Real Estate Staging / Home Staging Blog

Someone needs to tell the truth... PHOTOS LIE!

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 19:29:10 -0500

In my previous post today I showed Before & After Photos of a property that we just completed staging. What I did NOT show was how I got those After Photos to look so good.

Realtors and stagers need to understand a very important point about digital cameras... THEY DISTORT THE TRUTH.

Below is the raw Before (left) and edited After (right) photo of the Living room we just staged. PhotoShop is the tool I used to make the After look so good.

But what did I do to transform the image? Well, first I applied BASIC principles of photographic perspective.

Let's break it down by looking at the 2 photos shown below....

RED MARKER LINES: Above are the same Before and After photo that has been "marked up". Notice the slanted/angeled red lines in the photo on the left. Next note how in the right photo these same lines now run straight up and down. THAT is because I applied a BASIC LAWS of perspective (A LAW IS A HARD RULE THAT DOES NOT CHANGE... EVER!) VERTICAL lines are to be vertical. They should NEVER flair OUT!

Unfortunetly many digital cameras now FLAIR the image in order to get the whole picture. So this must be corrected.

Moving on...

YELLOW MARKER LINES: While vertical lines MUST always run staight up and down... horizontial lines are flexible. By flexible I mean that the do not always need to run "flat" from left to right across the page. Notice how the lines about the framed artwork have been corrected to run "flat" while the line above the window (formerly yellow now sky blue) is still at an angle.

Finally...

GREEN ENHANCMENTS: PhotoShop allows one to edit and enhance a photo so that it makes a difference and convey the TRUTH of a property. Circled in green (left photo) is the ceiling light I removed from the After photo on the right. Why did I remove it? Because, in reality it can easily be removed/replace/updated... it really is not a permanent part of the room. I also improved the photograph... by adusting the brightness and contrast. This adjustment is closer to reality than what the orignal photo is conveying.

As Realtors if you are not able to see and make these sorts of edits on your own using a software such as PhotoShop... then hire a professional.

Stagers... I believe it is our responsibilty to make sure every visual expirence of a property is a PERFECT expression of that space. THIS is one of the distinctions of a TRUE PROFESSIONAL STAGER!

Dawn Shaffer constantly talks about the inportance of this in her blog... and she also knows and shows how principals like these are NOT only improtant in still photoraphy but also in videography... HER speciality. Thanks Dawn for the inspiration.

To drive home the point here are 2 random shots of a building I found just doing a random search on Realtor.com. All I know is it is a current listing in Boston. Anyway, SEE the difference? The building on the left looks like it is about to fall over, but on the right a... SOLID SALE!

Home Buyers, that Information is just a Urine Specimen & Retina Scan Away.

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:53:52 -0500

Amazingly, I still see listing information provided on some Realtor sites (both big and small, national and local) accessed in a way that puzzles me. I mean I understand the "WHY" of it, I just don't understand the logic of it. So maybe you can help.

So I look to the realtor community to shed their insight on this perplexity. How does RESTRICTING access to a listing's information and photos on a realtor's web site help a property sell? Why, on some sites, is it still required that a potential buyer first provide private contact information before unlocking a listing's sales information and photos?

While, home staging is what I do, a Marketer is what I am. As a Marketer I have always said, "You gotta market it before you sell it!" Marketer "Me" finds it counter intuitive to lock out and discourage ANYONE from viewing a home's listing information and photos. I can see how once, when the web was a smaller less connected place, this approach may have made sense. But let's face it, time does march on, and as it does, the "what, why and how" of a Real Estate website must be evolve and embrace today's markets, trends & technologies.

In today's world of listing marketing, Realtor websites need to provide access to listing information that takes into consideration the following:

Ours is a culture of immediate impatience. Like it or not, we want it now... on our time schedule.
The levees have broken and the market is flooded. With so much inventory out there, it is easy for a buyer to click away from the listing and your site, as if saying saying, "No big deal, there's plenty more."
That's just "old school" fool. Buyer's are not technological dolts. Every day shoppers freely access information on products and services they are interested in buying from sites in every industry... INCLUDING real estate.
We are leery of what is beyond that "SUBMIT" button. Face it, buyers care less about THAT locked listing then they do about their privacy.
There are no "tire-kickers" or "nosy neighbors" on the web! Well, there are... but who cares? Its the web.
Buyers who take an on-line look will cost you nothing. Not looking could cost you a sale.

