I would love to tell you all the reasons why I love my job.... Meeting and working with clients, Changing the face of real estate (at least here in Charleston), creating beauty where there once was chaos. Let me tell you my favorite part though - today anyway. SHOPPING!
This morning I met with a client, was handed a check for $8500 and have spent the rest of the day shopping.... Havertys, Kirklands, Pier 1, & Target... just to name a few. I spent an hour or more at Kirkland piling lamps, throws, pillows, and art sky high. I was loading the car and thinking that I just can't believe people actually pay me to do this!!!! Someone pinch me....
I recently blogged about the power of positive thinking.... I'm sure somewhere in my life I said I really need a job where someone pays me to shop and voila... here we are. What is really great is that I get to find the best stuff for my own home because I'm out all the time too. Life is just grand, isn't it?
Tell me, why do you stage?
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Melissa Marro, a published artist, now turned staging advocate 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. Selling her successful home staging company in January 2012, Marro is now a full time speaker and instructor for Staging And Resign 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 843.619.1593 or email at marro.melissa@gmail.com
Hi Melissa - Wow, I am so jealous because you have a Kirklands near you! I was in South Carolina this past August (Columbia) and I went to the Columbiana mall. This is where I discovered Kirklands. I love this store! They had great stuff and the prices were so reansonable.
It's kinda a long story. I was supposed to move to SC. I actually bought a house. At the last minute, before closing, the house fell through (sellers lied on disclosure about a mold problem). Long story, short I am still here in NY. (Sometimes God works in strange ways)!
Anyway, the one regret I have about not moving to SC is that we don't have Kirklands in NY! Are they in any other states? Oh, well my daughter may attend USC Columbia this fall, and if she does, you can bet I will be at Kirklands any time I visit!!!!!!!!!
I Stage homes because I enjoy the challenge of working with what homeowners already have, separating the wheat from the chaff so to speak. To go from that sinking feeling of being overwhelmed when you first arrive on the scene, to figuring out exactly what they need to do is such a sense of accomplishment. I usually start off with a seed of doubt, then I work towards my creative genius!
I love it when they say, "I never would of thought to put that there". YES!!! That's why you hired me!
I couldn't have said it better Melissa.. and my husband loves it too! LOL... Spending a lot less of our "own" money!, plus since I'm out shopping so much, I get the best deals on things.
I also love the freedom that having my own business offers me. Sure there are con's to it too, but I love that I can arrange my own time in order to spend it with my 3 young children!
I also love that I get to wear so many hats - Business woman, decorator, web designer, marketing guru, shopper!!
Creating a more beautiful world, one house at a time....
And, of course, the shopping!
It fits with my mission of "co-creating sacred space". It allows me to be in the real estate business in a very positive and meaningful way that can be a win-win win situation for teh home seller, the Realtor and myself. And it gives me a creative outlet........Oh did I forget, it also allows me lots of schlepping time.
Best of all it, has allowed me to connect with some really fantastic people here on Active Rain.
James and Judy, I couldnt have said it better! So all I can say is my reasons for staging is just like YALL!