Business Talk
Welcome to Business Talk, where we dive deep into the stories behind the businesses that shape our communities. We bring you conversations with inspiring entrepreneurs who share their journeys, challenges, and the unique value they bring to their customers.
In this podcast, we explore the passion and vision behind successful businesses, uncovering the secrets to their success and learning about the innovative products and services they offer. Whether you're a fellow entrepreneur looking for insights or simply curious about the businesses in your area, this podcast is your go-to source for inspiration and practical advice.
So, sit back, relax, and join us as we explore the dynamic world of business, one story at a time."
Business Talk
Your Home's First Impression Could Be Worth Thousands More
The difference between a house that sits on the market and one that sells quickly often comes down to first impressions. In our conversation with Jolynne Mora, founder of Elements Home Staging LLC, we uncover the strategic art behind preparing homes to captivate potential buyers from the moment they scroll through online listings.
Jolynne shares her journey from stay-at-home mom to certified home stager, revealing how she's built a successful business transforming occupied homes into market-ready properties. "I turn grandma's house into a grand masterpiece," she explains, highlighting her specialty in working with homeowners who are still living in their properties during the selling process. Her approach isn't about criticizing current decor but reimagining spaces to appeal to the broadest range of potential buyers.
We dive deep into why staging matters, with Jolynne drawing a crucial distinction: "Buyers aren't purchasing your home – they're buying a lifestyle." This perspective explains why living rooms, kitchens, primary bedrooms, and dining rooms deserve the most attention during staging. These spaces allow potential buyers to envision morning coffees, family dinners, and quiet evenings in what could become their new home. Jolynne also cautions against virtual staging, comparing it to online dating where the in-person experience often disappoints after seeing enhanced photos online.
The results speak volumes – Jolynne's staged homes consistently sell faster and often above asking price. For anyone considering selling their home, this episode provides invaluable insights into how strategic staging transforms not just how your property looks, but how potential buyers feel when they step through the door. Ready to maximize your home's selling potential? Listen now and discover how the right staging approach could add thousands to your final sale price.
Hey, welcome back everyone to the Business Talk, the show, where we dive into the businesses and industries that keep our world moving forward. I'm your host, Didier, and in today's episode I'm speaking with JoLynn Mora. She owns a company called Elements Home Staging LLC and I think, listeners, you're going to really learn a lot when it comes to interior decorating and staging in your home.
Speaker 2:So with that, being said, how doing joe lynn? Hi, I'm doing good. How are you?
Speaker 1:I'm doing awesome. Thanks for asking so, listeners. In each episode, our guests share practical tips and valuable advice that can help you navigate life and stay ahead in your own journey. So so, if you're enjoying this content, make sure you like this video, subscribe to the channel, stick around at, you know, towards. Stick around during this episode because Jolynn's going to have a couple stories to kind of share with us, and we all love stories, don't we listeners? And it's all right, jolynn, awesome. So, with that being said, we're going to kind of go into and learn about a little bit about the background, as well as staging and strategy, some stories, virtual staging. So, with that being said, let's go ahead and dive into what led you into the world of home staging.
Speaker 2:Well, if you would have asked me 20 years ago that I would be sitting here with you today doing this, I would have had no idea. Isn't that what everybody says when they start their journey? So actually, I just celebrated my three year anniversary in May.
Speaker 2:Well congratulations, thank you, and honestly, I really what got me started? I had worked in several furnishing stores over the years. I was a stay-at-home mom from 2003 until my kids hit middle school and by the time you know, one's already graduated in college, and this last one, my second one, graduated this year, and so a couple of years ago, in 2022, is when I opened my business and I just needed and wanted something for myself. You know what's life going to be like after they leave the home, or you know on their own journey Right.
Speaker 2:So I had owned previously a business. I had owned previously a business and while I was working in one specific store, slightly after the pandemic and the kids went back into school, I just was working pocket money, you know something, and just to keep myself up. You know, as a human, you know to do something Anyway, and I love helping people pick out decor for their home.
Speaker 2:And so around that time I had a conversation with a longtime family friend who's an interior designer. Like what can I do? And she's like, go get certified under the interior design program at Seminole State College for the residential staging certification and you're going to love it. So I did that, graduated in May and haven't looked back.
Speaker 1:Awesome. That's such a that's such a great story. So you know, and I know, a lot of our listeners are wanting to be entrepreneurs or business owners as well, and they all have a story, too, which resonates, and your story should resonate with them as well. So why is staging home staging so important in the home selling process? So why is staging?
Speaker 2:home staging so important in the home selling process? Very good question. So I would say first, there's several. There's many reasons why it's important. Because, one, we're talking about a marketing strategy. So when I became a residential staging specialist, aka home stager, I also became a visual marketing specialist. Why? Because we're visually marketing homes. And there's several reasons. The ones that I like are first impressions are everything right.
Speaker 1:Good point.
Speaker 2:We don't always get a second opportunity, not without a thoughtful you know. Let me revisit that. And where do buyers look first? Online. So buyers scroll first, they scroll fast, and online photos are your very first opportunity to introduce your home and that's that very first impression to introduce your home, and that's that very first impression. And so, whether the homes are staged or not staged, it's what turns a scroll into a save or a bye-bye or a scheduled showing, and so it gets that foot traffic, it helps buyers see potential and, um, it creates an emotional appeal.