I am sure there are plenty more reason why it is a good idea to have open listing information on Realtor websites... but then again maybe not. Either way, I would be curious to get other's spin on this.

But as it stands for me right now, when you strip away all the mumbo jumbo it comes down to this... If you got a prospect (hot, warm or cool) at the door, ringing the bell, wanting to come in to look around, why would you stop them?

Good Words for a Friday in the Rain (11)

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:26:57 -0500

Buddha should have been a blogger on Active Rain. His "good words" from long ago are quite relivant to that which we write of and share in this community we call the "Rain".

Even publishing our words as "Members Only" does not release of of the responsibility of what we write and what we say.

It is fine to find and use words that convey passion, commitment, intelligence, authority, anger, sadness, dreams, doubts, upsets and ideas. But remember, the words we use and how we use them in what we write are mirrors reflecting back who we are, to those who read our words.

Reflect It Forward...

For more "Good Words" Click Here to see others that make up this series.

TAX MAN COMETH for Seller's... but NOT if I Can Help It!

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:54:40 -0500

Another POSTIVE reason why home sellers can benifit from Home Staging is because the fees for a staging services can be considered an advertising fee (See IRS Publication 523) and influence a seller's capitol gain or loss on a property that has been sold.

What is IRS Publication 523 and what does it say? IRS Publication 523 explains all tax rules that apply when a home seller sells their main home, including advertising expenses and how they influence the seller's capital gain or loss on the property. It does not cover the sale of a rental property, second home or vacation home.

What does IRS Publication 523 consider seller's main home? The term "main home" usually refers to the home the seller lives in most of the time. A main home can be a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment, or condominium.

How is capital gain or loss figured on the sale of a seller's main home? In order for a home seller to calculate the capital gain or loss realized on the sale of their main home, they must know the selling price, the amount realized and the adjusted basis.

What is the selling price? The selling price is the total amount a seller receives for the sale of their home, including money, all notes, mortgages, or other debts assumed by the buyer as part of the sale and the fair market value of any other property or services they receive.

What is the amount realized? The amount realized is the selling price minus selling expenses. Selling expenses include commissions, advertising fees*, legal fees and loan charges paid by the seller.

*Staging a home for re-sale can be considered an Advertising fee. There are no time limits on the Advertising Fees related to the sale for the IRS. However, it is important to note that if a property does not sell and is taken off the market, expenses for that transaction are NOT deductible in the future.

What is the adjusted basis? During the duration of ownership of a main home, increases or decreases (adjustments) may have been made to the basis (base cost, either bought or built, of home). This adjusted basis must be determined before capital gain or loss can be figured on the sale of the home. There are many rules when computing the adjusted basis. Consult a Tax Adviser to accurately determine the adjusted basis.

To quickly estimate capital gain or loss, apply the following formulas:

First Calculate: AMOUNT REALIZED = Selling Price - Selling Expenses
Next Calculate: CAPITOL GAIN/LOSS = Amount Realized - Adjusted Basis

IMPORTANT: EVERY HOME SALES TRANSACTION IS DIFFERENT. TO KNOW HOW THIS TAX RULE EFFECTS A PARTICULAR HOME SALE IN YOUR STATE, PLEASE CHECK WITH A TAX ADVISER OR TAX CONSULTANT REGARDING IRS PUBLICATION 523 AND HOW IT MAY AFFECT YOUR SELLER'S INDIVIDUAL TAX SITUATION. More information on IRS Publication 523 can be found on line at: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p523/index.html

The gift of tears

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:00:38 -0600

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.

Picture What You Preach

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:36:45 -0500

Because the end result of a staged home can be a great visual impression, home staging is seen as an image industry. Image companies in the fields of advertising, interior design, and landscaping have for long known that to sell and grow their own businesses; they must present a good visual image of themselves. As image businesses they know and rely on their logos, business cards and websites to communicating their knowledge and creative skill to apply basic design principals in their respective fields.

If home stagers are going to sell to home owners the need and importance of investing money to beautify their homes, which is the product they are selling, then the stager needs to invest money in to do the same for what they sell... which is their staging services To be competitive, a home stager needs to invest in their business image. A stager's image, communicated through a business card, brochure, website and portfolio, must demonstrate knowledge of and skill to apply basic design principals. Doing anything less is hypocritical.

