Heather Cook

Last month, we were contacted by a new real estate brokerage to do a consultation for a client who was just outside town in a lovely area where the houses are larger and sit on huge grand lots. We had never worked with this particular realtor before and we knew this was an opportunity to really show him what we could do!

The home owners were a lovely couple who had spent the few months leading up to this point de-cluttering, packing things away and generally getting into the mindset of wanting to sell. Their home was gorgeous with beautiful peaks in the roofline, lovely wide verandas and a gorgeous interior. We gave them tips on how to best show off what they already had and it included moving some furniture around, editing some furnishings out altogether, doing a little painting and furnishing the front living room which was completely empty. As the living room was the first room off the foyer and one of the first rooms buyers were going to see, it was very important that it show well. The home owners knew this and we created a design plan to furnish this space and then add some lovely touches to the rest of the main floor. Our timeline was tight - we did the consultation on a Wednesday evening and by the following Monday night, the staging was complete and the house went up for sale the following day.

Additionally, the style of the home was very traditional and the setting more rural so our design elements were much more traditional than we normally work with and our palette was taupes and creams as we were working with a cinnamon hue on the walls.

A week and a half later we got a call from the thrilled clients that the house was sold - and that it had sold in the first five days on the market for full list price. We arranged to de-stage the property and on the day of de-staging, the client shared with us more details about the successful sale of their home. The house was listed on a Tuesday and while there had been a few showings, the real action took place of the open house on the Saturday. The home owners took off for the afternoon and the realtor had a record number of visitors throughout the open house with many potential buyers visibly impressed by the home. So impressed that one set of buyers came for the open house and wouldn't leave! They called their agent from the open house and asked him to come over and they were still there when the home owners came back home at just after 5pm. They prepared an offer on the spot and the home owners realtor arrived back at the home with other offers so it became a competition. The buyers who had stayed however, refused to give up and in the end, their offer was accepted. Our clients tell us that after the offer was accepted, the two couples enjoyed a glass of wine out on the back deck and got to know each other.

When we were de-staging, our clients couldn't thank us enough for all our help. Without our help, they believed they would not have had such a successful selling experience and they couldn't thank us enough. The realtor even said that "the plan came together like a great recipe" and he can't wait to use our services again. We can't take all the credit - our clients did a lot of work before we even arrived and they were open to all our suggestions and to investing in our staging services to add the final polish to their home before it went on the market. As the realtor said, its like a great recipe and when all the ingredients are present then the final dish can't help but be a success!

A few weeks ago, a local builder contacted Rooms in Bloom about the possibility of staging his vacant model home that he was trying to sell. The home had lots of appeal however buyers just weren't 'getting it' for some reason and after having it sit on the market, unsold, he started looking for help.

In our area, vacant properties are an especially tough sell. Most vacant homes linger on the market for months and months without selling. There are some properties which are still for sale which we know were listed back in September of last year and still linger, unsold and unloved. As per RESA's 2009 stats, staging a vacant home means that on average, it will sell 78% faster. For us in Southern Ontario, this translates to selling in 34 days versus 180 days or more.

After meeting with the builder, we created a design plan to stage the main floor of his model home and to highlight all the great architectural elements of the home. We encouraged him to stage the master bedroom and ensuite as well however due to budget concerns, he opted for the main floor only. We agreed and moved forward so that within seven days, we had furnished and polished up the main floor so that it portrayed the upgraded lifestyle which buyers come to expect when visiting a model home.

Now that the home is staged, we have encouraged the builder to do more with the marketing so that buyers can find this home easily. Previously, although listed through a realtor's office, it could only be found on the builder's website and there were no interior shots. With our advice, the builder scheduled a photo shoot and is planning an agressive marketing campaign so that now that the home shows really well, it will show up in buyer's searches.

The response to our staging efforts from the builder and the staff was wonderful. The builder said he hoped the house would sell in the next two months - we said if he marketed the property properly we hoped it sold in the next two weeks - forget the two months! He was taken surprise by the comment, almost disbelieving that it could sell that fast and we just said .. staging makes that much of a difference!

We enjoyed working with them and can't wait to work with them again soon! For more information on this home or to schedule a viewing, please contact Edge Realty in Fergus, ON. For more information on Wrighthaven Homes, visit them online to view their communities and the model homes they have available for sale.

When we put our homes on the market, we all want two things: for the home to sell fastand for the most money possible. We start the selling process with such hope however when a home doesn’t sell or develops a stigma, sellers are often confused and unable to figure out what to do next.

