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What Agents Really Want

3 Tips on What Agents Want from Home Stagers and a Staging Story

What a lot of home stagers don’t realize is that agents want different things in different real estate markets. For instance, in a “buyers market” which was 2007-2011 agents just want the property to sell and not sit on the market like their competitions. In today’s seller’s market, the savvy agent wants to get the best price (and sell quickly) but price is king. Why? Because the smart agent knows that if they can be the “high price” leader in their market, then people will give them their listing (instead of their competition).

I love this story told by Lori Murphy who was recently awarded a 2013 Best of Houzz award and nominated for the RESA Rising Star of the Year even though she essentially just completed her HSR training and started her business last year! At the end of the story, I give my three tips on what agents want right now…

Hi Audra,

Last Friday, I met with a broker who pays for a staging consultation for ALL of his listings. I met him through an agent in his office that I have worked with. The broker’s name (to make it easier) is John.

So, John explains to me how they had a stager who became ill and quit the business and how they have been searching for one since. They’ve used one here and there and he said, they probably “staged” OK . . . but they needed more.

He continued to tell me how he wants someone who will give the seller the “bad news” so that he doesn’t have to, because he wants to keep his relationship with the seller.

The stagers they’ve been using seemed to just want the seller to like them. He said, “I need someone who will explain to sellers “why” and help them understand it is important in preparing the house to sell. I’d rather postpone putting it on the market by 4 weeks, if when it is listed it’s ready . . . every thing’s done.”

As I sat there listening to him, (he went on for an hour . . . I’ll try not to), I realized something.

At first I shook my head agreeing with him and thinking to myself, “well, of course, that’s what we do” . . . and then it hit me . . . I was trained that way. But it became suddenly clear that because not every stager in Columbus, Ohio received their certification from the Home Staging Resource . . . . well, let’s just say the advantage I have became crystal clear.

I don’t know how or what material the other courses train but I do know that I received the most comprehensive training from HSR. It wasn’t just – “here’s a certificate, now go and tell people you can decorate”. I learned so much more than how to help prepare a home to sell. I have learned (and continue to) so much about being in business as a whole. And I remember when I decided to get my certificate, looking at all the courses that are offered. I remember being on the HSR page for the first time and thought “oh, my, there’s a lot of stuff here”. But for whatever reason – I chose to sign up. And I remember thinking that it was so much to take in; but read your words about how it would all come together and make sense.

Eventually it did make a little sense, and then a little more, and then came the first staging job . . . .and then it really came together! lol

My time with John ended with him giving me the name of a seller, and 2 more later that week. I am hoping this is the beginning of a great partnership. I am anxious to see what he thinks of the consultation report I sent him and the client; something tells me he will be impressed. =] (yes, it’s from the HSR staging forms, tweaked a little).

In the meantime, I mentioned John to another agent I have worked with and the next thing you know, she sent me an email saying, “hey, I thought maybe we could do some marketing together”. She now wants to reimburse sellers for the consultation if they stage first with me.

Audra, I’m so glad I made the choice to sign up with HSR! And YOU . . . over the last year and a half, I have never felt that I was in this alone.

Thanks Lori for the story and photos. Here are three tips for what I think real estate agents want and need right now:

Agents want to be listened to and understood – This may seem obvious but too many times the stager is trying to fit the agents needs into their business model rather than coordinating their pricing/services around what the agent needs.
Agents need “staging honesty” for them and their clients, so that the house will get “top dollar” – I see a lot of stagers do a “half staging” job which looks worse than vacant sometimes because the scale is completely wrong. As stagers, we need to be clear and honest about what the home needs to get the best price. The agent does not want to be the “low priced” agent, so we need to be ruthless with the seller on what kind of return they can see in a seller’s market if they stage it well.
Agents need tools and resources that look great in order to resell our services to their clients – This is where so many home stagers go unnecessarily wrong! Agents need beautiful looking sales materials to convince their clients that staging is the right thing to do.

Image is everything and that is why I just added a a 6-video and two-hour series about “Blinging Your Brand” in our HSR Member’s area because we have to make agents look good for their clients!

Cheers to all the talented home stager’s out there! Any more tips you would like to add to this post?

XOXO – Happy Staging!

