My House SOLD for TOO MUCH MONEY

My House SOLD for TOO MUCH MONEY

 

Jennie Norris, ASP, ASPM, IAHSP- Premiere, BTS, REO, SRS

Owner, Sensational Home Staging - Denver Region's Premier Home Staging Resource

 

 

Have you ever heard those words come from a Seller? Neither have I. And yet there are Realtors and Sellers that believe they don’t have to Stage – the market is HOT and the houses will sell anyway. . . so why bother?

Think about it.
 
Staging helps houses sell at the very BEST price and that means in a HOT market the house can sell for well above list price.
 
Is that a bad thing? Why do some Realtors decide to not encourage Sellers to Stage their houses and just put it on the market knowing it WILL sell . . . and leave money on the table for their client?

Is it up to the agent to LIMIT how much the house will sell for and not allow the seller to get the MOST from the sale?
 
What about the Fiduciary Responsibility part of the Realtor code of ethics?

I had an agent tell me recently that he did not need to Stage properties in a certain price range because they sell fast and get multiple offers – and (here is the kicker) by NOT Staging these in-demand properties, he was helping control the real estate market from going out of control. 
 
Huh?

To that Realtor I would say, “You are not doing your job.” A Realtor’s role is to get the MOST for the sale of the house. It is not up to the Realtor to decide FOR their seller that they don’t have to prepare the house for sale and limit the potential sale price. To me that is a lazy Realtor that does not want to put the time and effort into properly presenting a house for sale because it does take time and effort to Stage. They advise Sellers they don’t have to do a thing because the house will sell – and it does. But not at the best price. Just because a house “will sell anyway” does not mean it does not need Staging. 
 
And to top it off – these types of Realtors are limiting their OWN INCOME! Since they are paid commission on the final sale price of the house, an agent that does not include Staging to help their seller net the MOST from the sale, is also limiting the amount of commission earned from the sale.
 
Is any of this smart business? NO.

Staging helps houses sell for more in any market – Hot, Slow, Appreciating, Depreciating. It is a proven fact. It makes me scratch my head when I still hear agents with limited thinking and beliefs about Staging.

In this day and age where many buyers are cash buyers, appraisals and loans are not needed so when a house is bid up it is not subject to appraisal value discrepancies or loan approvals. If a buyer does get an appraisal and the house does not appraise at the higher price, the buyers come to the table with cash. It is happening all over with low inventory and high demand for houses. Eventually the market will normalize and bidding wars will not be happening. Agents that are used to incorporating Staging as a standard listing tool will be poised to capture even more business.

Thankfully there are plenty of Realtors that understand the marketing strategy of Staging a house to ensure it does get the very best offer. I just had a house we Staged sell at over 10% MORE than list price – and the list price was at the top to start off. Should that Realtor have kept the added $45K from her sellers and not make the added $1,200 in commission? Smart Agent. Happy Sellers.

The bottom line is Stage it before you List it – and get the very BEST price for the sale.  

Before & After Hands-on Staging Transformation

Check out the before/after photos for this Staging project.  Each room looks MUCH better with the personal things removed, furniture rearranged and appealing visuals created.  Next - seller has to PAINT the walls in all the rooms to brighten, neutralize for buyers, and update the look of the house.  Other updating could take place depending on the seller's budget and timeframe for listing the house for sale.

Anything they can do UP FRONT to invest in the Staging process will come back in a better offer and faster sale!

Developing Your Unique Market Brand - Going from Bland to Memorable

Developing Your Unique Market Brand - Going from Bland to Memorable

by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP- Premier

Owner, Sensational Home Staging & Marketing Guru

Helping My Clients Achieve Success - Because That's What I Enjoy!

 

When it comes to marketing your business, have you developed a strategy that really sets you apart from others that provide the same service? Do you believe that it’s all about your services, your skill or your business strategies?

Answer these questions:

Do you believe that you can appeal to every target client?

Do you believe that anyone can become your client?

Do you believe clients hire you because of your services?

 

If you answered YES to any of those questions, I have news for you. You are wrong. Yes – wrong.

 

In order for you to truly develop your key marketing brand and honor yourself you need to understand that you do not appeal to every person and not everyone wants to work with you. When you embrace that fact – it’s liberating!

