Home Staging Survey Results and commentary

Survey Participants

• 81% Realtors
• 19 % home builders

1. Have you ever used the services of a home stager:

• 80 % said no
• 20 % said yes

This did not come as a surprise to me. I know home staging is relatively new to the real estate industry. As is true with any new product or service, people need to be educated in its benefits and results. Realtors and home builders are inundated with sales and promotional material from all types of service providers, so it is hard to know who can be trusted and who really is providing a beneficial service.

2. For those who answered "no" they have never used the services of a home stager:

• 56% said they would consider it
• 38% said they were undecided and
• 6% said they would not consider using the services of a home stager - no explanations were given.

I see this as enlightening. The majority of participates indicated they would consider using the services of a home stager with a lesser percentage indicating they were undecided. The smallest percentage of participants indicate they would not consider using the services of a home stager.

3. Home Staging -- an Effective Marketing Tool:

• 83% said yes
• 17% said they are undecided
• None of the respondents said false

I see this as surprising. The large majority of survey participants see home staging as an effective marketing tool, yet only 20% have ever used a home stager. Even though home staging is a relatively new service, I see Realtors, as a group, as very innovative and savvy when it comes to marketing their services and listings.

4. Home Staging as part of a marketing plan:

• 36% Always
• 30% Sometimes
• 24% Never
• 10% Seldom

Even though 83% of participants see home staging as an effective marketing tool, only 36% of participants always use home staging as part of their marketing plan. 30 percent use home staging as part of their marketing plan sometimes; 10% seldom and 24% never.

5. Home staging is only necessary at certain times relative to the market:

• 59% False
• 24% True
• 17% Undecided

This is good news indeed.

6. Home Staging is Unnecessary:

• 82% False
• 15% Undecided
• 3% True

The overwhelming majority of participants agree that home staging is necessary.  This is good news.  It has taken hard work and a stick to it approach to advance the home staging industry with win/win results for all. 

7. With regard to home staging being expensive

• 44% True
• 28% False
• 28% Undecided

It will take further work to get home sellers and Realtors to understand home staging is not about spending money but about making money.  Home Staging is about creative low cost solutions and not about how much money can be spent.