Home Staging – HGTV -- This Real Estate Agent is After My Own Heart!

Not long ago, after doing a bit of internet research I came upon a real estate agent (in my neck of the woods)

who seemed to have her act together. I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting her so I took the initiative of picking up the phone and introducing myself. We had a pleasant and brief conversation in which we agreed to look at ways we could be of assistance to one another.

Because both of us are busy women we had a flurry of e-mail and phone conversations before we were able to get together and have a face-to-face discussion. I already knew I was going to like her but after meeting Gretchen Blankenship

of Windermere Real Estate Northern Arizona I was elated. I walked away knowing I had been blessed to have found someone with whom I could chat easily, who was able to inform and teach me, and who has a special talent for understanding the real world of real estate in which we now find ourselves.

Among other things we agreed to try a little experiment of guest blogging for one another. My spot on her post is up and ready for the reading. I sure would like it if you would take time to check it out and comment there.

But before you leave – you just have to check out what Gretchen has to say about the market and about HGTV and about what it takes to sell homes in the real world here in the Prescott Arizona area. This sizzles!

HGTV and “The Real World of Real Estate”

Okay, I admit it. I’m a huge HGTV fan. Since I love to remodel and decorate I enjoy shows that focus on style and color. But as a real estate agent I really get a kick out of shows like “Sell This House”, “What You Get for the Money”, and of course “House Hunters” and “Designed to Sell”. While many aspects of the shows are a far cry from the reality of real estate in the real world, there are still some good tips that home sellers can glean that will help them improve their chances of getting a relatively quick sale in our slow market.

Let’s take “Designed to Sell” as a case in point. Here are some lessons we can learn from the show and what Buyers generally like to see in a home:

Open floorplan with a nice “flow”.

No overpowering colors (although occasionally a bolder color which accents a focal point of the home can give a house that “wow factor”).

A clean, clean, clean home.

Curb appeal that makes buyers want to tour the inside.

Updated flooring, bathrooms, kitchens, and lighting.

From my personal experience in working extensively with buyers, I can attest to the fact that just like “Designed to Sell” emphasizes, first impressions do mean a lot. Buyers will often make a snap decision about whether or not they like a house the moment they walk through the front door, sometimes rejecting the house with a vague comment like, “We’ll know the right house when we see it,” or “This house just doesn’t feel right.” These comments often come from the very same clients who tell me they have a good imagination and can look past the negative (such as weird paint colors, dated wallpaper, or stained carpeting). The fact of the matter is, however, that usually they cannot envision anything other than what they see. It is truly the rare person who can imagine the full potential of a property.

But now, back to “Designed to Sell” and what you don’t learn from the show:

1. Quick fixes that are cheap often look that way to a buyer, too. (Painted appliances, painted fireplace surrounds, and faux tiles are examples of “improvements” not to do.)
2. Open houses don’t sell houses. In the Prescott area, it is very difficult to get even two or three guests to attend a heavily advertised Open House, so I really enjoy watching the parade of people who supposedly attend the “Designed to Sell” open houses. (If you look closely, you can almost pick out the homeowner’s Mom and Dad and the Sister and her family. Sorry but it appears that not only is the home staged, but the Open House is, too!)
3. It takes more than just staging to sell a house. It also takes a proven pricing strategy as well as targeted marketing, too.
   

Bottom line for a relatively quick sale in a slow market: A combination of an ideal price, coupled with marketing that will attract buyers to tour the home. Once the potential buyers are through the door, then it’s all about how well your home shows compared with the other homes the buyer will be looking at. If you’re contemplating selling your home, you need to keep in mind that there are currently more than 3100 homes for sale in the Prescott MLS. As of 1^st Quarter 2008, about 150 homes were selling each month, so that equates to approximately a 1 in 25 chance that your home will sell in the next 22 months. Therefore, it’s very important to make every buyer’s first impression of your home really count!

Information contributed by Gretchen Blankenship, Sales Associate with Windermere Real Estate Northern Arizona in Prescott, Arizona. “You can count on me to put my pricing strategy and marketing skills to work for you!” Contact Gretchen at Gretchen@MyPrescottHome.com or go to www.MyPrescottHome.com to learn more about selling your home in a slow market.

Yes, I have sent an invitation to Gretchen to join in the fun here in the ActiveRain puddles. She will be a great addition to our network if she does decide to enter. Don't you agree?

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To find great real estate information and to learn more about preparing a home for sale in the Prescott Arizona area contact the home staging team at rooms b.y. root. You will find them staging homes in Prescott, Prescott Valley, Dewey-Humboldt, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Mayer, New River, Black Canyon City, Anthem and the surrounding communities.