House. They walk into a House! I know what you were thinking and perhaps that venue would be appropriate AFTER closing, but our Realtor, our Seller, and our Home Stager are together for a reason. They have joined forces to get this house sold!
In today's market, it takes more than “neat and clean” or “light and bright” to get top dollar quickly. Blame it on the Millennials. Blame it on HGTV. The reality is that home staging is rapidly becoming a necessity in real estate sales. Skeptical? The National Associal of Realtors (NAR) 2015 Profile of Home Staging has some compelling evidence that properties benefit from home staging. But what about our Realtor, our Seller, and our Home Stager… how do they benefit?
First up, our Realtor. Our Realtor knows that a property that languishes on the market costs time and money. A home that hasn't been professionally prepared for sale is often destined for a price reduction which translates to more time, more money, and less commission. Fortunately, our Realtor knows the value of home staging and has a competitive advantage by offering the home staging consultation as part of the listing package. No more uncomfortable conversations about cleaning and smells. No more dealing with over-the-top decor or hoarders. Our Realtor trusts our Home Stager to have these discussions in a kind and tactful manner, leaving our Realtor free to focus on getting the house SOLD, not getting the house READY to sell.
Our Seller needed a little more encouragement. “Why can't people just look past my stuff?” our Seller muttered. Our Home Stager explained that less than 10% of home buyers can look past existing furnishings and how important first impressions are. After a tour of the house with our Home Stager, our Seller not only understood the value of home staging, but was delighted to find out that home staging wasn't about major renovations or insulting their taste in decor. Home staging was no longer an annoyance, but a way of preparing the house to appeal to the most buyers. No one can force a seller to stage their home, but educating clients is the first step to getting them engaged in the home staging process. Some sellers will only need a little help. Some will need a lot. The Seller in our story not only embraced our Home Stager's suggestions, but hired our Home Stager to style each room for maximum appeal.
So how does our Home Stager benefit? Ideally, sellers would call a Home Stager before they call a Realtor, but many sellers don't realize the value of home staging, so partnering with realtors just makes good business sense. Home Stagers don't typically choose this profession because they love cluttered, uninspired, or vacant homes. It's the beautiful transformations that are made with simple changes. Follow that transformation with a quick sale at the asking price and you have one giddy Home Stager. That's what home staging is all about.
Of course, there are no guarantees that home staging will make the property sell quickly or for the best price, but simple economics tells us that an improved product will increase demand and command a higher price tag. Realtors across the country are partnering with Home Stagers and include consultations in the listing package. This NAR infographic notes that “Among homes that are staged: 62 percent of sellers' agents offer the home staging services to their sellers”. Now that's a partnership!
So, the next time you see a Realtor, a Seller, and a Home Stager walk into a house, you will know that they are in a partnership to maximize the potential of the property and get that house sold!
Brought to you by Sue Smith, Owner/CEO of Suite Effects, LLC
To partner with Suite Effects, LLC in or around Pelham, AL: http://www.suiteeffects.com/
Realtors: Be sure to get your copy of the Realtor Partner Plan http://www.suiteeffects.com/realtors/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sue_Smith/2178109
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By Sue Smith