Atlanta Home Staging Company: Selling Staging to the Homeowner

Selling staging is not an issue - shortage of stagers is.  Yes, I've heard from a few after making similar comments, but none that contacted me has impressed me at all.  I'm not convinced they do anything better or more than I've done for clients since years before anyone ever dreamed up the idea of "staging".

Margaret - I'm glad to hear that "selling" staging isn't an issue for you but sorry to hear that there's a shortage in your area. 

Fortunately for you and for your clients, you have the time to assist them with staging the home.  In the end, it's a win-win for you both.

Kathy

Kathy, This post is so well thought out and so well presented. Thank you for taking so much time to explain so well in a step by step manner the whole process. I agree with you that most Realtors or agents understand the importance of having a professionally completed staging. I further agree that the people who are least educated concerning staging are the home sellers. There are still some Realtors who are not willing to take the leap, but as many are discovering the time is at hand when unstaged homes will certainly be at a disadvantage in today's market.

The whole process of professional staging reminds me of another area in our lives. When my husband and I first married (almost 30 years ago) he did all of the repairs on all of our automobiles. Now he wouldn't even try. He doesn't know where to start. Times have changed. People who think they can stage for themselves may not have noticed the change in the real estate industry which calls for the special talent and education of home stagers. I think the agents and brokers who direct their clients to a professional home stager will soon find themselves at the head of the race. They will have proved themselves to both the selling community and the buyers. Good agents use every trick in the bag to help move property. I think your premise is correct. The breakdown is not with good Realtors and agents the breakdown is in the education of the general public.

What can we as stagers do to help our local Realtors get out the word and educate our own neighbors concerning the advantage they have when they hire a professional home stager?

Again, Kathy Thank You for such a great post!   

This is usually the heart of the problem- is staging worth it & the answer is yes.  it will cost you a far greater amount to not have your home presented in  the best possible way.

Margaret - I see that you are a member of a garden club so you too have an artistic bend, but I wonder if  staging homes is the best use of your time and talents. Can you really devote the time to a complete staging with a color consultation and do you have access to accessories and  the furniture inventory that many stagers carry?  Do you know the best places for shopping should they need to buy  items to put the finishing touch to the room?

Keep looking  for a good stager & one you feel comfortable having as part of your team-  they are worth it.

 

Kathy: Thank you for the very interesting and informative blog. I have a couple of Realtors that pay me a consultation fee and then it is up to me to up-sell my staging services.

Too bad Margret is having a difficult time finding a Stager that impresses her. A good Professional Stager is a joy to behold and a wonderful tool to use in marketing your listings.

Kathy, Again you shine as the expert on the "ins and outs" of home staging. 

I have also received numerous emails concerning the delicate subject of approaching the owners about their home and the indelicate issues of odors, decor decisions and misconceptions, of what affects a looker vs a buyer. You have addressed these issues in a complete and perfect manner. Thank you

As we know staging isn't only about a "pretty look" it's about a presentation plan that encompasses visual, olfactory, touch, sound and emotional factors.

You are a true professional!

Thanks

Kathy - what a wonderful post.  You do a great job at answering the FAQ of many home owners.  While you can't answer every possible question, you have certainly addressed the big ones.  Keep doing great work!

Margaret - sorry you haven't had any luck finding a Stager to impress you. Keep looking:-)

Denise

Thanks everyone!  Your responses have made my day (oh, and night)!!!

Kathy

Kathy - Great post.  I think many Realtors have a really hard time selling homeowners on the benefits of staging.  I like to remind them to use the word "merchandising".  Their house is now a product and must be merchandised to appeal to buyers.  In the world of consumer products merchandising is a must, the world of real estate is not different. . .(and much more expensive! )

Kathy this is a great post. 

If the realtor opens the door for a stager, the stager can truely explain, show and demonstrate the value of staging. 

Let the realtor specialize in selling the real estate, and the stager specialize in merchandising it to it's highest potential.

 

Kathy, great post.  It reminds me again why staging is so important to homeowners and realtors.  Staging before listing is the smart thing to do.  It makes sure that all potential buyers see the home at its best.  Betty

AMEN Kathy!  I recently spoke to a couple of homeowners who reluctantly called me upon advice of their real estate agents.  They were nothing but negative.  One of them has an all white house, white walls, white carpet, white furniture and she doesnt seem to think its a problem.  There must be some secret word that will jog their senses.  So far I haven't found it!  Oh, maybe its beer!

