May Challenge…Differently? It’s Hard to Say
In 2007, I took Barbara Schwarz’s Home Staging Course and began my home staging business. If you remember, it wasn’t exactly the best time to be in real estate.
South Florida was hit harder than some areas. Sellers found themselves without a job, losing their homes, or both. And if not, money was tight.
The last thing any seller wanted to do was invest more money in the home they were leaving. This included investing in home staging, a relatively new concept for homeowners and some agents.
My goal was to ensure that I put my name and face in front of as many people as possible and to educate them about home staging.
What I did…
-I joined the local Chamber of Commerce
-I became an Affiliate of the Women’s Council of Realtors and the local board of Realtors.
- I joined ActiveRain and began blogging about staging
When I say I joined the Chamber. WCR and RAPB, I did more than that. The best piece of advice I received from an agent at the WCR was to get involved, and I did. Besides attending the monthly breakfasts or lunches, I volunteered for events and fundraisers.
Members of the local Board of Realtors, where I was an affiliate, knew me as The Brownie Lady. I had individually wrapped brownies (with my card attached) that I handed out at the monthly meetings.
When members stopped by my vendor table for a brownie and to look at my Before and After staging pictures, it was an opportunity to introduce them to home staging.
Blogging on ActiveRain helped me share with the community what home staging was. My calls for staging consultations and vacant home staging were from agents I’d met and established a relationship with via the above organizations, and from sellers finding me on the Internet.
What would I do differently?
That is hard to say. I did the best I could with the tools that were available at the time. For instance, virtual staging apps weren’t as accessible or advanced, or budget-friendly back then as they are now.
So, I can only express what I learned in my early years of staging…
First- it’s ok to say “no.” Several agents asked me to stage the entry or a few rooms gratis so I would get exposure. I graciously declined.
Second- my services are not free. Some sellers asked me to share exactly where I would place furniture for a vacant property and which pieces I would use. Of course, I knew their next step was to go directly to the rental company rather than pay me.
Third- If I don’t value my services, who will?
When what you’re selling is your services, and not a manufactured product, it’s hard to stand firm on what you charge. Often, consumers don’t understand about overhead, experience, and education.
It’s easy to reflect on what you did or didn’t do, and how you would do something differently. But that’s in the past, at a different time, in a different situation with a different YOU.
(the late Lou Ludwig at the Board of Realtors luncheon and my table)
What we can do is the best we can with what is available at the time.
This is my entry in the May 2025 Challenge: If I Had to Start Over… hosted by Carol Williams and Margaret Rome
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