 

In life and we pick and choose our friends and partners. Why don’t we have that same discriminating attitude when it comes to our potential clients? It’s a mistake to think that we will magically be able to create this appeal in our business where everyone we meet will want to work with us. Those that believe they have universal appeal end up developing a marketing strategy that basically waters down who they truly are, and focuses on the generic, bland blob of oatmeal approach to attracting a client.

 

I’ve never cared for oatmeal. The mushy consistency and the bland taste were never my favorite. That’s probably why at 4 years old I fed my morning oatmeal to the stray red tabby cat outside our kitchen sliding glass door. I missed the first half of pre-school that day as my punishment but that is how I got my first pet, Victor.

 

Mass appeal is dead. The unique, story-telling aspect of who we are draws our perfect clients to us. And the best part is we don’t have to fabricate or engineer a story – we all have wonderful stories called our lives – to draw upon for inspiration.

 

It’s not about rejection it’s about embracing who you truly are and the laws of attraction will bring your perfect clients to you. It’s about creating an emotional connection through story telling about YOU and your life that makes marketing memorable.

 

Think about the recent Super Bowl commercials. Which ones were your favorites? Mine were the Clydesdale, the Farmers, and the Old People. They told a story, showed the heart behind the message, made me laugh or cry, and it was memorable. The ones I least liked were focused strictly on the product and did not get to my emotions.

 

If you want to develop your true unique marketing brand and strategy ask your self some questions and be really honest with your answers, knowing that there are no wrong answers:

 

• What makes me different or unique? (your background, your talents, your characteristics)

• What am I truly passionate about in my life? (family, friends, your work, a cause, etc.)

• What hobbies do I have? (your interests, your focus when not working)

• What are my core values? (your beliefs, your heart)

 

If you have trouble answering the questions above, get help from your close family and friends to get some concrete answers.

 

The things you wrote down – those need to be the focus of your marketing brand. You need to somehow incorporate those elements into your message. Don’t hide who you are under a blob of oatmeal believing that you might offend someone if you truly “put it out there.” Guess what? That person you are afraid of offending is going to figure it out anyway – and not be part of what you are building. And the person that is like you, has the same interests as you, respects what you stand for – they are going to be that much MORE attracted to you because of your willingness to “put it out there.”

 

So many people think, “If I can just be like (some other person you admire) then I will be successful.” And forget that they can NEVER be that person because that person is already taken!

 

When a business person is able to craft their marketing around their core values and passions it becomes about the emotional story telling in our marketing instead of focusing on service and how hard we work.

Face it – no one really cares how hard you work or your litany of services you offer – BORING. Yawn. That is not an interesting story. What they care about is YOU and finding a connection to you that makes sense for their life. They care about how you fit with their goals and values.

 

Embrace who you are – know that you are not a blob of oatmeal – you are a vibrant, interesting human being with opinions, thoughts, and passions. Use THOSE to differentiate yourself and come up with creative ways to let people know WHO you are and WHY you do what you do. When you are able to marry the two pathways of marketing and branding you and your business, you will attract the type of clients you want and success will be yours.

"Marketing Made Simple - The Key To Success" - Book Released! Co-authored by Jennie Norris & Barb Schwarz

The latest book released by Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging, President & CEO of Stagedhomes.com and Founder & Chairwoman of The International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) is co-authored with Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP-Premier, ASP-SRS, ASP-REO, Owner, Sensational Home Staging, and Certified ASP Course Trainer with Stagedhomes.com. 

With nearly 70 years of combined marketing and business experience, this book is full of great information and ideas to help any ASP and ASPM Home Staging business owner - new or seasoned - get the exposure and market share they want.

Order your copy by going to the http://www.stagingshoppingcenter.com .  The book is on sale for $29 plus shipping and handling - regular price $39.  It's a must have for anyone serious about succeeding in the Home Staging industry.

I can say I am very excited to finally see this book in print.  It has been a labor of love for several years - one that I put away and revisited time after time - adding to the content and focus of the book.  I am honored to share the publication of this book with Barb - my mentor and someone I love.  As a business coach and business owner, I know the biggest hurdle any business professional faces is how to market their business to get the market share and success they want.  So many are afraid to market, don't know what it really means, and don't have a plan of action or marketing strategy in place. 

To me marketing is fun - but it takes work and needs to be consistent to achieve results year after years. My hope is that many will order the book and put into practical use the tips and ideas in the book - and realize that we can never rest on our laurels and must always be "out there" sharing what we do to the market place where we work.  We need to change with the times - and keep our approach fresh.  That is the only way to have sustained success.

- Jennie