Getting “PUNCHY” about Great Real Estate Reads

While many people think that a home stager’s job is just to be glorified interior decorators... we actually do much more. So while making a home look good is important, a stager’s job typically begins with a much less glamorous task of putting together a Punch List of repair and maintenance tasks sellers need to complete prior to going to market.

So whether you are a home seller or a real estate blog reader, a Punch Lists can be of great value. These lists simplify, guide and direct us as to where we should focus and invest tour time and efforts. That is why I am calling my top 5 choices the “Punch List of Real Estate Do Reads” submitted for this week’s Carnival of Real Estate.

Making my top 5 list (in no special order) for this week are:

DO READ: “3 Bogus Real Estate Statistics - Know Them or Be Burned By Them” by Joe Manausa at Really Better Real Estate. I gotta admit I enjoyed Joe’s discussion on why he feels the 80/20 Rule, 153 Days is the average market time, and Average Selling Price is 97.3% of List Price are all bunk.

DO READ:  “Every House’s Value is Dropping Except Mine!” by Amy Bohutinsky at the Zillow Blog. Amy, I can only say “from your blog to seller’s ears!” Nice job.

DO READ:  “When Do Schools Start In St. Louis” by Karen Goodman at St. Louis Real Estate Insights. While I don’t live in St. Louis, I gotta admit I found Karen’s post to be quite interesting, and would venture to bet that what Karen notes as a trend in St. Louie takes place all over the country.

DO READ:  “Fannie Mae Adds New Risk-Based Pricing and ‘Adverse Market’ Fees for All Conforming Mortgage Applicants” by Dan Green at The Mortgage Reports. If you have read any of his past posts you know that Dan is as prolific as the title to this post of his is long.  In this post he shares great insight as to why he expects that loan-level pricing adjustments will continue to increase for a 5th and 6th time before 2009.

DO READ:  “How to Sell My House” by Surfer Sam at Surfer Sam Online. With each new day a new seller comes to market. Because this is so, the advice Sam offers never is old. In this post Sam does a nice job breaking get a home sold down to the basics.

I hope find my list of 5 my “to do” list of real estate blogs for this week informative. However, I gotta admit reading through all the posts submitted to the 103rd Edition of the Carnival of Real Estate left me a bit punchy. But I am glad to be a host... cause each week the Carnival points to something that expands my knowledge and understanding to the ever changing, complex and multifaceted world of real estate.

Blog on!
Me

When Wallpaper Attacks, It Can Kill the Sale

In today’s real estate market more and more home sellers are relying on home staging tips and advice to guide them in ways to best prepare their homes for selling. So last week, when I was hired to tour a seller’s property to give them my “Buyer’s Eye” advice, a monster of a problem reared its ugly head. The wallpaper in my client’s home was so extremely ugly I told them I just had to write a blog about it and use it as an example on how monsters like this will negatively affect a home’s sale.

So for the fun of it, and to drive home my point, I present to you (below) what I saw. So hideous was this wallpaper, I have to admit it almost looks like a cliché. However be wise, while not all wallpaper is as ugly this, it still is a problematic issue that sellers need to pay attention to. Fortunately, my clients were motivated and open to advice and willing to take it down. They know they had to present the most competitively appealing property as possible to sell in today’s market. But when it comes to wallpaper, not all sellers are as accepting of staging advice. I have found that the topic of wallpaper usually results in eye rolling, harrumphing, justification and/or avoidance with sellers. So if you are serious about selling your wallpapered home, you need to look it from a sellers view. Keep in mind, regardless of how “fantastic” you think your home’s wallpaper is, it is a HIGHLY personal expression of taste, so chances are potential buyers will NOT like it. Second, buyers want to buy their dream home ready for today, not yesterday. Wallpaper is trendy and needlessly ages a home.

But most importantly, what sellers need to know is this…. when buyers see wallpaper they don’t like, they see dollar signs. When it comes to spending their hard earned money to buy their dream, buyers will scrutinize and negatively react to your wallpapered home as, hopefully, you reacted to my extreme examples above.

So you need to know that any and all the resistance you have about removing wallpaper will be the EXACT same resistance a buyer will have about it too. Buyers know removing wallpaper is an arduous task that can be costly. Because this is the reality of buying a home with wallpaper, buyers know in this market they can and will move on to the next home that does not have that monster to battle.

Stage It Forward...
Me

Absolute BEST 13 Home Staging Tips

Are you having a hard time determining where to start your own home staging and just what exactly are the best home staging tips? Well... I feel your pain and totally understand.

When I Googled the phrase “home staging tips" today my search I ended up with 29,300 results. WOW, if you even ask this home stager, going through THAT result list is a daunting task and would be far too much research for ANY home seller.

So to help home sellers narrow down their options, I did my own research... and found what I think is a great list of basic tips on HGTV’s website. HGTV lists a comprehensive list that applies to both dwelling & selling. So to help focus the message only on staging, I rewrote them and condensed them down.

So while there is a lot being said out there, this "best of" real estate staging tip list is a great starting place for advice that will surly help any home seller begin their own real estate staging project.

So lets get started...

