We are on to tactic No. 8 in our series about how to handle a shifting market. Today’s tactic is all about seller staging strategies. Last week, we talked about pricing homes, but how we stage a home is also key to helping our clients.
First, you need to understand how interested the seller is in staging. The graph at 1:04 in the video demonstrates this idea. Your seller might be all the way to the left—they’re resistant and not interested in one iota of staging. You may also have clients who are receptive to staging and ones who are ready to stage right away.
How you react to their thought around staging is critical. If they’re not set on selling their house as is, you should try to change their thoughts around staging. They are the decision maker, but you should ensure they understand the value that some simple staging would bring.
“Just because it’s still a seller’s market doesn’t mean that homes shouldn’t be staged.”
Sellers also have options as to how they stage their homes. They could do it themselves, but there are pros and cons to that approach. It costs them no money, but you might look like the bad guy if it’s not staged correctly. You could also train your team to help sellers stage their homes. This adds another reason to work with your team, but you may not have a team with the skills to do this right away.
The third option is to use professional stagers. The best of the best staging comes from professionals, but the con is obvious: They’re expensive. If you go with this method, you might have to discuss who’s bearing the cost. Is it the client, the team, or is there some cost-sharing in place?
Just because it’s still a seller’s market doesn’t mean that homes shouldn’t be staged for the pictures. Your clients’ homes will be loved or ignored based on how they look online, so ensure you make a good first impression.
If you have any questions about staging, call, text, or email me. I would love to help you out—no strings attached. All the tactics we’ve discussed come from a book called “The Shift,” and if you don’t have it, get in touch, and we’d love to give you a copy.
