We all know a staged home looks better than an empty or cluttered one — that’s a no-brainer. But did you know a staged home often sells faster, and for more money? It’s why we’re seeing Realtors reaching into their own pockets to pay for home staging to help a property move fast.
I reached out to Suzy Crownover, owner of Crown Staging, to talk about this trend. Realtors are her biggest share of clients and they’re looking to make an investment for a faster sale with bigger price tag.
“Home staging helps people envision themselves in the space — it’s really hard for them to do that otherwise. If they can’t imagine themselves in a house, they’re less likely to buy it,” Crownover said. “Savvy agents know that putting money toward staging will pay off for them, ultimately meaning a bigger commission and happier clients.”
In the National Association of Realtors’ 2017 Profile of Home Staging, 39 percent of seller’s agents said staging a home “greatly” decreases the amount of time a home stays on the market. Seventy-seven percent of buyer’s agents said a staged listing makes it easier for buyers “to visualize the property as their future home.”
That’s powerful incentive for Realtors to invest in home staging. Let’s dig deeper.
Crownover has her statistics that make for a compelling case: 91 percent of everything she staged last year sold in fewer than 30 days, including the homes that had already been on the market 90 days or 120 days.
“I have my furniture and accessory inventory and I can move quickly to get a property staged and ready for a photo shoot or open house,” she said. “An empty house looks smaller and doesn’t stand out in either situation.”
So why do we see so many empty houses in the MLS? Especially houses that cost upwards of a million dollars?
“I think a lot of sellers and Realtors assume the DFW market is so hot they don’t need to invest in staging, which is a big mistake,” Crownover said. “Sure, that house might sell, but with staging, it could have received multiple offers for higher amounts. It’s such a shame to see families lose out on that extra money.”
One of the reasons staging works so well is most buyers are looking for a move-in ready property that doesn’t require a lot of work. When the rooms are decorated in a way to appeal to a wide range of buyers, decluttered and depersonalized, it subconsciously signals just that. It creates a “buy me” vibe.
Home staging can be a lot of things. Sometimes, it means working with every single room in an empty house, painting walls a neutral color, cleaning, and adding furniture, accessories, and lighting. Other times, it means packing up stuff, putting it into storage, and blending owner and stager furniture to create an updated look. It always depends on the property.
“There’s no such thing as a cookie-cutter approach in my business,” Crownover said. “I work with owners and Realtors to show each property in its best possible light, accentuate what’s there and downplay any less-desirable features.”
A lot of people think home staging is only for luxury properties, which tend to be larger and have much higher carrying costs from month to month, making a quick sale all-the-more important. Not so, says Crownover.
“I’ve staged many homes that are in the $200 to $250K range, including condos and townhouses,” she said. “It helps owners get multiple contracts in a very short time, which everyone wants!”
Interested in learning more about home staging? Call Suzy Crownover at 972-965-8148 or email her here.
