Meet Your Client’s Opposition to Staging Head-on
By Charlene Storozuk
Recently, I had the pleasure of exhibiting at the REALTORS® Without BORDERS Convention & Trade Show, Southern Ontario’s largest annual conference on real estate.
I must say that I was very impressed by the number of REALTORS® who are advocates of home staging. There are still a few sitting on the fence about its merits, but in time, as home staging grows in popularity, I’m confident that even more will become believers.
In speaking with REALTORS® at the show, I learned that the apprehension voiced by some was out of fear of offending their clients. They felt that the suggestion of bringing in a home stager would be met with resistance. Admittedly, this is a legitimate concern, but one that can be overcome. For that reason, I decided to touch on it in this blog post.
Undoubtedly, you have come across many home owners who feel their home is perfect just the way it is. How do you tactfully tell them that the life-size portrait of dear old Aunt Edna in the front hall is downright frightening or that the beer fridge in the bathroom has to go? Offering your client a complimentary staging consultation alleviates that problem for you since you don’t have to be the bearer of bad news. Don’t worry though; a professional home stager will be very diplomatic. Read more
First Impressions: Get Instant Curb Appeal With These 10 Must-Dos
By Christine Rae, Staging Expert
The Internet is the first source for viewing a property for most buyers, even before talking to a real estate professional. That means curb appeal is important because they are “driving by” the listing, and you don’t know it.
Here are 10 things to consider when assessing the curb appeal of your listing:
1. Pressure wash siding, decks, and walkways.
2. Clean windows and gutters, and check downspouts.
3. Check the growth of trees and bushes–ensure they don’t block light from any window.
4. Kill any mold or mildew around the property. Read more
Room Makeovers: What Could You Do in 2 Hours With $250?
Three real estate pros accepted REALTOR® Magazine’s staging challenge: They had 2 hours to transform one room for under $250. They tackled a home office, living room, and master bedroom. See how they transformed these rooms by being budget savvy and smart with their accessories and placement of furniture. Get ideas for your listings!
Picture It: Create a Character to Guide Your Design
By Mary Cook, Mary Cook & Associates
Now more than ever, model homes are key sales tools for developers. In the current housing market crisis, people are weighing every factor in their decision on buying a home.
Beyond the typical questions on the quality of the finishes, school districts, and mortgage rates, those who are looking to spend their life savings on a place are looking for deeper psychological reasons to sign on the dotted line.
Does this home speak to me? Can I imagine my lifestyle being a fit here?
That’s why my firm spends so much time getting to know the prospective audience for which we design model homes. We design for specific people, often taking the time to create fictitious characters such as “John the Wall Streeter,” who lets his girlfriend decorate his place. Read more
The Visual Nature of the Internet Has Home Owners More Attuned to Aesthetics
Filed under: Design Psychology, Home Trends, Staging Tips
By Erica Christoffer
Two professions greatly benefiting from the Internet’s ability to help connect people visually are interior designers and home stagers.
First, let’s clarify: Interior design and home staging are two very distinct industries. As Jennie Norris, president of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, points out: “Staging is all about depersonalizing a house and decorating and interior design are about personalizing a house.”
When home stagers work with a seller, they are considering elements that appeal to a broad audience. “It’s not about the seller at all. It is about presenting a product to the market (the house) and ensuring it is appealing to the buyer,” says Norris.
Both trades use design theories to accomplish different goals. But they do share the common bond of visualizing what a home could be – something home owners have grown attuned to with online accessibility and the rise of reality television shows.
“The world, in some ways because of the Internet, has gotten smaller and smaller,” says staging expert Barb Schwarz. “People are very educated and will do their research. The public is pretty darn smart when it comes to selling their home.”
Should Real Estate Pros and Stagers Join Forces?
By Erica Christoffer
In an effort to form a more perfect union between real estate practitioners, home stagers, and sellers, Matt Stigliano with RE/MAX Access in San Antonio is proposing a new business model. In his ActiveRain blog post, he suggests that practitioners and stagers pair up and charge a joint commission rate to offer their combined services to a seller.
This partnership, Stigliano says, would alleviate seller apprehension about paying for staging costs upfront. The commission would be higher, but it could be approached as a “no money down” option to have a team of professionals working to sell the home.
“The commission is a risk-based pay structure,” Stigliano says. “Maybe with a commission, the stagers would be willing to take that risk.”
