Speaking Up about Home Staging

I am working on some quotes for two high end bids this weekend and needed to show some of our statistics to these clients.  When I started pulling them together, I thought maybe I should work up a flyer for this price range of client.  Here is what I came up with....

As you can clearly see from our statistics, staging a property DOES NOT cut the time on market by half...  it's actually must faster than that!

If you are in the Greater Charleston area and interested to see how you can increase your business by offering staging services, please contact me at 843.822.2622 or email me at melissa@redesigningcharleston.com

We staged a stunning home by national award winning builder, Simonini Homes, mid May 2008.  This neighborhood was a great vision with phenomenal builders, but has been hurt dramatically by the slower market.  Of the 16 homes built (or currently building) only five have sold.  Another one is pending and has been since February 5th.  Currently there are thirteen properties on the market (including the pending property & one resale unit of the original five sold).  Today, officially per MLS, the property we staged in May is under contract. 

This particular home had been on the market since 2/20/2007.  After 14 months on the market without staging - nothing.  Staged it went under contract in just over 90 days! 

Continually we try to get agents to understand the significance that staging provides.  When we can provide example after example, what will it take for more of them to 'get it'? 

Last week our company held an open house at 4 different locally staged homes.  It was a huge success!  Fifteen minutes before the open house was due to open four agents appeared at the door.  Agents came in small packs throughout the day, checking out the homes, asking lots of great staging (and home) related questions. 

Since then we've scheduled several consultations and given out multiple quotes.  I was advised today that we should be getting one of those contract back by the end of the week.  We are already booked through the end of next week, back to back to back houses lined up.  By showcasing the properties in this way we are able to show the quality of our work.  Feedback has been overwhelming!  It even jump started our lunch and learns that begin next Wednesday as we discussed these with interested parties at the open house.  Bevin, who is hosting them, already has a full class with still a few days left for agents to sign up!

In case that's not enough, the goodwill factor with our current listing agents was fantastic.  They are excited about the publicity, follow through and wanting to know when we are going to do another one!  

Below is a copy of the flyer that went out:

For this flyer we actually opted to use a local professional e-blast service instead of our Constant Contact account because it goes to every agent in MLS.  As you can see, it was well done and the photos gave the opportunity to show off the homes they were going to view, getting them excited about it!

If you are fortunate enough to have several staged properties all in the same general area, hosting an open house like this with your listing agents might be a great marketing tool for both you and the listing agent!

Additional editorial note:  We were advised today that one of these properties received an offer today and were told that we could do open houses for this agent anytime with these results!  I'll post which after the contract is ratified.

I'm so excited about this event.  I went to a Charleston home show yesterday actually hoping to see a particular vendor, EverGreen Concepts.  Unfortunately they werent' there (great disappointment).  The good news is that when I decided to look them up online today I found that they are the sponsors of the Charleston Green Fair.  I didn't even know we were having a green fair, but I will be there... Here's some of the info I have....

"The purpose of the Charleston Green Fair is to create excitement and enthusiasm for green products, services and technologies available to the residents of the Lowcountry using an environmentally responsible forum of education and entertainment."

There will be food, music and speaches.  There will also be fun things for kids - climbing wall, puppet show, demonstrations, etc. 

The fair is from 12-6pm at Marion Square in Charleston.  Bring the family and learn just a little more on what you can do to help create a sustainable planet!

Sponsors for the Charleston Green Fair

This flyer was supposed to be launched at the 2008 SC Annual Realtor Conference that is being held here in Charleston in September.  Bevin & I decided we are just too excited to not begin using it immeditely however.  Take a look at it and I'm sure you'll see why we are so thrilled to be putting it out there in the hands of agents & their seller clients....

I think this spells things out perfectly for both sellers and agents.  Staging not only helps to sell homes more quickly, but for more money.... something we've been trying to say all along!

Yesterday First Impressions Home Staging & Interior ReDesign's Bevin Googer was interviewed by the Post & Courier for an article on preparing your home for sale. The article will appear in the home section of this Sunday's paper.  We are excited for the exposure for the company, but more excited that even the newspaper seems to understand that now more than ever homeowners need to prepare thier properties - not just put them up 'as is'. 

This coming on the heels of two of our top agents making comments to us this week how difficult it is to get homeowners to do even the little things - take down photos, de-clutter and de-personalize their homes.  It is almost like they set themselves up for failure.  Hopefully this article will help open the eyes of some sellers out there - maybe even some agents too.  In order to sell in today's market, home preparation - ie staging the home - is as important as marketing the home well.  You can bring people to the home all day long, but unless the buyer will connect with it, they won't buy it!

Today, driving by Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant SC, my best friend/assistant noticed a sign that had us immediately on the phone with my husband.  Larger than life - billboard sized to be exact - was a sign that stated that Boone Hall would be hosting a BBQ and Bluegrass festival that would feature Ralph Stanley & The Cliff Mountain Boys.  Ok, to be truthful I didn't know who this was until she said, "You know, that band that sings the song that your husband constantly watches on O' Brother Where Art Thou?"  Ok... now I knew exactly what she was talking about! 

Apparently they are combining this with some serious barbeque... Now we are talking!!  Game on!  It's now scheduled tightly into my datebook!  Here's the day's itinerary below:

Sunday, August 31st  - 10:30am - 8:30pm.

This will definately be a fun filled day for all ages!  Prices will be $22 ($20 in advance) for adults and $10 ($8 advance) for children 6-12.  If you want to know more, visit Boone Hall Plantations's Website.  So, will I see you there?

I am hooked on the show WA$TED and recently saw this little gadget.  It's called the Cent-a-meter.  What it does is pretty basic.  It registers how much electricity (in dollars) you are burning at any moment.

I think I'm actually going to go online and purchase one ($152.95).  I know it seems pricey but I get how it works - emotionally.  You see, my husband used to own a hybrid car (totalled it - two of them actually) and one of it's little features was a screen that tells you how many miles per gallon you are using at any moment and shows you if you slow down/speed up how that changes it.  When my husband would drive he would specifically pay attention to find the 'zone' where he was getting the best gas mileage.  From reviews I've read this is basically what happens when you own one of these little gadgets. 

If you pay attention you may realize that turning off a light here or there - turning off the power strip to the playroom's entertainment center, etc - will save you real money.  It's almost like it becomes a game of sorts.  

Anyone else up for playing?

You've heard me before on this but I will say it again - Stagers should have a real estate license.  I'm not saying that we should be selling real estate.  That's an entirely different discussion.  You should on the other hand actually have a license!  Why?  They are fabulous marketing tools.  Let me give you my latest example of how having a license has improved my business.....

In order to hold an open house for a home that is actually listed with an agency, you must have a real estate license.  In our case, four of our team members have licenses and each of us will be holding one of our staged properties open (with permission from the actual listing agents).  We will be referring any leads back to the listing agents - but the open house itself is an AGENT open house.

The news blast went out this morning to all of MLS and today I actually got two calls from agents who already had my info and this was the tipping point of them calling for us to do a walkthrough.  Both of them were confident that staging will make the difference in selling these homes.  One said she wants it done by next Wednesday for their office caravan (agent tour). 

I know that there is always an objection about the cost of maintaing the license.  My question is, how much do you spend on other marketing tools?  This is the one that will make you the most money.  The $800/yr investment will pay for itself time and time again & you won't believe the impact it will make on your business.