Page 33 - Custom Marketing Proposal for Your Residence

IS STAGING RIGHT FOR YOUR HOME?

REAL ESTATE STAGING (DEFINED)
Home Staging, or Real Estate Staging, is the art and science of preparing a property for
sale. Depending on the property’s condition and its target audience, the staging process
can range from just a little tweaking to enhance the space, highlight features and minimize
flaws, to major transformations. Originally developed over 20 years ago in California, staging
is now a common practice in most U.S. states, and may even be deductible from the taxable
gain in some states, as well. Statistics gathered over the years have proven that staged prop-
erties sell faster and for higher prices — especially in competitive marketplaces.
THE TOP 3 REASONS FOR STAGING TO SELL IN THIS MARKET
The moment a property goes on the market, there is a very narrow window of opportunity
in which to appeal to buyers online, generate traffic at the open house and turn that traffic
into a sale. Losing that opportunity means losing momentum, as well as potentially hundreds
of thousands of dollars down the road between price cuts and costs to carry. Here’s why:
1. Condition and Presentation Directly Affect Price
Price is largely determined by market, location, condition and presentation. While

there is nothing we can do to affect the market or location, condition and presen-
tation are factors which can be hugely improved by staging. Statistics prove that
staged properties sell for substantially higher prices, as well as far more quickly than
unstaged properties!
2. It’s a Buyers Market (and Buyers are Aware of It)!
The buyers who are ready to make a move are the ones who have been monitoring the
market for some time. They’re knowledgeable and they won’t settle for anything less
than ideal. So don’t expect them to overlook flaws, figure out space or see through
the clutter — instead, they’ll just move on to the next open house on their list.
3. Not Staging Ultimately Costs Much More Than Staging!
Sellers have over 12% of the property value at stake in just the first few months it sits
unsold. A $500K property can easily cost sellers over $60K between price cuts and
cost to carry! How about a $1.5M property? A staggering $180K! Staging is not only
mandatory in this market, it breaks even in days!
To sell fast, and for top dollar, a property needs to be:
• Priced Right for the Market
• And Staged Right for the Target Audience
Which means that the way a property shows is 50% of the total equation! With all this in
mind, the final question isn’t really whether today’s sellers can afford to stage — but whether
they can afford not to.