Real Estate Staging / Home Staging Blog

Well I thought this picture really captured the essence of the last few post I created. 

In light of my recent post on Tears, and then all the boo-hooing and belly aching I was doing this past week... this seemed the perfect transition into Christmas.

Oh and NO... they are NOT my children! In case you are wondering! (They actually are the children of one of my associate's friends here at Real Estaging.)

Happy Holidays to all!

Cry it forward...

Me

PS: Check out Santa's expression!

To all my friends in the rain...

I would just like to take a moment to wish you the very best and hope you have a joyous time with family and friends during the Holiday Season.

It truly has been a gift to meet, learn and share with you here in the rain.

Stage it forward...

Me

PS: This is my cyber gift to my cyber friends. Take it use it, post it, print it. Do what ever you like, where ever you like. And if you want a different format or a less blurry version of this wreath... just let me know.

Well, when it comes to ActiveRain I have been kind of quiet all week long. While I've popped into the rain here and there... and made some comments, I have not posted. I didn't post for a couple of reasons. First, after reading many of the last few posts by Jeff Turner I have been moved deeply and profoundly and I am doing much reflecting, both personally and professionally. Next, since this was to be my 100th post, I wanted it to share something of value, something thought provoking.  

Many of you who have read my posts have enjoyed my "unique" sense of humor. I've used humor to attract your attention and share my thoughts... especially when it comes to home staging.

But every now and then, if you have followed along my posts or read any my comments you will noticed that I have let out a "secret"... I am a crier.

Crying is a part of me. I see it as Yin to the Yang of laughing. It is a gift God gave me. It was as if He was going to allow me to make a person laugh... He wanted me to also know and relate to what makes people cry.

I cry when I see people overcome insurmountable obstacles, I cry over blatant injustices, I cry when I see people achieve their dreams, I cry when people fail after giving all they could, I cry at overwhelming kindness, I cry for expressions of profound love and gratitude, and I cry when I see the deep pain and sorrow that holds and surrounds people.

It is no secret showing emotion (crying) is often viewed as a sign of weakness in our society.  So people, mainly men, choose not to show emotion. In the pursuit of perfection, the "better" way is to hold it in and stuff it down. That way, the world only sees what we allow... a perfect person, flawless and unflappable.  But I am not sure that is the answer. The Center for Disease Control reports that suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for all U.S. men and that males are four times more likely to die from suicide than females.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if as a child, my brothers and I had seen our own father cry. Would he have been less of a man? Less of a father? I think not. But I can't help but wonder... what would happen if society gave way to a fuller expression of emotions?

I ask this now, as an adult and after finally seeing my father cry. But I did not just see my father cry... I saw him weep. Weep for the loss of his first born son.  A son that chose to take his own life. A son who to the world had it all... the perfect life. But "perfect" was a hard facade for my big brother to constantly maintain... a man that did not cry.

So today, on the 2nd anniversary of my brother's death, I promise you, within a quiet moment of a memory of my big brother... I will cry.

Me

Well I am about to a hit a personal milestone here in the rain. My next post will be #100!

And while that may not seem like a lot for some bloggers here in the rain... it is for me. You see prior to joining Active Rain I barely knew what a blog was... let alone write one. (Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?)

Anyway, now that I have been a part of all this am I am grateful for all I have learned AND the fun I have had. Yes... FUN! Fun has been for me part of my personal Return-On-Investment for the time I have spent.

I hope you have enjoyed what I share. And if what I have to say does not always peak your interest... I hope I have made you smile. You see, I don't think one can ever get too much joy and happiness... no matter where it comes from.

Blogs here in the rain can and do cover a variety of subjects, topics, viewpoints and interests... and my blog here has been no different.

Of course I have blogged about my love of, passion for, commitment to, and belief in staging a home to get it ready for market.  While I have given tips, advice and shared hopes and dreams for our growing industry, I have also given general marketing guidance, shared advertising insight, challeged viewpoints, welcomed and bestowed accolades to others, bared my spiritual soul, and asked what I hope are thought provoking questions about the rapidly changing real estate industry(from an outsiders point of view).