What creates a stigma? What makes a property sit and sit on the market, generating few if any visits and absolutely no offers? Well, I feel its all about denial. Denial about price.Denial about the appearance of the home. And let’s face it, denial can cost a seller a sale.

When Selling You Want to Avoid Stigmas

So how do you avoid having a listing gather dust on the market? Well, initially it comes down to being realistic about what needs to be done before the property goes on the market. It’s not about what sellers like about their home – its about what you buyers will like – and since sellers need to appeal to as many buyers as possible, they need to understand that just slapping a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard won’t cut it. The second step? Hiring a professional home stager who will do a consultation and give the homeowners a complete PLAN to get it ready for sale. It’s vital to follow those recommendations as the professionals will know exactly how to stage your home to sell. From finishing outstanding repairs, doing some smart upgrades, neutralizing decor schemes and then staging to sell are all essential steps to a successful market debut.

Next its all about choosing HOW you’re going to sell your home. If you don’t know a successful realtor, ask the professional stager who should have a list of realtors which she can recommend. Don’t be afraid to interview a few and look at their current listings. See how their properties are presented: are they bright, modern and spacious or do they feature dated decor, empty rooms and few upgrades? All realtors encounter a seller who will refuse to do anything to get their property ready for sale however if every listing brings to mind labels such as ‘dated’ or ‘cluttered’ then its cause for concern. Instead of recommending some smart aesthetic changes these agents may be more inclined to simply reduce the property’s price every 30 days.

Fact: Average price reduction according to Zillow.com is 1% of a home’s list price per month up to a maximum of 9% for homes under $2 Million. For homes over $2 Million, that statistic jumps to 14%. For a $300,000 home this is a $27,000 in price reductions. For a $900.000 that is a staggering $266,000!

Fact: For an owner occupied home, staging can cost between $500 – $1,000 and has299% ROI. For a vacant property, staging can cost between $1,500 – $4,000 and helps vacant homes sell 7 months faster than unstaged properties. The investment in staging doesn’t even come close to what sellers will lose in home equity with even ONE price reduction.

Savvy realtors will encourage investing in staging a home before resorting to price reductions. They understand there is a direct correlation between a home’s appearance and how quickly it is snapped up by a buyer who can’t help but appreciate the VALUE of the home. Last – but definitely not least – LISTEN to the agent about the fair market value for the property. Pricing it way too high is only going to result in zero interest, zero showings and zero offers.

So, your home looks great, you’ve picked a great realtor, decided on a price and you’re ready to list your home .. right? WRONG!

Over 90% of buyers are shopping online FIRST so the pictures need to top notch. So that means that the pictures of the home need to be taken by professionals. Even better are virtual tours which really showcase all the great architectural elements of the property. Bottom line is that in order for buyers to get in the front door, they need to be seduced online FIRST so that your home can get a DATE with them!

Last, but definitely not least, is the wording of the ad for your home. Certain phrases have been used so many times that they have adopted a stigma all their own, so avoid these at all costs! Here are some of our favourites:

Fixer Upper – Uggh this only attracts flippers and gawkers so don’t put this up unless you WANT to scare away the majority of your buyer pool.

One Owner Home – This says dated wallpaper and paint colours, golden rod fixtures in bathrooms and a lot of WORK to most buyers. One owner means they have not sold a home in decades and are still of the mindset that buyers can look past all the things they never got around to updating.

Nicely or Professionally Decorated – Did you know decorating is the OPPOSITE of staging? Decorating is all about personalizing a home to reflect one owners tastes. Staging de-personalizes a home so it appeals to a multitude of would be home owners. If you’re selling, a personally decorated home works against you, alienating much of your buyer pool.

Only a few buyers will either love the pink or be able to see past it!

Priced to Sell – Isn’t every home? This title just smacks of desperation. Better to put your efforts into your home’s appearance so you can say its Staged to Sell instead!

Handyman Special – So you want low ball offers and property flippers to flock to your property? Again, some TLC, a small investment and you can make sure your realtor doesn’t have to use this title!

Unfortunately, many of these labels serve these days as creating more of a stigma for homes instead of attracting genuine attention. Whether we realize it or not, trying to create ‘catchy’ titles and wording in ads is something we feel should be replaced by stunning pictures and virtual tour. 97% of your buyers are inherently visual so focusing on providing professional photos of staged listings is going to attract a lot more attention than calling a home ‘Handyman Special.’

