Selling a house is never easy but today’s market is a total beast! And, honestly, I think that I’m being kind about that. The main criteria for selling real estate have always been location, size, and price. But today, you also can’t overlook your property’s swagger—presentation and condition.
Today, more than 90% of buyers are shopping on the internet first and “driving-by” properties with a “click”. It’s basically speed dating for houses. Online listing mistakes can literally sabotage your sale. So, the key to driving buyers in your door and a quick sell is to stage your house so that it looks unbelievably amazing online.
Once a buyer decides to hop into their car to see your property, they form their first and lasting impressions within seconds. You cannot afford to lose them because of mistakes made for the live showing. The majority of buyers need your help to show them how they will live in your house because they really can’t visualize it. Ultimately, they base their judgments solely on what they see and how they feel, and research is proving that emotions play a much larger part of the decision-making process than previously assumed.
In this ridiculous market, buyers are also demanding and getting the best value, so properties that are in good condition sell faster and for money. According to Barbara Corcoran, for every $1 a home seller does not invest in condition work, a buyer will deduct at least $3. Most buyers today are putting their full investment into the purchase price of the home and don’t have extra money for any major work. They also don’t have the time or the desire to take on big to-do lists.
Using an untrained stager can be a costly mistake.
Now, I may be going out on a limb here, but you probably don’t want to lose thousands of dollars and be stuck in limbo for months during your sale, right? A professional stager can prevent so much of that! Let me digress and toot my own horn here…I worked with a couple recently that had their house on the market 3 times with no offers over the course of 5 years!! We staged and they had a bidding war in the first two weeks on the market. How much had not staging cost them financially and emotionally?
This is exactly why real estate agents and home sellers should invest in trained professional home staging consultants to avoid costly mistakes of untrained stagers. Unfortunately, many “stagers” are not trained and make serious mistakes that can be extremely costly to the home seller. When the staging process is ineffective this can lead to a longer time on the market, increased carrying costs for the seller, reduced selling price and increased stress. These are all extremely costly consequences for a home seller and frankly, the only one hurt in the transaction is you. So let’s make sure that you aren’t a statistic for staging gone wrong.
Here are five common costly mistakes made by untrained home stagers:
They Do a Free Consultation
Trained professional stagers understand the critical importance of the consultation as the first step in the staging process. They provide comprehensive room-by-room assessments and thorough, prioritized recommendations. They counsel, explain and motivate homeowners to invest in what needs to be done. The consultation should be value-rich. Free consultations are generally “meet and greet” with some general information about the benefits of staging. They are superficial and fail to capitalize on this opportunity to address all the important staging issues of the property.
They Get You All Prettied Up For Nothing
Trained professional stagers know that staging is not decorating – it’s marketing. A room can be beautifully decorated, but fail from a staging perspective. Our focus is on showcasing the best features of the property, making rooms look as bright and spacious as possible and creating buyer appeal and some serious mojo! Our work is strategic, always considering the buyers’ preferences and the camera’s eye. Even if someone is a talented decorator, they may not be qualified to give you professional staging advice.
They’re All Checklist and no Strategic Plan
This really demonstrates the level of expertise of your consultant. The room-by-room assessment is just the beginning – it is simply information gathering. Identifying the key strengths of the property, and analyzing and prioritizing recommendations in respect to market trends, buyers’ wish lists, and budget issues provides the homeowner with a clear understanding of not only what has to be done but why these actions are so important. This expert consulting advice helps sellers make the best financial decisions. A professional home stager will evaluate and prioritize what needs to be done in a space to make it sellable.
They Don’t Tell You That You Have Lettuce Stuck Between Your Front Teeth
Wait…what? Mastering the art of difficult conversations with home sellers is a key skill for professional home stagers. We are trained to deal with those awkward conversations. One strong negative impression can override a list of positive factors and prevent a sale. These sensitive issues can include odors, cleanliness problems, unattractive and dated décor, clutter, an abundance of religious items, provocative art, etc. A lack of understanding and or skill in handling these issues is not an excuse and avoiding them can be a super costly mistake.
They Let The Plan Fizzle
Professional home stagers know that it is not enough just to tell home sellers what they need to do. The true test of an effective consultation is that the consultant has been able to motivate the sellers to follow through with the recommendations. Trained staging consultants understand that the staging recommendations may seem overwhelming to their clients, but by outlining a feasible action plan, they will inspire confidence and demonstrate their ability to help with some or all of the process. Trained professional home stagers are serious business owners who are experts at consulting, planning, problem-solving, project management and showcasing. A home seller is far more likely to get the best advice, follow through with the necessary home staging process and succeed at selling faster if they invest in a consultation with a professional.
Avoiding Costly Mistakes of Untrained Stagers
When beginning your search for a professional home stager it is important to consider their portfolio, the length of time they have been in business, their education or training background, and that they have insurance. Take into account the caliber of the work they do as well as the overall results they achieve for their clients. The home staging industry is not regulated and therefore anyone can call themselves a home stager. It is the duty of the homeowner or the realtor to do their due diligence when researching the professionals in their area so that they select the right individual or company to partner with. This will help you avoid costly mistakes of untrained stagers.
This blog was adapted from an article written by Nairn Friemann, president of Ingenuity & Pizzazz Inc., RESA 2012 Professional Home Stager of the Year and a CSP graduate and instructor.
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