We all know staging works. However, convincing sellers to stage can sometimes be a challenge. Even though they realize their homes will look better and sell more quickly, some are reluctant to spend the money or take the time required to properly prepare their homes for sale. Consulting with a stager prior to putting an occupied home on the market offers information that allows a seller to prepare their own home. If they don’t have time, they have the option of using the stager to complete the work.
It’s common knowledge as well that an empty home holds no emotional appeal. It’s also hard for a potential buyer to to tell the function of an empty room in online photos, much less connect with it. In other words, they are much less likely to hop in the car and race right over to make an offer. Even in our hot market there are plenty of vacant homes lingering — some for months. People need the visual connection and the spatial understanding that only furnishing a home can bring.
The bottom line for any seller or Realtor is return on investment. Why lower the price point on a home tens of thousands of dollars when you can spend a fraction of that by calling a professional stager who will make your home look like it belongs in a magazine?
The photos of a staged home will bring in buyers who are ready to make offers because they have already connected with that home. Everyone stands to make more money if a home looks great and that’s really the name of the game. The Real Estate Staging Association has created a handy infographic Realtors can download to help break down the return on investment, which you can see after the jump.
If you’d like to learn more about how to market staging, what to expect from staging and whether, as a Realtor, you should consider staging homes, the MetroTex Association of Realtors is offering their three-hour MCE “Staging to Sell” class Thursday June 2. It’s great way to learn more about why you should consider staging your listings.