Home stagers also need to practice what the preach to Realtors. If stagers are going profess and advise the importance of using good photography to capture and present a home for sale on-line, then again, a stager needs to do the same for photography they show of the their work on-line. A stager's on-line portfolio is a key, yet often overlooked, tool communicate quality, skill and ability.

Stagers can maximize their on-line credibility is by addressing the following 3 points with their portfolio.

Show Versatility & Proficiency - Every market is different and a stager's work should represent the types of homes being sold in the markets they serve. However the more depth and diversity a stager can show the better. The most compelling portfolios will show staging work that was done in both big and small homes, vacant and occupied homes, low to high end homes, and the ability in to work with a variety of design styles.
Use the Same View Point - Proof of a stager's skill and ability is often shown in Before & After photographs. But quite often the Before photo is taken from a totally different position in a room, from the After photo. The best sales testament and visually dramatic impact Before & After photography will have is when the Before & After photo is taken from the EXACT same angle.
Take Quality Photos - While it may not be possible to take perfect and compelling Befores, the After image needs to be well photographed. Over flashed, under flashed, and blurry photos will hurt even the best staged After transformation. Stagers that invest the time and money to take quality photos visually communicate their commitment to their profession.

Like it or not.... just as a home that is for sale is being judged by how it looks, stagers are being judge by the business image they show. The best home stagers will picture what they preach.

Stage It Forward...

I FINALLY Gots Me a Purdy Puddle... in the Rain

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:09:57 -0500

The ONLY problem I have EVER had about Active Rain was it is UGLY. YUP UGLY and I have not been afraid to let the Rain Gods (Matt Heaton and Johnathon Washburn) know how I felt.

But there is a saying, "you only get to complain if you are willing to provide a solution." So not only did I register a complaint, I also tried my best to get them over to the "pretty side". I sent them mock-up ideas JUST to get this site LOOKING better.

But the AR guys could only move so fast on all the improvements they were providing us. I could no longer wait. To be honest, the reason I went OUTSIDE Active Rain to start my second blog (Home Staging; Rants & Ravings) is because I am in the "first Impression" business. Much like an advertising agency or an architectural firm or landscaper... I knew that HOW I looked in my blogging media was as important as what I had to say.

But I did not give up on Acitve Rain I knew that when they finally did work on the "pretty," they would do it right, as they have done with so much here. VICTORY! You guys did it.

Active Rain has given us all a FREE and very easy tool to make our blogs look great. Now it does have a few quirks and glitches that need to be addressed. But I did play with it this morning... and I just wanted to say that it only took me about 3 1/2 hours time to do what you see. You might say I now "staged" my blog.

Which leads me RIGHT into the real reason I am writing this post. For all of you who think your blogs can compete soley on what you have to say... then you really need NOT to alter ANY anything visual about your blog here. BUT if you want your "property" to stand out a little bit more, because let's face it... WHAT you have to say isn't the only think that is important when you are selling your message to your readers, then I am sure you will take the time to visually "package" your message.

I don't care if you are "staging" a blog or staging a property that is for sale... visual impressions matter! I hope you all have as much fun purdy-ing up your puddle in the Rain, as I did mine.

Thanks again to the AR guys!

PS: For more information check out this post by Brad Carroll. ActiveRain gives the "Green Light" on Customizing - ActiveRainCustomizer.com His company devevloped the tool that gives us this purdy ability.

FAKE is OK, Just Don't be CONTRIVED

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:07:58 -0500

While home staging does require being visually creative, it really is a bit of marketing and merchandising "trickery" that gets the job done. Unlike the practices of interior design, decorating or re-design, staging is about creating an illusion of a possible lifestyle within a particular house that appeals to the largest home buying segment possible.

But in order to create this REAL appeal within a house, a stager might have to resort to some "fakeness". One of the basic practices of staging (like decluttering or depersonalizing) is to bring the outside in. However, while some in our industry suggests its as simple as going out and clipping something fresh and green from one's garden, in reality that just might not be possible. Both climate and accessibility quite often can put the kybosh on little treks out to one's lovely garden... because it is freakin freezing and everything is dead... or, oh ya you don't HAVE a garden, you live in a high-rise condo.

