Staging to Sell E-Book

Barb Schwarz

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 514

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2009

Beschreibung

Home staging strategies needed to succeed in a down market Whether a buyer, seller, or real estate agent, the home selling and purchasing process is fraught with potholes that can usually be overcome. But in this weakened housing market, everyone involved in the selling process must increase their efforts. In order to sell homes at top dollar, houses must be "prepared for sales." That's where Staging comes in. The real estate mantra is no longer location, location, location. It is now Staging, Staging, Staging! It's all about presentation. In Staging to Sell, Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging¯®, offers her winning tactics, secrets, and strategies for selling a home at top dollar during these challenging times. In addition to offering specific tips on how to Stage a home, Schwarz, a sought-after speaker and Real Estate broker who has Staged and sold over 5,000 homes, provides readers, sellers, Realtors® and Stagers, with useful advice on correctly pricing properties, marketing properties so that they sell, addressing objections early on, having the seller handle the Staging before the house is viewed, and much more. Written with today's turbulent real estate market in mind, Staging to Sell contains the information readers need to get their homes Sold in the market quickly for top dollar.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

PREFACE

WHAT IS STAGING?

WHY STAGING WORKS

STAGING IN A DOWN MARKET

WHAT THIS BOOK WILL DO FOR YOU!

Acknowledgements

CHAPTER 1 - GET SET, GO !

THE RECIPE FOR A GREAT STAGER

WHAT STAGING CAN DO FOR YOU!

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF

AND NOW ON WITH THE SHOW

CHAPTER 2 - THE LET-ME-TELL-YOU-HOW-I - WORK APPROACH

IN THIS CHAPTER

TIME UP FRONT VERSUS TROUBLE LATER

THREE STEPS TO LISTING OR STAGING REAL ESTATE SUCCESSFULLY: LET ME TELL YOU HOW ...

PROFESSIONAL POLICIES

CHAPTER 3 - STEP 1: MEETING TOGETHER THE FIRST TIME

IN THIS CHAPTER

RAPPORT BUILDING WITH SELLERS

QUALIFY THE POTENTIAL SELLERS: ARE THEY MOTIVATED TO SELL?

THE SELLERS’ MOTIVATION IS KEY TO CONTROL

CHAPTER 4 - THE CAREER BOOK: THE KEY TO YOUR CREDIBILITY

IN THIS CHAPTER

CREDIBILITY

CREATING YOUR OWN CAREER BOOK

GETTING STARTED

A SIMPLE BUT CRUCIAL PROCEDURE: STARTING AND BUILDING YOUR CAREER BOOK

GUARANTEED SUCCESS

CHAPTER 5 - PROSPECTING AND USES OF THE CAREER BOOK

IN THIS CHAPTER

MARKETING YOURSELF

FINDING BUSINESS

CHAPTER 6 - STEP 2: THE EXCLUSIVE DETAILED REPORT

IN THIS CHAPTER

SETTING THE STAGE FOR PRESENTATION

CONTROL OF FLOW

LANGUAGE

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT—AND INCREASES INCOME!

THE PRESENTATION

CHAPTER 7 - THE MARKETING PORTFOLIO

IN THIS CHAPTER

THE MARKETING PORTFOLIO

THE MARKETING PORTFOLIO CONCEPT

KEEP A TOP-SELLING AGENT LIST

COMPANY ADVERTISEMENTS

RELOCATION

THE BEST IDEA FOR SUSTAINING COMMUNICATION WITH SELLERS

FORMS THAT ARE USED IN THE SALE AND CLOSING

THE EDUCATION OF SELLERS TODAY!

CHAPTER 8 - RECIPE FOR A SALE: PRICING THE PROPERTY RIGHT

IN THIS CHAPTER

SETTING THE LIST PRICE: THE INGREDIENTS OF A SALE

SUCCESSFULLY COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS, AND YOU HAVE A SALE

CHAPTER 9 - THE PRICING-YOUR-HOME TRIANGLE

IN THIS CHAPTER

THE WAY TO PRESENT COMPARABLE HOME SALES AND LISTINGS WITH YOUR SELLERS

HOW TO USE THE PRICING TRIANGLE

CONTROLLABLE VERSUS UNCONTROLLABLE INGREDIENTS

LEARN ABOUT PRICE REDUCTIONS VERSUS STAGING FROM THE BEGINNING

SETTING THE RIGHT PRICE

THE BOTTOM LINE

REFUSAL OF A LISTING

IF THE TIME ISN’T RIGHT

CHAPTER 10 - STAGING THE PROPERTY: THE OUTSIDE STORY THE OUTSIDE

IN THIS CHAPTER

THE POWER OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS

THE BUYERS’ POINT OF VIEW

TIPS ON SELLING FOR OUTSIDE OF PROPERTY

THE DIFFERENCE STAGING MAKES

CHAPTER 11 - STAGING THE PROPERTY: THE INSIDE STORY

IN THIS CHAPTER

FEARS ANYONE?

GREAT IDEA: THE CAR STORY

MY SEVEN CS OF STAGING:

THE KEY: DO IT NOW!

MY TIPS FOR SELLING

STEPS TO STAGE A ROOM

IDEAS FOR SHOWING A HOME

WORK EQUALS MORE MONEY—FOR YOUR SELLERS AND YOU!

