Speaking Up about Home Staging

Your Facebook friends may have hidden you and you didn't know it!  Yes, you could be talking to, well, no one.  OK- maybe it's not that bad, but there may be some friends you are missing.

I have been on Facebook for about a year now and have amassed a modest 127 friends.  I don't often go seeking friends but I do love adding friends when they find me!  Facebook has been a great way for me to get to know friends better, colleagues, and sometimes even strangers if we have a common bond such as our business.

I love sharing what I'm doing and hearing about what my friends are up to during the day.  But, as with anything, there are times when it's not so much a thrill.  There are times I have "un-friended" people and have "hidden" others. 

 Why?

 What were their crimes to deserve this?  As I share a few reasons, consider if you've been guilty!

Unfriended:  Generally the only reason I would actually "un-friend" someone is for obscenity.  It's my Facebook, I have other friends and colleagues who see it, and I just plain don't want it.  

Hidden:  I "hide" people more often when I don't want to lose their friendship but I just can't take their posts any longer!  This allows me to occasionally go in and see what they're up to and still maintain contact with them.  Most of the time, they're not aware they're hidden and that I'm not seeing their posts. 

Some reasons I have "hidden" friends:

•  Constant sales pitch:  Whether it's business, politics, your religion, or your new diet you can't stop talking about.  Mention it now and then, fine.  Post it over and over and over again, sometimes 3 or more times in a row and you're hidden.  

•  Constant updates:  Like 4-5 in a row.  Whether it's what you're doing every minute, or what you ate-- edit yourself.  Please.  I really do not need to know everything! 

•  Quotes:  Remember:  You are not the only one who constantly posts quotes.  There's only so many quotes I can take!

I think the thing to remember is that this is Social Media-- with the emphasis on social.  It is not usually the content that will get someone hidden as much as it is the frequency of that content.  I want to know who you are, not your sales pitch, or a random quote.  Think of it as a party-- you wouldn't walk in and start your sales pitch.  You would seek to form relationships.

Facebook is also a "give and take."  Do you post frequently but never comment on anyone else's posts?  Don't be a selfish Facebook friend!  How good can a relationship be if it's one-sided?

Facebook is a wonderful way to connect and re-connect with friends, colleagues, and others, but as in any relationship, it needs nourishment and time invested.

So, are there Facebook habits you can change?  I know I'm not the only one who hides people for these reasons!

 Please try to avoid these habits-- you are in a vibrant industry with plenty of great things to share! 

Don't go and get yourself hidden!

  

  

Michele Roseis a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ.  She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs for the last 5 years.  In 2007, she formed Rose-Colored Staging to help sellers market their homes with professional home staging.

  

OK, we are almost there....the end of 2009.

Collective sigh of relief......

I am sure most of you are glad that 2009 is almost over and you are looking forward to better times in 2010.

Many agents will look back on 2009 as the year they (finally) transitioned into the new market. More so, there is a new breed of agents who took action early and are now leading the markets. (Listen to recent Free interviews with many of the nation's top producing agents now)

Either way, you have lived through the worst aspects of the housing crash.

For that, you should congratulate yourself. You are a survivor. There is something special within you that has allowed you to do what hundreds of thousands of other agents couldn't (or wouldn't) do.

Now, lets focus forward and be prepared for what is coming next.

You and I need to have a heart-to-heart chat about what you should be doing now...so that you can move from being merely a survivor and join the ranks of the agents who are now the nation's new top producers.

We have been warning the real estate community that the foreclosure ‘crisis/ mess/ epidemic/ whatever’ would only get worse....for well over a year.

Some agents listened...some agents ignored the message....some agents responded negatively......

Regardless, we continued to share what we knew to be true with as many agents who cared to listen.

Its our sincerest hope that we helped many of you. For those of you who have yet to 'tune in' know this....its NOT TOO late for you. You can do this. You can easily follow in the footsteps of the thousands of Realtors who have successfully transitioned from denial...to acceptance...into discovering that this market is nothing to fear. Matter of fact, once you learn what this market requires you can help MORE people and make MORE money than you could of ever thought possible....