Still have questions? Has your home sat on the market and developed a stigma? Contact a professional home stager and hire them to help you develop a PLAN so you can change the way your house is viewed. Next, work with your realtor so that the elements which were scaring away buyers are removed. Sellers have so many great tools at their disposal when it comes to selling their homes so ensure when you put your home on the market that you put them to work for you!

A few weeks ago, one of our realtor partners contacted us to do a consultation for one of his listings which was located in a very family friendly neighbourhood. My partner Alana did the consultation and as it turned out, the home had served as a university residence for up to 20 university students in graduate programs over the course of the past five years. Painted purple, black and other vibrant colours, the home owners knew that when it came time to sell they were going to have to do some serious neutralizing.

When Alana got to the home, she was taken through the home by the seller who had already painted all the crazy colours out and had just put in new laminate flooring on the main floor. There were some lighting issues that Alana noted right off the bat (dining room had a dated and ugly fixture) and there were a number of repairs which had to be done throughout the home to make it appear well maintained and in good condition. In addition, because the tenants had all graduated, there were a lot of empty rooms on the main and upper floors which needed to be staged. The seller was so impressed with Alana's recommendations and design ideas that she asked if she could sign contracts right on the spot! Alana of course, opted to give her a formal quote for all the staging and for the fix ups which our contractor could handle which was promptly accepted.

The staggering difference all these changes can be seen reflected in the pictures below!

Dining Room 'Before'

Dining Room 'After'

Living Room 'Before'

Living Room 'After'

Living Room 'Before'

Living Room 'After'

Using lifestyle staging techniques we ensured that all the spaces in the home were staged to appeal to a modern and style savvy family. We actually had one of the neighbours stop by during our staging day and they were thrilled to learn that we were staging to attract a young family. They had been concerned that when the house sold it would be to university students once again. While we ultimately can't control the outcome, we have done our best to ensure that families find this home a memorable home.

Den/Office/3rd Bedroom 'Before'

Den/Office/3rd Bedroom 'After'

Bedroom 'Before'

Bedroom 'After'

We chose to use the client's futon in the den and then found a wooden twin bed frame which we spray painted chocolate brown to update it. These decisions saved our home owner money while still providing the function we needed to effective stage those rooms. Great transformation, minimal investment!

This is a current listing, for more information or to schedule a viewing please contact Ian Inglis with ReMax Solid Gold Realty Brokerage in Kitchener, ON.

Okay, so this blog article was inspired by a meeting my partner Alana Merritt and I had with a realtor the other day and its not a new topic - but it IS an important one!

We met with this realtor and being savvy business women, we checked out his online presence, read his blog and noted what he looked like so that we could recognize him when we met him. In his picture, he looked about mid-thirties, had a great smile and a full head of dark brown hair.

Flash forward to the small coffee shop, Alana and I had arrived about 10 minutes early so we could get a coffee and eat a sandwich before the meeting. We sat and waited only to be approached by a man in his 50's with thinning grey hair and glasses. As it turned out, this was the realtor we were supposed to meet! We were taken aback as this was not the person we were expecting however he said that we looked EXACTLY like our photo so he knew us right away!

After chatting for about 30 minutes and exchanging business cards, we did mention that the pictures on his website and on his cards weren't current - and that he should update them as he is both handsome and distinguished. He blushed however he also admitted that he had meant to do it before but just hadn't gotten around to it. I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that statement. Others we have asked about that admit that they like the picture which was taken years ago because it shows them in a great light. Maybe they have put on a few pounds. Maybe they are not comfortable with how they have aged. Whatever the reason, their current marketing includes photos of them from years ago instead of reflecting what they currently look like.

I believe that because we are in a service based industry, we are selling ourselves and therefore all representations of us need to be kept current. Clients who are researching our services will connect with our photographs and if we appear significantly different from them in real life, clients may not be as inclined to trust us or use our services. I think about it in terms of a product - if I'm buying it online or from a store, that product better look the same as how its been advertised. Otherwise, I'm going to feel mislead and I'm going to put it back on the shelf.

Last fall, my partner and I had a professional photograph us and we have subsequently used these pictures in all our marketing endeavors - even our business cards. The response has been fantastic; many clients relax right away when they see that we look the same in real life as we do in our pictures. Additionally, we have gotten recognized at local places and instantly been able to build both credibility and rapport because of those photographs.

Its important to ensure the image your market is a current representation of how you look. Otherwise you may find consumers will put your services 'back on the shelf'!