Real Estate Staging / Home Staging Blog

I love the staging industry... but sometimes I am dismayed by it.

I can't help but compare what I see happening in this industry to what has happened to the auto industry.

Years ago (back in the 60's) my father bought a Toyota.  People laughed, ridiculed, and dismissed these cars by calling them names like "rice burners".  No one thought GM (and even Ford) would ever have anything to worry about from this small manufacturer way over on the other side of the world.  So GM went about its ways, doing what it wanted to do, THINKING it was an untouchable "star" and professed to know it all.

Fast forward to yesterday... when I went car shopping with my in-laws (both retired factory workers from Wisconsin farm country and in their 70's).  They bought a Toyota!  After years and years of buying American cars, they decided to buy what they KNEW was a better product.

Today it is indisputable that Toyota has raised the bar in THAT industry... so high now that GM now is scampering to keep up with it.

Sad part is that GM could have maintained its leading role in the industry if it didn't spend so much time investing in its own righteousness and spent more time listening to the consumer and leading the industry in quality and innovation. 

Mark my words, if things don't change in the staging industry the same will happen to those who profess to be leaders... but now are becoming more petty and self absorbed. AND, because of the internet it will not take 40 years.

I see and have been told by others in this industry of those who spend more time and energy holding tightly to what they say is theirs. They put more energy into holding on tight that they miss seeing new innovative ideas & creativity and they loose respect of those who once looked to them as leaders.

People might think and say I am ignorant & naïve... but like Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of Toyota, I believe much more is possible.

Any realtor who has shown real estate will tell you that a buyer's eyes will lock on to the seller's personal items, (ie. wedding photos -see below) like a heat seeking missile.

That's why when preparing a home for sale stagers will start by having the seller de-personalize the property.

We often suggest that the seller box up (since they are going to be moving anyway) or put away all family photos, awards, trophies, diplomas, children's artwork and religious artifacts.

Why do we suggest this? Simple: You want potential buyers to focus the property and see it as a home for themselves.

To reinforce my point... enjoy these little photographic gems I thought cought the magic of that special day.

Smile and have a great weekend...

Craig

In my blogs I have tried to teach that since staging is all about FIRST IMPRESSIONS then the stager ought to leave you (the realtor or the home seller) with one... a good first impression.

EVERY representation of us and our work ought to follow the base principles of our work... clean, organized, and beautiful.  I've said that  if a stager can not even do that in their business card, portfolio or in their website... why would you think that they can in a property they are preparing for sale?

There have been some wonderful stagers that have joined Active Rain, and when I visit their sites I DO get a great first impression. But I just took a look at Luci Holt's site and portfolio of work on http://www.holtmodern.com/  and was inspired to write this blog.  It looks great!

Welcome Luci!

Craig

PS: LOOK no bogus alpha bit acronym after Luci's name either! 

I wrote my last blog "Quasimodo Kristal... the Hunch Back Realtor of Notre Denver " for two reasons.  First I wanted to entertain a bit, but second was to make a point.

The point I wanted to make was that in ANY media over time it becomes harder for one's message to be heard.  And as wonderful as Active Rain is and has been, it will be increasingly difficult to cut through noise and stand out as more and more people join and start sharing in their own blogs. (This holds true for blogs in general.)

Effective marketing considers the media in which it is occurring and "cuts through".  Humor is one way to cut through (for now). But it is not always appropriate.  Pictures or a great head line can always help.

So bottom line...consider the medium and your audience and CRAFT your message.  I once heard it discribed as "Speaking into the listening of your audience."

Keep this also in mind when you are looking for a real estate stager in your area. A good stager understands that the service they provide is a marketing tool that helps the seller cut through the noise.  It is NOT interior decorating.  If the stager doesn't ask the simple yet key question, "Who will most likely buy this property?" then I would be suspect of their skills.

Craig

I don't think people realize just what it takes to stage a property.  Let me PERSONALLY tell you it is NOT for the meek and mild. 

My associates and I  have been on the RUN trying to get various properties unstaged and then new properties staged!

To do this right, you need to be a bit of Mack the Mover, Hazel the Cleaning Lady, Dolly the Decorator... all wrapped in one. Then on top of it all... you have to do it like Speedy Gonzoles. (So why am I so fat? LOL)

Anyway, we just created a new position, one person just to handle coordinating all the logistics involved with preparing a property for its sale.

Why (and more importanly HOW) any realtor adds this as a courtesy to what I know are already VERY busy schedules... is beyond me.

Back to work... Craig 

THIS is why I love ActiveRain.... actually JoAnn Guida came up with the perfect parallel to help explain my concerns and wishes for AUTHENTIC and UNIVERSAL credentialing of stagers.   (Now why didn't I think of this? LOL) 

Anyway, JoAnn made the GOOD POINT that ... "Once upon a time Interior Designers weren`t licensed either today they have to be a member of the ASID." She went on to ask,  "Do you believe the same will hold true for staging?I believe this is exactly where this is heading."

So actually ASID is an impartial society that requires members meet a few acceptance standards: they must have a combination of accredited design education and/or full-time work experience and pass a two-day accreditation examination administered by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ).

Interior Designers with ASID credentials after their names... have been trained outside of ASID. AND the NCIDQ exam is much like what an accountant would have to take in order to become credentialed as a CPA.  The National Council for Interior Design Qualification does not teach... it sets the standards and tests the standards... for the safety and well being of the public.

To be honest I am not sure just how to best structure Staging Accrediation... all I do know is that "credentialing" would tell a more truthful story if it were created, administered and monitored by an IMPARTIAL 3rd party.