This is where fake plants can help. Today's silks are so "perfect" and so widely accepted that they just blend into the background and MORE IMPORTANLY do not distract a buyer's eye. Fake fruit does this too. However using fake FOOD as a prop is a No-No! For some reason people are captived by fake food, they love to go up to and look and touch fake food to see just how "real" it looks... which means the buyer is distracted and is looking at something other than the house.

In vacant homes, it is quite acceptable to use fake TV's, especially flat screens, which are quite often used to help a buyer understand how a room can be configured... as TV watching a big part of our culture. (We happen to use proptronics.com as our supplier for these props. Today, after writing this, I called and spoke with Darlene, the owner, who graciously offered to give any stager who mentions this post a discount. HOW COOL IS THAT! Please, just ask for Darlene or Michael.)

That being said, I want to stress the importance that while sometimes "Fake" is OK... it is NEVER OK to resort to contrived trickery. Contrived staging (<- LEFT) just tries to hard. Resorting to laying out silk gloves, with single red rose (fake); setting tray on a bed with a tea cup, a sonnet book with the word "Love" configured out of sticks from your garden; or setting out 2 champagne glasses wrapped with raffia bows on the edge of a tub is just NOT real and is not the way most people live. Because this is NOT the way MOST people live, it becomes a contrived distraction to a home buyer touring the home.

So always remember, the best staging is about the HOUSE being the star, not the stuff. The most talented stagers know and master the principal that "less is more" and their work is always tastefully understated.

The picture (right ->) of a staged property (just staged and self-photographed this week by Marci Toliver of Fresh Eye Designs) is a perfect example of how to apply the understated "less is more" approach to staging... and as you can see, it is a beautifully appealing room without being contrived. Oh ya... and one more thing... Marci created that floral arrangement herself using fake tulips.

Stage It Forward...

PS: THANK YOU MARCI... for allowing me to feature this picture of your beautiful work. STUNNING!

HOLY MOLY NBC did it again! They picked up my blog feed. Here is the link to ths San Fransico NBC bay site and my blog on The Stage It Forward on Active Rain. ( I have NO idea what I am doing. I feel like Sally Field winning an Oscar.)

Chipping Away at the "PRICE IS KING" Myth Too Many Realtors Rely On

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:22:00 -0500

I hate to break some Realtor's chips... but for many of you the belief you have, regarding the role pricing plays in real estate sales, is not cracked up to what it could be. Believe it or not there is a simple yet profound parallel lesson that can be learned from how Lay's potato chips are packaged, priced, marketed and sold and how real estate is packaged, priced, marketed and sold.

Let me be clear... when it comes to selling anything, be it real estate or potatoe chips, Price IS King. It is a fact that the seller (market) will only get the price the buyer (market) is willing to pay... that makes price "KING". But I think that too many Realtors have collapsed the concept of "KING" down to mean it is the ONLY thing that matters when it comes to selling real estate. They don't understand the full ramifications of HOW pricing is but one factor managed and integrated into the overall real estate marketing and selling process.

So let's crunch on the pricing lesson to be learned from the potato chip...

Yesterday I saw a compelling news segment on CBS Sunday Morning. In the piece the correspondent reported on the dynamic, and well-regulated world of food labels. Intererviewed for the segment was the Product Manager at FritoLay who is responsible for marketing their "natural" potato chip product. While we all know that Classic Lay's Potato Chips (Bet'cha can't eat just one!) have been a snack "staple" for years, FritoLay knows consumer tastes change. Because markets and tastes change, FritoLay ongoingly develops new potato chip products.

Surprisingly on camera, the FritoLay's marketing manger shared a little "secret" about one of those newer products they sell... the Natural Potato Chip. She confessed that basically Lay's Natural Chips are exactly same product as the Classic Chips. BOTH, nutritionally the same product, are made using the same type of potato and cooked in the same way. The only real difference in the two is that the "natural" chips are salted with sea salt, a salt PERCEIVED to be more natural, are cut thicker and are put in bag that is earth tone in color and has a matte (paper bag like) finish. Classic Chips go into a shiny yellow and red bag.

Ok, so what! The chips are the same. What's the point?

Well... there is one major difference between Natural and Classic chips. FritoLay admitted that they put LESS chips in the Natural Chip bag AND the charge MORE for them. That's right, less product for MORE money. How could they get away with this if PRICE IS KING? Well, FritoLay's knows that buyers buy what they want...in this case what the want "natural" chips. Buyers do not perceive Classic Chips as natural... even though they really are. If they want to sell chips to the "natural" buyer, they have to sell a product that is viewed as "natural." The packaging then becomes essential in driving home the "natural" point.

