Today's Home Staging Training Tips: Farming your staging jobs
I think one of the reasons we've been successful in my company is that I started off as the Admin Mgr for one of the largest real estate companies in my area. My business partner, Bevin Googer, started off as a real estate agent. Between the two of us, we gathered a lot of information that we use to differentiate ourselves in both our market, and the industry. This next technique was directly brought from the real estate industry and adjusted for ours.
Farming your listings is a simple way of prospecting that has truely amazing results. Next to newsletters, this is our next most effective technique. It is a three step process that allows you multiple opportunities to show off what you do to agents who will really be interested in what's going on....
Here is how it works:
After staging a property in a community that you would like to work in again (What community does that eliminate? Almost none, right? That's right! You should do this for virtually every job!) Send a postcard or email (I prefer email) to every agent in that neighborhood letting them know that you have staged a listing, what listing it is (address) and provide them a link to photographs or virtual tour of the staged property. (this is why I prefer an email) Let them know that you would be happy to make their listing shine as well.
Chances are at this point you will little response, but don't discount this - you just may get one or two very qualified responses.
Next: After you find out that the home you staged has a contract on it, communicate this to the agents in this neighborhood again. Remind them how long it has been - 7 days, 30 days, 50 days - whatever it is. If you have the ability, let them know how much faster than the average DOM in the neighborhood, or how much quicker than before it was staged (if previously listed).
This nearly always gets several responses. Imagine the agent who received the first email with an active listing finding out that another listing has gone in such a short time frame when their listing is still sitting there! Of course they want to know why!
Finally: When the home actually closes and the final sale price can be stated, do one last blast letting them know how much more this home sold than other comperable properties in the neighborhood (or how much faster, or whatever element your staged property beat the competition). Remind them that you can do the same for their listings.
This technique is very effective because they've seen it work in direct competition to their listing. Now they want this edge.
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Author Bio: Melissa Marro, Home Staging Industry leader, Realtor, and entrepreneur offers a unique perspective on New Home Construction, Resale Residential Real Estate, and Home Staging
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For more information on buying or selling in the Fleming Island, Orange Park, or Jacksonville, area, visit StageListSellNEFL.com or call Melissa Marro (marro.melissa at gmail.com), Keller Williams First Coast Realty, for more information (904-466-2093).