1. WORK ON YOUR ENTRANCE – Whether you are on a job interview, going on a first date or selling your home… first impressions matter. What buyers see on the outside starts to inform them on what to expect on the inside. So clean it up, touch up the paint, add plants and flowers… in general, make the buyer feel welcome.
2. CLEAR OUT CLUTTER - We think counter tops, cabinets, closets, garages, basements, and attics as storage spaces, but often they become clutter keepers. Purging out the old is not only therapeutic but allows a path for the new. Remember too much clutter distracts and obstructs buyers from seeing what you are selling. So clear it out.
3. LESS FURNITURE = MORE HOUSE - A room full of furniture can feel as cluttered as an accountants desk top during tax season. Removing all but what makes sense and is necessary will make the room fell bigger… plus it may free up a piece better used elsewhere.
4. FLOAT YOUR FURNITURE – Typical furniture arrangement makes me think of young boys at their first junior high dance… wallflowers! When you “float” furniture, bringing it off the walls in into the centerof the room, you'll end up with rooms that result in three positive benefits. The rooms will feel open, interesting and appealing… all working to the seller’s advantage.
5. CROSS POLLINATE – Sellers get so used to seeing their furnishings, art and accessories used one way and never then see it any other way. Moving pieces that have always been used in Room “X” into Room “Y” can give new life and meaning to an old rooms. But don’t stop with furniture… color, texture and style elements that dominate one room can be moved into and amongst others to visually link the home and create flow and continuity.
6. GIVE OLD ROOMS NEW PURPOSE - As time moves on, the way people live and use their homes changes. Extra bedrooms become TV Dens which then become Home Offices. Basements go from being storage areas, to Rec Rooms to Media rooms. Setting up an old room with a new purpose helps buyers see more potential in a contemporary way.
7. LET THE LIGHT SHINE IN – Letting natural sunlight in always helps buyers SEE the home and its features. Draperies that are not open, or even when they are open still cover up a large portion of the window. Either way they can make a room feel closed-in and smaller. However, equally important is the fact that sellers may need to redirect a buyer’s attention from the view out the window. If that is the case, there are plenty of options today that downplay the outside but lets the light inside.
8. LAMP & LIGHT DONE RIGHT – Lighting in a home that is too dim, too harsh, or too cold can work against the sale of it. Warm and balanced lighting is what it is all about. Using a combination of as many of the different lighting types (overhead, accent lamps, and task) in each room will give a home the overall appealing glow buyers like. Oh, and don’t forget to light up the exterior… especially the entrance.
9. COLOR WITHIN THE LINES – Wallpaper is out and color (paint) is in… especially when selling a home. Wallpaper is typically a very personal design expression that overtime looks dated. While the popularity of color does trend, updating with paint it is an easy and inexpensive way to freshen up a home that is for sale. Don’t limit yourself to thinking of white as the only neutral color. Some shades of white can be the worst color to use to “neutralize”. There is a wide variety of beiges, tans, taupes, soft gold and greens that are not only “on trend” in a buyer’s eyes, but will also work well with your furnishings while you are selling.
10. BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK - Every year we hear how “Black is the new _______”. (Fill in the color of your choice.) The NEW _______ is typically a fleeting trend color. But black never goes out of style and most likely already in your home (maybe more then you ever noticed) in its finishes, fixtures and finishes. So use it to your advantage. Link the look of your home together with a variety of black accents, accessories and furnishings throughout that will ultimately create a home with visual appeal that buyers buy.
11. HANG ART ARTFULLY – A general rule of thumb… hang art so it easy to look INTO it and not up or down at it. Considering the average American’s height is 5’8” tall, hang art for that person’s eye level, so that they look slightly above center of the piece, works best. But, besides height, placement is also important. If a seller takes into consideration how a home buyer walks through and tours the home and what walls a buyer actually looks it, will help determine where to put art and where is it’s not as important.
12. COUNT TO 3 WITH ACCESSORIES - When it comes to balance don’t make the mistake and assume it is only created with equal symmetry. Balance can also be achieved using an odd number of items… typically 3. To help you accessorizing a table top, mantle or shelf start by selecting 3 items. One item should be lower/smaller, one medium sized and one taller/larger. Group them. If one, in relationship to any other, seems to big, or small, wide or skinny then swap it out for another.
13. OUTDOORS COMES IN – Bringing flowers and plants into a home is great advice. Adding them does 2 things to a home... they soften it and add life. So while bringing the outdoors in is a great tip, sometimes live plants are not available or practical. Don’t be afraid to invest in QUALITY silk plants and dried flowers, but remember a dusty silk or old faded dried arrangement can look as DEAD as any living plant that died. Finally, avoid seasonal plants and flowers… go for the green basics.

OOPS Goes the Staging!

From when we were just little kids we were taught there is a difference between what is right & wrong and what is good & bad. While these initial lessons of life had to do with basic relationship skills and behaviors, as we got older, we expanded in our awareness of good & bad, right & wrong rules that applied to other parts of our lives. Rules, we grew to understand, helped to guide us in subjects we study, the hobbies we undertake, the sports we play, and the work we do. In short, we gained insight and knowledge that there are proper ways things are to be done if you are going to do them well.

So while learned knowledge is a good thing, we also have discovered that correctly applying that knowledge can prove to be a quite a challenge…which also holds true to home staging. Even though there are those who are knowledgeable and appreciative of staging, some have come to realize it takes skill and ability to properly apply that knowledge. This is one of reasons why the staging industry is on the rise.

BUT, if you are young in your understanding of what staging is, there is something ELSE you need to know about it and the people who present themselves as stagers. Be advised… not everyone that says they know staging or claims they are stagers really can do it. There are far too many people now jumping in to an unregulated industry claiming they KNOW how to stage. Their final staging results unfortunately demonstrate their gross lack of understanding and break basic staging rules. AND I have to admit this really ticks me off!

To make my point, let me give you an example of a problematic staging in the form of a short video called "OOPS Goes the Staging!" (Oh… be sure your speakers are on.)

For the sake of fair disclosure, I want to let you know we here at Real Estaging are VERY familiar with the property featured and critiqued in my video… we actually lost the bid to stage it to whoever did the work in the video. So while some might think I am upset because we lost the job that person... that is just not the case. (Anyone that has been in sales for any length of time knows that is the way it is in sales... "You win some and you loose some.")

Anyway, the reason I am so ticked-off is because good and proper staging DOES follow certain rules, practices and procedures that when done well and done right will help the property sell. It is upsetting to know that this Chicago developer finally got the message that “staging helps to sell homes” and they were willing to invest hard earned money, only to get a final "staging" that actually works AGAINST their property's sale. Plus what makes this staging a sadder story is the fact that this was to be the model for a multi-unit property.

Unfortunately, Realtors, home sellers and small builders really don't know exactly what good home staging is and what it is not. Why? Well, for one reason home staging is still a relatively new marketing tool and has yet to be fully embraced as a viable option for selling homes. So if you are wondering, "What is GOOD and what is BAD staging?” or “What exactly makes a staging RIGHT from what makes it WRONG?" Well, to help you let's start with 4 Basic Staging Rules most of you have likely heard of. These basics are...

1. De-clutter and organize the home to minimize visual distractions.
2. Neutralize the home's look so that it appeals to the largest buying audience as possible.
3. Arrange furnishings and accessories to best show the home's space and features.
4. Add what's missing to finalize the home's appeal.

So as you watch the "OOPS goes the Staging!" video keep these very basic real estate staging rules in mind. By the time you are finished with it, you will begin to see and understand a little of what bad staging is and where this staging pooped out. And… in closing, if you remember nothing else I hope your remember this... filling a property chock full of pretty furnishings and accessories is NOT staging!

But when staging is done well and done right... it sells homes! PERIOD!

Me

PS: If you would like MORE detailed explanation of the 12 BIGGEST STAGING OOPS in this property...be sure to click on the "DETAIL" button located along the bottom of the embedded video.

