If you’re looking for the best way to talk yourself out of becoming a home stager, immediately get on the phone and call 
a dozen real estate agents in your market. After a few “No one will ever pay for it around here” or “It will never work in this market” or “There’s no need for staging, if a house is priced right it will sell” responses you’ll be almost embarrassed with yourself for ever thinking up such a silly idea.
If I listened to everyone who told me home staging wouldn’t work in my city seven years ago, there would be no Staging Diva today.
Of course there are agents who understand that if they have a more attractive product to sell, that it will sell faster. There are also many real estate agents who insist that all their listings be staged, you just have to find them! These agents who “get it” are the 20% of real estate agents who likely make 80% of real estate commissions.
In your hunt for real estate agents to discuss the potential of home staging with, more often you’ll run into the 80% who do the remaining 20% of the business. Many of them only work part time or for their friends. But there are others (and sadly, you’ll have no trouble finding them) who are just plain ignorant, lazy or both. I realize I’ll get hate mail for saying this, but so be it. The truly professional real estate agents who are always looking for ways to get the most for their clients know who they are and I’m sure they’re not fond of that other group either because it reflects on them as part of the same industry.
Just last night I talked to the owner of a vacant condo that she’s about to put on the market for $895,000. It will be the most expensive unit in the building and one of four that’s for sale on her floor. The agent recommended the listing price (likely too high) and suggested that she put tape on the hardwood floors to indicate where furniture might go to give prospective buyers a sense of how big the rooms are!
Imagine expecting home buyers to be inspired by tape on the floor and fall in love with an empty condo that’s priced well above anything else in the building. Imagine also how lovely her real estate listing photos will be with all those white walls and boxy empty rooms! Does this agent not realize that 90% of home buyers in her market search for a property online before ever even calling an agent to go see it?
Fortunately this home seller is smart enough not to take this bad advice and went online to search for a home stager. So while her agent made no mention of the possibility of staging her vacant property, she’s now prepared to invest at least $5,000 in having me stage it for her.
A lot of agents are shell-shocked right now because they got into real estate thinking they could make a quick, easy buck. All those years of only having to put a for sale on the lawn and wait for offers led to a ton of complacent agents who took their incomes for granted.
In most markets in the US right now, and several cities in Canada, real estate agents are depressed because their listings are sitting on the market forever, and they’re not making any money. They don’t want to spend money on their listings because they don’t make their money until the home sells and these days that can take a long time (especially when the house isn’t staged). Many of them got in way over their own heads too with easy credit and homes they couldn’t afford once the market slowed and those commissions stopped rolling in.
This puts real estate agents in a scarcity mindset and I’m not surprised that they’re telling you home staging won’t work. But when they’re saying, “Oh, nobody will ever pay for that here,” what they really mean is they won’t pay for it. They haven’t talked to all of their clients about whether or not they would pay for staging, they just know they don’t want to.
Plus, if they’re sitting with an inventory of non-selling listings that show badly, it’s mighty awkward for them to go back to their clients now to say that the problem is they don’t show well. Any client would rightly ask, “Why didn’t you tell me that 12 months ago when you took the listing?”
Talking to real estate agents will be very discouraging. It’s not just you.
With home sellers, it’s a whole other story and that’s why I teach in the Staging Diva Home Staging Training Program that real estate agents are only one of the four major target markets for a home stager.
Instead of focusing all of your energy on what real estate agents think, put some energy into educating the home sellers about the benefits of home staging and you’ll be much better off.
Home stagers, what’s your favorite real estate agent story? If an agent tried to discourage you and you went ahead and found success anyway, we’d love to hear it. You might give someone the boost of confidence they need to follow their dream. Please leave a comment below.
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging
Debra Gould knows how to make money as a home stager and she developed the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program to teach others how to earn a living doing something they love while helping others at the same time.
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
This is the sad thruth. My partner and myself are interior decorators who have added home staging services thinking that 9 out of 10 sellers need it. The problem is the real estate agents. They are the brick wall that can’t be knocked down. I just don’t underdstand why they don’t want to help themselves get higher commmisions by just suggesting home staging.