If a person wants to boast that they were trained at a particular school/methodology... that is FINE with me. And that is really what these "credentials" that you now see are.  AND I do think that there are better schools training staging than others. Think Harvard vs. Lewis University... both schools have an accounting program. But JUST because a person went to Harvard does NOT mean the are better.

But this alphabet soup of credentials that people are throwing around staging world really MEANS NOTHING. 

Let's put it this way... being a stager I could start teaching staging classes and after a person paid and sat thru my training I could give them a credential... like PSA - Professional Staging Associate. SOUNDS good but who the heck am I to define and determine what constitutes quality in an industry that operates in North America and Europe and beyond?

Thanks JoAnn for taking the time to ask and listen...

Craig

Here at Real Estaging we are constantaly trying to offer the best in real estate staging services.

That is why we are proud to announce that we are the first staging company in North America to offer this level of service.  We call it Real Erazing... perfect for properties that have no hope, and home sellers that have no clue.

Bruno Bulldozeroni, our lead property stylist in this newly formed department, will be happy to tear down and destroy any listing of your choice,  AND for a limited time... his cousin "Knuckles"  will be happy to "persuade to reconsider" any seller who insistes they know what the best asking price that their property should be listed for.

(This offer not valid in New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas or Celebration FL)

To all my friends on ActiveRain, smile! And have a GREAT weekend... Craig

Not really a scandal... but today I joined the Woman's Council of Realtors (North Shore).  WOW does this chapter have it's stuff together.

Today's speaker was Lynn Madison. http://www.lynnmadison.com/  A LEGEND in this "neck of the woods"... when it comes to training and development of PROFESSIONALS in real estate. 

Today, Lynn's totally informative topic was "Cultural Diversity." And Lynn proved herself to be knowledgeable, articulate, informative, and a little bit crazy. FOR ME... she instantly became a role model when it comes to being passionate expert and speaker.

It was amazing to watch the crowd...  they were captivated with what Lynn way saying.  

If you are looking for a speaker... I will give my 100% guarantee LYNN will deliver, educate AND entertain. I am so confident in Lynn's ability that if she does not live up to what I say... I will personally pay for her time, travel and expenses if you should decide to hire her and she does produce. (How many people have you met just ONCE and after meeting them you can take such a stand?)

Sooo you might think... "WOW that guy is totally taking a nut job risk taker"... but for me it is a very safe wager. Remember, I have experienced her.  PS: I have NEVER spoken to Lynn prior to today... But now I know just how good she is.

RAISING THE BAR OF PROFESSINALISM... CRAIG

PS: The purpose of the title of my blog was to get you to read it. WCR is and has been totally cool, accepting and welcoming of men.

I've said it before... staging talent is NOT just acquired by sitting in a weekend seminar or EVEN a week-long workshop. I have worked with people that have NO formal training and they have "it". 

Real Estate staging is having an eye for symmetry, balance, scale, proportion, and color. It is also a keen and innate talent for marketing and visual merchandising, as well as, having a sense of organization, cleanliness and flow. It is an understanding of sales demographics and how they can impact the "setting" of a property for sale in the market place.

I DO NOT think that what I described above is something one "certifiably" LEARNS in a weekend workshop.  I question what the industry is NOW calling "accredtied/certified" stager. WHERE is the test of one's TRUE understanding of EACH staging skill I describe above? 

If a Realtor must be tested, if a Mortgage Broker must be tested, and if a Home Inspector must be tested... then why not a Real Estate Stager?  If it is an "accredited" SKILL then let's do so, but not by paying $300 - $3000 and sitting for a long weekend in a hotel conference room.  LET'S accredit/certify stagers based on tested KNOWLEDGE and SKILL.

But if for now, one gets in touch with these skills, talents and passions by attending a seminar or workshop ... THEN it is money WELL SPENT.  But just because one has spent the money does NOT make them qualified or suited to do what it takes.  It only can make them aware to what is possible, but ultimately they need to have TALENT.

I am NOT being rude... I am passionate for providing the public with a service that ULTIMATELY benefits them. I do not want them "bamboozled' by amateurs.  It makes my job harder and more importantly ROBS sellers from what REALLY is possible when a professional is hired. It is NOT much different than the argument of what a WELL TRAINED professional Realtor has to offer when compared to a discount broker.

In my opinion (and that is ALL a blog is to be)... "Certified/Accredited" stagers shouldn't be so quick to defend their training... I believe one should be quicker to fight for and defend the benefits staging brings to a seller and make certain EVERYTHING in the industry protects those benefits. 

I am not better... I am just ahead of most (not all) other stagers. I learn more and more every day.

Craig

So in the last week now, twice I have had clients that want to tell ME how to stage their totally vacant properties.  That is like going to the dentist and telling him you know how to drill our own teeth... and asking for the drill while he watches. 

Real Estate staging is NOT interior design. The work we do is NOT a reflection of the seller's life, tastes, hopes, dreams, or wishes.  It IS a cohesive and UNDERSTATED expression of what the LARGEST home buying demographic segment would find appealing.

To date we NOW have over 2OOO props in our prop library.  We have painstakingly selected EACH prop to compliment a home... yet not SCREAM for attention.

Interior designers have UNLIMITED resources to create a design statements that reflect a client's tastes. The "design" of a good staged property blends in a bit, so that the HOME IS THE STAR, and that the buyer will feel welcomed and enticed.

A PROFESSIONAL stager understands that. A person that has paid their $300 bucks to be magically turned into a "Professional Stager"... well I have harped on that before in other blogs and enough.

Speaking of enough... I think that is. THANKS,

Craig