Don't Be Seen as a Shifty Seller that Stages to Bamboozle Potential Home Buyers

Home sellers, if you choose to use a home stager's service, here is a question to ponder...

Once staged, should your occupied property be ADVERTISED as such?

I bring this question up as I feel an educated Seller is an empowered Seller.

First, keep in mind, Home Staging is NOT just decorating. Staging IS a complex marketing tool, that relies a variety of skills, talents and knowledge. So while a basic undertaking of a Stager is to visually prepare a home so that it appeals to a buyer, it is also a Stager's responsibility is to teach home seller and Realtor how to best utilize the “tool” so that it has NO opportunity to work against the sale of the home.

So, getting back to the question at hand… Should your staged property be ADVERTISED as such? Well consider this, while we could benefit from such advertising exposure, those of us here in Chicago at Real Estaging believe that the home seller and the listing Realtor need to discuss the possible implications and then responsibly decide If, When, Where and How to reveal the fact that your home has been staged. In your discussion with your Realtor consider these 3 points:

1. With more and more people understanding what staging is and how it can actually INCREASE the asking price of a home (*See Post Script below for explanation), some buyers, may use that fact that they know a home has been staged AGAINST the seller and try to negotiate a lower price they "feel" is more appropriate.


2. Some buyers who learn a home has been staged might feel as though just the surface has been "touched-up" and they are being bamboozled into buying a house that is less than what they are seeing.


3. With staging still a relatively new service, buyers might find their attention drawn at the staging and NOT at to house and its features. As I have said time and time again… the home should be the star, not the stuff.

Now I doubt every buyer would turn their knowledge about your home’s staging against you. However, why risk it? So, my advice is… it's OK that a Realtor advertises the fact that a home has been staged within the industry and to fellow Realtors (such as within the MLS, or at a brokers open house). Advertising in this manner allows the BUYER'S Realtor, who has a much better read on their client's "sensitivity and quirks," decide if they want to reveal the staging fact to THEIR clients.

Finally, if you have not yet hired a Stager, before you do ask them a simple question: "Should your property, once staged, be advertised as such?" Then… wait for their reply. If they are quick to answer "YES" or say "It really doesn't matter." then I fear that if they don't fully understand a key basic subtlety to staging. And if they don't get this point, then what else about the "Staging Tool" might they not fully comprehend or incorrectly apply that will ultimately give you a LESS than the marketing result you were hoping for?

Stage It Forward...
Me

*POST SCRIPT: A home's listing price is based on 3 key elements: 1.) Location 2.) Market and 3.) Condition. The combination of these 3 Key elements... determines a home's possible price range (Low to High). Stagers go to work on CONDITION... improving the CONDITION of a home can raise the price to a higher price point. The better the condition... the more one can ask. This is a BASIC to ANY real estate transaction.

THANKS Pittsburgh WPIX -TV 11. I am glad you like this blog on home staging. Check out my featured link here.