But still on top of it all... I have tried to make you smile.

So on the eve of my 100th  post, I just want to say thank you all for letting me piddle in this puddle.

And as for just WHAT my 100th post is going to be about... well you'll just have to wait and pee!

stage it forward...

Me

While ActiveRain has proven to be a down pour of good and insightful information to and for the real estate community... it is not free.

Well, actually the information is "free" in the fact that it costs nothing to be a member, post a blog, read a blog, or write a comment. But being an ACTIVE participant in the rain can be a huge INVESTMENT in time.

Lately. searching for images, researching and writing original blog material, inserting links, and reading other's blogs seems to be taking more and more time.

THEN on top of that... I feel a bit obligated to comment on other's blogs.  WHY...  because I can appreciate what they invest in their blog, and I want them to know I DO appreciate their contribution to the storm of information. BUT that takes time too. 

Recently, THE LOVELY WIFE roared and scared the crap out of me with her post Did You Know Active Rain Has Become My Full Time Job?  because at times THAT is what it feels like to be an Active PARTICPANT in ACTIVE RAIN.  

Then I stumbled upon and read a great post by a new member here in the rain Skip Wiseman's thought provoking blog Two Tips To Tackle Time Management Challenges. (OH... and after reading this post I INSTANTLY assocated myself with Skip  because I don't want to "skip" past what this guy has to share in the future. Skip is going to prove to be a fresh, unique, and helpful voice here in the rain for many.)

So, while I have been called a "veteran" on Active Rain (which actually is laughable considering I have ONLY been a member for 5 months) I am still trying to figure out how to best utilize Active Rain and the time I invest in it.

So this "Veteran" Rain Drop has 3 quick questions...

1.) Considering "Time is Money" how much ACTIVE TIME do you spend here in a day or week?

2.) For this ACTIVE TIME investment.... what has been your ROI?.

2.) What tips/suggestions can you share to increase one's ROI for their ACTIVE TIME spent here in the Rain.

Thanks for your timely advice,

Me

I've noticed something lately... well actually I have been watching since the rain gods have provided us with the VIEWS & TIMES CLICKED ON counters. (Which are just to the left of the "Bookmark" button.)

And something feels a bit off.

Considering there are over 10,000 rainers, why are so many just "SEEING" what we say and choose not to comment. The number of comments and commenters seem to have stalled out.

I ask this because I find comments VERY helpful. They help me understand what is "connecting" and what is "DIS-connecting" with those who read my words.

Comments are also a GREAT way for someone new to Active Rain to "introduce" themselves to all that is happening here. When I see someone comment on one of my posts, who I never came across before, I tend to go to their profiles and check them out... and go check out any blogs they have posted. Then I try to share a comment.

THEN on top of all of that... there are the fresh new insightful comments that help us consider things that we NEVER even thought of , thus adding, teaching and expanding to what we started in a blog.

While there are those same-old same-old "regular commenters" who I am thankful for... how do we encourage others to share their own unique ideas, concerns and wisdom? Are they discouraged and intimidated by the points that other bloggers have racked up and feel that there is just no way to compete with these more prolific voices?

I believe that commenting is the glue to Active Rain... so my advice is if you are new to the rain DON'T BE AFFRAID to share a few thoughts in a comment.

Anyway, I am a bit perplexed by members in the rain being reluctant to share. If you have any thoughts on this... please comment. ESPECIALLY if you don't usually comment... YOURS is the voice we NEED to hear.

I know I talk a lot about staging. But my REAL passion is advertising and marketing. I LOVE to find new ways to break through the typical "advertising noise" and connect with people. (Staging just happens to be an amazing marketing tool that does this too... that is why I am so adamant about it.)

Anyway, a few years back we decide to divert some of our advertising dollars away from print and find a ways to connect to our clients and potential clients in more creative and effectiveways. So what did we do? We throw a party!