Audra Slinkey

Hope to hear from you!

1-888-563-9271

audra@homestagingresource.com

Home Staging Excellence

The nominees have been announced for the RESA Home Staging Industry Awards 2014 and I’m so proud and impressed with every one of those amazing staging and redesigners! If you haven’t checked out each of their entry pages and viewed their transformations, make sure you do that at http://homestagingindustryawards.com. Each one of these individuals works tirelessly to perfect their craft and in doing so elevate our industry.

I’m particularly proud of the fact that half of the US nominees in the Pro-USA category and the Rising Star category are HSR grads or HSR Staging Mentors!

I wanted to personally congratulate each one of them below because they each have inspired me through the years, are incredibly talented and generous to the industry and are wonderful people…you ladies rock!

Congratulations to…

Name: Kristine Ginsberg
Company: Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC
City: Morris Plains
State/Province: NJ
Designations: Graduate of Home Staging Resource, ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners), NCJAR (North Central Jersey Association of Realtors)
Memberships: RESA (Real Estate Staging Association), ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners), NCJAR (North Central Jersey Association of Realtors), Active Rain Network
Website: http://www.elitestagingandredesignmorriscountynewjersey.com/

Name: Donna Dazzo
Company: Designed To Appeal
City: New York
State/Province: NY
Designations: Graduate of Home Staging Resource program and Staging Diva program
Memberships: RESA NY Chapter
Website: www.DesignedToAppeal.com

Name: Michelle Minch

Company: Moving Mountains Design

City: Pasadena

State/Province: CA

Designations: RESA-PRO, HSR

Memberships: RESA National, RESA San Gabriel Valley Chapter

Website: http://MovingMountainsDesign.com
Name: Lori KimPolk

Company: Premiere Home Staging

City: Roseville

State/Province: CA

Designations: ASP. CSP, RESA-PRO, RESA Membership Chair, RESA Board Member 2012/2013

Memberships: RESA, PCAR, SACRESN

Website: http://www.premierehomestagingllc.com
Name: Maureen Bray

Company: Room Solutions Staging LLC

City: Portland

State/Province: OR

Designations: CSP, ASP

Memberships: RESA, Active Rain Real Estate Network

Website: http://www.RoomSolutions.com
Name: Valerie Monkarsh

Company: The Closing Stage

City: Los Angeles

State/Province: CA

Designations: Vacant Property Specialist, HSR

Memberships: RESA, HSR

Website: www.theclosingstage.com

Name: Lori Murphy

Company: Element One Home Staging & Redesign

City: Dublin

State/Province: OH

Designations: Certified Professional Stager

Memberships: RESA, ASHSR, HSR

Website: www.ElementOneHomeStaging.com

Name: Ululani Poepoe

Company: UP Staging & Design, LLC

City: Kea’au

State/Province: HI

Designations: Realtor

Memberships: RESA Member, ASHSR Member

Website: www.UPstagingDesign.com

Name: Luci Terhune

Company: Bungalow Home Staging & Redesign

City: Nutley

State/Province: NJ

Designations: HSR RESA PRO CPCNR CIR

Memberships: RESA HSR

Website: www.Bungalowhomestagers.com

Name: Natalya Price

Company: Nj Staged 2 Sell

City: Summit

State/Province: NJ

Designations: Home Stager & Property Stylist, Realtor

Memberships: ASHSR, RESA, HSR, NJAR, B.I.G.

Website: www.njstaged2sell.com

7 Staging Tips for Difficult Spaces

One of the critical reasons to stage a vacant home is to give perspective to buyers. Empty rooms are lifeless question marks in buyer’s eyes, so merchandising the space becomes essential! Here are seven staging tips I think you will find extremely helpful in your next staging project…

Donna Dazzo of Designed to Appeal, a New York City based staging company was given one of the toughest vacant staging assignments I’ve ever seen, so I just had to share it. This 3-bedroom, 4,000 square foot loft in Tribeca was on the market three months without an acceptable offer.

The loft sold at FULL asking price 22 days after Donna staged it!

Check it out…

This was the loft space as you walked in the home and as you can see the large columns are distracting and overwhelming. The space appears dark, lifeless, cold and definitely not easily able to arrange furniture around!