So even though these chips are basically the same, because the potato chips are packaged in a way that buyers relate to them... they buy them. FritoLay knows that buyers buy products, as simple as potato chips, when they connect to it.

Or said another way... even though homes are often the same, when homes are packaged (staged) in a way that buyers relate to them... they buy them. Stagers know that buyers buy products, as COMPLEX as a home, when they can connect to it. A stager's job is to package the chips (homes) in a way that the buyer will relate to. THAT is what staging is all about.

So, while it is important for a listing to be priced right, if as a Realtor you are not considering or have not looked into working with a home stager in your area, because you believe in the myth that "Price is King," then in my opinion you are relagating yourself to be a Real Estate Couch Potato.

Chip It Forward...

PS: 2 of my past posts, originally posted and "featured" here on Active Rain, describe the importance price plays in selling a home, and to this day are still quite popular and downloaded on a regular basis. If you are interested, check out:

"How Does Active Rain Make Money?" Chicago Wanted Answers.

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 07:22:43 -0500

I swear EVERYONE, at this past weekend's Midwest West Celebration for Active Rain, wanted to know the answer to the GREAT mystery.... How does Active Rain make money? People even were grilling ME (as if I had an inside scoop). But like I told them... ask Matt. So sorry, you won't find that JUICY and complelling revelation here in this post.

However I DO have some other secret tid-bits about Matt & Lydia you might not know.

First, Matt does NOT like eating seafood. So I guess taking them to Navy Pier to a seafood restaurant, probably wasn't one of my best ideas! Also Matt has never seen fire-flies..., so when he did, he was so totally intrigued and delighted by them we had to find a jar to catch one... which he ended up releasing soon thereafter.

Lydia, (Matt's own TLW) had her own insect encounter here in Chicago. However Lydia was freaked by Chicago's Cicada infestation. This, I fear, proved NOT a good first impression of Chicago for her. To help her cope, she drank her Crown & Coke and tormented my cats. (Although she claims to LOVE cats.)

All in all... the gathering was a WONDERFUL and actively fun time! It is odd to see how quickly "strangers" can come together and start laughing and sharing as if they were the best of old friends. Equally amazing was to see how far some people traveled to be there. Lucky Lang came from Iowa, Lola Audu came from Michigan, and Kimberly Wester traveled from Indiana.

Not pictured are all the husbands and wives who accompanied their spouse to meet this quirky group of people. Let's face it... if you don't blog, and if you don't blog on Active Rain its hard to understand just what this place means to us. But I think they soon realized that whether you on-line or in person, Matt and company have created a wonderful way for people to connect and share ourselves and our lives. And that was why we came together to celebrate.

So, Matt and Lydia are next heading to Florida to celebrate and MAYBE finally provide an answer the Great mystery... How does Active Rain make money?

Celebrate It Forward...

PS: Here are links to festive recaps of this weekend's Chicago Active Rain 1st Anniversary celebration posts.

Lols's: Recipie for an Active Rain Celebration...Chicago Land Style!
Lucky's: Active Rain Birthday Party Chicago Style!!!
Sara Bonert's: THANK YOU Active Rain For The Chicago Birthday Party

First Impression-ist Masterpieces Now Hang in the Active Rain Gallery

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:05:49 -0500

Last week something new began to be seen in the great hallowed halls of Active Rain. Beautiful blog masterpieces started to appear. Active Rain gave to us all another great new improvement to help us all better differentiate and further brand ourselves through our blogs. We now all have the access to a FREE tool, the ActiveRain Customizer, that allows us to easily create a visual masterpiece of our own blogs.

I have scoured Active Rain's walls to find 15 fine examples of blogs that have a new and improved branded" look. I encourage you to click and open the examples below, to see in detail what others have already done. You will notice that some blogs have a look that is simpler, for they have been designed by "beginners," while others look more complex, because they have been created by seasoned designers. DON'T BE INTIMIDATED!!! It is quick, easy and fun to create a great first impression blog. If you need some basic instruction to get you started? Here are links to four blogs that will guide you along...

