While selling your home it’s best to enjoy the holidays away from home especially if the holiday is religious in nature.  Why?  We don’t really know who’s going to purchase your home or their religious preference so keeping the decorations out of sight will help you appeal to everyone.  The best part about this tip is you can get away on a short vacation or enjoy your aunt Betty’s apple pie.

When I entered this once empty elegant living room I found the fireplace and it’s amazing mantel very imposing.  What I mean is….as beautiful as the majestic fireplace was, it was overwhelming the space partly because of it’s size.  The best way to downplay a wonderful feature like this without losing it’s importance is to add a little drama.

From the foyer you can see the measurable size of the mantel

In a nearby tree I found the exact amount of drama I was looking for.  Why drama you ask?  By adding some worthy drama I downplayed the size of this magnificent fireplace but didn’t take away it’s relevance.  Now buyers can take in the windows, custom cabinets and molding, hardwoods and last but never least the chandelier too!

A little drama can sometimes go a long way

And now the ‘big picture’…….

The end result was a living room that displayed all of it's beauty!!!

Presto, a buyer can now love it all.

HomeGain Survey:  Home Staging Top Priority for Sellers

HomeGain recently conducted it’s third Nationwide home improvement and home staging Home Sale Maximizer survey to reveal the top 12 do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements for people getting their home ready for sale.  Nearly 1,000 Realtors responded to the survey.

To read more just go to the link below.

http://tinyurl.com/yeaxzct

Happy Halloween Everyone!  And this is not a Halloween spoof it’s TRUE, some realtors are plenty scared these days.  At least from what I hear and see in the field!  The other day I met with a broker and what I heard and noticed was well, daunting and interesting to say the least.

Meeting with this broker was my second occasion but quite honestly, he didn’t remember me – Oh well, I’ll have to work on that..ugg!  Anyway, what I noticed when I laid eyes on him this time almost made me stutter.  

Three years ago he was well put together with a trendy fresh haircut, snazzy cloths, and a sparkle in his eye.  I was very impressed by him and his energy screamed ‘leader’.  What I saw the other day was more like a man who you know is clearly handsome but, someone had put him in a punching bag and beat him up a number of times.  He was visually worn, exhausted and almost frail.  It was so sad to see him this way.

During our meeting my goal was to help him.  I was asking for an opportunity to speak at one of his realtor sales meetings.  I had a FREE home staging service to offer sellers with vacant homes.  After all, in this market sellers need all the help they can get and FREE is exactly what they want.  What he said to me was nothing short of daunting.  Here’s how it went…..

Broker: (not a quote but a summary)  Well Lise, although I appreciate the service you offer and know it well, I’ve made a decision to stop all vendors from coming to our meetings until our spring season.  You see my realtors are just tired of being sold.  (I’m thinking, I’m not selling anything to your realtors, I never do!)  I can’t even get them to the meetings these days.  This is partly because they’re feeling pressured by vendors who are asking them to ask their clients for money or worse, asking them for money for services and this is turning them off, shutting them down.  In fact, the agents in my organization who were once top producers for many years and I mean the ones who have been around this business for a very long time, are not adjusting well.  Right now, I’m focused on getting them to transition from traditional selling strategies to more Internet savvy professionals. (Well that made plenty of sense to me, realtors must get on board.)  It took me three years in my last office to get the agents to adjust, I just don’t have that kind of time.  Next year is right around the corner and I need to work on that.  I just can’t risk my realtors feeling sold!

End of meeting pretty much!

I could see clearly by the energy in the room it was pointless for me to continue.  The fear was as thick as a foggy night in London and as spooky as a haunted house.

Having said that, I want you to know this broker and his reputation are both very good. I know for a fact, he is a very good leader who’s enjoyed a great deal of success with many awards and achievements.  But really, if his realtors aren’t making money then I would think helping them do so would be the first priority when it comes to retention. What is the point of teaching them to adjust to the new world market if they can’t put food on the table in the meantime with services that help them sell their listings? FREE is FREE and quite honestly, I’m not saying FREE just to the realtor (all my services are) this service is FREE to the seller.  Here’s what I know about selling a vacant home….

1.  A seller with a vacant home is the most vulnerable as buyers especially today, are looking for distressed properties.  The assumption all buyers make when viewing a vacant home is ‘This seller must be desperate!  He surely has another house to live in and is likely paying two debts.’  100% of the time a buyer especially now, will low-ball the seller.  Never do they offer to pay the true value of a vacant home. 

