Staging IS Marketing!

Home Staging has long been misunderstood. Many homeowners make the mistake of believing they don't need a Home Stager prior to listing their home for sale. "My home is fine" or "we just renovated 5 years ago" or " we love our red dining room!" are common themes Realtors often hear. Home Staging is not design. . . it is one of the most important steps in your Realtor's marketing plan. Home staging for the real estate market is act of re-imagining and redefining spaces that will appeal to the mass market.

All homes need to be staged. Whether a Stager is called in to consult on paint colors or furniture placement to larger scale projects involving decluttering & inventory; hiring a professional as a third-party, unbiased opinion on how to best prepare your home for potential buyers is crucial step to successful marketing. A Stager is accustomed to evaluating a home not only through a potential buyer's eyes, but through a camera lens as well. A Stager will look at the room from different angles, insuring that the room looks good from all sides. They will position furniture to capture the best natural light or suggest removing distracting artwork that will not be flattering through the camera lens. Often times, a Stager will recommend how to redefine a space with items already in the home or change the feel of a room through use of color. In other words, staging is not about redesigning or redecorating a home; it's about flattering the existing space.

Home Staging is not interior design. Yes, Stagers need to have an eye for design. They need to be knowledgeable of contemporary and popular trends. However, a Stager will not spend 6 months choosing upholstery fabric or finding the perfect dining room chairs. They will not ask the homeowner to assist in choosing paint colors for the family room or their favorite light fixture for over the kitchen island. A Home Stager’s sole purpose is to neutralize the home from personal taste. When a homeowner makes the decision to put their home on the market, it becomes a retail product and therefore must be able to compete with other properties listed while reaching a wide market of potential buyers.

Home Stagers work hand in hand with Realtors to reach the same goal; higher price & less time on market. Successful staging crafts the home in it's best light, creates an emotional connection for the buyer and ensures a visual marketing plan for the Realtor. For this reason, sellers and listing agents should never dismiss the value of working with a Stager. Very often, our homes are our largest asset; and the investment in a solid visual marketing plan will yield an ROI beyond compare.