Story of a Staged Silk Purse & a Sow's Ear

(Scroll down for Video Show) While home staging CAN turn a "sow's ear" of a home into a beautiful and easily sellable "silk purse", there still is only so much staging can do to improve a home's appeal to potential buyers. Sometimes a house that is for sale, even if it is priced right, has quality construction, or uses the most expensive and luxurious finishes... just can't be helped with staging.

CASE IN POINT: Above is an exterior shot of an absolutely beautiful 3/4 of a million dollar Chicago area home that was built well over 1 1/2 years ago... and has not sold. In fact, 17 months after it had NOT sold, the builder hired one of the finest and MOST savvy Realtors I know. The new Realtor called in Real Estaging with the hopes that if we created a beautiful view on the inside it would help counter the house's "problem" that was keeping the house from being sold.

Actually, except for the fact that this spec home was vacant, it really had no other problems of its own. However, was keeping it from being sold WAS quite obvious when we first visited this listing. Even before we ever entered the property, we knew exactly WHY the house wasn't selling. The problem was the neighbor's house and the fact that the yard looked like a pig sty. It didn't help that the home was filled with windows that overlooked the neighboring property.

Both the Realtor and I tried to advise the builder, BEFORE staging the interior, that it would be best to put up a privacy fence to help block the view of the neighboring property. While advice like might risk our chance of getting a staging job, I knew this would be the BEST option... the views out the living room, office and great room windows were/are that bad.

How bad is the actual view out the windows of the neighbors property? Well, below is a quick 30 second video tour of the home and the neighboring property it looks out on.


(Click HERE to view the Video Show if the show does not appear above.)

When I first spoke with the builder he was well aware of the problem (in fact he had installed cellular shades on that side of the house) with the neighboring view. To him the fence option was financially or legistacally not feasible at the time. To install a new privacy fence meant that the newly poured driveway, that sat RIGHT on the lot line, would have to be totally removed. The expense to remove the existing driveway, install a new fence and then reinstall a new driveway would total well over $10,000. The builder hoped investing in real estate staging would do the trick. So we staged the property... it looked fantastic and the builder was quite pleased.

Well, this past week we de-staged it and unfortunately it still had not sold. So I guess this puts a new slant on an old saying... "you can't sell a silk purse when it SITS next to a sow's ear."

Me

Home Staging Gets a Red Eye in Chicago

"You can rent movies. You can rent an apartment. If you live or work in a street-parking desert, you can even rent a space for your ride. So why not add luxury to that list?" This is what Kyra Kyles wrote the introduction to her cover story in last weeks Red Eye Newspaper. (For those of you that don't know what a "Red Eye" is... well it is the hip urban free daily newspaper published by the Tribune Corporation here in Chicago.)

The article, entitled "Rent An Image" looked at some of the interesting luxury items that are available to rent in Chicago-land. Well, I have to admit I never considered the props we have available as ubber LUXURY items, like the Austin Martin automobiles and the Prada handbags the article spoke of. But Kyra who interviewed Real Estaging for a side bar story entitled "Go ahead and rent that furniture", (Click on image on lwft to enlarge) pointed out the fact that props can be rented to help you sell your home for more money (Click on image at left to read it). Besides making homes look more appealing, staging has helped sellers make more money when they RAISED the asking price. as well as help to sell homes faster... and considering "time is money" staging a home should be a considered in this current market.

Most home seller's think that staging props are rented for use ONLY in and for vacant property sales. Seller's don't know that some home stager's can also rent just the right piece or pieces to finish off the look and appeal of their property as they live there while it on the market. The main advantage of renting is the fact that the seller need not spend the time to shop for decorative items or spend full retail prices to buy those items. The other VERY important advantage of using a stager's props is the fact that a stager knows to use pieces that are UNDERSTATED. When selling your home, your house needs to be the star, not the stuff in it. Experienced stagers know how to create a "put together look" with out our stuff ending up being a beautiful distraction.

So thanks Red Eye... your unique story angle helps to make another fine point about home staging.

Me


PS: If you would like to see an entire PDF sample of Chicago's Red Eye Newspaper... CLICK HERE.

Home Stage & Blogging... Reflecting Opportunities in Real Estate Marketing

For a little over a year now I have been writing about home staging here in this blog. I have to admit I have been fortunate in raising my staging voice up in an ever expanding world of real estate blogging. I believe part of the reason for my blogging success is due to the fact that the approach I take to blogging reflects the approach I take to staging.

When it comes to staging and selling a home it is no secret that good curb appeal is desirable. If a buyer doesn't like what they see, there is a good chance they will just move on. Well the same goes for a blog. I consider a blog’s headline its initial curb appeal. Headlines should be interesting and captivating so that your reader wants to stop in and read on.

When touring a home, which is for sale, a second critical moment takes place the instant the buyer opens the door and sees the interior of a home for the first time. What a buyer sees in this moment better be a visually appealing. For just as it is important that a stager creates an attractive first visual impression within the homes interior, the same can be said for using a picture in a blog. A strong visual impression positively reinforces what the buyer/reader are about to see/read.

Moving on (literally) is the next key element to both staging and blogging. A home that is staged well has certain connected "flow" that entices the buyer to move from room to room. As you develop your blog it should have transition/flow as your reader travels from paragraph to paragraph.

Recently we here at Real Estaging have seen more and more amature stagers’s relying on contrived tricks and gimmicks (i.e. champagne glasses on the edge of tubs) that make the house look “too staged” and ultimately distract a buyer away from seeing the home and it’s “personality”. So whether one is staging a home or writing blogging it is important that the unique personality of the home, or you the writer, comes through. Staging and blogging is about making connections… the buyer needs to “connect” to a home they are going to buy. In order to gain long term readership, readers need to connect to you. And remember… always be original, never plagiarize another's work, it will come back to haunt you.

The final parallel that I see between staging and blogging has to do with clutter. It is a well know fact that stagers remove all unnecessary distractions and get down to the homes most basic elements. Well the same goes for blogging. Keep in mind that reader often will skim your blog, so give it a lot of white space to make that process easier. Also you might want to consider highlighting key phrases in each paragraph that if only they are read… the basic gist of the blog is communicated.

So there you have it… my staged blog on home staging and blogging. Respectively, each can create a good reflection of home seller's home or a real estate professional's words.

Stage It Forward…
Me

POST SCRIPT 1: "They" must like what this blog has to say... cause once again it gets picked up fed to the masses, click each link to see it at: NBC - NY and USA TODAY's online news sources.