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

We named the party "Tween the Holidays" so that ALL know they are welcome. (We don't specify exactly which holidays it is ‘tween. If you think about it... we could be talking about Yom Kippur and Arbor Day.) THEN we gave it a twist... we made it a Champagne Party!

The date is typically the night BEFORE the last work day before the New Year's holiday break. Why on this day? Because no one plans a party for that night so we knew there would be no conflicts. Since no one REALLY wants to work the next day and PARTY is on everyone's mind... this party is well attended! Last year we had over 125 people.

Providing Champagne for this many people COULD be costly... but we ask those we invite to bring one bottle of (QUALITY) bubbly. We of course provide more... and we provide the food. Typically we can cover the night's food and drink for under $800... which is cheap when you look at the cost of ONE ad in a local newspaper.

A few other "tricks" of the party night. Well, we also ask that people bring and donate one champagne flute or glass. To date we have nearly 100 different glasses in the party's collection. THIS proves to be a great ice breaker... and a conversation starter.

Finally, we invite EVERYONE: friends, family, neighbors, clients, colleagues, network contacts, potential clients... you name it they are welcome! AND who ever we invite is welcome to invite whoever they like. NO limits.

So this year... the party is starting to ride on its own "BUZZ!" So what are we going to do to make it even better? Well, 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 fun and it is effective,,, you are welcome to take and spin my idea in your own way.

Me

PS: Consider this your FORMAL invite. You ALL are welcome to attend. If you would like to attend... all we ask is that you RSVP. (Please, check out the invite to the left for details.)

POST SCRIPT & UPDATE:

Here at Real Estaging, were thrilled and delighted when Chicago's premier news & trade publication covering the city's real estate industry, Chicago Agent Magazine, choose to cover our party. I have to admit that Chicago Agent Magazine has consistently been a champion our success... needless to say, we can not thank them enough. But I will find a way...

Anyway, posted below is a reprint image of the page featuring the photo spread of our event published in the February 12th issue of Chicago Agent Magazine.

So... THANK YOU very much Jennifer Morrell, Editor. In these times where ONLY the "biggest players" seem to get all the attention, Jennifer decided to cover us and our event... a small player in Chicago's real estate industry here.

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

Me (Again)

Well you gotta admit the rain gods (Matt, Ben and Caleb) on ActiveRain have been quite busy. Gosh, who would have thought that playing in the rain was gonna become soooo complicated?

With each passing week it seems that there is some new bell or whistle for us to poke and play with. This week it was the "Groups" feature and ALL that that takes to master.

Do you realize that on ActiveRain you can do you do all of the following: Login, Insert, Upload, Search, Group, Associate, Post, Edit, Update, Start, Join, Tag, Browse, Bookmark, Show, Delete, Rate, Submit, Leave, Add, Remove, Order, Email, Contact, Comment, Logout, Draft, Invite and Sort!

PLUS... on top of all that you can still BLOG too!

Well, with all this active build up of functionality... in hopes of sponging off of my design creativity and sensibilities, the rain gods "leaked" to me a screen shot of their "EASY" new ActiveRain dashboard featuring the quick access buttons and links to all the features they have created and provided us.

Geez guys, its really looking... BLOGTACULAR! Oh and I can't wait for the new "Order Pizza," Flush" and "Place Bets Here" features you spoke of and are soon to release.

Matt, Ben and Caleb... you rock in the rain.

Me

For both the realtor and a stager... GOOD photography of the property for sale is a necessity. For the realtor, the photos you take of your listing show the product you are trying to sell. For the stager the photos of your work capture and chronicle your staging skills.

Therefore it is to BOTH the realtors and stager's advantages to take and display the ABSOLUTE BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES you can... especially NOW that more and more people use the internet as a means to determine evaluate a home or the abilities of a stager.

With that in mind... last night I went on line and looked at listings on Realtor.com for properties for sale in the metro-Chicago market. I have to admit I was delighted by some of the photos, BUT much of what I saw concerns me.

