Did The Staging Work?

by | Jun 29, 2015 | Jim's Take on the Market, Listing Agent Practices, Staging, Tips, Advice & Links | 5 comments

 

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More notes on staging and its effect on sales.

Staging delivers a great first impression – it’s probably worth it for that.  But staging is just a component of the overall package needed to sell a house – especially for top dollar.

Examples from the weekend:

1. An agent called me on Saturday morning to tell me her client was gushing over the home on Via Mariposa, and they were going to make an offer.  But nothing happened, so I pinged her on Sunday morning.  She got back to me on Sunday night, and said her client re-considered, and decided not to make an offer.  In her case, the staging wasn’t enough.

2.  A lady asked me at open house, “I wonder what this house looks like without the staging?”  Some buyers want to see beyond the staging.

3.  Kayla said, “I’m not a big fan of the blue/teal color combination”.  The staging will have a different impact on different people.

4.  An example where staging really paid off was with the out-of-town buyers. There were multiple out-of-towners viewing homes via FaceTime, Skype, and video – the staging has to have a positive impact when you are looking at a small screen from afar. The eventual winner at Via Mariposa was one of them – a family member saw it in person, and online photos and video did the rest.

I am comfortable with buyers making informed decisions based on video/FaceTime actions.  People trust the smartphones for everything else in life, might as well use it to buy a house!

Staging got the ball rolling, and got buyers engaged.  But the rest of the house had to look sharp, and the price had to be attractive too.  There were about 20 showings of that house over the first four days on the market, and we had three written offers.  For seventeen buyers, the staging wasn’t enough.

After offers are submitted, the end result doesn’t just happen by itself. I’ll take the credit for giving every buyer a fair opportunity to step up and pay top dollar for the home, and guide it over list price.  It’s the talking to people that makes the sale!

Staging Benefits

by | Jun 20, 2015 | Jim's Take on the Market, Listing Agent Practices, Market Buzz, Market Conditions, Staging | 1 comment

Visitors to today’s open house were very complimentary about the staging, and it does assist those who have trouble visualizing how to furnish a house.  The next-door neighbor at first wondered why we didn’t stage it sooner, but then mentioned that he doesn’t understand why it is needed.

This is a selfie film – If you are watching in front of a regular-sized computer screen, you may want to back up several feet before hitting the play button:

Creative Staging

by | Sep 15, 2013 | Listing Agent Practices, Staging, Why You Should List With Jim | 1 comment

Staging a home is a positive thing, and it provides two benefits.

  • It makes the photos more inviting, which brings more visitors.
  • Visitors are typically more impressed, due to the extra wow-factor, plus the fancy gear can mask imperfections like funky room size, color scheme, and/or needed repairs.

Professional home staging, where the company loads up your house with high-end furniture and art,  is going to cost somebody a few thousand dollars – usually around 1/2% of the sales price.

Another choice is virtual staging, where images of furniture are placed on your photographs – and it only costs a few hundred dollars.

This company makes a point:

When it comes time for a showing or open house printed photos are a great way to reinforce that first impression visitors received when they first saw the listing photos online.

Provide an opportunity to see the “best of both worlds” where visitors can see the home both furnished and vacant.

The in-person wow factor helps to create an emotional reaction in buyers, and the inexperienced might even pay more.  But virtual staging is better than nothing – you need to get people in the house to sell it.

http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/gallery/

Staging Ideas

by | Sep 6, 2012 | Staging, Thinking of Selling?, Tips, Advice & Links | 2 comments

The best idea?  Get the price right!  Here are others from:

http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2012/02/13/8-quick-hot-design-tips-from-the-international-builders-show/

Looking for quick, easy ideas to bring a home to life, add value, or prep for sale without spending a lot? Learn from the pros! Designers who presented at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando last week had a plethora low-cost, chic ideas to make to most of an interior space.

1. Transform closets: Your clients might consider turning a smaller, awkward closet into a built-in with cabinetry and shelving, or if there’s enough space, even a desk nook. Add dramatic dimension with disc lighting on each shelf. Buyers are looking to maximize every inch of a home with workspaces and storage solutions they’ll actually use. (Jerry Collin, Kay Green Design)

[Here are some great before and after closet transformations from Real Simple.]

2. Create a ‘Garage Mahal’: Make the garage an attractive space with a dedicated recycling area, wall mounted shop-vacuum, and maybe a mini (or big) refrigerator for adult beverages. When in doubt, hang it up – provide hanging areas for bikes, tools, equipment, etc. Consider installing a workbench and storage. (Jillian Prichard Cooke, DES-SYN)

(more…)

Curb Appeal & Staging

by | May 9, 2012 | Jim's Take on the Market, Listing Agent Practices, Staging, Tips, Advice & Links | 6 comments

Unfortunately for truth-seekers and transparency buffs, the real estate business is full of fluff.

Sellers will believe anything that makes it sound like they will get more money for their house – they are literally blinded by greed.  Realtors are happy to feed those egos with stories about how their millions of dollars worth of staging will result in more money.  I saw one today that said her staging will bring a 300% return – doesn’t that sound enticing?

Today’s buyers are too educated on the market, and would much rather see an attractive price.  Sellers don’t have to give them away, just be reasonable – and please don’t think that you are going to get an extra 10% to 20% because your realtor threw some extra-large pillows on the sofa!

Here is my exterior staging package, provided free of charge – and its effectiveness is 100%!

Spend more time and energy on getting the price right! Remember the old adage, “you can spend a million dollars on advertising, but if the price isn’t right, the house won’t sell!”

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