Attention REALTORS...Do you want to sell more homes in 2009?

Then make staging a part of your business plan for 2009!

It is that time of year again...time to plan where you will spend your advertising and marketing dollars in 2009. Why not make staging a part of your marketing plan in 2009?

Below are ten reasons to make staging part of your marketing plan for 2009:

1. Staged homes sell faster than non-staged homes. According to Barb Swartz of StagedHomes.com, non staged homes languish on the market an average of 175 days while staged homes sell in an average of 35 days!

2. Staged homes sell for more money than non staged homes. A 2004-2005 survey of owners by training company StagedHomes.com found that staged homes sold for 6.9 percent more than homes that weren't staged.

3. Home Staging costs less than the first price reduction. In today's market, prices are being reduced in record amounts. The quicker a home sells, the higher the list to sales price.

4. Homeowners normally pay their own staging costs. This leaves more money for the REALTOR to use for marketing and advertising and can increase your bottom line.

5. Staging improves "web appeal". A professional stager will work with the seller to improve how the home looks online by increasing the home's web appeal. 84% of all home buyers will find their next home online. A staged home "shows" better online and in person.

6. Staging will help the homeowner "detach" from their home and mentally prepare for the sale. When a home is placed on the market it becomes a "product". A professional stager will help the homeowner view their home as a product so they can mentally prepare for the upcoming move and to begin to detach emotionally.

7. Stagers can handle sensitive topics such as pet odors and clutter and leave the business of selling up to the real estate professional. It is hard to build rapport with your sellers when discussing these sensitive issues so why not leave it up to the professional home stager?

8. Staged homes recieve more market exposure. Professional stagers normally have web sites and do marketing to promote the homes that they have staged. This increases the exposure of staged homes with no additional costs to the REALTOR.

9. Home buyers will spend more time in a staged home than a non-staged home. When a home is messy and cluttered, homebuyers tend to move quickly to the next home.

10. Home Sellers expect their agent to recommend or provide staging services. When you bring a professional stager in as a member of your team, you are adding extra value service for your home sellers.

Increase your bottom line in 2009...add a professional stager to your team of professional service providers!

Happy Selling in 2009!

Wanda Richards
Shows Great Home Staging and Web Solutions
www.showsgreat.biz
540.343.0051

Wanda Richards is an award winning REALTOR with over 28 years experience in selling homes in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia. She specialized in representing sellers and is known for her innovative marketing skills. In 2003 she started Create4u Web Design to develop web sites for small businesses and real estate professionals in Southwest and Central Virginia. In 2007 Wanda formed Shows Great Home Staging and Web Solutions to provide staging services and online web marketing services. Wanda now works with over 300 REALTORS throughout Virginia and Northern North Carolina providing staging, furniture rental, web design, virtual tours, and online marketing campaigns. Wanda has recently been nominated for RESA's 2009 Rookie Stager of the Year.