The stager would be present at the listing presentation to share their ideas for the home. Instead of staging being a one-time service, having a commission may motivate a staging pro to come back and check on the home – even modify their initial decor ideas until the house is sold.
“It would create a team between the agent, stager, and seller,” Stigliano said. “Sellers like the idea [of staging], and they know it helps – maybe this is the trick to getting them over the cost hump.”
Stigliano has yet to try this business model himself, but says he would if he found a stager who is willing.
“It’s frustrating to me because I have homes I would love to have staged, but the sellers don’t have the cash,” says Stigliano.
In less than 24 hours, Stigliano had nearly 100 comments on his blog post, with opinions varying greatly on the topic. Even if his idea doesn’t come to fruition, Stigliano says it’s worth getting people talking and thinking of ideas outside the box.
Being a Real Estate Pro Today is Like Working in the Obama Administration
By Christine Rae
Christine Rae
Being an entrepreneur, home owner, wife, grandmother, etc., I barely have time to watch TV these days and when I do, I seem to hit the news. My own philosophy about keeping a positive mindset is to avoid the news like the plague. On those odd times I have not listened to my own advice I heard a review of President Obama’s first 100 days in office; and lately his second 100 days.
Boy, everyone loves to gripe–expecting miracles without lifting a finger!
So why is being a real estate agent like the Obama administration?
It seems to me that as a real estate professional you have to run an election to get the listing and work your tail off in the first 100 days to get the word out. No one is helping, they are just watching.
By that I mean sellers are not always willing to pitch in and help; they prefer the wait and see, the “prove to me” theory that 2007 pricing will not come back. They are, of course, in denial about their present financial situation, they don’t expect to be inconvenienced during the time the house is on the market (i.e. they want to have lots of notice for visits, expect offers to be flooding in, don’t want a sign on the lawn like everyone else, and they “heard” open houses don’t work).
After the first 100 days, they review your performance find you sadly lacking and then issue edicts like “if you don’t pick up the pace we will have to list with someone else!” Their loyalty and confidence in you starts to dwindle.
Is Virtual Staging Deceiving?
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey
A recent article from The San Francisco Chronicle (”Virtual Staging Sparks Sales of Vacant Homes” by Judy Richter) took a look at the growing trend of real estate professionals using virtual staging to move listings.
Virtual staging is where you take an empty room and then digitally enhance it with furniture to make the space more inviting. For example, a stager may digitally add some artwork, chairs, tables, and other items to liven up a vacant space, allowing buyers to see the potential of the home. The enhanced photos may then be used on the sales practitioner’s flyers, Web site, MLS and in advertisements for the listing.
But some are beginning to question whether the altered photos may deceive buyers.
Virtual staging can work in driving more buyer traffic. Many practitioners report an increase in buyer traffic after virtual staging photos are posted than if they just posted photos on the Web of the vacant rooms in the house.
Some in the business are attracted to virtual staging, particularly now, because of the huge cost savings of staging on the Web rather than paying for actual physical staging. For example, some real estate practitioners say they have saved thousands of dollars in staging costs by opting for virtual over physical staging.
But are these altered photos accurate renderings of the space? Or are they misrepresenting the property by sprucing them up digitally?
Real estate practitioner Kirk Lebowe, owner-broker of PreVue Properties in Los Angeles County, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he views virtual staging as a great way give buyers decorating ideas. Plus, he said, it’s not like you’re selling the home with the furniture.
What do you think? Do you think virtual staging is deceiving?
A Home’s Intended Purpose: Does Your Home Pass the Test?
By Charlene Storozuk
Before a property goes on the market, it’s important that every room be showcased in a way that portrays its intended purpose. If not, potential buyers can become confused as to the function of the space. Take a look at the room in the photo below.
Photo Credit: Charlene Storozuk
For the current home owner, this room functioned as a flow-over storage area for excess furniture. Want to hazard a guess at what the builder intended this room to be?
You’re probably thinking that it’s a family room, aren’t you? That would be a pretty good guess.
At first walk-through of this property, I thought it was a family room as well. After all, there was a couch, love seat, and end tables in there.
Here’s a hint: Do you see the chandelier hanging from the ceiling?
To Stage or Not to Stage?
Read a recent post from REALTOR® Magazine’s Speaking of Real Estate blog that says 95 percent of staged homes, on average, sell in 35 days or less, even in a slow market. The finding comes from the new book Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling a Home in a Down Market by Barb Schwartz. Read more >