POST SCRIPT 2: I have had the idea for this blog bouncing around my head for a while.. but I gotta admit I am glad I held off from writing it until now. Tomorrow I am to be and industry expert panelist on home stager and real estate blogging at Coldwell Banker's Emagine Expo 2007 here in Chicago. With over 1,200 attendees coming to this event, it creates perfect reason to finally write this blended blog.

Seeing RED... Will Capture the Buyer's Eye

Stagers know that the time spent touring a home by a buyer is relatively short. An experienced home stager relies on techniques and practices that HELP maximize what a buyer sees and experiences in a property in the relatively short time they take to tour it. The strategic use of color AND prop placement is key to getting the most out of staging.

When it comes to color, what home stagers typically talk about is what the best paint and carpet colors to use when preparing your home for its sale. Which is sound advice, but.... it really is OLD NEWS. In fact I actually wrote my post on the subject last October entitled: If Switzerland was a Color what Color it would be?

But what about accent colors? What accent colors can effectively be used to give you an advantage when it comes to staging and selling a home?

I have to admit that red is one of our favorite staging colors for props that we use here at Real Estaging. In fact, it seems as though we never have enough red props in our prop library. We have come to learn that the color red sells homes and therefore we end up placing a lot of red props in the homes that we stage.

Please understand that while red is not used (typically) as the dominant room color when selling a home; the color red, when used strategically in props and accessories, in a staged/model home as "punctuated moments" can capture and then move the buyer's eye across and around a room so that they see all that the property is and has.

The above video was created specifically to make a visually compelling marketing point. To instantly understand the power and effectiveness of the color of red for home staging, watch the very short show we call "RED" (with speakers ON). As you watch the show, featuring actual homes we have staged, notice where and how your eye moves in and around each picture. THIS is the same thing that happens when a buyer tours a staged home that is "punctuated" with red accents.

I will be curious to know if "RED" captures your attention or not.

All in all... as experienced home stagers we have learned that the color red adds just the right snap of life, energy, warmth and excitement to even the most mundane spaces and therefore is a great color to use for home selling and home staging.


Stage It forward...
Me

If you can not see the show above CLICK HERE to find a link that will allow you to share the short "RED" show.

FEED ME SEYMOUR! It takes a lot for Home Stagers to grow Prop Inventories

Many home stager's have been taught ONLY to stage using what home sellers personally have in the way of furnishings and decorative accessories (props). This approach to staging is all well and good and at times the right solution, but also at other times extremely limiting to what would and could best serve the home seller. Why limiting? Well what if what the property that needs to be staged is a totally vacant property? Or what if the property, that needs to be staged, is occupied but still lacking in pizazz and is basically an empty home? What does the prop-less stager do if a house needs more "bling" to bring some life and appeal to it?
Houses that need life and be "propped up" to add to their sales appeal happen more than I thought they would. Realizing this, Real Estaging made a commitment 3 years ago to build a prop library… we quickly learned it would ultimately best serve our home selling clients regardless of what their staging needs were.

Currently we have just about 5000 items available in our "PROP LIBRARY"... which might at first seem like a lot. But what do we do if all of our props are out and placed in homes and a new staging job comes in that needs to be propped up? Well, we do what we have been doing for 3+ years… we go out and buy more! AND... the quality and appropriateness of what we buy is VERY important. We just can't buy shlocky junk and put it in a house and say it is “staged.” Bad props will distract a buyer’s attention from looking at the property. We know that if a stager wants to build a reputation for quality staging... they have to own and place in the home quality props.

And as important as it is to give a client the options to have the BEST that staging can offer, I have to admit owning a Prop Library sometimes feels like that voracious plant in the play The Little Shop of Horrors that screams "FEED ME SEYMOUR!"

July for us has been a CRAZY BUSY time here at Real Estaging (hence, I have had no time to write anything for my blog). And being so busy, fortunately (or unfortunately) we found that much of what we own in our inventory had already been "PLACED" out in client properties.... and we needed more!

So what did we do? We went shopping... and rung up a whopping $6,448.21 for new props for the month of July! (Brook supplies the rental furniture for our clients.) THAT was a lot of Ka-Ching for BLING! But, if we wanted the business, it is money we had to invest without immediate return. Placed props do NOT pay for themselves the first time they are placed... it takes a few flips!

Why do we invest in props when so many other stagers don't? We know having the resources that provide options and a variety level of services WILL help differentiate your staging business from other stagers in the market place. Being a one stop staging shop has helped build our reputation. But I gotta admit owning a Prop Library has at times turned our one stop staging shop into a Shop of Horrors.

Stage It Forward…
Me

Since Home Stagers Aren't Popeye, Home Sellers Don't You Be Wimpy!

When I was a little kid I used to watch the animated cartoon Popeye on Television. One of the cartoon's secondary characters was a sweet harmless lovable oaf named Wimpy. But Wimpy had a major "issue"... he was addicted to hamburgers.

Hamburgers! Hamburgers! Hamburgers!

Wimpy craved them and could not get enough of them. He would do ANYTHING for one. Even if he didn't have the money to buy one he would try to mooch money from the other characters in the cartoon so he could buy one. Wimpy is now known for his famous line, "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

So what does Wimpy have to do with Home Staging? Well, in the 3-plus years Real Estaging has been merchandising properties in Chicago and its burbs we have brought a LOT of spinach into many homes' saleability. However, being that home staging is still relatively new and misunderstood, we sometimes get asked if we would accept payment for our staging services at closing. I gotta admit EVERY time we are asked that I can't help but think of poor old Wimpy.

Why shouldn't a home stager expect to wait for payment for the services they provided until the closing? Well, it might help you to understand when to pay a stager if you look at what we do from these perspectives.

FIRST, staging services are like any other services provided by an independent contractor hired to help ready a home for its eventual sale. Would you ask or expect a painter who had painted a house, in order to get it ready for sale, to accept payment once the house is sold? Or would you ask a landscaper who trims the bushes, edges the lawn, and plants flowers to accept payment for their services once the house is sold? No! So why should a home stager expected to be paid at closing?

SECOND (and MORE importantly) is the fact that while the whole purpose of staging is to prepare a home that is for sale and IMPROVE its attraction for potential buyers... home staging does NOT guarantee the sale.

