For Realtors: Why Stage Your Listing?

IS IT WORTH IT?

    
    Buyers are looking for a house that already feels like home and resonates with them from the first moment they walk through the front door. When a home becomes active you have only one chance to make a great first impression. By staging your home you are connecting with your future buyer and creating an emotional attachment to your home which gives them incentive to take action, and fast!

Some eye-opening statistics:

*Only 10% of Buyers can see a homes "potential"
*9 out of 10 Buyers are online viewing homes first
*Staged homes get more viewer traffic online and in-person
*Staged homes sell FASTER. 
*Faster sale = MORE MONEY!
*2011 statistics give a 399% ROI.

Just for fun... Google "Is staging a home worth it?" The supporting evidence is overwhelmingly positive. 

WHY STAGING CREATS A WIN-WIN FOR EVERY PARTY

     The home stager generates money for the agent because without the house staged it sits and in the end the agents either get little commission or none. Therefore, working together, the seller wins, the agent wins, and the stager wins.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR SELLERS ABOUT STAGING

1) Help the understand that their house is now a product and that it must be marketed to appeal to the tastes of a wide group of buyers. 

2) Help them see how they are competing and show them the very real statistics that prove the fact that staging their home gives them a much higher advantage.

3) Show them how not staging, will likely cost them more in the long run. 

A study conducted by Real Estate Staging Associating states that the average home sits on the market for an average of 263 days and once staged it sells in 60 days or less. That's 78% LESS TIME cleaning and showing and cleaning and showing! When you factor in an average of 7 months of carrying costs plus price reductions, a seller will ALWAYS come out ahead by staging FIRST.

I love coming up with creative win-wins for the nervous home seller!

I know times are tough and higher taxes aren't helping anyone. So selling your clients home for top dollar is the most important goal for everyone. So why not come up with an easy, cheap and effective solution? 

The average cost of home staging ranges from $3,000-$5,000.  Although this is still a great price given that if you don't spend the money you will lose more than that I understand that Sellers are uneasy about such a big commitment. So, how does $500 sound?!

A home gets the most exposure the first two weeks of being Active on the Market. So, Why not stage it for the first two weeks? This is my idea of creative budgeting. This way your house makes an amazing first impression during it's most important time on the market. 

It might just be the best $500 you ever spent! 

What does $500 get you?

-Professional wide-angled photos that are yours forever. So even if after two weeks you haven't closed escrow your home still has a leg up when it comes to online marketing. 9 out of 10 buyers start their home search online and staged homes get more viewer traffic. 

-Several large pieces of furniture including:

-minimum of 3 rugs 

-1 large dining table with chairs

-1 breakfast nook table with chairs/ or occasional table

-lounge/ club/ accent chairs

-console tables

-lighting

-artwork

-decor 

** All items are designer.