Speaker 1:So I like that, you know, and when you're, when you're talking about online, let's, let's go into virtual staging. How is that? How has that evolved over the years?
Speaker 2:well, you know, technology has evolved and so has virtual staging, and so I kind of struggle with virtual staging. I totally understand why it's done and again, you know, as I've mentioned to you before, I don't ever want to crash anybody's dreams or hopes. I consider it to to be more of a negative aspect on home staging because one it's like a online dating. So it's online dating, the house looks great in pictures, but then when you go to visit it it's a great big disappointment. Things aren't what they seem, and I've talked to buyers about this many times, just running into people here or there and they're like we visited a house and it just it was not what we expected it, and we were so disappointed. And I talked to realtors they'll call me JoLynn. I staged a virtually staged a home and it's not selling. Can you come and help us? And so the other aspect is the scale and the proportions, for virtual staging doesn't really give an accurate description of how you can really fit that space.
Speaker 1:Very good, very well stated. Fit that space? Very good, very well stated. You know, when we're talking about home staging, what are some of the most important rooms when it comes to home staging that you kind of want to share with our listeners.
Speaker 2:So some of the most important rooms and I think NAR just brought out their snapshot, their 2025 snapshot, and they have, you know, a graph of scale and they did a poll to realtors and the top room is your living room, followed by the kitchen, the primary bedroom and the dining room, and those are all really our four main living areas. And so obviously, you know, this is another reason and it kind of flows through every question is you're trying to create the appeal and you're trying to create an emotional connection with those buyers. So what do you do when you walk into Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma or Ashley's or whatever, you're bringing in all that energy, you're bringing in all of that texture and feeling and like, oh my God, I can see myself sitting on this couch and you know, I can see myself in this decor and I can see myself in a certain lifestyle. And so when they see the living room in the kitchen, kitchen where they can cook their family meals and sit at the dining room, they're buying a lifestyle. They're not buying the seller's home.
Speaker 1:I like that Buying a lifestyle and not buying a seller's home.
Speaker 2:Well, if we think about it, that's really why builders have model homes, because they know we're what we buy with our emotion when we go into the mall or the or some model home. What are we doing? We're shopping with emotion. What is our lifestyle. How do we want to look, how do we want to feel when it comes to a long day at home? How do we want to live our life? And you know, sunday night football, reading, a reading with the kids and playing play-doh.
Speaker 1:Or having a cup of coffee on the patio right Yep.
Speaker 2:Or a romantic evening with your spouse. I mean it's all about the lifestyle.
Speaker 1:So I know we were talking about this earlier, prior to the episode. What about some stories you would like to share?
Speaker 2:So well, I think that some stories. But first of all, I actually specialize in occupied staging. So I've worked with a lot of people and worked with a lot of homes that are lived in. So I make them those lived in homes list ready. I turn grandma's house into a grand masterpiece, so to say, and I don't necessarily say your decor is wrong when I go in there because it's not, this is what you like as a seller. But now we're moving, we're moving forward, we're leaving. So I think what we need to remember like that, let's say they can. The house is in DeLand and Wintergarden.
Speaker 2:I've had a lot of successful stories. They sell faster. They've sold for above asking, whether that's 500 or 5,000 or more above that asking price. Those are the important things to consider when home staging. How long are they on the market? And so I love people and I've had some pretty interesting, lovely families that I get to work with and enjoy as I go through this process with them. But yeah, those stories are always amazing, beautiful, beautiful families over asking, and I cannot tell you how pleased I am after with the results.
Speaker 1:Well, you know you provide a great service. So, with that being said, you know that's, that's part of what you do. You know what I mean. So what staging trends are you seeing, because every industry has trends right that are coming into play. What kind of trends are? What say you regarding your business in this market today?
Speaker 2:So I. So, when it comes to trends, staging trends I I'm I'm going to say like maybe there's more design trends. Like I said, each stager has their own design style, their own color palette and how they stage in their own business. I try to keep things neutral, classy, with a pop of color, and Decorize. If you're interested in interior design, which is basically a slightly different than staging, because you know you're putting personality in with design, you're taking it out with staging. You're using the same process, though in order to style the home, but the current design trends are terracottas coming back out, your warm brown tones, your wood textures, kind of like modern, organic in a way.
Speaker 1:Modern organic. That's awesome. I've never heard that before. So, with that being said, I mean you've provided so much information and I can tell that you're very passionate about what you do, and sharing this information with our listeners is priceless, of course. Could you provide our listeners a way to get ahold of you, maybe your phone number and your website? As we wrap up and, by the way, subscribe listeners if you like this, please comment in the comments below as well as subscribe to the channel and give us a thumbs up as well.
Speaker 2:So you can find me on Instagram and Facebook Elements Home Staging on Facebook. Elementshomestaging on Instagram. You can find me, jolynn Mora, on LinkedIn. Wwwelementshomestagingcom is my website and, of course, 407-832-1028 is my phone number. Call me well, jolene.
Speaker 1:It's been such an honor to have you. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to share with our listeners your passion when it comes to home staging, and hopefully we can have you back on the show in the near future.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me. I so appreciate the opportunity and this was an awesome time. Thank you.
Speaker 1:You're very welcome. Thank you for tuning in to First Media Consulting Podcast. If you enjoyed the podcast, subscribe today To nominate a business you would like to recommend to be on our show. Go to firstmediaconsultingcom or call. Thank you for.