CHAPTER 12 - STAGING COMPLETION

IN THIS CHAPTER

DON’T PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE!

DOING THINGS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

THE STAGING SHOULD BE DONE BY THE ASP STAGER, NOT BY THE AGENT

CHAPTER 13 - STAGE YOUR LIFE AND WORK, TOO!

IN THIS CHAPTER

ATTAIN SUCCESS BY GETTING YOUR ACT TOGETHER!

FOUR AREAS TO ORGANIZE

TIME MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 14 - YOUR JOURNEY TOWARD SUCCESS

STEPS FOR REACHING GOALS

LET’S REVIEW

SUCCESS!

CHAPTER 15 - THE S FACTOR:STAGING SUCCES-STORIES FROM ASPs AND THEIR SELLERS IN ...

ASP STAGING SUCCESS STORIES AS TOLD BY ASPS

APPENDIX - BARB’S REAL ESTATE WORDS AND TOOLS THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF STAGING AND THE STAGE TRADE MARK

INDEX

Copyright © 2009 by Barb Schwarz. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.

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The Creator of Home Staging® is a Federally Registered Trademark of Stagedhomes.com and

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Schwarz, Barb, 1944-

Staging to sell : the secret to selling homes in a down market / Barb Schwarz.

p. cm.

Includes index.

eISBN : 978-0-470-48808-9

1. House selling. 2. Home staging. 3. Real estate business. I. Title.

HD1379.S354 2009

333.33068’8—dc22

2009005641

I dedicate this book to the women of the real estate and Home Staging industries. You are the women who make the world of real estate go round.

Throughout my travels as I give my Home Staging and real estate training all over North America, I am blessed to meet the most beautiful, talented, graceful, and inspiring women.

You have the creativity and the mind of genius as you Stage, market, and sell homes, and consult with the sellers whom you represent and help.

This book is for you because you are a blessing to all whom you serve.

PREFACE

This book exists for one simple reason: to share my secrets for selling real estate in today’s market. These secrets are the S Factor. What is that? The S Factor is Staging.

WHAT IS STAGING?

Staging is preparing a property for sale. I call it the S Factor! And Staging helps homes sell in the shortest time and for the most money possible. But S stands for other things:

• S stands for Service. I am all about providing service to the very best of my ability. Service, service, service!

• S also stands for System. And in this book I will be sharing with you the secret of my Real Estate System that works for all involved: the seller, the Agent, and the Stager!

• S stands for Secret, too. I will be sharing numerous secrets with you that help you sell your home at top dollar, even in a weakened and down housing market.

• And S stands for sold! And sold is what you want to be. When you list your home for sale or list someone’s home for sale as an Agent or Stage someone’s home, you want it sold. That is the whole goal. So the S Factor of Staging is to get the house listing and get the home sold. That is what this book is all about.

• S is also the first initial of my last name, Schwarz. Because I really did invent Home Staging, S stands for Schwarz as well as for Staging. Many Real Estate Agents through the years have said to me, “This house has been Schwarz’d.” These are the Agents who have heard me speak and who have been in my How to List and Sell Residential Real Estate Successfully seminars across the country since 1985.

So the S Factor stands for Staging, Service, Secret, System—and Schwarz, too. Agents like to say, “May the Schwarz be with you,” which, of course, gives me lots of joy to hear.

So why is Staging still such a secret? I wish I knew. Few people—especially Real Estate Agents who should know what it is—really understand Staging. I invented Home Staging over 30 years ago as an interior designer who then went into real estate. I saw a problem with the way homes looked on the market as they came up for sale. So after many experiences, about which you will read and learn in this book, I came up with the ideas and techniques of my invention of Home Staging. In 1985, I became a professional speaker, author, and trainer, and, in addition to my writings, I have spoken about Staging with people for thousands and thousands of hours at large, anywhere I can share my message. Then in 1999, I started Stagedhomes.com as a part of my training company, Barb Incorporated. Through Stagedhomes.com, I began to train Real Estate Agents and Home Stagers to become Accredited Staging Professionals (ASPs). Agents attend a two-day course to become ASP Agents, learning my Real Estate Program. Home Stagers attend a three-day course to learn my Staging Business Model, becoming ASP Home Stagers, and they learn how to build and run a successful Home Staging business.

Staging is a part of the real estate industry, not the decorating industry. Real estate is the industry in which I invented Home Staging, and without sellers there would be no Home Staging. Without houses to sell and sellers who needed to sell them, I never would have come up with the idea in the first place. Staging, as you will see, is not decorating, and decorating is not Staging. Staging is my passion, and as much as I continue to educate people about Home Staging, there are still many myths and misunderstandings in the marketplace about it.

This book will teach you the truth about Staging and explain a proven program that works! Home Staging works

When the market is slow.

When the market is depressed.

When the market is hot.

When the market is not.

In every price range.

In every market area around the world.

With homes, condos, and even vacant land.

WHY STAGING WORKS

Staging works for one very simple reason. The vast majority of buyers can’t envision themselves in a property when they look at it. I’m talking about 80 to 90 percent of the population and maybe more! It’s just human nature! Buying property is an emotional decision for all but a few cutthroat investors, and this vast majority of buyers need help to see a house as a home they can live in. That help is Staging. Please reread this paragraph and understand its significance. This is the key to everything. It is why we Stage and why it works. It is the secret to success in real estate!

