Dear Lori,
I hope that you can help me with a dilemma that I have been having. As my real estate business has grown, I have tried to encourage my sellers to prepare better for listing their houses. I typically go through the house with them and give them pointers on how they can make the house look better by decluttering, removing wallpaper, etc.
And oh gosh, don't get me started about the dated window treatments and furniture that I have unsuccessfully tried to get so many of my sellers to change.
I once told a client that her window treatments were dated and she gave me the complete history about how she paid a decorator thousands of dollars for those gorgeous things! She was upset. Her husband was upset. It was a total disaster!
Many of my sellers just don't get it. They can be very defensive about the recommendations that I am giving and then we have this odd tension.
It's stressful because, I've got to get through showings, negotiations, etc and need them to feel like I am on their side but trying to get them to do even basic staging stuff puts us at odds.
Do you have any thoughts about how I can position staging better so that I don't have this negative reaction and potentially lose future referrals from my sellers?
Sincerely, Renee Realtor
Renee, I feel your pain! And I used to experience this first hand when I first started my business. It is so upsetting when you know that you are coming from a place of trying to help and it not only falls flat but actually offends your clients!
I remember many times in the early stages of my business being brought in for a Styling Evaluation and struggling with how to deliver the difficult news that the brand new window treatments the client purchased felt dated even though they still had the creases from just being unpackaged or that I could smell the cat litter boxes.
It is not easy! And, it isn't easy for your client to hear these realities. This is their home that we are talking about and no one wants to feel judged about what they have curated in that home.
Bottom line. You need their future referrals and I need yours. So an unhappy client is not even remotely an ideal situation for either of us. I take this very seriously–I am a reflection of you and can make or break how a client feels about you. That's a lot of pressure and a ton of motivation!
Recommending Staging to Clients
So after finding myself in some very awkward situations, I realized that I had to figure out a kinder, gentler and different approach to gaining a client's trust and actually get them excited about staging their house to sell. I needed to help my agents create a “wow” experience so that their clients would refer them to their family, friends and contacts.
And I did just that!!
I learned how to approach your clients in a very different way and to have them focus on something so unique that they immediately “get it”.
Then I taught my team to do the same.
And then I wrote all about it in my new book, “Sell Your House in 72 Hours”
The book not only outlines the beginning steps in my team's process but also gives your clients lots of new perspectives on why staging their house benefits them and how they can start the process themselves. By the way, letting your client know that they are in control is a big part of the process!
The realtors who work with me and my team constantly (you know who you are: and thank you!) know that we deliver great results because of our unique approach. And I would really love to help you and your clients too.
My mom thinks that every realtor should put this book in their listing packet to set themselves apart–she's very smart like that! Or it could be that it's dedicated to her ; )
xo,
Lori
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