Entryway/Living Room Before

Staging Tip #1 – Create Groupings

Strategically using area rugs, Donna separated the large space into groupings. A central living and seating area between the columns draws the eye to the seating area and away from the columns.

Entryway/Living Room After

Staging Tip #2 –Use Reflective Surfaces

The large and well placed mirror brings the eye further into the room immediately while extending the more narrow space. Using a light palette, reflective surfaces and mirrors, the space appears more open, light and inviting.

Here is a view from another angle where you can see how open the space was and how difficult it would be to fit all the represented living spaces in this one great room.

Not only did she fit a living grouping but a dining area off the kitchen as well.

Staging Tip #3 –Use Furniture to Separate the Space

What do you do with a small, seemingly un-useful space off the living area when you’ve already established plenty of seating arrangements?

Separating the space with a bookcase, it becomes an office with a view!

Staging Tip #4 –Proper Scale Needs to Always be Considered

Filled with large, empty space this loft needs properly scaled furnishings to first “fit” between the beams in the living/entry area and now larger pieces to match this large space below.

The cabinets are artfully arranged to add color and symmetry.

Staging Tip #5 –Know Your Buyer Demographic

Staging for Families

Since the buyer demographic for this space was a family, Donna incorporated that lifestyle in her merchandising by turning this cold Den space into a bright, kids play area.

Notice how the brick wall in the vacant space appears to be a detraction while once it’s staged becomes an asset.

“Artful staging can turn even negative architectural elements into positive assets!”

Staging Tip #6 –Use Great Art to Elevate the Space

At this point you’ve probably noticed the amazing artwork that serves to elevate the space and give personality right? Well Donna cleverly partnered with an art gallery to complete her staging vision.

This bedroom is tricky because all you notice is the long, unsightly heater under the windows.

Second Bedroom Before

Using a highly textured area rug, soft textiles and amazing artwork the space becomes a girls dream bedroom!

Second Bedroom After – Girl

Third Bedroom Before

Third Bedroom After – Boy or Guest Room

Staging Tip #7 –Never Leave Anything Up to the Buyer’s Imagination

Frankly, any kitchen unstaged with cleared countertops will look cold, sterile and bring the eye to the worst architectural feature (in this case the overhanging light on the island). The “cleared counter top” look is NOT a staged kitchen!

Color was essential to move away from the hospital feel and the contemporary barstools draw the eye away from our light fixture while providing the sleek, cool feel associated with this space.

Empty bedrooms add nothing to a buyers decision. They become quick “walk-on-bys”

Add the color, textiles and life…now the buyer lingers.

Another view of the master bedroom and incredible artwork!

Thank you Donna for sharing your talent! Staging is essential for buyers to really “see” the value in a home…otherwise the seller is leaving cash on the table.

Not all professional stagers are equal! Our HSR Certification training was the first and one of the only staging and redesign training programs that has been third-party, accredited by the Real Estate Staging Association, so invest in the best!

Ready to Become a Successful Home Stager and Redesigner?

5 Critical Reasons to Attend the RESA Convention this Year

Every year I go to the RESA Convention and every year I get ten times more done in my business the months following that inspirational event because it is so motivating! I really can’t say enough about this event, so I thought I’d bullet point some key reasons to attend (and use to convince your spouse the importance of you going!)

Barbara Corcoran – Need I say more? It’s incredible to me that RESA was able to get her to speak and I can’t wait to see what kind of wisdom this amazing woman has to share!
Training Times Ten – Yep, you will learn so much at this event on so many different topics! The experts are hand picked and are the best of the best!
It Will Fire-Up Your Business – I promise you will walk away feeling invincible and capable of tackling the toughest projects, clients and marketing activities!
You Will Make LOTS of Friends – Staging and design can be a lonely business, so coming to this event allows you to connect with peers, network and make friends that will also hold you accountable and encourage you all year round.
Early Bird Pricing Currently, Las Vegas is a Cool Place to Visit and the Great Food – Okay, I listed three more fantastic reasons that not everyone is aware of…in fact, I think I gain five pounds from the amazing food that is served at the RESA Convention every year.

This event will sell out soon, so click here to sign-up today!

For past and present HSR Grads, I have a special video invite just for you…

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