Top 7 benefits of staging your listing

The benefits of staging your listed properties are tremendeous. Property staging has become an essential marketing/merchanizing tool for realtors to give them an edge in this very competitive market. Did you know that a vast majority (over 75%) of realtors in the U.S. recommend Staging to their clients, as it became a MUST in the industry over the last few years?

The following is a partial summary of the results of HomeGain's 2007 national survey, based on the ten areas of home improvement identified by real estate agents in HomeGain’s original survey in 2003. the benefits of staging are obvious!

Stage home for sale ROI - 343%, % of realtors recommend - 91%

Based on recent surveys of 4,000 real estate agents:

How much do you think staging increases the value of a home? (August 2007)

• Value increase $0-1000 - 9.78% of realtors
• Value increase $1001-2500 - 11.96% of realtors
• Value increase $2501-5000 - 29.35% of realtors
• Value increase $5001+ - 48.91% of realtors

  Not bad, in my opinion!

  I first contacted Sveta to stage an empty condo I had to sell. She was very quick to get back to me and offered my client exactly what he needed; it was well done at an affordable price. I had many compliments on the quality of the furniture and accessories she used. She kept in touch with me from time to time to see how the sale of the property was going. I felt she cared of the outcome of her work. I and my client would not hesitate to use her again. Thanks Sveta!
  Katia Samson Groupe Sutton Centre-Ouest

  My client hired Sveta to stage his vacant property in NDG. her team transformed the living spaces into a visual delight, maximizing each room's potential. Visitors were clearly impressed. Sveta provided an excellent, professional and efficient service to both the client and myself. As a result, the property showed well and sold quickly. I refer Sveta to clients and agents alikeand plan to use her services regularly.
  Donna Harris Groupe Sutton Centre-Ouest, Westmount

  
  
  The top seven benefits of Staging for realtors
  

  
  1. Your image and professionalism - after all, your represent the property you list, so why not ensure that your listings are the nicest looking ones in the neighborhood? If it looks great and sells faster and for more money, it will be noticed by other agents, as well as future clients who will want to list with you.

  2. Added value - don't be left behind your competition - if you don't offer staging as part of your services, other realtors will! And the clients might make their listing decision based on that small extra service...

  3. Faster turnover of your listings - you will spend less time, effort and money per listing and will increase your earnings by turning the properties over quicker.

  4. Increased client satisfaction - offering to stage a client's house will demonstrate to them that you are going an extra mile in your efforts. The property will look better and the client will thank you for it (he/she might even pick up some valuable decorating tips for their next house).

  5. Allows you to focus on your core business - listing and negociating the sale of a property - not helping clients with detailed suggestions on what needs to be done and how to do it. Will you spend hours discussing colors, decluttering, fixing, furniture repositioning and accessorizing? A Stager can prepare your listing for showings, all you'll have to do is show up!

  6. Avoid delicate situations - sometimes, giving advice can put you in an awkward position (example - odors, wrong color paint, outdated decor, dirt, disagreements on work to be done between family members, etc.). Instead, you'll look professional and neutral by suggesting a Staging consultant to discuss these matters with the client.

  7. Better than a price reduction - a client will probably not be too happy if you suggest a price reduction - try explaining the benefits of staging their property instead. And it's cheaper than reducing the price!

I chose Sveta for her experience and professionalism. I trust her to provide best service and advice to my clients - she is an added value to me and my clients are very happy with the results. Recently, with her help, I sold a house in under 2 weeks time and for $6,000 more than the asking price. I will be recommending Sveta to all my clients who might benefit from Home Staging.
Mario Di Sano, RE/MAX Alliance Inc.

USA Today, 10/27/06, states the following statistics on the benefits of staging : "With 3.75 million homes on the market — a 7.3-month supply — sellers must work harder these days to attract buyers... And that's where home staging comes in...Does it work? When Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Los Altos, Calif., looked at nearly 2,800 properties in eight U.S. cities in 2004, they found that the staged homes, on average, sold in half the time that the non-staged homes did. The sellers with staged homes ended up with 6.3% more than their asking price, on average, while sellers with non-staged homes sold for 1.6% more than the asking price."

We have started to record our own success stories in the Montreal market to demonstrate the real, tangible benefits of staging to the realtor as well as the seller. Please read our Success Stories page to get all the details and references!

As you can see, the benefits of staging are obvious, but you are probably asking at this point: How much will it cost? And who'll pay for the staging?

The cost varies with each property and it's condition. As a rule of thumb, a staging of the property could cost between 0,5% and 1% of the property's price. But even a small investment (500,00$ to 1 000,00$) will pay off many times over. The first consultation of anywhere between 2 and 3 hours will allow us to provide a list of recommendations and priorities to the client who will then decide on the budget and the things to be done, either on his/her own or with the stager.

Usually, a home seller pays for the staging services. Properly explained, most of them welcome the idea and will be grateful to you for helping them increase the value of their property. But, if you wish to use staging as an added value to your clients (or within a competitive situation), we will be happy to discuss a partnership agreement with you!

To get all the details on the benefits of staging and how we can help you, please contact us bu using the form or by phone at 514-482-9776.

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