2.  In a market such as this I consider it a reatlors fuduciary responsibility to present all marketing options to their clients, particularily those that are cost effective and I believe FREE is.  If these are the toughest times any of us have seen in our industry then realtors should gather every bit of information available and make it their job to advise their client.  It’s the sellers responsibility to determine what’s right for them. After all, it’s the seller who has the most skin in the game.

3.  When times get tough the tough get going.  Here’s the thing, I’ve been training and managing sales forces for years and what is always clear is tough times is a good time to let those who really can’t cut the mustard go.  The ones who want to change, grow and learn from the adversity and will make the transition.  We’ve all read ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’, haven’t we?  Shielding sales people as though they are weak will only keep the dead weight around.  By the way, there’s nothing worse then unmotivated or uncooperative people in a sales environment.  They can effect an entire group – like wildfire!

4.  This is not the time to hold back.  Getting aggressive now is the only way we’ll get through this mess.  Marketing real estate with purpose and getting it sold is the only way for us to recover.  Doing all we can like introducing FREE services or anything of value to a seller can only help, never hurt.

5.  Realtors should never pitch a home stager’s services.  That’s right, and I don’t expect them too.  In fact, would a realtor send a mortgage broker into a listing presenting to present the realtors value proposition?  I doubt it.  The realtor only needs to understand what the FREE home staging service is about.  It would be easy for them to refer their seller to the home stager who is the most qualified person to explain the value.  So, I wasn’t asking the broker to let me sell the idea to his realtors.  I want to sell the service to the seller.  By the way, here are the sellers financial advantages with this FREE service.

1.  Sellers get a FREE staging service therefore, saving thousands of $$$ in staging fees.  NICE!

2.  The utilities are paid for through the service offering therefore, helping the seller save that expense.  Also, the home will be maintained at a comfortable temperature for buyers to linger in.  All too often sellers of vacant homes think they’re doing themselves a favor by saving on utility bills. Read this blog to learn more why that never works.  http://www.homestagingatlanta.net/sellers-save-money-turning-down-thermostats-i-say-not/

3.  Vacant homes are vulnerable to theft.  The insurance industry agrees.  When a seller no longer has a vacant home he saves on insurance premiums, not to mention the anguish of a home invasion.  Have you ever had anything stolen?  It’s absolutely terrible.  The loss of property makes you feel violated which is bad enough.  The time it takes to replace the items and the expense of deductables and increased insurance premiums make this experience a tragedy.  

4.  Staged properties sell in half the time according to USA Today.  In my experience, even faster.  The last mid priced home I staged sold in 60 days.  The home before that was in a higher priced neighborhood that had not seen a sold property in more then 18 months, it sold in 4.5 months.  How about them apples!!!

5.  A staged home allows the buyer’s impression to be elevated.  Let’s face it, where is the emotional value in an empty space?  There’s none whatsoever.  Since a buyers assumptions and impressions are so heavily involved when it comes to an offer to purchase a home, let’s not give them any reason to low-ball a seller.  Do the math, what do you think a seller can gain from being offered this FREE staging service?  

Clearly, FEAR is the worst emotion for any professional or seller to feel while trying to sell a home. This emotion will get you nowhere fast and worse, it will only prolong the misery.  All real estate professionals need to be creative and think outside the box. Whether that means learning more Internet skills to get up to speed with our new global economy (which I strongly recommend) or learning about every possible marketing strategy that will help to make dollars and sense.

Attitude is EVERYTHING if you plan to manifest success!

Final Comments:

Some of you may think I’ve taken this opportunity to vent.  That’s not the case. Rather, I saw an opportunity in an adverse situation to share some truth about the times we live in.  If I had a dollar for every realtor I know who is not only adjusting to the times but is seeing success in this market, I’d be a very rich woman.  These realtors are making it happen and making it happen for my home staging business as well.  I only wanted to share this experience to help those who are working in fear. There is nothing to fear but fear itself.  Change is good, even the changes were faced with now.  What you feel about change is what will make the difference.  I sincerely hope we all change when needed for the better.

Hope this helps! 

Sincerely,

Lise Desormeaux

Founder | RMR Real Estate Marketing Results, Inc.

Have you ever notice the buying experience a shopping mall provides consumers? Let’s take the gallery of a mall lined with storefronts who’s window dressing is the invitation to take a closer look. Each store competes with the other to lure the shopper into the store to get better acquainted with each department. If the shopper is convinced by the window dressing to take a walk inside they will see more of the same window dressing at the front of each department with mannequins dressed in the best the department has to offer. Of course the retailer is hoping that all of this marketing is enough to cause the register to ring and the consumer is happy to accommodate provided the retailer has done their job.