I am currently looking for a new home for my family and I walk into these homes and walk right out. Majority of agents are not communicating what sellers should do to better show their properties and definitley not suggesting home staging. So, what happens….these properties just sit and sit and sit on the market.
It is very discouraging speaking to agents. They just don’t want to hear it. It’s like stagers are their rival when really shoulkd be their wing man!
Thanks for the post,
Lisa
This past Fall I had two experiences where the homeowner contacted me on their own for a vacant staging estimate because they believed in staging but their real estate agent didn’t. In one of the cases, I spoke to the agent myself who absolutely believed that there was no need to bring in furniture and decorative accessories to the point where she screamed “no furniture! no furniture!’ to me. When I went through point by point why vacant homes need to be staged, for example, buyers need to see where they can put their furniture, she said “I disagree!”. Upon telling this story to another stager, she pointed out that perhaps the agent felt threatened, and perhaps insulted, in that she should be able to sell the home without having to resort to staging.
I’ve also had a very disappointing reaction from a friend who is a realtor. She thinks that she can give homeowners advice on what they need to do and that she doesn’t need any help from a stager. This is especially surprising to me since we are friends and I’ve been a great “customer” for her and have referred her to others.
Well, that’s the problem. If they’re not experienced stagers, they don’t know exactly what needs to be done to show properties to the best of its ability. From what I see in my market, agents here are not getting it at all! They take a property on and just hope it sells the way it is if its price right, but not always the case.
My home is for sale and when they had the broker open house, these agents knew right away that either a interior decorator or home stager serviced my home. The feedback was fantastic. Hopefully, it was an eye opener as to how properties should show…
I remember 4 years ago prior to starting my business. I hosted a Holiday Party at my home and the guest list included several real estate agents. I approached one in particular who has been in the busniess for 20 + yrs. She felt the staging idea just was not going to go over. Months later, I convinced her to hire me for a vacant listing. Ok, success story here, it sold in record time. She is now a believer in staging. I do however feel agents are still difficult to persuade, and why ? Our services only make them look better. Of course we have those that feel they can stage themselves with a few items they carry around in the truck of their car. I have seen some sad attempts at staging. Now I have to admit the BLUE tape theory is a first for me. I am fortunate that I have several agents in my area who believe in staging and in me. My goal for 2010 is to accomplish getting more on board. Debra, thanks for the post.
Gary Baugher , An Eye 4 Change Home Staging Nashville, TN.
I have had mixed responses. I have had Realtors who ask their clients to hire me and actually have had more jobs through that avenue than directly with clients themselves. (I do work another full time job, and not having as much time to promote myself right now is probably part of that reason.) One of the biggest obstacles I see is Realtors who think they only need to hire me when they have a very expensive home that is vacant. It seems difficult to get across that ALL homes can benefit with an action plan for staging and that staging is more than rental furniture. Continuing to educate the prospective client about the benefits seems to be the key as well – seems most homeowners are still not sure what we actually do!
Thank you so much for your post! I’ve actually become very discouraged by the negative reaction I’ve gotten from real estate agents in my area. I was beginning to think that maybe I couldn’t make this business fly, even though I believe in it so strongly, and feel so passionate about it!! I’m going to shift my attention, starting today. I feel so much better. Thanks.
CarolAnn, I couldn’t agree with you more. Too many real estate agents think that staging is only about vacant homes. About 99% of the calls I receive from both homeowners and agents are for vacant stagings. They both need to be educated that it is also about the occupied homes that can benefit from decluttering, depersonalizing, painting, updating, etc.
Donna, I so agree with you. I see so many listings on line with poor photos. I ask myself, Why would you market a property in this condition. I conducted a presentation to about 50 agents a few years ago. I stressed to them you don’t just need a vacant home to stage. I also made a point that staging applies to all price points whether you are marketing a 100,000 or a million dollar listing. It’s all about that first impression. I feel there is stiil so much education to be taught .