Brad Carroll (who created the ActiveRain Customizer) first wrote this post: ActiveRain gives the "Green Light" on Customizing - ActiveRainCustomizer.com
Margaret Woda put a great deal of time to author this excellent and informative post: Dumb Real Estate Agent Finally Gets It
Jeff Turner, that techy guru and zen master, also chimed in with this post: Editing Images For Your Customized ActiveRain Blog

AND these Instructions are from Brad's blog outside of Active Rain. These are GREAT instructions too. How to Redesign Your Active Rain Blog!

Again, this is just a small sample of all the creativty taking place, if you have created your own masterpiece... please post a link to it in a comment below. I am sure others will love to see all the fresh new looks being shown in the Rain.

Finally, I have to say that these visual changes all call to mind the stager's mantra... "First impressions matter!" Funny thing is that what my fellow stagers and I have been saying now doesn't only apply to how a property looks when it is selling in the marketplace. First impressions now also matter when you are presenting/selling yourself in your blog.

So go and tap into your inner Monet... and enjoy yourself as you create a Impressionistic Blog Masterpiece.

Stepping on "accredited/certified” stager’s toes…

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 06:24:05 -0500

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

The "art" of the THANK YOU NOTE

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 13:26:32 -0500

In today's age, where it seems like it is all about hard core marketing, sometimes what is forgotten is that marketing is ultimately about building authentic relationships.

A simple thank you card can so easily begin or solidify a relationship... IF one writes and formats the note's message correctly.

Here are some simple tips that I follow...

Write from the heart... don't try to sell ANYTHING
Make it personal... refer to something ONLY you and that person know and share
Write something that you think will make the person smile or chuckle
The card is to THANK and ONLY SINCERLY thank... it is not a camouflaged sales pitch
Hand write it
Just sign your name... no need to tuck you business card in it. If you were sincere, the person will remember you for a lot longer than the period of time it takes them to throw your card away.
Use a real stamp (I also recommend commemorative stamps) not a postal meter mark
Hand write the envelope out too, don't put your name on the envelope just a return address. It adds a bit of mystery and intrigue.
Expect NOTHING in return. If you can be generous without having any ulterior motives... then you really are being thankful.

Craig

ANNOUNCING: My new book on Real Estate Staging

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 12:17:41 -0500

While there are a few books out there that talk about real estate staging. I still feel there is room for a more comprehensive discussion.

I have been working on my own staging book and am PROUD to début the cover HERE on ACTIVE RAIN.

For marketing purposes (so that I am better able to connect with my intended audience) I have written this book using my pen-name... Reala Stager. But shhhhhhh.... that is a secret, my publisher does not want that information released to the general public.

So here it is... wadda ya think?

Stagers... are we red headed step children that get no respect?

Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.) — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 05:38:18 -0600

Lately I have been getting a lot of email from stagers that are frustrated with the response they have been getting from the real estate community. Basically they are surprised that realtors are not flocking to them with open welcoming arms and lavishing them with clients. Compared to mortgage brokers or home inspectors we are "red headed step children that get no respect".

The best advice I can give you is to "persevere".

Staging is new and in many parts of the country untested. So it is up to us as a united industry to get the word out about staging and the benefits it provides. When you are marketing yourself to realtors keep in mind the following and remember ultimately you need to craft your message to them and their issues/needs/concerns/benifits.

1.) Staging has become a marketing tool for realtors that demonstrates they are savvy and leading edge.

2.) Staging fee is typically the seller’s expense, not the realtors! (Many realtors think the fee has to come out of their pocket.)

3.) Real estate staging is NOT just renting furniture… it is much more. It is up to you to explain the depth at which you go to prepare a house for market.

4.) The best time to stage is BEFORE a property is listed. Our work can move the listing price to the top end of the property’s possible price range thus covering our fees and making the seller MORE money.

5.) Let us discuss our services and fees directly with the home seller… this keeps the home seller from feeling as if additional fees are being tacked on by the realtor.

6.) INSTEAD of a price reduction… consider using us. Staging can be less costly and have more of an impact.

7.) Do not market yourself as a designer/ or decorator... rather market yourself as a "real estate/property merchandiser". Why? Because bringing in a "designer/decorator" may be construed as an insult to a seller's tastes. Hiring a property merchandiser is a wise marketing strategy.

In today's age, where it seems like it is all about hard core marketing, sometimes what is forgotten is that marketing ourselves and our services is ultimately about building authentic relationships. Finding ways to be of help to the realtor will surely end the "little orphan Rodney syndrome" we all experience in this new industry.