There are two movies (I am sure there others) that I can point to that are relevant for this subject. The first is "Field of Dreams" where I was inspired by Kevin Costner's character, Ray, as he goes out on a limb and despite everyone thinking he is crazy as he follows the mantra he hears, "If you build it they will come." He goes ahead and follows the plan and takes a risk.
The second movie is "Evan Almighty" where Steve Carrel's character, Evan, is told by God to build an ark because there is going to be a flood. This is an edict given to him during ione of the hottest, dryest spell in Northern Virginia, and to top it off he has all of the DC politicians thinking he is "crazy!" God even changse Evan's appearance to look like Noah - furthering his humiliation until he finally "gets it" and goes for the task with FAITH. His family doubts him at first and then gets on board. . . hmmm - sounds slightly familiar!
I thought about parallels - and see that it takes FAITH to follow through with Staging. Faith is belief in something not seen. It is trusting that the advice and direction you are being given will lead you to where you want to go.
Fortunately with Staging, we don't have to just go on blind faith as we have PROOF Staging works! There are statistics being released monthly that demonstrate Staging's power in any market to help bring a Buyer that makes an offer.
Selling a house is not just about having a bunch of people look at your house - it's about getting at least one of them to MAKE AN OFFER you accept! In order to do that your house has to be THE ONE they want over all the others out there.
Like Evan, you may be asked to change the appearance - of your house. You may have to paint, remove things, bring things in - all in an effort to help your house appeal to the most buyers! But unlike Evan and Ray, this does not involve embarassment to you or your family, does not cause you to lose your job - really the RISK is minimal.
So why don't more people embrace the service and business of Staging? I believe it's an issue of education: They don't know what Staging really is and how it can help them.
- Staging is NOT decorating, it is a MARKETING and FINANCIAL tool to help your house sell.
- Staging can HELP you by getting your house sold FASTER and at a better price than your un-Staged competition, which translates in to EQUITY you get to KEEP.
- The longer a house sits un-sold on the market, the more likely it is going to have a price reduction - and you don't want that.
IF you STAGE it, THEY (the Buyers) will come!
So be like Evan and Ray - and take a leap of FAITH - and get your house Staged. You will be thankful you did follow through with the advice that is there to HELP you achieve your goals and dreams.
I have been staging homes in the Bay Area for about 14 years. I had always relied on the patronage of Realtors or real estate brokerages that had found my services beneficial to the sale of their listed properties. I had maintained my business through fair pricing, documented "staging best practices" that encouraged referral and repeat business.
ReplyDeleteWith the economy being what it is today I am finding I must be much more proactive in recruiting new business to http://yourstager.com . Your article was very thought provoking.
I think staging is all about helping the owner show their property in the best light. Helping the owner sell their property more effectively.
Since staging is all about help I have been reaching out to FSBO properties where it is clear they need some "assistance." Since a FSBO property is being sold by the owner the Realtor is replaceable, while staging services are less replaceable unless the owner has exquisite furniture and fixtures and the design sense to maximize the presentation and positive attributes of the home.
Thanks for an eye opening article. Keep up the good work!
-Dana