The crazy times we are living in have caused many businesses to change their service delivery process. They are letting go of old ways, racing to use inventive approaches to remain solvent, and to bring about the results they want, they are looking for meaningful differentiation.
The crazy times we are living in have caused many businesses to change their service delivery process. They are letting go of old ways, racing to use inventive approaches to remain solvent, and to bring about the results they want, they are looking for meaningful differentiation.
The staging service CAN BE a meaningful differentiation for agents!
Yes, across North America the “hot” real estate market is cooling. In 21 years of working in this industry, we have seen strong highs and deep lows. Paul Harvey, a famous radio announcer always said “it is important, in times like these, that we remember- there have always been times like these”; we live through them, adapt, and move forward.
The market shifted several years ago, when the biggest demographic moved to first time homebuying, bringing their desire for “move-in ready” homes, not DIY projects. That shift radically changed the way properties need to be readied for sale. The misnomer is continuing to use the word staging to describe the “presale home preparation” process.
The past 20+ years has people thinking staging is about decorating when in fact it is an umbrella word to describe the three distinct phases of preparing property for sale. Some stagers and agents simply take a band aid approach to “helping” a seller property look better, instead of learning how to articulate properly the value of fully preparing property for sale. If a seller is not appraised of the situation, it may be viewed as a breach of fiduciary duty. Those Millennial buyers are willing to pay more money for a “turnkey” solution to their house searching problem; in any market- hot, cool, lukewarm, or stagnant, every property needs to be fully prepared for viewing.
I hear you say, “oh they don’t want to be bothered” Bothered? To what make more money on their largest investment?
Or “they don’t have the money.” If you think staging is packing away family pictures, cleaning the house and mowing the lawn, then you are missing the leverage differentiation of the most creative service which literally has changed the way properties are sold. Fully trained and insured Stagers who are on top of their game, working with owner occupied properties have always recommend upgrades for bathrooms, kitchens, flooring, lighting, paint — to bring the highest return on investment. It is an art to make old houses look and feel new. Those stagers have also found solutions to bridge the “we have no money” gap, working with one of several services like ZoomCasa.
A leading-edge trend which is helping full-service brokerages win listings, is the introduction of “no-fee” renovation loans, repaid through equity at close of sale. Three of the largest brokerages in New York City (Compass, Corcoran & Brown Harris Stevens) are offering these loans often referred to as Home Preparation Services, so sellers can have the upgrades completed to make the property competitive. These loans differ from bridging or home equity loans. Sotheby’s, Keller Williams, Berkshire Hathaway, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and First Team real estate are partnered with Zoom Casa to bring this house improvement service to sellers. This shift in the market will not go away, it is forging new pathways for service professionals to “up their game”.
STAY IN YOUR LANE: Make no mistake these brokerages want their agents’ securing listings, not wasting time staging. They hire staging consultants who manage the improvements so the agent can focus on marketing and selling the property.
Staging is not “just” a service for sellers; it benefits buyers and agents too!!
When you integrate staging services into your marketing for listings you will be surprised at a) how it moves you into a different service level b)sellers perceive you differently c) your clients will refer you more d) your colleagues will know your listings to be show worthy e) your business results will change too.
The world of real estate staging provides us with the amazing privilege of helping people move on with their lives. As a professional service provider in the real estate industry -just like you, I have seen radical changes to professional careers as a direct result of integrating staging into a business model. Today there must be a hundred reality programs about buying and selling property, which means sellers are seeing staging included in the process of selling property AND they are waiting to hear about it from you.
According to research by NAR, 85% of sellers today still value advice from a real estate agent. Do you know why Stagers are great business partners for real estate professionals? They refer business to agents! YES, that is correct. More than forty percent of a stager’s business comes directly to them from sellers. Those sellers, in turn, ask stagers for a referral to an agent.
Would you like some of that business?
If your business isn’t producing at the level, you want it to, shake it up and infuse your plan with some new energy…… get ahead of the crowd, be a leader and differentiate your business by working with a Certified Staging Professional® Call or go online to Find A Stager — CSP Members Resource Centre (stagingtraining.com) Request a marketing consultation to discover what pre-marketing preparation services can add to your business.
There is no better time than right now to take the plunge if you are interested in starting a home staging business or training a team member to be your in-house stager at your brokerage. Contact me, Christine Rae today to learn more! Or request our information booklet to become a home stager and start your real estate staging business with staging certification from CSP International™!