Remember, a home stager's responsibility is to prepare a house for its sale in the market... NOT SELL IT. It is the Realtor's job is to sell the property. When a stager has completed their work... the Realtor takes over to make the sale happen. As a property merchandiser, once we set a home and leave the premises, the home stager has NO control over multiple dynamics that can and WILL impact the home's sale. Dynamics such as:

• PRICE - A property that is priced too high will never sell, no matter how much staging you do.
• MARKETING PLAN - A property can be staged all nice and pretty, but if a realtor is not getting the word out on it, then staging will not help.
• INSPECTION FINDINGS - A home might look great on the surface... but lurking below a pretty surface may be an issue that ONLY an inspector will find.
• SELLER MOTIVATION - If a seller has underlying "issues" that thwarts a sale... then a sale just might not happen.
• SELLING SKILLS - Some deals are just harder to close than others and require more sales acumen. Again while the home might look great, if the Realtor is can not close deals, staging will not help.
• BUYER'S FINANCING - Stagers have not control on a buyer's eligibility or ability to secure financing for a staged home they want to buy. (So did we NOT do the job?)
• MAINTENANCE - If a home seller reverts to their pre-staged untidy cluttered ways the stagers work will be compromised. Also if a home is not kept clean... that also will undermine the positive impact a staged home can have.

So if you compelled to ask that Wimpy question... know that this Real Estaging Bluto and others will most likely reply "NO...but we do take Master Card, Visa and American Express."

And remember there is plenty of staging spinach here… to help you learn more to sell your home.

Me

Good Photography Helped National Media Tell our Staging Story

I know that at times I sound like a broken record. But this is a story that is worth repeating. In the past I have blogged about how important good photography is to tell your own staging story… but now I have proof how important is it and can do more and help you tell a BIGGER story.
National print media uses the web to search out and find good photos to use in conjunction with the feature stories they are publishing on the home staging and interior re-design.

A Few months back, Home Magazine found our the our Real Estaging website gallery and contacted us, asking if they could use photos of our home staging work for an upcoming feature story they were going to be publishing (June 2007 issue). Of course we were more than happy to help them out.

Well I gotta admit Real Estaging has come a long way. To have a ½ page photo spread as the main work featured in a national magazine for an an article on Home Staging that also quotes Donna Freeman of HGTV’s Secrets that Sell and Barb Schwarz, president of StagedHomes.com (and lets face it the grand-dame’ of home staging)… well this is quite an honor. We surely must be doing something right.

But more importantly the point I really want to make is... we shoot ALL of our home staging jobs. Right from the start, we made a commitment to INVEST in the time to completely and thoroughly photograph each and every one of our home staging project.

Over the years, with each home staging we completed and photographed, we got better and better at capturing the essence of our work. Yes, it took us awhile to learn how to use our 3 different cameras... but we have gotten pretty good at it. And we are proud to say we are ALL self taught. (Yes we read manuals!)

IN the future, there may be a time when we will have to hire a professional photographer to take our photos to the next level... but we happy to report that investing in the time to learn and do the best we can has paid off now.

Thank you Home Magazine... all of us at Real Estaging we are thrilled and honored!

This article really helps to Stage It Forward...
Me

PS: REALTORS, if you have not replied to the Real Estaging Poll on home staging, we would appreciate if you would go to our blog an do so. Just quickly select a button on the right colomn on our blog and then hit "VOTE" >>>>>.

Stone Cold Reality: Dying Dreams and Limited Opportunities

With each passing week I seem to receive more and more emails with questions from budding stagers asking me how to approach and solve a myriad of challenges and issues facing staging business. Some of what I am asked are QUITE complex concerns and take MORE than just a quick email response. Unfortunately, as I work on growing my own business, I simply do not have the time to reply. I've tried to help as many of you as I can, but I literally could have a career JUST answering the questions and solving the problems that new stagers are asking.

Dealing with all that I have been in my own business and looking at the types of questions other stagers look to me for advice on, got me to thinking that it is a stone cold reality that starting, owning and operating a successful home staging business is tough.

I have concluded that in order for individual home staging businesses to succeed, the home staging industry needs to look at itself and examine itself and correct that which it is doing wrong if it is to grow to its fullest and experience its greatest possibility.

This post (the first of a series) takes a tough look at one of the realities and dynamics many people who are entering into this industry do not take into consideration. These realities and dynamics compromise the possibility of owning and operating a successful staging business.

First, let me say I am NOT anti-education. However, as a whole, since the home staging education industry is not regulated in any manner, it makes it extremely easy for anyone to open their doors and start a home staging training program… and MANY have. With home staging training classes fetching anywhere from $2,500 to $3,000 per student for ONLY one week’s worth of training, it is not surprising to see why trainers and courses in home staging are popping up all over. The home staging training industry is a gold mine.

To keep the gold coming in, the home staging foundation training company’s have a vested interest and are quite successful at advertising to and enticing people to take their courses. Just go to any company’s website (Refer to featured list on the right hand column of this blog) and you will see courses on home staging being offered all over the USA and Canada. Plus to make it even easier some companies are offering training in the comfort of the student’s home… via the web.

Starry eyed students are buying into the dream that you can take a class in one week… and be a “professional” stager the next. The home staging training industry is a resounding success.

Unfortunately, while home staging education companies have done a GREAT job at selling the dream being a stager, they have not done an equally effective job educating the real estate community and the home seller so that they want to invest in the services of their graduates... and they have the gold to do it.

There is a huge disconnect in the market… the consumer market is not educated enough to absorb the glutton of stagers that graduate weekly from the multitude of home staging foundation courses offered nationwide.

People who invested their time, money and hearts into these courses to learn how to be a home stager are finding themselves spending a considerable amount of time and money trying to convince and educate Realtors and home sellers on the virtues of home staging. While home staging does work and is a GREAT service to offer and provide... it is NOT an easy sell.

This is not to say all hope is lost, but this is a reality. There are those who will train for a home staging career will go on to be quite successful. But, it is important for people interested in becoming home stagers to know the realities and dynamics they face. It would be great if the market for staging services was accepted and growing as fast as the market for training. However, these markets are mutually exclusive of the other. So please, do not make the mistake in believing they are one in the same.

Stage It Forward,
Me


THANKS! ABC Orlando News 9 for picking up this important post on the Home Staging Industry.

Did Barb Schwarz "INVENT" Home Staging?

Any writer will tell you that it's inevitable that as a writer you WILL come to a point where you search for that one "right word" that clearly conveys exactly what you are trying to say. Finding right words is critical to communicating an accurate message... and ultimately establishing one's credibility. Your words are a reflection of you.

