Ashley Whittenberger

I teach a TREC-approved MCE course for realtors on home staging several times a month, and during these classes, one of the most common challenges I hear about from agents is "My client won't listen to me." or "I'm afraid I might offend my seller, so I just let them leave it as is." or "We/they don't have enough money to pay for staging."

This is a huge mistake to buy into this and let sellers keep their home in as-is condition when it could be packaged more effectively. I often compare this to when I tell my 6-year old son to brush his teeth. About 1/2 the time, he says he doesn't feel like it or he's too tired or he'd rather do something else. Do you think I just say, "Ok, no problem." Heck no! I spend time educating my son on why it's important to brush his teeth. I also help motivate him by making it fun. If I just let him avoid brushing his teeth, I wouldn't be doing my job as a parent. My whole purpose as a parent is to educate and discipline my child. By the way, remember, the root of the word discipline doesn't mean to punish, it means to teach.

When you think about it, the agent and client relationship can often be similar to the parent motivating their child to brush their teeth. As a Realtor, you're the expert. Your client depends on you to help them sell their home. They often need to be educated and motivated, and indeed, sometimes they may not want to hear what you have to say. An agent isn't doing their job if they just let their seller call the shots. That doesn't mean you have to punish or offend your client -- it's a matter of discipline! Educate them on the benefits of properly preparing their home for sale. If you have a problem doing it, or don't want to have that conversation, hire a professional home stager to help. Many realtors know what it takes to properly stage a home, they just find it difficult to talk to their clients about it. We all know a conversation with a seller about clutter, dirt, personal decor or personal paint choices must be handled delicately and with care!

The bottom line is, don't give up to quickly and let your sellers get away with not doing the work that needs to be done. It will only harm them in the long run, and it's your job as the knowledgeable professional, to help your clients. Invest the extra time or money if you have to. It will result in quicker and more profitable sale, a happy client and a successful Realtor.

Now... I'm off to get my son to brush his teeth.

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If you are interested in attending an MCE Course in Austin this week, see below...

Provider # 0173 - MCE course # 03-00-060-7051 "The Secrets of Staging to Sell"

Monday, Dec. 1 - 11am to 2pm at 2210 at The Courtyard at Onion Creek OR

Wednesday, Dec. 3 - 9am to noon at The Hills Country Club in Lakeway

For more information you can e-mail me or call 512-289-7177.

I got up early one morning a couple of weeks ago and headed down to the Fox network affiliate for a quick interview on their morning show.

It was definitely fun and I got to take my 6 year old son to tour the studio, PLUS we hopefully got some good exposure for home staging!

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=7880524&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1

UPDATE: FOR SOME REASON THE ABOVE LINK WASN'T WORKING, SO I ADDED THE LINK TO "MY LINKS" (COLUMN ON THE RIGHT).

While many interior decorating companies might be feeling the effects of this economy, our Austin-based home staging and decorating firm, has been thriving since it began specializing in recycling, reusing, and going green with our clients.

According to The National Centre for Design at RMIT University, furniture is a high-volume consumer of landfill space whose paint and finishes emit chemicals into the environment. In addition, most new non-organic furniture emits formaldehyde into homes' atmosphere for weeks or months after purchased.

So many people I have come across have been brainwashed into thinking that they need brand new furniture to make their homes livable. The truth is that there are many options available to help people fall in love with their space that will save them money and lessen their footprint on the environment.

This has become so important to us that our company's consultants are trained to approach their projects with this creed in mind. Options as simple as rearranging and reupholstering to using eco-friendly suppliers with energy-efficient solutions are all part of Interiority Complex's tool kit. Whittenberger suggests breathing new life into already-owned or gently-used furniture with creative ideas instead of purchasing large amounts of new items to keep costs down and the Earth happy.

Other simple solutions we often suggest are energy-saving window coverings from green manufacturers and investing in one of the most cost-effective ways to warm up a space - a fresh coat of "green" paint. Most paint contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are not only harmful to humans, but are also damaging to the planet. Choosing a green-approved paint with low odor and low VOCs is much healthier for your family and your home.

So forget about keeping up with the Jones'. Let's keep up with the Green's!

I teach a TREC-approved MCE course for realtors on home staging several times a month, and during these classes, one of the most common challenges I hear about from agents is "My client won't listen to me." or "I'm afraid I might offend my seller, so I just let them leave it as is." or "We/they don't have enough money to pay for staging."

This is a huge mistake to buy into this and let sellers keep their home in as-is condition when it could be packaged more effectively. I often compare this to when I tell my 6-year old son to brush his teeth. About 1/2 the time, he says he doesn't feel like it or he's too tired or he'd rather do something else. Do you think I just say, "Ok, no problem." Heck no! I spend time educating my son on why it's important to brush his teeth. I also help motivate him by making it fun. If I just let him avoid brushing his teeth, I wouldn't be doing my job as a parent. My whole purpose as a parent is to educate and discipline my child. By the way, remember, the root of the word discipline doesn't mean to punish, it means to teach.

