This past week I made a couple of presentations regarding Home Staging to real estate agents at their weekly meetings. In chatting with one of them after my presentation, he said that he usually does his own staging. This can involve anything as simple as telling the client to declutter to as time-consuming as going shopping for new bedding. When I asked him why he does this instead of hiring a home stager, he said “well, this way I don’t have to convince my client to spend money. Also, I can do what stagers do”.
So ask yourself, does this sound like you?
And if the answer is YES, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you want to tell your clients their home is untidy and has too much stuff in it?
- Do you want to tell you clients to get rid of family photos and their prized collections?
- Do you want to tell your clients that their home smells like a cat or a dog?
- Do you know how to get a vacant home fully furnished and accessorized?
- Do you have the time to shop for bedding, towels, knickknacks, etc?
- Do you want to spend hours deciding the optimal placement of furniture and accessories?
- Do you really have the eye of an interior decorator or a home stager?
- Are you comfortable recommending paint colors?
- What do you do when the husband and wife don’t agree with your “staging” recommendations? Whose side do you take?
- Is this how you want to be spending your time?
- Do you think your client would appreciate you taking time away from marketing their home rather than leaving this up to a professional?
So the next time you think “But I can do this myself”, think about the fact that it’s the same as a seller thinking they don’t need a real estate agent to market and sell their home. You know that you can do a much better job than they can because of your experience, knowledge and contacts, to name a few qualifications.
Hiring a home staging professional is the way to go if you want the job done right.
Related post: Homeowners: Do You Have “But I Can Do It Myself Syndrome”?