Do you need a free coaching call? If you need help..of any kind...regardless if you are a HREU student or not...request a FREE Coaching Call.

We did this while it seemed the rest of the real estate industry spent most of the year reporting that housing had ‘reached bottom’.

Listen, I 100% understand why so many agents believe they can only be successful when the market is headed up. Heck, that's what the boom market was all about. When homes were quickly appreciating it was easy to motivate folks to buy and sell. For a while, owning a home was akin to possessing a winning lottery ticket.

But, that's not our reality now...is it?

So, here it is....

HREU Students (and future students)….at best we are half way through this real estate correction. (Watch the video now that explains the current real estate market cycle) Expect at least another 1-3 years of ‘correcting…lowering..home prices’ followed by a slow climb back to '07 home values. Its been reported many times that homes won’t return to peak values for 10+ years in some markets.

If you are are an agent who expects to be in the real estate business in the Spring there are 2 things that you must be mastering NOW: Short Sales and how-to list REOs. There is no question that these 2 skills should now be considered mandatory.

 Exerpts from an article featured on CNN.com

Despite concerted government-led and lender-supported efforts to prevent foreclosures, the number of filings hit a record high in the third quarter, according to a report issued Thursday.

“They were the worst three months of all time,” said Rick Sharga, spokesman for RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed homes.

During that time, 937,840 homes received a foreclosure letter — whether a default notice, auction notice or bank repossession, the RealtyTrac report said. That means one in every 136 U.S. homes were in foreclosure, which is a 5% increase from the second quarter and a 23% jump over the third quarter of 2008.

Realtors, its NOT too late for you to learn how to become a REO Listing Agent. Staggering fact…the banks simply don’t have enough REO listing agents. Its now being estimated that the number of foreclosures coming isn’t…5,000,000…ins’t 7,000,000…but, 13,000,000! Nothing like this has ever happened before. Watch the FREE Agent REO Secrets video and then download your FREE Agent REO Secrets book.

Nevada continued to be the worst-hit state with one filing for every 23 households. But even tranquil Vermont, where the foreclosure crisis has barely brushed the housing market, saw foreclosure filings jump nearly 170% compared with the third quarter of 2008. Still, that resulted in just one filing for every 5,023 households in the state — the best record in the country.

The RealtyTrac report also unveiled the results for September, and it found that there was slight relief from foreclosure filings. Last month, notices totaled 343,638, down 4% compared with August. Unfortunately, that total accounts for 87,821 homes that were repossessed by lenders.

That deluge contributed significantly to the quarter’s record 237,052 repossessions, a 21% jump from the previous three months. So far this year lenders have taken back 623,852 homes.

“REO activity increased from the previous quarter in all but two states and the District of Columbia, indicating that lenders may be starting to work through some of the pent-up foreclosure inventory caused by legislative delays, loan-modification efforts and high volumes of distressed properties,” James Saccacio, RealtyTrac’s CEO, said in a statement.

Most disturbing is that all foreclosures — not just repossessions — are rampant despite efforts to corral them. Not only has the Obama administration’s Making Home Affordable foreclosure prevention program taken a bite out of REOs but lenders themselves have scaled back repossessions over the past few months to give the program time to work.

And in some low-price markets, lenders simply aren’t following through on foreclosures, according to Jim Rokakis, treasurer for Cuyahoga County, Ohio, which includes Cleveland.

“They’ll even set the date for the sheriff’s sale, but they don’t file the final papers,” he said. “They hold it in abeyance and let the residents stay in the house.”

In ever more frequent cases, delinquent borrowers want out of the mortgage worse than the lenders. There are no firm statistics for it, but many industry watchers claim the percentage of REOs caused by borrowers voluntarily walking away from their homes is skyrocketing.

Agents, did you read that last sentence?

The number of homeowners who are deciding to simply ‘walk-away’ is skyrocketing! What does that mean to you?

HUGE opportunity. Learn how to easily list and sell Short Sales.