Why can’t people envision themselves in most properties for sale? Again, the emotional reaction of normal human beings makes it very difficult for them to see through the way the majority of homes on the market are presented. Most homes have too much clutter in them, are dirty, have wrong colors, and/or are cold and vacant.

Buyers need to mentally move into a property for it to become their home. I can tell you as a former real estate broker that if buyers can’t see themselves living in the space, they will walk away, even if it is the perfect place for them. I have seen buyers walk away from a great house hundreds, maybe thousands, of times. I have seen buyers who won’t even get out of my car to look at a house because they are so turned off by the street appeal of the property. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen buyers walk into a great house, take one look at the inside from the entry-way, turn to me, and say, “Get me out of here!” They wouldn’t even take a look because of the dirt or clutter!

These are the things that turn off buyers: clutter, a lack of cleanliness, bad colors, and cold emptiness.

Is the secret of Real Estate really that simple? Yes!

The trouble is that most people won’t accept that fact, especially home sellers and unfortunately many Real Estate Agents who don’t really understand the secret. If you are a homeowner reading this, you are probably saying to yourself, “Oh, this applies to other people, not me.” Sorry! Even the Taj Mahal needs Staging. Agents who are reading this are probably saying, “Oh, I know what Staging is, and I tell my sellers to clean their house and put things away.” Sorry! Most Agents don’t really understand Staging, and, worse, even if they do know what to do, they are afraid to tell their sellers! Once you really understand the secret of Staging, there is only one question: If you were going to sell a property in today’s market, why in the world wouldn’t you Stage it?!

This book shares the simple truths and design basics that will turn any house into a desirable home that buyers can mentally move into and want to purchase. All you have to do is do it!

Can I prove statistically that Staging works? Absolutely! At Stagedhomes. com we collect information from our network of Accredited Staging Professionals, who are both professional Stagers or Real Estate Agents with the ASP designation. Over the years I have seen thousands of emails with wonderful success stories from Agents, Stagers, and homeowners. In a hot market, like the one we’ve had in most market areas for the last few years, Staged homes sell for more money. On average the sale price has been up to 20 percent higher or even more. There are countless examples of homes selling for 5, 10, even 20 percent or more above similar homes in the same neighborhood or area compared to homes that were not Staged.

STAGING IN A DOWN MARKET

I wrote Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling Homes in a Down Market for today’s kind of market, whether hot or not. When the market is hot and there are not so many houses for sale, Staging helps you sell homes for even more money. In a slow market, even in a down market, the market can be flooded with houses for sale. Staging gives you the edge in a market like that, too.

Let’s say for an analogy that only 10 houses are for sale in a hot market. All 10 will sell, but the Staged Homes will sell for more money than the other houses, even though the market is hot. But in a down market, instead of 10 houses, 100 houses are for sale, and only 10 of the 100 houses will sell. The other 90 houses are used to sell the 10. Why and how? The 10 houses are sold because the buyer saw the other 90 homes that were not Staged and bought the Staged home instead.

You will hear me say many times that two things sell a home in any market, and this is of course true in a down market. One is price, and the other is Staging. So in a down market, when the prices of two homes are the same, the buyer will almost always purchase the Staged home over the non-Staged home. Wouldn’t you? A Staged home is usually better cared for, and it is easier to visualize your furniture and possessions in than the cluttered non-Staged home. And in the down market, when the prices are the same for the same houses in the same neighborhood, you would buy the house that looks better than the others. And even in a down market you may still be willing to pay a bit more to get the house you want. If you don’t believe me, just look at the pictures in this book and the real-life stories at the end of it.

Staging makes all the difference in the world, and I will prove that to you in this book in many, many ways. Selling is all about presentation in any market, and this is crucial in a down market more than ever. Staging gives you the advantage as the seller and as the Agent, and the Home Stager makes it all happen. That is why I invented the Home Staging industry, whose professionals make all the difference in the world. That is also true of real estate industry professionals, who need to work with ASP Real Estate Agents, and of Home Staging industry professionals, who need to work with ASP or ASPM Home Stagers, as well. Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling Homes in a Down Market will show you what to do, how to do it, and how to sell your home or listing in any market. You will see not only how to sell in a poor market using these ideas, but also how to sell in a hot market for even more.

More recently, in a slowed market our statistics show that 95 percent of Staged homes sell on average in 35 days or less. Homes that aren’t Staged on average take 187 days or more to sell, or they simply don’t sell at all! If you want to sell a home in today’s market it must be Staged.

This book and my program will make you money! I have made thousands and thousands of dollars for thousands and thousands of sellers, Agents, and Stagers. The program that I have developed through the years and that I am going to share with you in this book is tested and it works! It is a proven program. It is a program of great service and marketing. It works! It works in a hot market, and it works in a poor market! It works in a buyer’s market and it works in a seller’s market. It has been put to use successfully by hundreds of thousands of Real Estate Agents all across the United States and Canada in all types of markets and price ranges. It is a detailed program that brings success. You will see that this whole program is based entirely on the secrets of successful service.

WHAT THIS BOOK WILL DO FOR YOU!

I have written this book for you, whether you are a seller, a Real Estate Agent, or a Home Stager! I believe that this is the first book—ever—that has been written for all of you together: seller, Agent, and Stager. It is about time someone did it, and who could do it better than I, the creator of the Real Estate Listing and Selling Program and my Staging Secrets Program? I got to thinking one day, “We need a book that allows me to give my honest input to all parties on the listing end of real estate and have a dialog with them.” So here it is. In this book sometimes I talk with you as the seller, sometimes I talk with you as the Agent, and sometimes I talk with you as the Home Stager.