The exterior of your home or the curb appeal is the window dressing from the street just as the gallery of a mall is to the retailer. If your curb appeal is more appealing then your competition you’ll find a home buyer in your home before long. Once in your home your rooms are the departments in a store and they need to be attractive if you expect the buyer to linger and ponder over the purchase of your home. The more attractive you make each room the more likely you are to hear the cash register ring.

Retailers have understood the power of marketing for decades and today home staging is impacting our real estate world in a way unlike ever before. For the first time a niche industry is coming on strong to bring an otherwise outdated marketing concept in the real estate transaction up to date to meet consumer demands. This is especially good news for home sellers who while in need of selling their home are in more need of securing a price sold that will benefit their bottom line in the least amount of valuable time.

Home Staging is How You Sell Real Estate in Today’s Market. Lise Desormeaux, Atlanta’s Home Staging Expert, shares How to Stage Homes for Sale in her Home Staging Tips. Join Lise’s Home Staging Tips Newsletter Today!

Millions of people are feeling the burn from the slumping economy in the United States. Many home sellers fear this will make their task of selling their home even more difficult. For some, selling the home for its total worth is essential to help them with their own financial struggles.

Let’s face the facts; it’s a highly competitive market today. However, when you have the right information to survive the slumping economy, you can actually use this to your advantage as opposed to seeing it as a downfall.

One of the first things you need to know is this: A great home will sell, no matter what the economy is like.

People need homes and there will always be someone to buy. You just need to learn the right way to represent what you are selling. It’s all about your methods of selling and how you go about marketing your property.

Some home sellers mistakenly think that in a slumping economy you need to reduce your prices to make the home more affordable. This isn’t always the best policy. In fact, in some cases, lowering the price too much can hurt sales as potential buyers will be suspicious of why the property is so low.

The next step is to professionally apply home staging to your selling strategy. Poor home staging can be just as bad or worse for your sales as no home staging at all. If you’re going to do it, you need to make sure it’s done right.

If you plan is to do it yourself make sure you purchase your DIY guide from an expert and follow the instructions to the letter. If your not a do it yourselfer hire a professional with great references and years of experience. It’s also important to note that home staging is not just for homes that have been lived in but is also for vacant homes, newly constructed homes, renovations and more.

When surviving the slumping economy, also keep this in mind: there is a buyer for every house. There is someone out there who wants to buy your house. You have to be objective enough to remove your emotions, step back and evaluate the home and then determine the best way to bring in potential buyers and how to make the best first impression on potential buyers when they enter. Your goal is to make an impression connection between your home and a buyer.

Home Staging Tips

Home Staging is one of the most important things a seller can ever do to help sell a home. The word is out about how important Home Staging is but many sellers often don’t know how to do it properly. While it’s important to seek the services of a professional Home Stager here are some Home Staging tips to keep in mind:

• Depersonalize- you must remove any personal décor or style from the home. This can turn off potential buyers that don’t enjoy your style. Instead, you want to work with neutral décor that is devoid of a personal taste and will appeal to a wider range of potential buyers.
• De-clutter- When a family lives in a home, they move in their personal belongings which give the home that “lived-in” feel. When Home Staging you need to be as clutter free as possible. You want the potential buyer to feel like they can live there and not you.
• Make sure each room has a purpose. Often when a family has lived in a home, they find a better use for a room turning it into something it’s not. When Staging your home each room should have an individual purpose that is designed to meet the homes attributes.
• Crank up your curb appeal- We hear this phrase a lot but it’s one of the most important things you can do. A home needs to look appealing enough from the street to invite a home buyer in the front door for a closer look. So your lawn and your front door need to be inviting.
• Add complementary accessories- While removing the clutter is very important; you don’t want an empty room either. Accessories that complement the furniture and the architectural elements of a home are essential to catch the buyers eye and even guide their eye to an all important home feature.
• Fill empty spaces with furniture that is new or in great condition- Old, used or worn furniture will detract from the home leaving the space feeling tired and old. This reflects immediately on the condition of the home from the buyer’s point of view leaving emotions at a low level of excitement.

With these tips, you can see how important Home Staging is and the role it plays in a higher sales price and the quick sale of your home. Staging your home yourself is possible with proper DIY instruction but be sure to follow the instruction to the letter to complete a professional job or you risk convincing potential buyers, which ultimately costs money and opportunity for every seller.