The secret of staging a home for a quicker sale is out. Staged homes sell 73% faster than non-staged counterparts according to the Real Estate Staging Association. Want in on how to really maximize that advantage? Listen up. What many people haven’t yet discovered is the
incredible benefit of using a realtor as your stager. Full disclosure. I am a Realtor and a stager. But you have to understand how that came to be in order to understand how I discovered this often overlooked asset. Like most of my life, as my sweet client says, I “Forrest Gump” my way into things. That means I follow my nose. It’s only recently that I have landed on this island of truth and enlightenment.
I became a stager because I saw the huge and undeniable impact staging had on my shopping buyers. Now that I am a stager, I have become acutely aware of how important it is to be a realtor first. My point is, the combination of these 2 skills produce the best product for the staging consumer hands down.
It’s not just about getting the best bang for your staging buck. I could go on, and get really granular, but there are 3 main benefits of using a realtor as a stager.
Instinctually, as I stage I am creating the best photoshoot layout.
The marketing and listing pictures are the reason people pay to stage their homes. Pictures are the blossoms that attract the honey bee aka buyers. Your likelihood of wanting to see a home or not is based, in large part, on the photos you see online. I know that too many trinkets on a shelf are distracting in a picture. I also know that floating living area needs to open in a certain direction.
Knowing the intricacies and buyer demographics from a real estate broker’s point of view is also a huge advantage.
I know the Charlotte neighborhood scene. I know who the most likely buyer age and vibe of each neighborhood and/or what buyers out of town are looking for in a neighborhood. I tap into that demographics mindset when it comes to staging. In NODA I go colorful, artsy, and eclectic. In Dilworth, I go refined, organic, clean and so on. I also know the feel buyers expect from different price points. So my Seattle coffee house look probably isn’t the best fit for South Park.
Now I’m just about to reveal the most value added component of my real estate broker stager offering. (drumroll, please…) Wait for it… Powerful cross marketing.
I have built a beautiful website with fantastic SEO. I also have a rapidly growing SM following. All of this means exponential exposure to my fellow real estate agent clients and most importantly their sellers. This is something no other Charlotte area stager can provide.
The two professions truly go hand in hand in offering the seller the most full-service experience. It’s a win-win for my clients. It’s like peanut butter and chocolate — each side is enhanced by the other!
Staging is great! Design, marketing, and exposure is wayyyy better.