Selling a home is a joint venture. We are all needed in the process: sellers, Agents, and Stagers. One without the other is not as effective. I have written this book to show how important each role is and how interdependent all the roles are. There is a reason for each of the roles, and I do not believe in keeping ideas from one group and sharing them with another. No, there is nothing to hide here at all. The seller needs to know what I share with an Agent to see what the Agent should be doing. As a Stager, you need to know both the seller’s and the Agent’s views so that you can work with both in a productive way. Agents, you need to understand Stagers and how they really can help you and the seller. Stagers, you need to know what Real Estate Agents should be doing to serve their clients and, if not, how you need to help them understand.

Because many sellers do not receive the services they deserve at times, I have written a Seller’s Note at the beginning of each chapter. Sellers, pay close attention to these notes. The Seller’s Note feature summarizes what I believe you should know about the chapter and what to expect of an Agent and a Stager. As a seller, you have the right to know what to expect and what Agents and Stagers should be doing to serve you. That is why I have added the Seller’s Note feature. Also, Agents or Stagers, you will learn from these notes what sellers need to look for, and you will want to make sure that you fit the bill by providing what many other Agents or Stagers do not.

No one person can own the house, list the house, prepare it for sale, write the sale, do the mortgage, do the title insurance, inspect the property, appraise the house, and close the transaction. Even if one person could do all that, it would not be a good idea to try. We have specialists for a reason, and each specialist in real estate has a specific role and job to do. This is also true of the seller, the Agent, and the Stager.

Although the way the business of listing and selling real estate is done is constantly changing, one thing always remains the same: The best looking houses at the right price sell much more quickly and for more money. And the Real Estate Agents who provide the best service to clients invariably get the most business and sell the most houses. Even though we are now so computerized as houses are marketed on the Internet, agreements are faxed back and forth, and cell phones are a way of life, service and human communication can still be poor and bring many challenges our way. Service is more important than ever in the real estate industry!

Successful Agents are successful because they follow a program and constantly use it to provide good service. Most of the Agents who drop out of the business do not have or do not follow a program. Sellers get upset without great service and without proper communication from their Agents. And in slow markets, both the seller and the Agent can become very frustrated.

You are the key.

• If you are a seller, you hold the keys to decide whom you work with, how much you pay them, and what you should do to prepare your home for sale.

• If you are the Agent, you have a wonderful opportunity to use the services I share with you in this book and to be rewarded well for doing so.

• If you are a Home Stager, you are needed by both the seller and the Agent in today’s market, and you too hold great keys as to how fast the house may sell and how much it may sell for, as you Stage the property for sale.

As the inventor of the Staging Industry and having devoted my whole life to it, I am told daily that the industry is literally changing the entire world of real estate in a very positive way. I want to help you change your life, too, by understanding and seeing the benefits of Home Staging as a seller, as an Agent, and as a Stager.1

In this book, I am going to put you to work, no matter what role you play in selling a home. I believe that too many people in the real estate industry are not prepared, whatever their role. Too many sellers do not know what to do as they bring their homes on the market for sale. Many people act out of the fear that they will not be able to do what they need to do. Many sellers do not know how to work with Agents or what to expect from them. Agents, in turn, are often not prepared enough to provide what sellers need today. Therefore, no matter which role you are in, I am going to ask you to become better prepared than ever before. This is going to mean exploring some new ideas and using new tools that will well serve you well.

I want to raise the level of awareness and the degree of use of Home Staging to sell homes in today’s market and in any market. To sell a home for top dollar in any market, you must prepare it for sale. Selling is all about presentation, and presentation is Staging, and Staging is the name of the game. In a way, real estate can be like a game, and the winners are the owners of Staged homes. Don’t gamble in any market by just “trying it,” that is, coming on the market overpriced and not Staged. Today’s market is not the market to try that. Selling in a down market means that you are priced at or better than the market and that your home or listing is Staged! The secret to selling homes in a down market is Staging!

As I have said all these many years in my real estate, Home Staging, and trainer/speaking careers: “The home becomes a house and the house becomes a product because that is where the money is!”

Selling a home for top dollar and Home Staging go hand in hand. One cannot happen without the other.

Now, let’s get going to learn the secrets of the S Factor!

BARB SCHWARZ

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to acknowledge all of the Real Estate Agents and the Home Stagers who have taken my ASP courses and who have become ASPs!

You are the now and the future of Home Staging. I rely on you, through your daily work, to help me carry out my work and vision and mission.

As ASPs, you are the leaders of the industry. I thank you and admire you for becoming ASPs. I truly believe that something special in you saw the specialness in Home Staging and the magic and miracles that it creates.

I congratulate you and honor you and acknowledge you for who you are.

You are the key to the future.

B.S.

CHAPTER 1

GET SET, GO !

It begins with one single step.