Gary Baugher An Eye 4 Change Home Staging Nashville, TN.
I am just starting to feel for around for Home staging in my small town. Just the other day on the front page of Journal. I noticed a new realtor in our area but had been working out of Florida.
I quickly composed a letter to her a few days after the ad. I am waiting for a response but thought since she has been selling homes in a large city, had one on one coaching she might be one Realtor that would accept a homestager.
In the past they would say they only worked part-time. My sister said she thought they only use Home Stagers in high selling home. So I have had the same experience as everyone. I think that her article should help us all.
Most Realtors that I have spoken with agree that staging works. But,they are under the impression that they have to pay for the staging and that is why they have such a negative reaction to promoting staging. Most home sellers believe that since the agent is making for example, a 6% commission, that the agent should pay for the staging. However, what the sellers don’t realize is the amount of money that an agent invests in marketing: internet newspaper adds, brochures, brokers open house refreshments, etc. Also to pay for broker co-op or company split, and let’s not forget Uncle Sam. What the seller thinks will amount to a possible $21,000 commission, in reality ends up to be about $3,500. And if the house does not sell before their contract has expired, the seller gets to benefit from the upgrades and increased value that was added to his home. That is why the agents need to offer staging to their clients, and offer it before view their property. Home sellers need to be given the chance to decide for themselves if they want to invest in home staging to get the best return on investment that market conditions will allow. Agents need to offer home staging and then the burden is off your shoulders when feedback from showings come back with negative comments. You don’t look good when a house shows poorly. The sellers will only have themselves to blame if they dismiss your suggestion to have the house professionally staged. Try it. It works!
First of all, why is this woman still using this agent? He sounds like a lazy, un-informed person who is out of touch! Does he believe in having home inspectors come in and give their opinion? Does he feel it’s wise to have an appraisal done? A well-informed agent will recognize the value of home staging just like any other para-service in real estate.
I’ve worked with plenty of agents who think a vacant home will sell better that way. But they’ve changed their minds when they see what home staging can do. And occupied homes need home staging even more! We’ve all seen the mess and clutter and utter disarray of some homes. Without home staging they don’t stand a chance of winning a good price or selling in a timely manner.
Home staging is the difference between sold now and maybe sell later – for a lot less!
Debbie Fiskum, The Home Decor Genie!
I live in an area that has the highest unemployment rate in the country. So, many homes lost to foreclouser and short sales and so many homeowners trying to sell their homes … I’m working with a small pool of realtors who have been relatively open to staging, although it’s a fairly new concept in our area, but it seems that they think I should be called in “only” when the house has been on the market for almost or over a year. (the hopeless cause) I’m working on educating them with: If a seller calls me before they list their house, we can make sure that the pictures the realtor needs to put in MLS are wonderful instead of sadly hopeless. But I do have realtors who have seen what I’ve done on a property and then have turned around and told other sellers how to de clutter, clean and arrange things…I guess you will always have those who think they can do it better than you. Although, I would never think of listing a house for sale!
Another type of call I get is to look at houses that realtors feel “really need a lot of work” instead of realtors calling me to come and look at ALL their new listings or listing potentials. In a perfect world I guess we’d like the realtors to call US to decide if a house would benefit from staging or not! .. Well, I guess that gives us something to work towards!
I am lucky enough to work with a wonderful Realtor who calls me to decide, instruct, sell each listing whether or not to stage. I’m the only stager he uses, and working as a team we were largely responsible for each other’s record 2009 income. But, boy, there are a zillion Realtors out there who are threatened, mis- or un-informed, or resistant to staging for some other reason. They are very difficult or impossible to convert. Leave them alone. They will not be Realtors for long. Go find yourself one of the great Realtors or two or three if you are lucky, and your business will flourish. Oh, and, up your web presence so homesellers can find you directly, another super revenue stream!
Well Debra your timing is perfect again. I just met with a real estate agent today and got the usual, they don’t need to stage a house because it will sell with out it. It’s good to hear that others are getting the same info and that we should ignore it.
