WHAT IS STAGING?

Home staging is preparing your house for sale with the objective of a quick sale and for more money.
Have you noticed the word "staging" is everywhere, with good reason – IT WORKS!

For years we placed our homes on the market without much thought about how to make it look and feel irresistible to a wide variety of buyers. To play up its assets and downplay its not-so-great features. We would clean and make obvious repairs, putting it up for sale and hoping for the best.

Enter “staging” a term coined by Barb Schwartz for setting the stage when preparing your home for sale. Every person who puts their home up for sale without the benefit of this expert advice, is throwing away the opportunity to make hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more from the sale. Being an intuitive designer I instinctively prepared all our homes for sale before staging had a name or was a profession. We received thousands more than my realtor thought we would ever receive on each and every home we sold. I am completely convinced that this is the very best way to sell your house, which is your biggest asset and make more money. I felt so strongly about its benefits that I have taken it a step further by writing Step By Step To Sold.

It is much more than just cleaning and making small repairs, it’s about giving the buyer what they are looking for. Making your home seem more spacious and free from distractions that can reflect negatively on their decision. The benefits of staging your home yourself are enormous. It will still be your home and the decision on what is most important to do before putting it up for sale are yours to make.
Everyone can have the advantage of all the secret tips and tricks that will transform your house to a home that buyers will fall in love with. You will still be able put your own unique touch and style on your home while following the guidelines to maximize the impact your home will have on buyers.

There is nothing magical about making these changes, you can easily do the work yourself. I will walk you through the entire process step by step. If your realtor is telling you it’s not important – decide for yourself and choose your realtor accordingly. I will never understand why only .04% of realtors recommend using these techniques while 2 in 5 homes are now staged. I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY EVERY REALTOR IS NOT RECOMMENDING IT! It means more money for you and more money for them. If your current realtor is recommending this type of preparation to you they deserve props for using taking advantage of this valuable marketing tool. If you need to locate a realtor that understands and supports your decision and appreciates working with knowledgeable sellers please enter your zip code above in the search box. It will help you locate realtors in your area that are interested in empowering their sellers by using these effective preparation tools and making the best choices for the sale of your home.

If you need help when choosing a realtor, feel free to review the list of questions below. I have provided these to help you formulate questions to ask, hiring the right realtor is an important first step.

1. How long have you been a realtor?

This should not be a deal breaker. Some newer agents may bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to your listing but you will get a better feel after asking some additional questions listed below.

2. Are you a full time agent?

You are going to want an agent whose main focus is your home without restricted hours and availability.

3. Do you have an independent website and an office website?

75% of buyers start their home search on the internet.

4. How do you plan to market my home?

Answers should include MLS listing, brokers tours, open houses, brochures, or mailers.

5. Do you have a list of client references from recent transactions?

When you get the list, be sure you call a couple of people to ask:

• Were you happy with the agent in general?
• Would you have the agent list your home again?
• How available was the agent for open houses, etc.
  (Be aware that some agents have new realtors sit in for them for open houses)
• How did the agent respond to concerns or problems that arose?
6. How many listings do you have right now?

There is no correct answer but you must be looking for red flags of too many listings (not enough time for your listing) or too few (no business).

7. What is your commission rate?

Standard commission is 6% but this amount is negotiable. It is however a tricky situation since reducing their commission reduces the agent's incentive to market the house aggressively and sell quickly. I might talk to the agent about a reduction in commission if the house sells quickly (due to the fabulous staging job you have done with my E-book) since the longer it is on the market the more the agent spends for the marketing.

8. What is your shortest listing term?

Best answer is 90 days. But this is not the norm. A reasonable term is 120 to 180 days. Make sure to note on the contract that the seller can cancel the listing after 90 days without reason or cost. This keeps the agent on their toes.

9. How much can you get for my house?

Don't ask what do you think my home is worth. There is a difference. Ask for comparables, sales prices of homes that have sold in the area and recent unsold comparables. This will give you a good idea of where your home falls in the mix of homes recently or currently on the market (your direct competition).

10. Do you work with stagers?

I may be biased, but based on my experience most of the top realtors have previously worked or recommended staging to their clients. You may already have staged your home, but it is important for you to know that the realtor you pick will explore every possibility to help you sell quickly and for more money. Among your home being priced correctly, staging gives you the best opportunity for a successful sale.