Some stunning new stats from the NAR’s Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers:

• 89% of buyers surf the web to find a house (I’ve seen estimates as high as 92%)
• ONLY 45% attended open houses
• A mere 36% looked at print ads

Could it be that virtual tours will replace open houses?  Certainly that means that presentation is more important than ever – at least in the initial stages of capturing buyers.

Along with Google, Twitter and Facebook, real estate agents could do well to consider focusing their marketing dollars more on staging and internet presence, and less on paper flyers and open houses.

Check out Set The Stage’s June Newsletter for all the details.

The ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) designation for Real Estate Agents lets your clients know that you have been trained by the very best in the home staing industry.  ASP Realtors can effectively work with clients to help them better understand what an effective marketing tool home staging is – and to refer to the national network of qualified ASP Stagers to help get clients top dollar fast.

Refresh the course or earn your designation – FREE.  Find out how.

Check out our website for more before & after photos.  www.SetTheStageWA.com

206.910.9314

Have a great day!

Home stagers often get asked, “How many houses do you have out right now?”

On the face of it, this question seems to indicate success.  As in…”I’m such a great stager that I have 10 houses staged right now.”  Yet, here I sat with a measly 2 houses out.  In the summer, no less.

Silly me.  I was focused on the lemons and NOT the delicious lemonade.

I reviewed my stats and discovered that in the past six months, only ONE of my listings has remained staged longer than 60 days.  THIS IS GOOD NEWS.  It means my clients are getting maximum “Return on their Staging Invesment (ROSI)” and that what I am doing works.

Now I trumpet those results one the first page of every staging proposal, and am sure to mention my success rate to potentia clients.  Lemonade is delicious in the summer!    206. 910.9314

The article was about how Oprah influenced your life over the past 25 years.

If you scoll down, my paragraph starts with, “The way I remember it….”
The actual post was a bit longer, but they printed it verbatim. I was honored!

Oprah Winfrey

As far as I’m concerned, shock television, reality shows, and anything that encourages us to seek the lowest common denominator is not a good thing.  I respect consistent commitment to the greater good – even in the entertainment arena.

How many of us would think to have our pets spade or neutered if it weren’t for Bob Barker saying that every day for 3 decades?  How about Dr. Oz taking the mystery out of bodiy functions and medical testing?  And of course, Oprah’s “Spirit” segments.

I’ll take those over trailer trash chair slingers on Jerry Springer any day.  Yes, doing good sells advertising and keeps the ratings going. But hey, if Sears wants to invest thousands of dollars each week on Extreme Makeover Home Improvement so that families down on their luck can suddenly have a dream home, who’s to say No?

Good is good.  Let me know what you think!

• Over 100 large, full-color photographs of our work
• Current national and local staging stats
• Before & After photos of owner-occupied homes
• Much more

Let us know what you think of the changes!  www.SetTheStageWA.com

The article focuses on preparing your home for sale.  One of the quotes attributed to me is great advice for any seller:

”I always tell people that when I walk through the front door I should not know your hobbies, where you went to college, and how many kids you have. 

As a buyer, I want to envision myself living in the home, not you living in the home.”  True words - in any market. 

READ THE ARTICLE.  Find out more – check out our website and sign up for our newsletter!  www.SetTheStageWA.com

Once you stop laughing (or cringing), there are lessons to be learned.

Count the mistakes!

- Strong patterns don’t photograph well (wallpaper and sofa)

- Color choices matter  (just because you love blue doesn’t mean buyers will, too)

- When in doubt, edit it out (uh…those pink chairs gotta GO)

SOLUTION: For a budget-strapped seller, I’d advise a plain slipcover for the sofa, a new furniture arrangement (sans pink chairs), and wallpaper removal.

A bit of sweat equity and some neutral paint can save this room.  For more creative solutions, check us out.  206.910. 9314

I call these folks Ostriches.  They stick their heads in the sand, and when you try to tell them how to remove it- they simply burrow in deeper, somehow expecting things to change.

Recent example:  A home for sale in Auburn.  On the market for 6 months.  Homeowners took their “good furniture” out of state and left cast-offs in an attempt to “stage” their home.  6 months, 0 offers.  Something’s gotta change, yes?  You’d think so.  Yet, after a stellar 1 hour consultation, it was evident that they would take some of my advice, but not all of it.  Hmmm….

I hate to admit it – but I can’t persuade everyone to make the smart choice.  It pains me, but there it is.  These folks just couldn’t bear to part with cold, hard cash to invest in a modest staging effort.

They’ve paid two mortgages for six months (and will probably continue to do so).  Interestingly, paying the mortgage every month doesn’t seem to represent an investent with no return.  But, it is.

Smart sellers listen to their agents, invest in preparing their home for sale, and don’t wind up with a nose full of sand. 

206.910.9314