Three Questions Before You Stage

We break down the three questions that matter most before hiring a home stager so you can protect your price and speed up your sale. We focus on staging as a marketing strategy and we push for results you can measure.

• asking for a clear strategy to sell the home
• prioritizing marketing impact over making rooms look pretty
• checking inventory style for fit with the target buyer
• matching furniture quality to the price point
• requesting proof through days on market and case studies
• using staging to shape the first impression at the door

Love design, but think like a business owner? If you're ready to leave your nine to five and want to do something that's buildable and scalable, check out linden-creek.com/franchise and see if Linden Creek is the right fit for you.

If you want more guidance on how to position your home for the strongest offer, stay tuned and subscribe.

Transcript

The Questions That Change Your Sale

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Before you hire a stager, are you asking the questions that actually impact how much your home is going to sell for and how quickly it will sell? Today I want to break down three key questions you should be asking before you consider staging your house. The first question is this: Ask the stager what is your strategy for selling this home? If the answer is I'm gonna bring in furniture and make it look pretty, please run the other direction. There should be a very thoughtful strategy around how they're going to market your property. They should be able to tell you what kind of furniture they're gonna bring in, what the style is gonna be, and how that's gonna appeal to the target demographic. They should be able to provide you with a strategy around the floor plan and furniture placement so that they're thinking about the things that actually matter from a marketing standpoint, not just a decorating standpoint. The purpose of staging is to position the home to attract the strongest offer. It shouldn't just be random decorating. And so asking this question and understanding the strategy, make sure that you're aligned with the team that you're working with to create a marketing package for your home that's gonna help itself. Question number two is what is the style and the quality of inventory for your stag? Now, this is a really important question because not all inventory is the same. I will openly tell you that I've had situations where somebody came to me and asked me to stage their property and it's beautiful and it's immaculate and it is modern and it is full of glam. And I don't own glam super, super modern furniture. And so do you know what my answer was? I would love to support you, but you're gonna be a better fit with this company over here because I understand what our inventory is and who it's gonna properly serve. Now, in comparison, quality of inventory matters too. If your home buyers are going to be purchasing cute things from Target and Amazon, Target and Amazon furniture works. If your home buyers are gonna be purchasing high quality furniture when they move into the home, that staging inventory needs to reflect the high quality that they expect to see and think about in the home. These are the things that you need to think about to make sure that your staging inventory is the quality and is consistent with what you're looking to deliver on this property. It's important to know that high quality furniture greatly impacts the way that the home is photographed, the way that it shows, and the value of the property. If you have pieces in the home that are a little bit worn and dated, sometimes it can send the wrong messaging to the home that you're not looking to go for. Love design, but think like a business owner? If you're ready to leave your nine to five and want to do something that's buildable and scalable, check out linden-creek.com slash franchise and see if Linden Creek is the right fit for you. The third and final question is all about outcome. Ask your staging company what results have you seen from staging other homes? They should be able to openly talk to you about days on market. They should be able to share success stories and case studies of scenarios they've had where their homes have sold for top dollar or they've been able to resolve a tricky situation. There are metrics that matter. And when it comes to staging, the math matters so much more than the design does, oftentimes. And so make sure that you are in alignment with where their success is. And if there's stories that you are excited about, if it's successes that you can align your strategy with, then you know you found the right staging company. Understanding the track record of staging allows a seller to really understand the investment in the home and they don't see it as an expense any longer. At the end of the day, staging is supposed to answer just one question. How does this help market my home and help it sell for top dollar? Buyers make an impression the moment they walk in the door, and staging helps shape that impression. Make sure it's the right one. The real question is not whether or not you should stage, it's whether or not you're willing to leave that first impression up to chance. When you understand the strategy, you're no longer guessing. You understand what's going to position your home in the best possible way on the market. Thanks for listening. If you want more guidance on how to position your home for the strongest offer, stay tuned and subscribe. We have lots more conversations coming your way. This is Ingood Space.