So recently, as I was surfing the web, I noticed that some home staging blogs and websites cite Barb Schwarz of StagedHomes.com as the "inventor" of home staging. The more I read this the more I have to admit I thought that it was a mighty bold statement to claim that Barb "invented" the idea of a home seller proactively preparing their home to help maximize its appeal to potential buyers. This infers that prior to Barb’s 1972 "invention" no Realtor EVER had advised nor did any home seller EVER do anything to prepare or improve their home's appeal that would influence a potential home buyer's interest in a home that would cause them to then buy it.

Since I work in the Home Staging Industry and since I love words, I constantly seek out the right ones to accurately communicate what I want to write about in this industry. Seeing how this word was being applied, this got me to thinking. To help in my own understanding, I first looked up the word “invent”... wondering, what actually does it really mean? The American Heritage Dictionary's definition for "invent" is: "To produce or contrive (something previously unknown) by the use of ingenuity or imagination."

When you consider the dictionary's description of the word “invent” it makes it easy to see why it is said that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone... because before Bell's invention, there was NO such thing as a phone. Likewise, it is easy to say that Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb... because before Edison's light bulb, there was NO such thing.

Speaking of electric...what about it? Did anyone really invent electricity? Well actually… NO. Ben Franklin is recognized for discovering electricity, but he did not invent it… for electricity had been in existence forever, just not harnessed by man.

Which brings me back to staging… did Barb Schwarz "invent" home staging? Well, if I apply the definition, I guess I would have to say NO. But if Barb did not “invent” staging… what did she do? Well, I believe she "coined" a term. She gave a name to a process. Barb brilliantly assigned the “right word” to a process that savvy home-sellers had already been doing all along. "Staging" is the perfect word that clearly described the process. Barb found the the one 'right word' that easily captured and communicated a message.

Ever since Barb had her bright idea to call the process "staging", she has been a tireless champion for it... developing one of the many staging methodologies and sharing the message of the benefits of what can be gained when home-sellers proactively take steps to ready their home for it's sale. Barb is now joined by so many others stagers through out the world who continue to perfect the staging process and contribute what they know in the hope that sellers benefit and the home staging industry grows and improves.

Anyway… getting back to words, the use of the words “invent” and “staging” demonstrate how the use of the one right word can help to effectively communicate a message. So while Barb's word "staging" is masterfully on target, on the flip side, the word "invent" falls short.

Think about it… if Barb Schwarz had not come up the term "staging" who knows, I might not be doing what I do and blogging on what I blog on. Which then makes me wonder... who came up with the word "blog"?

Part 2: Click HERE for the follow up post on the controversy this post created.

Word It Forward...
Me

See this post on NBC - NEW YORK's website.

Are Model Homes Dying Design Dinosaurs?

(For a clearer larger version, click on the image above)

Every year large builder/developers all across the country invest millions of dollars to construct, design and install lovely & lush model homes. Why? It is pretty simple… models sell homes. As one would expect, a model is a great tool to help a potential buyer figure out just how to arrange and fit furniture within a prospective home. However, and more importantly, builders know a beautiful model does something else, it connects emotionally with the buyer... inviting them to a new possible "lifestyle" the might enjoyed if they bought the home.

Until recently, only larger builder/developers could justify, afford and benefit from investing significant sums of money required to create a model. But now, because of the unique approach to design that home staging offers, more and more smaller "boutique" builders have learned that experienced Home Stagers can inexpensively design and quickly install beautifully staged models that rival the über-expensive models of their larger counter parts.

However, a good thing will only stay a secret for so long, it was only a matter of time before a savvy larger builder would discover the cost effective model resource smaller builders were using... and that builder is one of the nation's largest builders, Toll Brothers. Recently we here at Real Estaging were contracted to stage a quick delivery spec home within Toll Brother’s upscale community Hawthorn Woods Country Club, located in Chicago’s far northwest suburbs.

What makes this staging story even more extraordinary is the fact that Toll Brothers ALREADY HAD a lovely & lush model for the same home we staged. Pictured above are interior photographs, taken from much the same reference point, of the both the original lovely & lush model and the staged model we designed and installed. (I am not going to tell you which is which quite yet.) While I don't know how much time it took to plan and install or how many thousands and thousands of dollars were spent on the lovely & lush model... I do know we, planned, designed and installed our staged model in ONLY 3 ½ days and all for less than $5,000. (Which also happens to include the rental fee for furniture provided by Brook Furniture Rental.)

Developers need to know that traditional designers often struggle with the staging approach, for they get caught up in trying to make too much of a design statement. The ability to create and deliver a beautiful model in a short amount of time is one of skills that makes a stager different than traditional model designers. How do we know this? We have seen it first hand observing the desingers in our sister design company (Craig Interior Design) attempt to stage. And as we all know... design time is money.

So, how will the use of home staging as an alternative to models play out in the long run? Will developers explore and take advantage of this new approach and allow their lovely & lush models go the way of the dinosaur? Well, that is yet to be determined. However, I applaud both the sales manager, Julie Tarsio, and property manager, Dan Miekina of Toll Brothers for having the foresight and innovative thinking to look at new possibilities and try new approaches, when it comes to using design as marketing tool. In the future, one wonders that if because of creative thinking like this, the vast amount of moneys builders had spent on models will be redirected into staging multiple spec homes that dot their communities, and in doing so give more homes within a development their own unique yet enticing model lifestyle image.

Stage It Forward... with ideas and information
Me

PS: Click on the image above to see a clearer larger version of the images… oh and the image in the lower left is the real-estaged model.

3 years Ago TODAY, We First Appeared on "STAGE"

Today, is the third anniversary of my first home I ever staged. So, I thought I would reveal the back-story behind my own first home staging experience and how it proved to ME that home staging really works.

Back in March of 2004, after I had completed my studies in interior design at Harrington College of Design, I was asked by a Realtor to "stage" a high rise condo in Chicago, which actually had a lot working against its potential sale. I can remember thinking... "Staging? What the heck is that?" You see at that time, I really knew NOTHING about home staging. So I researched what I could on the web. However, unfortunately at that time, there was not as much information available as there is today on sits such as in Active Rain's Stage It Forward group. But there was enough that I was able to get the "basics" of what staging is all about… which was to de-clutter and let the HOUSE be the STAR not the STUFF in it.So with this new found LIMITED information I did the next best thing I could do... I blended this new understanding with: 1.) My own life experiences of multiple moves (where my father, an account executive for United Air Lines, always had us get the house "ready for selling" each time we were transferred) 2.) My newly educated creative passion (interior design) and 3.) My professional career experiences spanning the past 20 years (sales, marketing and most importantly and helpful... advertising).

