Amy Bly

I just worked my first trade booth ever -- for the NJ Chapter of RESA, the Real Estate Staging Association, at the TriplePlay Real Estate Convention in Atlantic City, NJ last week. Since I don’t like being pushy or direct selling, even though I totally believe in the benefits of my NJ home staging services, I decided to take the tack that I DO like meeting and talking to people. It made for an enjoyable experience! This is what I learned about being an exhibitor:

1) Even if people don’t ask for help, they will be receptive if you offer free literature or ask them a couple of questions such as: “do you have any questions?”/”have you ever had a need for or have you used a home stager -(fill in your service/product)?”/”did you know that using our service or product can provide X benefit to you?” In our case, we also asked “Where are you located? Would you like a flyer on the benefits of using a stager for your listings, and a directory of stagers in NJ?” Virtually everyone said yes

2) Offer a freebie that will draw people into your booth – we had Ghirardelli chocolates and a drawing each day for a $50 HomeGoods gift card. HomeGoods is one of our favorite sources for home staging accessories, of course! Other booths offered pens, tote bags (a great idea for carrying all that literature you pick up), magnets, notepads, etc.

3) Be sure to put the promotional item in plain view, preferably at the front of the booth – when we moved the chocolates from inside our booth to the front, we drew a lot more attention and visitors.

4) Offer a drawing for some prize or service to collect business cards to add to a mailing list.

5) DON’T ignore any visitors (it happened to me at a couple of booths and gave me a bad impression of that real estate office or product). DO smile and talk to anyone who even pauses to look at what you are selling.

6) If you have a video or Powerpoint display, put it near or at the front of the booth so visitors can view it more easily without having to walk into the booth to see it (we didn’t do this, but I’m hoping we do next year, since I noticed some passersby craning their necks to see the monitor at the back of our booth).

7) Make sure your booth is attractively presented, especially important for home stagers and designers! CORT Furniture graciously provided free rental furniture for us that made our booth look like a staged room in an upscale condo (gold and purple tones), and generated a lot of positive comments.


I really enjoyed meeting so many nice, receptive agents, even though most were not from my area of northern NJ and not prospects for me. But spreading the word about our industry will help all stagers, and you never know where a future referral will come from – even a couple of minutes of building rapport might lead to business later. Happy Exhibiting! <!--EndFragment-->

Step 1 in a re-decorating project of an English Tudor-style family room has been completed. The owner wasn't happy with the dark red walls that made the dark-beamed ceiling seem lower and the room darker. So we chose gold-colored grasscloth to lighten and brighten this room, and here are the results. Next on the list: 2 new sofas from Lee, an eco/green manufacturer, being ordered today, followed by one or two new chairs, rug, and a bench or desk for the out-of-shot end of this room. Staging-to-live and decorating/redesign projects take a lot longer than staging, but that's because the owners will be living with the results for a long time and two (or more) people need to be pleased with the results, not just me! It's a process best broken down into a) an interview with the owners about their needs and goals, both functionally and aesthetically; b) what needs to go or stay; c) budget; d) timeframe; and e) expectations of who is in charge of what (such as overseeing the contractors' work, contractor selection, choice of materials and finishes, etc.) Communication is key to a successful outcome . . . more on this room when the furniture arrives in 8-12 weeks!

Above: New wall color adds sophistication and brightness

Below: Red paint and too many couches make this family room look darker and smaller in this "before" photo

If you’re looking for an inexpensive and easy way to make the most of your current home in northern NJ or lower NY state, for roughly the cost of a nice weekend away, a one-day room (or rooms) makeover from Great Impressions Home Staging can be a great solution. I’ll interview you by phone about your space, goals, favorite colors, design style (I’ll help you figure it out if you’re not sure!), budget, and anything that bugs you about your room(s). Then I’ll come visit to analyze and discuss the space in person. Perhaps you have other accessories and furniture than will suit the current room better, or together we can create a “to-do” and “wish” list of items that will pull your rooms together to create a more functional and beautiful space. I can also help you choose the right paint colors that work with what you have or we can create a whole new feel if you have the budget for new slipcovers, drapes, pillows, bedding, lamps, chairs, etc.

I can start moving and re-arranging furniture, art, accessories, rugs, etc. right away to help make your home “feel” and work better. One-day makeovers will give you a house you’re proud to show off, entertain in, and come home to!

This 10-year old living room was cluttered and out-dated, with stained carpeting and a broken sofa to boot. My client, a single mom and teacher on a very limited budget, was too embarrassed to even have her family step into the old living room. Using staging to live principles and my designer discounts, I helped my client shop for new furniture, carpeting, drapes, and accessories. Now the room meets her and her college-age son's needs. As her son says, now the living room is "trendy" and as the budget allows they will finish the job with a new espresso media cabinet, flat-screen TV, and art and mirrors on the left wall. So far, the cost has been under $4,000 for all-new wall to wall carpeting, new sofa, coffee table, two end tables, cabinet, drapes, three lamps and an armchair (for left-hand corner but on back-order).

LIVING ROOM BEFORE REDECORATING AND UPDATING

Living Room After Re-Decorating and "Staging To Live"

Living Room Before Redecorating

Living Room After Redesign/Staging To Live Project

Do you know how to make your home look its best to appeal to today's buyers? Do you just need some guidance on WHAT to do but prefer to do it yourself -- or are you just not sure yet? Then you're the perfect candidate to call a home stager for a consult. At Great Impressions Home Staging in Bergen County, NJ, my verbal consults only cost $150 for the first hour and a half, $50 more for any additional half-hours. Considering the price of your home -- likely your largest asset -- that's a drop in the bucket that is likely to get your home sold much faster and possibly for more money. I'll tell you:

* how to arrange your furniture for optimal traffic flow

* how to make your home look more inviting

* how to accessorize your home to "wow" buyers

* what changes and updates are worth the cost

* what paint colors appeal the most to buyers and work best with existing decor/flooring/appliances

* how to neutralize any aspects of your home that might distract or turn off buyers

* how to make rooms and closets look bigger

And Great Impressions Home Staging gives you a resource list for clean-out services, plumbers, movers, storage facilities, painters, handymen, etc.

Even better, I'll SHOW you what I mean by re-arranging furniture in one room so you will see the changes and improvements on-the-spot; after all, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you decide the work I detail is too much for you, I'll give you an estimate for staging it. I'll also provide links to the general types of items I recommend you purchase, or I can shop for you on an hourly or package-deal basis to purchase the lights, rugs, towels, bedding, furniture, or anything else I recommend.

Isn't paying a couple of hundred dollars at most well worth the return on knowing exactly how and what to do to get your home market-ready so it outshines the competition?