Terry Haugen - STAGE it RIGHT!

Well done Kathy!  Sometimes I wonder why it is more palatable for sellers to take a price reduction than to pay for staging? This is why we have to keep on educating, and you have given us some great material :)  I am so thankful for all of those agents out there that understand the importance of staging.

Kathy you've written very valuable, well thought out information here and it's a great resource for all of us. Thank you for taking the time to do this! 

Your Blog is very valuable and a great resourse for everyone.  Home Stagers prepare a home for sale... bottom line.  My top Realtor in this area is from Remax Gold and he would not be as successful as he is, if he did not totally believe in Staging and Home Preparation! Stagers are worth every penny they save for their clients!

Hi Kathy,

Thank you for a very informitive post. You've made some great points and stated the facts clearly. I agree with Danette, why is it so easy for home owners to throw away thousands of dollars in price reduction and squabble over the price of staging?   

Great post Kathy. I think that the top agents will be ones who include in their "team" a professional home stager. I also have an agent that pays me for a consult and then I will work with the sellers to stage their house.

Lynette

Kathy, first of all I have to say how could someone put a sofa in front of a fireplace!  Your staging makes the room look 100% better. As stated above it is true that sellers will do a price adjustment before spending less money on staging - education is key!

Thanks everyone for their post.

Here's my perspective:  As we know, sellers have several options they can implement in situations where the home is sitting on the market for longer than they anticipate.  Based upon my experience, the most common option is to lower their price.  Why is this an easier decision vs. staging the home?  Because there's no out-of-pocket-expense. 

Notice I didn't use the word "cost?"  In the end, lowering the price of the home does "cost" the homeowner.  Most of the time, the cost associated with lowering the price far outweighs the expense of staging the home.  If more and more sellers recognize this, then many would NOT be lowering their price and instead would have the home staged.  Our job is to get the word out!

Two months ago, I worked with an investor who had a home that sat on the market for 6 months without a single offer.  She too had the option of lowering the price or have the home staged.  FYI, this was a very large home; 4 bedrooms, one office, two living rooms (one formal, one family); eat-in kitchen, dining room and 3 full baths.  She chose to have the entire home staged.  I chose to use the pottery-barn-look which worked well in this home.  When I completed the staging, she fell in love with the home and decided to raise the asking price by $35K.  Three days later - She received a contract for the full NEW asking price.

While there's no one stager that can guarantee results like that, I can tell you this....  Staging your home is an excellent alternative to lowering your price.

Kathy

 

Educating people about staging has elicited many a tome, including those from me. Yours is very helpful to a point as well, that point being where READERS ARE CHALLENGED by anything too long winded. Not to say your blog is long winded at all, but I am told constantly to edit my stuff to bullet points so realtors will read it! They do get so much to read... So editing I do, and somehow the guts of the story hang in there, but often I feel it loses power to the bullet points. So as a stager, I become a powerful writer in the process. How's that for focusing on the positive?

Paula - It was long winded.  I just made some edits in hope to collapse some of the information. 

Thanks

Kathy

Another terrific and informative post Kathy Thanks!

Kathy, as always you hit the nails on their heads.  Also, I thought Yvonne's comment was quite well taken.  I had a Realtor the other day offer me her forest green throw to help me stage a room in a vacant I was staging for her client.  Now, this was from a very fashionable realtor, buy who obviously had no idea of current home color trends.  Professional Home Stagers are abreast of the trends buyers are expecting, no demanding.  That's one reason they are in increasing demand.

Kathy, I enjoyed your post. A Real Estate agent called me last week and wanted more information about the Staging process. The homeowners vacant, easy to forget property has been sitting on the market for 11 months! What prompted the Real Estate agent to contact me? THE CLIENT, who is now out of state (& making two mortgage payments), was researching ways to successfully market their home to buyers. The homeowner came across numerous articles about Home Staging and how this premium service makes a difference in the sale of a home. The Real Estate agent was embarrassed about her lack of knowledge. I think it's great that the homeowner took the initiative and "discovered" home staging on their own. Professional Home Staging (when applicable) is something savvy Real Estate agents are including in their Listing Presentations.  

Kathy - great post! I'm lucky to have one great realtor who has me stage her listings before presenting them. SHE PAYS for the staging herself because she knows they will sell faster and for the asking price! More realtors should use this add-on service for their clients.