Considering what is happening in your real estate market…with so many homeowners upside down…if they must sell..and their listing agent doesn’t know how to do a Short Sale..what happens? They lose the home to foreclosure. You can help them avoid the foreclosure blight and earn tons-of-dough when you list and sell their homes through the Short Sale process. Watch the FREE Agent Short Sale Secrets video and then download the FREE Agent Short Sale Secrets crash course!

A study of the trend by the Chicago Booth School of Business and the Kellogg School of Management determined that when home price declines drop home values 10% below the mortgage balances, people start to give up their homes. When “negative equity” approaches 50%, 17% of households default, even when they can still afford their mortgage payments.

No end in sight

The foreclosure crisis may not diminish anytime soon. “The fastest growing area is in the 180 days late-plus category, the most seriously delinquent borrowers,” Sharga said. “It’s going to be a lingering problem.”

Plus, the RealtyTrac statistics may understate the depth of the foreclosure mess because lender and government actions have delayed many filings. As a result, some delinquencies have not been counted on the foreclosure tallies. That means the crisis may not end quickly.

And because there are so many delinquent borrowers, Sharga predicts the banks will be slow to take back their properties and put the repossessed homes back on the market.

“It’s hard to envision [the banks] putting millions on properties up for sale and cratering prices,” he said. “Recovery will be slow and gradual. I don’t see home prices getting much better until 2013.”

The only question is...how many home owners will YOU help in 2010?  How many REO Listings will YOU represent in 2010?  NOW is the time to take action, to be sure you don't just 'survive' another year, but that 2010 is your year to THRIVE.

Many home stagers were taught, in their training programs, not to post staging fees on their websites.  The intended purpose was to encourage people to call for pricing and give us a chance to explain how staging would benefit them.  However, I have come to realize that many people are automatically assuming that home staging is too expensive and never making that call.  

Since many people still adhere to the old adage, "If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it anyway," I am in the process of designing a new website that will have my staging fees and services clearly explained and prominently displayed. 

I have seen quite a few blog comments from Real Estate Agents asking, "How much does home staging cost?"  If the question is answered at all, it is usually the standard, "Staging costs less than your first price reduction."  True as that might be, I know you want an answer with $$$.

 

These are the average (or most widely used) price ranges.  Some stagers' fees are lower; some are higher.

 

OCCUPIED HOME STAGING

VERBAL HOME STAGING CONSULTATION  --  $100 - $300

HOME STAGING CONSULTATION WITH WRITTEN REPORT -- $200 - $475

HANDS-ON STAGING  -- $75 - $125 hr. (many stagers have a 2-3 hour minimum)
 

Rather than an hourly fee, some home stagers charge a flat rate for either half or full day staging: 

• $300 - $400 for half day   (4 - 5 hours)
• $500 - $800 for a full day (6 - 8 hours)

 

VACANT HOME STAGING

The average cost for vacant home staging in the majority of markets ranges from  $1,500 to $5000. 

Fees may be even lower for vignette or light staging but they could be considerably higher for homes that have excessive square footage or require high-end furnishings and accessories.

Now that you have a better idea of the cost of home staging, don't hesitate to contact some local home stagers and inquire about their fees for staging an occupied home.  Ask if they can give you a ballpark figure for staging a vacant home.  They will be happy you called. 

Are you marketing your blog or are you just writing it?  Yes, Word Press, Blogger, TypePad and Active Rain allow for a certain amount of "Google juice".  But, are you simply posting your blog on one of these platforms hoping that someone reads it...sometime?  Or are you actively marketing your blog to those readers surfing the internet, hungry for the knowledge you know that only you can impart?  If you aren't actively marketing your blog, you may be missing one of the greatest opportunities to get your voice heard.

There are several great blog directories that you absolutely MUST add your blog to, such as Technorati and Blogarama (just to name a couple).  Automated submission tools like Pingomatic can get your blog pinged and sent to a couple dozen different services on the web.  And, by adding your RSS feeds to several feed managers, such as Feedburner, you can get your posts listed in record-breaking time.  Don't forget to add these RSS feeds to all your social networks as well to keep track of any post you list in real-time.