HERE are a few common mistakes I saw over and over again... (Please note, while I did the best  I could to repair the photos of properties on Realtor.com, I did NOT have access to the original image file... so my "clean-ups" are  NOT as good as they could be. All "original" images are shown on the left.)

BIG SKY:  When taking interior photo, be aware of how much ceiling you "feature". Unless the ceiling has an interesting architectural feature... why place so much emphasis on it? In the above picture I cropped the image and warmed it up. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 3 MINUTES!

TWIST & SLIP:  Because kitchens have so many "clean" vertical & horizontal lines, when the are photographed they tend to look a skewed-up when photographed. Note how crooked the stove and frig look in the picture on the left... which I straightened up in the picture on the right. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 2 MINUTES!

BRIGHT LIGHTS:  When taking pictures into the sun, sometimes the resulting photo has a "hot spot" that blinds the viewer. To clean up the image I simply cropped the picture and ended up with a BETTER view of what the property being featured. I also punched up the contrast. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 2 MINUTES!

ICY COLD:  I found this particular "problem" occurring on both INTERIOR and EXTERIOR photos of a home. The edits here required adding more red and yellow to the picture to warm it up. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 2 MINUTES!

DATE STAMPED:  This one REALLY surprised me... WHY would a realtor want to let the buyer know how long the property has been on the market? INSTANTLY a buyer will wonder what is the problem... why has the property been on the market so long? In my edited picture I removed the date stamp, cropped it and fixed it by straighten it out and removing the "slip". TOTAL time spent making the edit: 4 MINUTES!

DAYNIGHT:  Punching up the brightness took a "dusky" dark home into the daylight, resulting in a photo showing more of the home. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 1 MINUTE!

SLIP SLIDING AWAY: Doesn't the original photo make it look like the house is sliding into hole in the back yard. This is a MORE COMPLEX adjustment... but once learned easy to do OVER AND OVER AND OVER. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 3 MINUTES!

DARK SHADOWS:  WOW... would you have thought that just by adjusting the brightness and contrast such a GREAT HOME would come shining through? WHAT a dis-service the ORIGINAL photo was serving the seller. Oh... I also cropped the image a bit so that so much of the ceiling was not being highlighted... really who cares about THIS ceiling? TOTAL time spent making the edit: 2 MINUTES!

GREASY SLIDER:  All I did was fix up the slide and punched up the brightness! Again... straightening things out takes a bit more time... but once mastered its like riding a bike. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 4 MINUTES!

ON FIRE:  JUST the opposite of ICY COLD is a photo being to warm. However I only found this particular "problem" occurring mostly in interior photos of a home. The edits here required adding more blue and green to cool it down. Here too, I cropped the image a bit so that the ceiling was not being highlighted... again, who cares about the ceiling? TOTAL time spent making the edit: 4 MINUTES!

BLEACHED OUT:  JUST LOOK at how easy it is to add LIFE to a washed out photo. I also chose to feature MORE of  the house and less of the sidewalk... so I cropped the image tighter.  TOTAL time spent making the edit: 3 MINUTES!

TOWERING GIANT:  THIS happens to be one of the most common issues I see with images of large condos. Look how WEIRD the building looks on the left.   TIP: Vertical lines SHOULD always be STRAIGHT up and down... many CAMERAS skew things all up, which then must be corrected. TOTAL time spent making the edit: 2 MINUTES!

SOOOOO, what was the end result? Well the TOTAL TIME I invested in editing 12 images was ONLY 31 minutes. THIS averages 2 1/2 minutes to fix EACH picture. NOT BAD AT ALL!

I share all this information because I think that realtors have an OBLIGATION to the sellers to show their properties in the BEST manner possible. AND stagers... you need to show YOUR talent as best as possible... so that you get more and more people seeing and benefiting from what staging offers.

stage it forward...

Me

PS: I personally happen to use PhotoShop to edit the photos I take. However in a previous post where I said that "Photos Lie" others of you have shared what you have used and have found as a great tool to edit photos. I encourage you to go back and review that post.