BARB SCHWARZ

SELLER’S NOTE

In this chapter you will read about the importance of the Agent’s or the Stager’s sharing the truth with you. At first glance you may say, “Well, of course, people share the truth.” In general, people do tell the truth. I am not suggesting at all that they don’t. What I am saying is that people often don’t want to hurt others’ feelings, so it is much easier for an Agent—especially Agents—or Stagers not to tell you something that they think you don’t want to hear. You the seller need to make it clear to these professionals that you want to hear the truth, not something that they think you want to hear. True professionals come from that place. The key is that they would rather walk away and not serve you rather than tell you something that isn’t true. This is especially pertinent in pricing a home or in Staging a property. So read, take note, and make sure that you make it clear as a seller that you want to know what is actually taking place in the market—and then be ready to hear it because sometimes it is as tough to hear the truth as it is to tell it. And selling a house for top dollar in any market takes speaking the truth about market conditions, appropriate pricing for the property, and what needs to be done to have the property Staged for sale so that it sells!

Whether you are a seller, a Real Estate Agent, or a Home Stager, I ask you, “Do you want to make more money in real estate?” I can hear your answer—a resounding “yes.” That’s good, because you are looking in the right place. This book can help you make a lot more money than you are now making—if you will trust the ideas and techniques that I will share with you and apply them. You may be saying, as a seller or an Agent or a Home Stager, “Is this a good market to sell in?” My response is always, “Yes, it is a good market to sell in because it is a good market to buy in!”

These techniques work, if you are you are willing to work. And they do take work. There is no other way. They take rolling up your sleeves and digging into projects and marketing to get the property sold. Sellers, as you do your homework to find the right Agent and Home Stager, you will earn the equity that is there for you. Just living in a certain city, state, or country does not mean that we automatically get to sell our house for more money. It takes time and work on your end as a seller, and it takes time and work by the Agent and Home Stager, too.

Agents, my complete philosophy is to serve the seller—first, last, and always! If you do that, the money will follow because, just as sellers receive their equity at closing, you will earn the commissions that you deserve.

Home Stagers, your role is crucial. You provide the creative third eyes that are vital to preparing homes for sale. Too many sellers are overworked and stressed by life today and selling a home at the same time, too; so as a Stager your role is to bring in your creative talent so that the house shows at its very best from the first viewing until the close of the sale.

Now, a lot of real estate salespeople in the real estate industry are doing things the same way they have always done them. For years, Agents have walked into properties, looked around, and said, “Well, gosh. I think you can get about $400,000 for this home. I’m sure I can sell it. Sign here and I’ll put an ad in the Sunday paper.” The sign goes in the yard, the ad shows up in the Sunday paper, and that’s what they call marketing. Those days must come to an end.

When I got into the real estate business many years ago, I saw what I still see today in many cases: a lack of service. I saw that a lot of people did little to market properties they had listed. Unfortunately a lot of Agents in this business still continue to approach real estate that way. But the true professionals in real estate know that the secret to success in our business is to serve the seller—first, last, and always—and to be creative in doing so.

It is called marketing—marketing, marketing, marketing. And Staging is a very critical marketing tool, especially in today’s difficult market!

THE RECIPE FOR A GREAT STAGER

Did you know that Real Estate Agents do not have a very good reputation? In a survey conducted by George Gallup Jr. and reported in the Los Angeles Times, people were asked how they viewed the honesty and ethical standards of those in various careers. The results of the survey indicated that out of 25 occupations across the country, Real Estate Agents rated among the bottom five. As far as the public is concerned, when it comes to honesty and ethics, we rank right down there with used car and insurance salespeople! This is amazing but true.

I believe a lack of service has cultivated that poor reputation. So the best way to wipe out that poor image is to give sellers and buyers more service than ever. Let me ask the Agents reading this book. Do you work long hours in this business? Of course, you do! Do the sellers you represent know everything you do for them? No, they do not because many times we simply don’t tell them! Somehow we expect sellers to know many of the ins and outs of real estate, and, although most sellers think they know how the real estate market works, most really do not and need our guidance. My strong contention, throughout this book, is that we need to educate our sellers as to how we work and what we do for them. The key is to tell them up front. Sellers have the right to know, and you have the obligation as an Agent to tell them.

Good service gives any Agent the edge, and it gives the home owner and house a much better chance of selling, selling more quickly, and selling for more money. And the best service you can provide to a seller is to make sure that the seller’s home is prepared for sale.

I believe good service is the difference between a good Agent and a poor one, between a successful Agent and a struggling one. If you want to be ahead of the game, serve your sellers professionally and efficiently. I have developed a simple but comprehensive three-step program that can help you do just that. It starts with service when you first meet your potential sellers and goes all the way until the sale closes. And your sellers deserve that kind of treatment.

Leadership is also important. As an Agent and as a Stager, you have to be in the role of leadership; that is what you are being paid to do: lead. To be able to serve your sellers to the best of your ability, you must have control of the situation, in much the same way you have to let your doctor have control over you in order to help you when you are sick. Now, when I talk about control, I’m not talking about being mean or rude; that’s not what I mean at all. “Control” doesn’t need to be a negative word. Control simply means managing the situation. Control is taking on the role of leadership. And sellers want to work with Agents and Stagers who know what they are doing and who show that they know what they are doing. For if the Agent and Stager cannot lead, then there is little chance that they will lead the buyer as the Agent or the Staging as a Stager. Leaders and persons who are passionate about what they do are the types you want on your side. I’ve never met a seller who wanted to work with a dud!