If you don't know how or where to add your blogs and RSS feeds, feel free to contact Second Self Virtual Assistance.  Second Self is always ready to lend a helping hand to get your voice hear.  You are marketing your services.  But, are you marketing your blog?

Heather Chavez, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn't Enough of You to Go Around!

I had a listing that had some neighbors that were nice neighbors, but their yard was somewhat of an eyesore. It really wasn't as much the yard as it was the house. It also needed some touch up and my seller was willing to help out.

You see, in today's world my seller and I figured the reason for not painting the house and doing the up keep on the yard was because of the lack of money. But, it turns out that they just didn't see a reason too.

This is where we went from being helpful to (apparently) offensive. My seller offered to pay to have his yard professionally cleaned up, landscaped, and to have the side of the house that faced him painted at no cost to the owners next door. But, I guess they didn't see it as a way to help him sell his house, but rather as an insult to how they kept their yard and house.

Now, we had an angry neighbor who wanted to do what ever they could to make the yard as ugly as possible. Kids toys everywhere, lawn equipment left out, yard debris piled next to the fence, but the one that really said it all was while trying to show the home having their kid come out and pee on the fence.

I think we have a problem. I said and we need to figure out what to do about it. We went and talked to the neighbor and explained it wasn't the seller that was upset with the yard, they had lived next door to each other for 5 years and he thought he was a great neighbor, but the feedback was saying otherwise.

They sat down, hammered out their differences, and the yard got cleaned up, the house painted and my client got his home sold. This could have gone on for forever, it could have gone to court. But instead, two level headed people sat down and discussed what the real issue was and worked out a compromise over a mis-understanding.

What do you do when you offend someone? Do you walk away and ignore the situation, or be upfront and say your sorry? Or do you work something out so they can understand your side of the story? Lucky my seller did the latter and it worked out great for him, but it certainly could have been a lot worse! What would you have done in this situation?

Todd Clark - Broker / Sales Coach
Palazzo Realty Group
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739

Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Tigard OR homes for sale, homes for sale in zip code, 97223,97224, Tigard Oregon Realtor, Tigard OR Realtor, Tigard Oregon MLS Search, Tigard OR MLS Search, 1st time home buying expert, short sale expert, avoiding foreclosure in Tigard, helping families home, LivingBeaverton, Townhomes for sale, home for sale, house for sale, Bull Mountain North, Bull Mountain South, King City, Mountainview, Greenburg, Summer Lake Neighborhood, Summerfield neighborhood, Tigard neighborhood, Walnut Grove Neighborhood. Tigard Oregon Real Estate, Tigard OR real estate, Todd Clark, (503)524-9494, WWW.LivingTigard.com, www.IFoundYourNewHome.com, www.SavingyouFromForeclosure.com

©2009 Todd Clark - Crap, I think we just offended the neighbors

As much as I love writing about marketing, I am very aware that effective marketing is impossible without sound business planning.

Good Business Planning

Some of the factors that contribute to good business planning are:

• knowing your numbers;
• knowing who your clients are;
• know who can assist you and what they can do for you;
• being aware of what you are doing;
• having a schedule to dedicate 60% of your time towards building new business by prospecting for new clients;
• being clear of your budget and time;
• knowing your peak performance time; and finally - fully planning your year with adequate time off.

Numbers Are Everything

We have to know where we stand. How would we know where we are going unless we know where we are?

The numbers provide the objective data about everything we need to know about our business activities:

• how many calls you have to make in order to connect with a good lead
• how many leads you need in order to generate one client
• how much money you make from each client
• how much money you earn for each call you make...and for each hour you work
• how many Internet hits you need to get one client
• etc.

We have to know things like this...but unfortunately we often find...or make...ourselves too busy to track these numbers, let alone pay much attention to them.

Certainly many sales people have the motivation to undertake varied and demanding actions.

But far too often tracking and making sense of the numbers is not one of these actions.

Sure it's great to feel good about what we are doing...but what do your numbers tell you?