When you think about it, the agent and client relationship can often be similar to the parent motivating their child to brush their teeth. As a Realtor, you're the expert. Your client depends on you to help them sell their home. They often need to be educated and motivated, and indeed, sometimes they may not want to hear what you have to say. An agent isn't doing their job if they just let their seller call the shots. That doesn't mean you have to punish or offend your client -- it's a matter of discipline! Educate them on the benefits of properly preparing their home for sale. If you have a problem doing it, or don't want to have that conversation, hire a professional home stager to help. Many realtors know what it takes to properly stage a home, they just find it difficult to talk to their clients about it. We all know a conversation with a seller about clutter, dirt, personal decor or personal paint choices must be handled delicately and with care!

The bottom line is, don't give up to quickly and let your sellers get away with not doing the work that needs to be done. It will only harm them in the long run, and it's your job as the knowledgeable professional, to help your clients. Invest the extra time or money if you have to. It will result in quicker and more profitable sale, a happy client and a successful Realtor.

Now... I'm off to get my son to brush his teeth.

I just had to share this funny note I recently received from my mom on the color orange... hope you get a chuckle! (P.S. I wouldn't recommend staging with the color orange unless it's used very carefully!)

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Dear Ashley,

I read an article last night that stated Orange was the "In" color for 2008/2009. What goes around-comes around for sure. Orange was the popular hue the year you were born. I don't think I'll be updating mi casa with naranja this year, but the article reminded me of the time I thought about killing your father when he invited guests over for dinner without consulting me. The only reason his life was spared was because I knew I would end up in the Huntsville State Prison and their women inmates have to wear the most gosh awful shade of orange! I just look ghastly in Orange Crush. The thought of this hypothetical incarceration for murder prompted me to outline a book that I might write during my stay in a Texas prison. Perhaps you remember the outline...

Beauty Behind Bars How to Look Outstanding in Orange

Convicted Murderer and Make-up Maven Shares Her Beauty Secrets on Death Row.

Chapter 1 You call it Orange ~ I call it Tangerine: Having the Right Attitude During Your Incarceration

Chapter 2 Color Me Beautiful: We're All ‘AUTUMNS' on Cell Block "A"

Chapter 3 The ROOT of the Problem: A Good Colorist is Hard to Find Behind Bars!

Chapter 4 6 Short, Easy-to-Maintain Hairdos that say, "I'm NOT Butch! I'm Sassy."

Chapter 5 Jailhouse Jewelry: Less is More

Chapter 6 Give Me Mascara or Give Me Death: Minimalist Make-up Techniques

Chapter 7 Thinner Firmer Thighs in 6 Months to Life: You've Got TIME to Exercise Now, Girlfriend

Chapter 8 How to Look Appealing While Waiting for Your Appeal

Chapter 9 The Bright Side to Solitary Confinement - No Sun Damage!

Chapter 10 Penitentiary Shower Slides: Finally, An Excuse to Wear Sensible Shoes!

Chapter 11 Dressing for Your Day in Court: 10 Schoolmarm Looks That Scream "Not Guilty!"

By the way, the subject line of my letter, Clockwork Orange, references a bizarre movie that was released in 1972. Check it out on Netflix when you get time.

Wishing you high spirits & a happy heart,

Mother Interior

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Mom is right. Just look at this dining room ensemble right out of Pottery Barn.

Orange is also "in" in our house. Here's a photo of my grandmother's secretary (circa 1940) that I inherited:

According to my mom, my grandmother had this antique gem "funkified" and refinished in 1964. Thank you, "M" (as I fondly called my grandmother named Mildred), for your fashion forward color sense and creativity. It's one of my favorite pieces of furniture that own. I'm so glad I chose not to refinish it and decided to work with the retro orange. This is a great example of how a piece of furniture can serve as a source for unique and creative inspiration for an entire room.

About Orange: Being that orange is a hybrid of red and yellow, it takes on many of the characteristics of both of those colors. It is less intense than red, but has the physical force of red (which is why it is often used in advertising.) Personally, I love orange and all its variations: from terracotta to tangerine, and salmon to sunset. For me, the color evokes memories of sunsets at the beach, sunrises in the hill country and summers at the lake. Orange truly warms me up from head to toe! What does it do for you?

According the THE COLOR ANSWER BOOK, by Leatrice Eiseman, "Lovers of this color work and play hard, and are adventurous and enthusiastic with a great sense of humor." I'll buy that.

Now, let's talk about the less a-"peeling" side of orange...

For some people, flamboyancy of orange is not appealing at all. Plus, you have to remember that orange can be very garish at times, and can even make your eyes sore! I have to admit, there is a time that I'm not crazy about orange - more specifically burnt orange. Is that because I'm an Aggie? Who knows. I can't say that I really love maroon either, but I know when I see a sea of burnt orange, my stomach feels a little uneasy. This just goes to show you, color preferences can be very subjective!

"Orange is very blatant and vulgar. It makes you immediately start having feelings" .--Wolf Kahn