Thanks
Diana Zinck
http://www.thestagecoachredesigner.com
In my area, many real estate companies are sending 2 or 3 agents for Staging Training and offering the service on their websites as “staging specialists”. In one case, they attended one of those 3 day hands on training courses. As we all know, if a home is staged correctly it takes time, energy and creative vision. I surely would not want my agent to be using his/her time and energy in staging instead of marketing and selling. I also had one agent tell me they rather have the seller use the money for a price reduction later if needed instead of staging. YIKES! I ended up staging- and the client hired me for another property later. I hope not to depend on Realtors and I am thankful that Debra’s training course did not make this a priority. My best Realtor relationships have come from attending open houses- thanks again to Debra stressing the importance of this.
Thanks everyone for contributing to this discussion, I know it will help both established and aspiring home stagers.
We spend far too much time and energy courting real estate agents who don’t get it and never will. Any time you spend on one thing means you’re not spending it on something else that may get you better results.
Please keep this discussion going, great input from all of you!
Thank you so much for this valuable information. Some time could you write something about partial staging verses full staging on vacant homes? I recently staged a brand new vacant home that the builder only wanted it partially staged. I”m wishing now that I didn’t give him that option. The rooms I did look great but I think it leaves buyers wondering what happened to the rest of the house! I”m trying to accomodate sellers budgets, but I think I may have made a mistake on this one. What do you think?
PS. The real estate agent told him to go for a partial staging because only a few rooms really mattered anyway!
I am just commenting on sometimes Real estate Agents do hire Home-staggers’ even in my “small” town. I recently wrote a letter to a new Realtor, She had a write up on front page of my newspaper. To make things short “SHE ANSWERED BACK AND BEFORE SHE MOVED BACK TO CORRY HAD HIRED HOME-STAGGERS”..She would like to speak to me sometime. So I answered her right back. So don’t give up their is one out there!!
My community has a population of barely 40,000 (rural, conservative). The feeling here seems to be that the realtor should have all the answers, recommendations, etc. After all, the seller is paying the realtor’s commission, so he/she should work for it, and the commission should cover everything(!). Agents are extremely reluctant to make even a consultation part of their services package because it costs them $$ upfront. The community has been hard hit by job cutbacks, etc.; sellers are very reluctant to invest in selling their home (a.k.a. the realtor’s job). I have given dog-and-pony shows to a few realtor offices and left or raffled off a gift certificate for a free initial consultation in hopes of generating business. One office has yet to use the certificate, has a prime seller/big home to use it on. The seller feels everything is fine as-is and doesn’t want to spend/contribute to improve the home’s chances of being sold. The mindset seems to be that if the buyer wants the house badly enough, they’ll deal with anything/everything.
Laurelanne, I always raffle off a free consultation when I make presentations at real estate offices, but only about 20% of the winners take advantage of it. It totally baffles me! The only good thing is that I get business cards so I can add the email addresses to my monthly newsletters and other emails I send out.
Realtors don’t want to share the wealth. It’s very simple. They don’t know how to stage a home – act like they do – and the only answer they often provide for a home not selling is the price is too high and we need to drop it. Real Estate agents caused the inflation of homes and are continuing to cause home values to drop. Giving them 6% commission is outlandish. Why do we have to pay 6% to list a home on MLS? I know from personal experience that staging a home will sell a home.
An Agent we personally know is in the process of Flipping homes at a very low price. We introduced our new staging business to him. He told me “staging is good under certain circumstances but wouldn’t be necessary for this situation because investors will buy it up the first day.” I negotiated a one time discount to give us an opportunity to “prove’ to him that it will make him even more money. “GREAT NEWS” Not only did He sell the home for 5k more than asking price, he had multiple offers. He loved what we did so much, that two weeks later we redesigned his personal family homes main bathroom and living room.,”IT GET’S BETTER”… while we were there designing, a customer of this agent came by to sign papers and saw what we were doing and hired us to do his home.
Wow, Christine! Way to go. Your story just goes to prove “seeing is believing.”
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