I can recall going out and buying nearly $700 worth of props for this 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo and thinking "what would I do with all these nic-nacs & fake plants when the condo sold?" But, I didn't worry too much... as I figured I could always use the after photos as part of my interior design portfolio. (Odd thing is I DON'T use these photos in either our interior design portfolio OR our staging portfolio.)

Well, anyway, the home staging not only worked... and worked FANTASTICALLY!

The property sold in 10 days, had 3 offers and sold over its original list price! While selling over list is not unheard of, what makes this QUITE unique is the fact that NOTHING had been selling it the ENTIRE high-rise for months as any new owner was going to be hit with a special assessment for new windows. In the case of this particular corner unit the special assessment was going to be an astounding $20,000!

Plus what was also working against the sale was its original kitchen (ugly dated metal cabinets) and there were OTHER units in the same tier of the high-rise with fully renovated kitchens. So you can see why I say much was working against the sale of this condo.

It is no surprise, and rightfully so, that the Listing Realtor still takes great pride in the fact that for over 2 years after it sold this unit held the selling price record for a non-renovated 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit in this condominium high-rise.

This whole experience was AMAZING to me… I learned FIRST HAND just how awesome of a marketing tool home staging can be when it comes to selling real estate.

Needless to say, I was SOLD ON STAGING in Chicago… and on that day I became a home stager and Real Estaging was born.

Stage It Forward...
Me

Wanting to Share the "GREEN"... I'm Gonna Recycle a Full-Circle Moment in My Own Life

This past November I took a business trip to China. I traveled there because the professional designer side of "me" was required; however to my surprise the personal side of "me" was profoundly impacted.

It just so happens that when I was in China, I visited both Hong Kong and a city called on the mainland called Shenzhen (which is 45 minutes away from Hong Kong via water taxi). During this trip something became quite apparent to me… Hong Kong was all about consuming, and Shenzhen was all about manufacturing. Shimmering and sparkling, yet stuffed and cluttered in EVERY nook and cranny of the streets of Hong Kong, were stores, shops and boutiques offering for sale every conceivable thing we stuff into our lives.

Oddly, in contrast, was Shenzhen, a city where pollution constantly spewed out of the thousands and thousands of factories located there. The pollution was so bad that I could literally and easily look directly into the sun in the middle of the day. Sadly, at one point we drove over a river that was so polluted it was thick and black as tar. (I am NOT exaggerating.) It is also important to note that Shenzhen is just one of the multitude of manufacturing/industrial cites throughout the world that makes the material goods we think we "need" in our consumer society.

Upon returning to the states, I started to reflect on all I had experienced and thinking about how it affects my job as a home stager… and I came to a “full circle moment” in my life.
I came to realize that in this age of consumption, it’s kind of odd that my job as a stager is to "transition" a home back to simpler view. Basic to what we do is de-cluttering the mass amount of consumer "stuff" that has built up in a seller’s house. In fact, if a stager’s work is done properly, completely and timed right, the seller can actually PROFIT from the sale of their home. It is scary to think that these “profits” then COULD then be used to go out and buy more "stuff".

But now, because of this trip to 2 cities in China… if I have it my way, people that use our home staging services will begin to look at their lives and their desire for stuff in a new way. I hope and want to show people, whose homes we transform, that a beautiful home NEVER needs to be STUFFED full of useless consumer crap. I hope to share with all our clients the fundamental lesson EVERY interior designer is thought early on in their design education... the fact that "Less is More."

For now, because of my trip to 2 cities in China, I come to realize our planet's life truly depends on less being MORE.

Green It Forward...
Me

Show Thanks & Share Your Message... in a Bubbly Way

I know I write a lot on real estate staging. But my REAL passion is marketing and advertising. I LOVE finding new ways to break through the typical "advertising noise" and connect with people in the market. (Staging happens to be an amazing tool that cuts through the noise of other ordinary properties in the market... that is why I am so committed to it.)

Anyway, a few years ago we decide to divert some of our advertising dollars out of our print media budget and find ways to connect to our clients and potential clients in more creative and rewarding way. So what did we do? We threw a small party!

Well, actually we always had a personal holiday party... we just decided to give it over to our company.

We gave the party a name "Tween the Holidays" so that ALL (regardless of religious beliefs) knew they were welcome. (We don't specify which holidays it is ‘tween... heck, we could be talking about Halloween and Valentines Day.) THEN we gave it a theme twist... we made it a Champagne Party!

The best date to have this party we found is the night right BEFORE the last work day before the New Year's holiday break. Why on this day? Because no one typically plans a party for that night, hence no conflicts. And since no one really WANTS to work the next day... our party is well attended! Last year we had over 125 people.

Providing Champagne for this many party goers could be costly venture. So to spread the expense around we ask those we invite to bring one bottle of (QUALITY) champagne. We then of course provide more drink and the food. Typically we can cover the night's food and drink for under $800... which is really not the expensive when you look at the cost of ONE 1/4 page ad in a local newspaper.

To make the party a bit more intriguing there is another fun gimmick tied to the party night. Well, we also ask that people bring and donate one champagne flute. To date we have nearly 100 different glasses in the party's collection. THIS is a great ice breaker... and a unique conversation starter.

Finally, we invite EVERYONE! Friends, clients, family, colleagues, network contacts, neighbors, potential clients... you name all are welcome! All who are invited are welcome to invite who ever they like too.

The party is starting to generate and ride on its own "BUZZ!" So to make it even better we are "giving" the party over to a local not-for-profit. Of course our name is "on" it... but someone else now can benefit too.

I share this with you all because it doesn't take much time, its effective and its fun. I hope you spin my idea in your own way to help you and your business

Stage it forward...

Craig (Me)

PS: Consider yourself invited, if you are interested in attending. Again ALL are welcome. If interested please RSVP. (I will send you the location details.)

POST SCRIPT & UPDATE:

All of us, at Real Estaging, were delighted and thrilled when Chicago Agent Magazine, Chicago's premier news & trade publication reporting on Chicago's real estate industry, choose to cover our event. I have to say that Chicago Agent Magazine has consistently been a champion for Real Estaging's success... so I don't know how to thank them enough. But I will find a way...

Anyway, here is a reprint of the photo spread that Chicago Agent published on our event in there February 12th issue.

THANK YOU so very much Jennifer Morrell, Editor. In this age where ONLY the "big dogs" seem to get all the attention, Jennifer choose to include us... a small dog of the real estate industry here in Chicago.

