Today HGTV star Terry Haas (real estate expert on Designed to Sell) spoke at the Gaillard Auditorium in Charleston. It was during the local Home Show. She gave a great presentation, very fun and entertaining.... She spoke about finding an agent and staging the home to sell. Throughout the presentation she was clear to mention we could/should say, "Terry says" when discussing this sooo...... Tips from Terry
Terry Says....
- Always hire a real estate agent. Sellers who 'list' their own house (unless they are an agent) will lose money.
- Interview at least 3 agents, none of them should be family or close friends
- Don't ask the agent to reduce their commission. If they will, don't work with them. You want agents who will work for you & do the best job possible. Asking them to reduce their commission will not yield you this result.
- Have the agent provide a range of comps for your area, then price your home in the middle of them.
- Have a professional stager do a walkthrough at a minimum. Do what they say.
- Most changes should be free, near free or minimally priced. Don't spend a ton of money when selling. Do only what is needed to make the home show its best.
- Try not to sell vacant. They take twice as long to sell.
- Make sure your mailbox is not a John Deere tractor, flower, bass fish, etc. It should match the rest of the neighborhood & the post should be freshly painted.
- ALWAYS repaint the front door & change hardware if not shiny and new looking.
- Make sure both cars can be parked in garage (if 2 car garage)
- Don't store your excess anything in the closets - buyers will be nosey and look there!
- Go green! This is a great advertising tool....
- Check your agent's marketing & photos. If you don't like them, provide your own photos or get a new agent.
So now when you are trying to convince your husband, client or agent you can tell them that Terry Said!
Seriously - if you get a chance to hear her speak in your area, go! She was very entertaining!
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Melissa Marro, a published artist, now turned staging advocet and national speaker speaks her mind about real estate and the home staging industry. In her 'no holds barred' approach, audience members find real answers to the industries pitfalls and learn how to overcome them with tried and true information and guidance. With marketing as her passion, she turned a small home based business into one of the nation's largest home staging and training facilities. She now operates as the CEO of First Impressions Home Staging & Interior ReDesign as well as the Executive Director of Certified Staging Professionals International Training Academy (CSPI) - the world's largest Staging Training Organization, and regularly speaks at the StagerList Expos and Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)'s trade events.
For more information on having Marro speak at one of your real estate functions, please contact her at 843.822.2622 or email at marro.melissa@gmail.com
If you would like Marro's team to provide information on staging a property in the state of South Carolina, or the Greater Charleston Area, please visit www.WeStageSC.com, email marro.melissa@gmail.com or call 843.822.2622.
For more information on Marro's CSP Staging Training, please visit www.StagingAndRedesign.com, visit the CSP Calendar for dates or email marro.melissa@gmail.com. Below is a list of Marro's current CSP Certification class dates:
February 6-8 Charleston, SC
February 16-18 Austin, TX
March 6-8 Atlanta, GA
March 13-15 Raleigh, NC
March 20-22 St. Petersburg, FL
April 10-12 Knoxville, TN
May 4-6 Covington, KY
May 18-20 Charlotte, NC
July 5-7 Memphis, TN
July 10-12 Charleston, SC
Terrylynn - Terry is an agent in VA, so definately she definately understands what a GOOD agent brings to the table. She was clear on what set apart a 'good' agent as well. (Things like marketing, market knowledge, customer referrals, appropriate pricing, etc)
Julianna - It is great that she does so much to help the staging industry as a whole, but really great the awareness she is bringing to our specific area. I felt her comments were spot on & really appreciated that she even promoted services she doesn't offer - such as vacant staging. That's a true professional!
Hi Melissa-
I really like that last suggestion on her list about the photos. I don't think many sellers would think to replace with their own photos, but they have the most to lose if the house is not marketed to its best potential. I am glad to see that she is empowering the seller!
Kathy
Melissa,
Please let me know when there's another show in Charleston. I would love to drive down to attend.
Melissa;
I have saved your blog as these are some wonderful points that I would like Terry to discuss when she visits the radio show. I thought the same as you...she is a true professional and she is helping our industry with her voice and talents. May I tell her that she was blogged about? I bet she would be happy and humbled!