is where it's at to sell any home in my area. Good luck to you.

Roxanne Schilling, Realtor at Lake Tulloch in California

Jun 08, 2008 01:01 PM

Amy Dawson, Vancouver, WA Realtor

Vancouver, WA

It looks great! I love the color scheme used.

Jun 08, 2008 01:17 PM

No Longer Active in Staging. No Longer Staging

Hickory, NC

Hi Holly,

Welcome to AR - it's a wonderful place... lots of helpful people... I am a newbie here also-less than a month.. Please come over and join some groups for staging... You definitely want to join Stage It Forward, Home Staging, Staging Secrets and Active Rain Newbies. You will find others that you will want to join later as you find your way around... Great job on your first vacant staging and on the Real Estate Show.. Read, make comments on others blogs, read some more and make more blog posts.... Let me know if I can help in anyway - even though I am still learning..

God Bless,

Jun 08, 2008 01:58 PM

No Longer Active in Staging. No Longer Staging

Hickory, NC

Holly, I forgot something.. After you join some staging groups, go back and edit your blog post and then post it to the groups that it would apply to.. You could post this one in any of the staging groups and the AR Newbies group.. You can post each article to 5 appropriate groups... That way, it will get seen by more members...

Jun 08, 2008 02:03 PM

Shanna Whiteley

Consulant for Tomboy Tools - Marsing, ID

I think you did a great job on your first staging. That floor was something else in the dining area. Keep up the good work. Check out www.RealEstateStagingAssociation.com for more ideas as well. Good luck.

Jun 08, 2008 05:04 PM

Anonymous

Holly

Thanks for all the pointers everyone. What a nice welcome! Thank You.

Jun 09, 2008 02:47 AM

Anonymous

Heather Kempka (Simplify Home Staging)

Great job, Holly! I liked reading your blog and all the comments you received. I was a bit surprised by the one comment you received from a realtor that staging hides the character of the home. I am sure most would agree with me when I say that staging brings out the true beauty of the home and helps accentuate the positive and downplay the negative. And the negative in the home you staged would definitely be those busy floors in the dining room! Had you not staged that room with beautiful furnishings, the first thing potential buyers would have been looking at would not be the character of the home - it would be the floor. Anyway, I hope you keep busy! Keep in touch!

Nov 30, 2008 01:05 PM

Holly Gray

Rising Moon Interiors - Kalispell, MT

Professional Home Stager - Bigfork, Kalispell, Whitefish Montana

Heather,

Thanks for your input! In regard to Roxanne's comment "it (staging) hides the true character of the home"...I guess I figured everyone is entitiled to their own opinion. That being said, I suppose I should take responsibility for educating agents on the benefits of home staging no matter where they live. Thanks for reminding me to step up to the plate (no pun intended)!

You got my gears turning, which leads me to a rather carnivorous analagy- So here goes:

Most people (vegetarians obviously are the exclusion) agree that a nice juicy, well prepared steak is pretty hard to beat. What does steak have to do with home staging? Well, how appetizing would you find a raw slab of meat on the plate in front of you? Get your taste buds going?

A vacant house is a home in the raw. It has potential, but not everyone can visualize what it can become. Does seasoning and grilling a steak hide it's true character or enhance it's appeal?

The true purpose of home staging is not to cover, rather to enhance a house. Staging will help to get a buyers mental juices flowing. It provides a way for the buyer to visualize the home's true potential.

Ciao,

Holly

Dec 01, 2008 01:13 PM

Lori Donegan

Ready 2 Stage - Cleveland, TN

Holly, You do beautiful work! Thanks for your comments on my 1st staging job. I live in a small town as well, and I am having a hard time convincing Realtors to partner with me and take advantage of staging. Trying to be patient...I'm only 1 month into it!

Feb 08, 2009 11:23 AM

Holly Gray

Rising Moon Interiors - Kalispell, MT

Professional Home Stager - Bigfork, Kalispell, Whitefish Montana

Lori, thanks for taking the time to comment on my first too! I know what you mean about some agents being a hard sell!

I think making inital face to face contact is vital to getting a commitment. At my last Real Estate presentation. I finally gave all of the Realtor's one free consultation, including a 5 step priority list. I so hate to give my time away, but hope that it will lead to a good relationship between the agents & myself!

One agent claims she will offer my staging consult as part of her listing package. So she will actually pay my consult fee. But I have also chosen to offer agents a discounted price, $20 less than I charge homeowners, for a consult. I hope that all of these tactics will help me secure more agents as "staging believers"! I wish you the best!!

Sincerely,

Holly

Feb 08, 2009 01:33 PM

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Holly Gray

Professional Home Stager - Bigfork, Kalispell, Whitefish Montana

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