Before
leaving home this morning, did you brush your teeth and comb your hair?
That shows me that you believe in the value of staging! Just as you "market yourself" by
putting your "best foot forward" you want the properties that you
list to look their very best. Successful
agents like you already know that professional home staging works, so why aren’t
you staging every listing?
The challenges lie in three areas...
1. Cost
2. Convincing
the Seller
3. Finding the right stager
I listed COST
first, but cost is not the most significant challenge because VALUE JUSTIFIES
COST.
·
According to the NAR, the average staging
investment is between 1 and 3 percent of the asking price, and generates a
return of 8 – 10%
·
USA Today reporter in a survey of over 2800
homes reports that staged homes, on average, sold in half the time that the
non-staged homes did.
·
Avoid a price reduction: NAR survey says that properties still on the
market after 4 weeks sell for 6% less than ones sold sooner! To avoid a price reduction stage your
properties FIRST – certainly before the Realtor tour!
·
Staged homes are the basis for beautiful on-line
photography which attracts buyer traffic.
·
Staging transforms the home, making it stand
out, attract buyers and get offers
The real challenge is in CONVINCING THE SELLER.
·
Because of the personal attachment to their
homes, sellers often lack objectivity.
·
According to Home Staging Resource (HSR) “The
first goal of staging is the transformation of the home seller. The seller needs to cross over from viewing
their home as their ‘beloved home’ to their number-one ‘marketing commodity’ or
product to compete and sell for the best price.
·
Some sellers think they can do it themselves,
but YOU know the value of hiring a professional. It is the same difference between a property
presented “for sale by owner” and one listed by a professional Realtor.
·
Some Realtors think they can stage it themselves
·
Why would you do that? You already have enough to do!
·
Hiring a professional gives you more
credibility: Would you seem credible if
you also appraised and inspected the homes you sell? You can’t be an expert in everything!
·
When constructive criticism is in order on the
hard personal issues – like smell, treasured collections and cleanliness --
letting the stager handle the situation protects your relationship with your
client.
·
YOU are the one who sells the homeowner on the
value on professional staging. Just as
you guide your clients through every step of the sale, encouraging them to
stage their property is in their best interest.
Cozy Chic can help with
slideshows of staged properties, testimonials and by consulting on property
with you and your client.
Finding a STAGING
PROFESSIONAL you can trust with your listing
·
The stager, and the job she does, is a
reflection of you. It is important to
find one who understands the importance of preparing the property to
emotionally appeal to buyers, so that they can imagine living there.
·
Cozy Chic Design & Home Staging is proud to
have been voted #1 in the “Best in 2011” for Solano County in the Interior
Design/Staging category.
When you stage with Cozy Chic Design you provide a platform
for us to “show off our skills” – and that builds our reputation. As Cozy
Chic Design stages your properties --we help build your reputation for listing
move-in ready homes marketed specifically to buyers. Other agents want to show your properties! In a
cyclical industry nothing is better than to have a quality listing reputation.
Let’s work together
in this New Year!
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