As a real estate professional, you can’t do your best job or best work if you don’t act as a leader. You need to price the home to sell in order to get top dollar for the seller. That means working to price the property right, making sure that the home is Staged to sell, and directing the marketing process so that the sale will go smoothly and quickly to bring the best price possible for the seller. That is why sellers hire you!

Control is necessary, but many of us lack it when we work with prospective sellers. We are afraid to control, mainly because we fear it will cost us the listing. We assume our potential sellers will react negatively and that we might therefore lose a listing. I know. I learned all this the hard way.

WHAT STAGING CAN DO FOR YOU!

Experience is the best teacher. There is therefore a lesson to be learned behind everything I’m going to share with you in this book. Those lessons have come from mistakes that I have made. Actually, I don’t believe there is any such thing as a failure. Rather, I have learned from the mistakes I have made, and so I call them “experiences.” I have worked hard to correct my mistakes and to put what I have learned from them to work in my business. Some of the experiences I am going to share with you come from the times I didn’t do so well. At such times, I would say to myself, “I’m not going to let that happen again. I fell flat on my face.” I learned it all the hard way most of the time, and yet the key was to persevere and to keep on going. The key was to say to myself, “What went well in this experience, what will I do differently next time, and how will I do it?” Specifically, I had to tune into the how and to keep at it until I came up with the ways that allowed me to serve sellers better and be more successful for them and with them. In sharing this information with you, I want to save you from those poor experiences, whether you are a seller, an Agent, or a Home Stager.

I am going to show you the ideas and techniques that I have developed over a long period. They are ideas that work, ideas that can save you a lot of learning time, and ideas that can definitely make you more money!

This book will teach you ways you can work and get the property sold and to do so in a way that the house should sell more quickly and/or for more money, no matter what the market is doing. And that should make you more money in any role you choose:

1. Addressing objections before they come up. If we head off an objection before it comes up, we’re not going to face an objection. If we put the seller’s mind to rest before the objections ever come up, then we are not going to have to deal with them! I do not believe that people have objections anyway; they have concerns. Treating objections as concerns places the professional and the seller in a more positive place, instead of a state of fear of—“Oh god, what will they bring up next?” Concerns it is, not objections. Say the two words yourself, and see which feels better to you depending on which role you are in.

2. As professionals, developing your ownCareer BookandMarketing Portfolio. These tools are priceless for Agents and Stagers when it comes to creating credibility, educating your seller, and answering concerns long before they are expressed. As a seller, you want and need to see what the Agent and Stager are going to do for you and what they bring to the table.

3. Sharing many of my phrases or sayings that are absolutely dynamite in defusing concerns before they come up. My Staging sayings have built an industry; I am told so all the time.

4. Getting the seller to prepare the home for sale, that is, to get it Staged. This can be a tough one for many Agents. It is important that sellers know that a lot of Agents don’t know what to say or how to say it because they are afraid they are going to hurt someone’s feelings. Many Agents don’t know what to tell sellers to get their property ready to sell. My contention is that when Agents list property, their job is to say, “Here is what we need to do, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, to get your property ready to sell.” We are talking about marketing probably the most important product in your life: your home. Sellers look to Agents for guidance as to how to do that. I strongly believe that teaching the seller the benefits of Staging is crucial! The Agent’s job is to teach sellers why they should Stage, and the Stager’s job is to Stage the property. Stagers should always be part of the selling process. Remember, even used car dealers Stage their merchandise. The key is to teach the sellers why Staging is important and then get the house Staged to sell it. Don’t worry: Whichever role you are in, by the time you finish this book you will know how to Stage a property inside and out!

5. Pricing the property correctly. Two things sell a home: Staging and price. Staging, I believe, is the greater of the two factors. However, a property that looks attractive also has to be priced right. If it is priced way, way too high for the price range of the neighborhood, how good it looks may not matter. Pricing in this market is no different than pricing in any market. People think that you price the property differently depending on whether the market is slow or fast. No, you price it in the same way; that is, you price it in the context of the surrounding market. Value is value, but it is not the appraised value or the seller’s perceived value. It is the market value, the price that will sell the house in the current market. Every property will sell when it reaches the right price for the market it is in, and Staging helps immensely by presenting the property at its best. Although pricing is crucial, price the property according to the market value and in consideration of its being Staged. (I have seen homes sell for tens of thousands more than the neighbors’.) However, be aware that traditionally there still is a ceiling for each neighborhood. We have to have price and Staging working in balance for the current market. So, I have come up with some definite techniques and tools that will help you get that property priced right.

6. Marketing the property to get it sold! We can go through all the other goals, but if we don’t do the marketing we should do, we may not get it sold. You can have the greatest house in the world, but if no one knows about it, then what good is it? One of my goals in this book is to give you a total marketing package, combining the strength of my many marketing techniques. And marketing in a slow market requires some extra marketing ideas—not the same old put-the-sign-in-the-yard-and-sell-the-house routine. I don’t believe in that approach anyway. It takes way more than that in a slow market, and sellers deserve more marketing than that even in a hot market.

