Assumptions
A Stager's job is to help the homeowner sell their home?
They do this by "styling" and merchandising the place so as to appeal to the widest group of potential buyers?
Their sphere of influence/responsibility ends with the perimeter of the property?
Yes? Do we agree so far? What do you think?
I'm no longer sure. I need advice.
I'm asked for advice all the time. Where does my "piece" of the overall puzzle end? More and more I'm being asked to give a diagnosis on why a home hasn't sold. How many layers am I allowed to examine before the listing realtor feels I've crossed the line?
When a seller asks me
I look at the whole picture. You can't SEE the whole story if you don't.
Now, thanks to AR and all I've learned here, I start with the home's "web presence".
Then, and only then, do I look at the home's condition, the USP (unique selling points), the illustrations of lifestyle.
Lastly, I look at price.
When I first got into this business, I found it very hard not to get into discussions of price, and was frequently remonstrated with and chastised for butting into matters that were not mine to discuss! Now, I phrase those discussions in terms of lifestyle!
I can imagine realtors thinking I'm butting in all over again with all of this "examination". I can hear them shaking their heads with a modest outrage in their throat - "marketing is not the purvue of a stager!" maybe it wasn't, but I think it has to be. I think we have to team up and smudge the line:-
The staging is completely pointless, and money wasted, if the photos are bad (or non-existent), if the copy doesn't sell the points the staging is trying to illustrate, if the home isn't being exposed property to its correct market. But is all that our job, as stagers? Just because we can do it, should we? And if we do, how do we charge for it?
The bottom line is
get the house sold for as much money as possible in the least amount of time
If that's the case, can the stager's job really end at the property's perimeter?
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Juliet Johnson Staging provides home staging in NJ.
I merchandise high-end homes in NJ w/ staging & re-design to add the right perceived value so as to speed & maximize each sale. We illustrate the potential & options within all architectural styles.
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Hi, Juliet. Staging is just starting to catch on here in Grand Rapids, so I don't have extensive history with staging, but maybe I can offer an insight.
I assume that you're depending on realtor referrals for your business's health. As a listing agent, I would take a dim view of anything resembling criticism from a stager. I would never refer business to this person. Why would I recommend a stager who will undercut me with my clients?
Granted, MANY realtors are not properly marketing the homes that have been staged, but they don't want to hear it from you. I think that's what you need to keep in mind.
Juliet, I am often called in for pre-purchase of a home and most of the time I feel if a buyer loves it we can change any aspects that are considered "negative." But there have been a very few instances where I have advised them it would be best not to purchase---I believe in honesty in all situations and although I may have a realtor upset with me at the time, it passes. It IS a fine line to draw but if I saw bad photos on MLS I know I would tell them.
When the client is the homeowner we have a responsibility to them to be honest (whether the photos suck or the copy sucks for example). Your approach with clients as to why their property hasn't sold is fabulous.
Ultimately when everything else is great and the only remaining issue is price or lack of marketing...then yes, I would advise my client to request proof of all advertising (web, print or receipts from flier distribution) and summery of comparable sales in the area to be assured the property is appropriately priced.
If the Realtor didn't like it...they should have been doing as I suggested to assure the homeowner they are doing all they can to sell the property.
It is not my place to say 'it's priced to high' but I can tell them to ask for the reasoning for price etc. to their satisfaction as the Realtor works for them and should be giving them the feedback. If it is overpriced for example the Realtor would have been told this from peers who've viewed the property.
If a Realtor wasn't doing this...and then turned around and said they wouldn't work with me...good! I wouldn't be giving them any referrals either. I recommend Realtors who are experts and professional.
I supply my Realtor with photos for my properties. It's part of my service. With a minimum staging I have a Virtual Partner who doe the Virtual Tour and custom website for me too. It doesn't cost me much and I try to get it in as much as possible. He takes beautiful photos and the virtual tour helps so much with getting the property sold after we stage. If it is not part of the package then I submit my own photos. Most of my clients use them. I send them to them the same day after we are done. They are always so happy that I do and I am o happy as I know that the photos will be good and show the house in its best light.
Kym, that's a brilliant solution. Gets the job done, but it's not adversarial.
P.S. if a stager (especially one that I recommended) ever criticized me to my client, they'd be permanently off my go-to list. I'd expect more professional courtesy than that. And I'd reciprocate by never saying to the staged client, "She charged HOW MUCH for that?! OMG, you could have gotten a better job done for SO much less."
my partner and I like to go beyond Just Staging and When We let agents know that We Would also like to help market the property and not Just Stage it and go, they are really happy. We let them know We are not "stepping on any toes", but it is important for our business for the house to sell also. We include a host of marketing packages included in our staging fee. of Course, Pictures are the most important! We also provide the agent With 2 different Slide shows. It is so hard not to Cross the line. Agents and stagers should really have the ability to work Closely together.
Juliet, as a former Realtor, you have more background than the average stager, so I think you may be a little more sensitive to the marketing aspects. I would view it as a partnership...meeting with the agent first and showing each other HOW YOU EACH WORK...then you can offer a solution or additional benefit if the agent is lacking is some area. You have an opportunity to make each other look good and help each other's businesses grow. I wouldn't recommend a stager without seeing their portfolio - maybe you should see the agents body of work before you align yourself with them. I would not want the stager having conversations with the client about pricing and marketing - I believe that is inappropriate. But I would welcome constructive input directly from any professional I have brought in to help me with the sale of my listing!
Thank you, Beth for a most sentient, wise response. And I thank everyone else aswell. I like the notion of adding marketing packages... though I am allied with a spectacular photographer and partner, graphic artist - we could make more of our association, I suppose.