Kevin Htain- Accredited Staging Professional

Hi Active Rain Friends-

Hi, my name is Kevin Htain and I am the Principal Accredited Staging Professional of IDENTITY HOME staging+design from Long Beach, CA. I just wanted to let you know (for those who aren't already on our mailing list) that our first LAUNCH! Newsletter is about to go out at the beginning of 2009. This has been a long time coming, and there have been many refinements to the format... but we're finally set for LAUNCH! and it is my pleasure to share this enriching newsletter with each of you.

IDENTITY HOME staging+design already has received great response from our first newsletter entitled, LAUNCH!preview. LAUNCH!preview showcases freshly Staged properties and features the phenomenal Realtors who represent the associated Staged property.

The other newsletter I have formulated, simply called LAUNCH! (...simplicity is the key here!) will focus on Staging+Design information that can be appreciated on the local and global level. Each newsletter will have a theme. Whether it's about Design trends/forecasts, Staging statistics, Hot buys and discounts, Local Events and Businesses, Top notch Realtors and associated tradesmen... (I could go on and on but I don't want to spoil the surprises!) the idea of the newsletter is simply to inform, enlighten and inspire.

LAUNCH! will be delivered straight to your email and is 100% absolutely FREE!!! (Isn't that awesome?!) You can cancel at any time, but we certainly hope you won't.

If you haven't already- please visit our website at www.identityhome.com and enter your email in the upper right hand box. Be sure to clear out the "Enter email address here" text before entering your email address. You will receive a thank you confirmation email- that is how you know your sign up is successful. If by chance you signed up and did not receive the email, then please try again or contact me at kevin@identityhome.com for help in signing up.

I truly hope that you find the content enjoyable and that our newsletter further establishes our commitment to ASP Staging and our faith within the local community and beyond.

See you on the LAUNCH! pad,

Kevin Htain
Principal Accredited Staging Professional, Interior Designer
IDENTITY HOME staging+design- Long Beach, CA
kevin@identityhome.com
www.identityhome.com

[Originally posted to the Long Beach Real Estate Group on 11/19/2008. This version has been edited to address a broader region.]

[Please note that you can find an ASP/ASPM Stager in your area at http://www.stagedhomes.com]

Hello Group-

My name is Kevin Htain and I am the Principal Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) of IDENTITY HOME staging+design. http://www.identityhome.com My company has been Staging the Southern California Coastal region for several years and I wanted to introduce myself and my company's services to Realtors in my local community.

I have spent a lot of time in 2008 speaking with Realtors in our region about Staging their listings and I have noticed that one of the most common questions/topics that come up (besides "How much is it?!" I love that question!) are questions concerning how and when to speak to your Clients about Staging their listings. How do you bring it up without offending the Client? When is a good time to do it?

I'm not here to try to convince you on Staging's benefits, I have way too much respect for your profession to doubt that we can all agree Staging works. I would rather spend your reading time bringing up Staging solutions and answering some questions you may have! Please remember that as your ASP Stager, our goal is to reinforce your professional image and to assist you in preparing your listing for sale- not to mention helping your Clients mentally, physically and emotionally prepare for one of the most emotional transitions in their lives.

One of the easiest times to bring up Staging to your Clients would be right at your listing presentation. Be sure you tell your Client that by hiring you (the Realtor) to list their property, you have a local ASP Staging Professional who is available to meet with them to discuss some refinements to help prepare their property for sale and increase its visual appeal. Also let your Clients know that your ASP Stager is trained specifically to help with their transition and that we are here to help in many forms, including introducing them to other tradespeople who may be vital to their moving experience. We have lots of discounts and have already pre-screened multiple trades in each category for their consideration. (Note that we will not force our tradespeople on our Clients, but they are available for consideration of the Sellers.)

Using the above statements can give you a competitve edge during listing presentations amongst other Listing Realtors who do not offer to connect their Clients with an ASP Certified Staging company. Please note that I am not saying that you (as a Realtor) need to pay for the ASP Staging services, (in fact in most cases it is actually discouraged- It is actually better to have the Sellers invest in the Staging) but rather you should make the initial connection between the ASP Stager and the Client. At that point, you've paved the path for your ASP Stager to meet with your Clients and begin preparing your listing for sale.

In some cases the property is already listed and you may need to receive blessings from the Seller to bring in a Stager after the property has already hit the market. We certainly do still treat properties such as these, and your timing may be a bit trickier of when to bring it up with your Selling Clients. Be sure you talk to your ASP Stager ahead of time and brief him or her of this situation. They will have a couple solutions ready for you in case your Sellers may receive shock at the news that they need to Stage post-listing! ("You want me to do WHAT?!") I have found that no matter when the subject is brought up, Sellers are generally grateful to have met an ASP Stager to help offer some advice or create solutions for their Selling goals. Of course it is always better to get your ASP Stager into the property before listing- it will save you a lot of marketing $$$ in the long run!

I would also highly advise that (sooner than later) you contact your ASP Stager, or add an ASP Stager to your Real Estate Team prior to the intial meeting with your Client. Your ASP Stager should provide you with enough statistical information, as well as inform you about how he or she works and how they can be a valuable asset to your Team. If you are searching for a Stager to add to your team, I implore that you question your ASP Stager thoroughly to make sure that they are #1) Cognant of what they are doing, and #2) Committed to your success and the success of their surrounding community.

It never hurts to have an ASP Staging Company added to your Team of Real Estate Professionals. Once you become comfortable working with your Stager you will find that they greatly contribute to your success as a Realtor.

I would love to answer any general questions that you may have. Remember that specific pricing questions are individual to each project, (PLEASE NOTE...it is very illegal for ASP Stagers to price fix- we do not do that, but will always provide you with a customized bid tailored to your project... and most of us do this for free!) so some of those questions may not be publically addressed.

Thank you very much for reading, on behalf of the IDENTITY HOME staging+design Team- we truly look forward to helping you acheive all of your Selling goals! Now go out there and call your local ASP and ASPM!

All My Best,

Kevin Htain- ASP

IDENTITY HOME stgaing+design- Long Beach, CA

www.identityhome.com

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