An Agent once complained to me in a slow market that Agents were not even coming to her broker’s open house; I recommended doing things that would get them there! I said to hire a belly dancer if she needed to—just get the Agents to her broker’s open house. She said, “Oh, you must be kidding!” I said, “No, I am not kidding. I have done that myself, and that alone brought Agents to the house just to see the dancer. It worked, too, because one of the Agents who came later came back with buyers in hand and sold the house!” In slower markets creativity has to be the playing card used the most to get Agents and buyers there. As long as it is legal, moral, and ethical, be creative and think of ideas that will bring Agents and buyers to the house. Of course, have the house Staged. I assure you that the belly dancer house was Staged to the hilt, and the gimmick worked because the house was Staged. Belly dancer or not, if it had not been Staged, the Agents might have come to see the dancer, but the house would not have sold because it was a slow market and the Staging combined with the marketing got the house sold!

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF

Now, before we go on, I would like to tell you a little about my background. After all, we are going to have a special relationship as you read my book, and I think it is important that you know a little bit about where I came from and my background. After I graduated from high school in Kansas, which is where I grew up, my family moved to Seattle, Washington. I earned a degree in education, with a major in music and a minor in design from the University of Washington, and went on to teach elementary school in the Bellevue, Washington, public school system.

What does all that have to do with real estate and listing residential property? More than you might think. Even though we don’t usually associate teaching with real estate, a lot of the techniques and ideas that I am going to share with you in this book are adapted from skills I developed during my teaching days. When I left teaching, I ran my own interior design business. That was my minor in college. For about five years I worked with single-family home owners, helping them design and decorate their homes. I also worked with builders and owners of commercial and multifamily housing. When we get to the section in this book on ways to improve the condition of a property, please don’t say, “Well, Barb can do that because she has a design background.” Actually, the things I am going to share with you have nothing to do with design. Design or decorating is not Staging. I will show you how to create more space and less clutter so that the buyers can mentally move into a potential home when they first see it.

After several years in design, the wonderful world of real estate came along for me. One day I happened to be calling on a real estate broker, and he said to me, “Why aren’t you in real estate?” All I could say to him was, “Gosh, I love homes. I used to hold open houses for builders in Kansas when I was in high school. I’ve thought about getting into real estate but I’ve never done anything about it.” He looked me square in the eye and said. “It sounds to me like you are procrastinating.” When he said that, his words hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks! I headed out the door and didn’t look back. I applied for my license, passed the test, started in this fantastic business, and have loved it ever since. It was one of those moments that can change your life forever, and that moment changed mine.

During my first 18 months in real estate—and this may shock you—I didn’t get one of my listings sold. Not one! All the listings I had were overpriced and did not look very good. After a while I started to realize that the real money makers in the business were listing Agents and that if I were to become successful in the listing game I had to come up with a better way to get my listings priced right and prepared for sale to come on the market. I also really enjoyed working with sellers. I decided one of the reasons I enjoyed working with them was that they put their names on the dotted line. They made commitments to me, and they made them in writing. I knew if I worked hard, they were going to stick with me, and I, for sure, was going to stick with them!

Now, you may say to yourself, “This woman couldn’t sell her own listings, how does she plan to tell me how to list and sell the property?” Remember what I said earlier: You are going to benefit from my mistakes. And I made a lot of mistakes in that first year and a half. I spent a lot of time hitting my head against the wall and saying to myself, “There’s got to be a better way.” What I am telling you is that I developed this program in the streets, that is, working with sellers. No matter what happened—or didn’t happen—I was responsible to my sellers. I thought, “Hey, Barb, you haven’t been very honest with these people. You didn’t lie to them, but you also didn’t tell them the truth. You listed at what they wanted for a price instead of at the price that would get the house sold in the current market.” So the sellers’ houses just stood there waiting, and as I know and say now, “Longevity on the market means one thing: reduction in price.”

I also thought, “You didn’t tell them what you thought they should do to prepare their house for sale. You didn’t want to hurt their feelings. You were afraid you wouldn’t get the listing.” If you are an Agent or a Stager, does any of this sound familiar to you? So, I made a commitment to myself, to my sellers, and to all the people who would be my future sellers, which I have stuck by all these years: No matter what, I am going to tell all my sellers the truth.

You need to be honest. Whether you are a Stager or an Agent, you need to tell sellers the truth. As I said to my sellers as an Agent, “There are Agents out there who will tell you what they think you want to hear, and I really believe in sharing the truth that you deserve to know.” You don’t have to take a listing. As a Stager you don’t have to take the Staging either. No matter what, don’t be afraid to be honest with your sellers. Sellers will appreciate your honesty when you point out to them that you are being honest for their own sake.

So I started to be truly honest with people. Guess what happened? I came up with the idea of Home Staging based on my experiences in the theater productions I had been in. I began to appreciate that:

• Just as we set the Stage for each act in each play and musical, so, because each home is different and each room is different, we need to set the Stage for the buyers looking for their future home.

• The seller is the producer, the other Agents are the critics, the buyers are the audience, and I am the director.

It worked! Little did I know that I had invented an industry and would be now writing this book for you many, many years later. At that point I started to get my listings priced right and prepared for sale, coming up with the ideas I called Staging, and the houses sold! My sellers started to get their equities. With each listing I came up with even more effective techniques!

These same techniques are going to make you more money, and they are going to make your role as a seller easier or your career as a Real Estate Agent or Stager more enjoyable. Everything you learn in this book you can apply to your own business and life. People come up to me during my seminars and tell me how easily they have been able to work my program into their own careers. They say to me, “It works!” And it can work for you too.

AND NOW ON WITH THE SHOW

I want you to enjoy this book and to learn things you can use. But there is something else I ask you to do.