Plus, we would like to extend an EXTRA SPECIAL THANK YOU to Jodi Schallman, Events Photographer for the magazine. Next year, Jodi you need to come as a GUEST and let some one else shoot us... you are TOO much fun.

Me (Again)

Visting the Edge of 2 Worlds

So I have been back for a week from my trip to China...and what a trip it was. While I went there because the professional merchandising/design advice side of "me" was needed, the personal "me" was impacted.

Since returning I have been asked questions like: "How was it?" "Did you have a nice time?" "What did you think of China?' And each time I am asked, I am stumped for an answer.

Why stumped? Well the above pictures are 2 views of China I had out my hotel room windows. As I was taking them... I never realized they visually would capture the essence of my travel experience. They are "night and day images" in more ways then one.

The Picture on the Left... Shenzhen China. The Picture on the Right... Hong Kong China. Hong Kong was a glittery, fast and exciting. Shenzhen was dirty, slow and exciting. Shenzhen was about manufacturing. Hong Kong was about consuming.

It truly was a push pull experience. I left NOT knowing what to think or how to feel about my journey... but there was something that touched the core of my being.

So last Sunday I looked forward to going to church to reflect on the whole experience. That day the sermon was about childhood and adulthood... and that point in life when we crossover, loosing innocence and gaining wisdom. The edge of transition.

Shenzhen is that edge. In thousands and thousands of factories their innocent hands literally build for US the material goods we "need" in a mature consumer society. They build "stuff" they have no understanding of or need for... at least not for now.

Our world consumes what their world builds… and as they build they learn of consuming. Moving closer and closer to our world. A world I understand, appreciate, work and live in. But I have to admit sometimes I look back over the edge and wish I was a kid again.

POST SCRIPT: So what does this blog have to do with staging? Well, in my opinion quite a bit. In this age of consumption, a stagers job is to "transition" a home back to simpler view. Basic to staging is having the stager de-clutter the "stuff" that has built up in a house. Odd part of it is... if staging is done well and timed right, the seller can make more money... and then go out and buy more "stuff". hmmmm.

DRIVE-BY comment hits one of my blog posts

Well my "other" blog on Active Rain has been “hit” with a annonymous comment which is QUITE RARE on Active Rain. The hit occured last night on a blog I posted way back on August 10th entitled Stepping on "accredited/certified” stager’s toes (Click link to view blog and scroll down to read actual comment).

And while I could let just the anonymous comment sit there quietly and go unnoticed, I think it points at and speaks to the need for respecting and understanding within the staging industry and amongst staging piers.

While for the most part the Anonymous Commment was insightful from their perspective it did take a bit of a “pot shot”… regarding "those without formal training and a resource for ongoing education” they question training, abilities, success and ethics. They went on to make sure I understood who Barb Schwartz was and what Stagedhomes.com is and offers.

It is obvious that the commenter is passionate about home staging and their affilation with Barb and Stagedhomes.com and wanted to make it clear why they were so… which I TOTALLY respect.

I agree 100% with what they say about EDUCATION it can help and is WONDERFUL! I have said this over and over and over. But there is more then one place to gain knowledge and an education.

Lessons learned in a class can be applied in our life/field. But what is often forgotten is that the lessons learned in life/field are brought back to the class and IS what IS thought.

The commenter goes on to speak of Barb Schwartz and the role she has plays in the industry. I agree, since Barb coined the term “staging” she has worked tirelessly to bring it life, perfect it and create credibility for it within the Real Estate Industry. EVERY stager (good or bad) needs to acknowledge and respect that fact.

However, while the concept may not have had a name, the idea of preparing a home so that it looked it absolute best when it went up for sale, has long been in existence. To deny this fact is an insult to realtors who have done so for years.

My own training in “staging” started years ago… with every move my family made. Prior to each move, my father, a sales executive, exhaustively prepared lists of projects we had to accomplish and maintain each time we were about to sell our house. (He took the same approach to selling our used cars… we “detailed” our cars long before it was the term used to describe the process.)

So while Barb definitely “graduated” way ahead of me, I and MANY others could say we went to the same school… that school being the School of Hard Knocks for Stagers. We have learned by doing.

Again I think it bears repeating… Lessons learned in a class can be applied in our life/field. But what is often forgotten is that the lessons learned in life/field are brought back to the class and IS what IS thought.

Under the name Barb first gave it… an entire industry is rising. Now there ARE many entities offering training. One of the concerns I have is that people WILL be duped and taken by less then credible stagers and training “schools”.

Also and unfortunately, as the industry rises, there seems to be a network of feudal staging war lords who have developed their own staging kingdoms… and are right now battling it out. At times the “industry” is more focused on discrediting each other and has reduced itself into being petty bickering bunch.

I could easily take any number of course on staging… but I choose to stay non-aligned with any staging “kingdom”. I have become a LOUD voice for unity within the staging community and have found an audience among stagers who share my thoughts and hopes for an industry built out of competitive kindness. I know a healthy industry will not only benefit and protect the consumer but also those people who chose to make staging a career.

I believe that if there is to be accreditation /certification the INDUSTRY and it’s members should govern the process. It is easy for a company to say they do, it is easy for a school to say it does… but I believe an INDUSTRY (NOT JUST ONE PERSON, ONE COMPANY OR ONE SCHOOL) should dictate what ultimately constitutes accredited professionalism amongst those who call themselves “Stager”.

Some final thoughts... after reading what "Anonymous" wrote, I do not understand their need to hide. What they said was a genuinely fair assessment from their perspective.

As for my persepective, I stand with my name behind my words… even if at times that means I stand corrected.

PS: A benifit of a "drive by comment"... it sure can inspire dialogue!

I'm on the merchandising Road to Hong Kong

Well actually I am IN Hong Kong! Sitting at a desk over looking the Hong Kong Harbor. AWESOME. There is a US Naval Ship anchored here too.

WOW... this all happened in less than a 24 hour period. When I woke up last Thursday I did not expect to be flying to Hong Kong on Saturday. But I did... and here I am.

I have been here about 2 hours and I have already seen a Century 21 Real Estate sign.

Why am I here? Well, I work with an electronics company in California doing product design. They asked I come and pick colors, textures and finishes for new product release.

So what does product design have to do with staging? Well actually it is pretty simple. Whether I am staging a house or designing a product... I am considering the market and selecting and fashioning the product so what will attract the largest buying demographic.

When you come to think about it… until now the concept of product merchandising has been applied to just about EVERYTHING we buy... except for houses. Kinda odd for sure, considering buying real estate is typically the LARGEST purchase we make.

I will share more of my tales from the road when I return.