I am going to ask you to make some commitments and then hold yourself accountable. Commitment and accountability bring results. Make the commitment, hold yourself accountable, take the steps of action to bring you what you want, and get results. There is no way that it won’t happen.

Have a positive attitude in all that you do, and the ideas I share with you here will work. You will also be making a difference by doing so in your life and in the lives of others.

Give it a go. Now, on with the show!

CHAPTER 2

THE LET-ME-TELL-YOU-HOW-I - WORK APPROACH

People don’t know what you don’t tell them.

BARB SCHWARZ

SELLER’S NOTE

As a seller, you want to know what people will do for you ahead of time! As simple as that sounds, many Agents do not tell people what they will do to sell their house. It is easy for Agents just to have sellers sign the listing papers without presenting a marketing program. First, you want to hear what is explained in this chapter from an Agent or Stager. If you don’t hear it up front, good luck hearing it later on. So this chapter is about the right and the importance of your hearing what the Agent and Stager will do for you and for you to be educated in the beginning by the people who serve you. Without this initial communication, you can bet that there will be little later on. Both the Agent and the Stager should be sharing with you what steps they will do to serve you. From that point, seeing it in writing is the next step. But first let’s talk about their educating you verbally; then we will get to the in-writing part in another chapter.

IN THIS CHAPTER

You will learn:

1. What the let-me-tell-you-how-I-work approach is, how to use it, and why it works.

2. How to use this method to find prospects.

3. That control equals education, that is, education will give you control!

4. My exclusive listing program, which you should do for all sellers!

5. How and why to develop your own professional policies.

People often ask me, “Barb, where do you find business? Where do you go to find prospects and the people who want to sell?” Well, the answer is easy. Prospects are everywhere! I’m serious. With the right approach, prospects will find you. They will practically fall out of the trees and hit you on the head if you know how to shake the branches a little.

I have a special technique for finding prospects everywhere I go. I call it the let-me-tell-you-how-I-work approach. It really is as simple as it sounds, and it really does work! You just tell people who you are, what you do, and how you do it. It is amazing how few people actually know what real estate Agents and Stagers do. Because most Agents don’t tell clients what they do, it is even more important for you to learn and use the program I’m about to give you. Whether you are an Agent or a Stager, you must let people know who you are, what you do, and how you and your service are so different from all the rest. The more people you tell, the more business you will have. Remember, the public put real estate salespeople in the bottom five of trustworthy professions. By educating people about who you are and what you do, you open yourself up to an almost endless source of prospects by showing how professional you are. By taking just a few minutes to give them an overview of your service, people say, “Wow, you do all that?” They will tell other people about you, and they will remember you when they are ready to sell or buy their homes. And by telling this to everyone everywhere, you show that your sellers will also benefit because you will attract more buyers for your sellers’ homes. So tell people up front, “Let me tell you how I work.”

I use that exact phrase when I am on a call, meeting someone in an open house, or meeting anyone, anywhere, any time. If you don’t share with your future clients up front how you work, all their assumptions about you will be based on the experience they had with the last person they worked with, and that may not have been a good experience. Don’t take the chance of letting your reputation be based on that encounter.

Most Real Estate Agents or Stagers introduce themselves by saying their name and the name of their company: “Hello, my name is Barb Schwarz, and I work for Barb Schwarz Real Estate.” From now on, please don’t stop there. Instead, say your name, the name of your company, and follow that immediately with, “Let me tell you how I work.” Then give them a quick oral outline of the services you’ll be performing for them.

In fact you need a 60-second commercial that you have written and know by heart. You need to know it inside and out and be able to say it at a moment’s notice. In fact you need a 30-second version, a 60-second version, and a 2-minute version, and you need to know them all so that you can share your important points in those different time frames as they arise. Sellers, when you talk with an Agent or Stager, make sure that you are hearing this commercial. If professionals don’t tell you in the beginning how they work, they may never ever tell you in the end. That would not be a good thing at all. As a seller you want to hear, “Let me tell you how I work” from the Agent and the Stager you are talking to and may work with!

TIME UP FRONT VERSUS TROUBLE LATER

Some Agents actually believe it is a waste of time to educate sellers up front as they list homes. Yet investing more time with your sellers initially can save you a lot of problems later; your seller deserves to know. And as a seller you deserve and need to know. The time invested in up-front communication gives you the opportunity to educate your sellers about how you work and why they must trust you as a professional. This is crucial for working together, for setting the correct price, for Staging the home, and for marketing the property to get it sold. By getting to know each other you and the seller can learn whether you can work together as a team. Many benefits will show up, both early and later, if you invest more time up front with the sellers. For both of you, it is so much better to invest time up front than having to deal with problems later.

I know that, when you educate sellers up front, they will feel that they can give you the reins of leadership to get the job done. Remember, I’ve proved this fact by learning the hard way. In any relationship, one of the parties usually needs to have control to make the relationship work. This is true in a doctor-patient relationship, accountant-client relationship, Stager-client relationship, and the Real Estate Agent-seller relationship. Remembering this phrase (let me tell you how I work) will help you with all aspects of your career. Also memorize one of my favorite sayings:

I’m talking about educating your sellers and doing it up front! If later in the listing process you have trouble getting the sellers to price the property right or getting them to Stage the home, either they really don’t want to sell or you didn’t educate them enough up front.