Actively Raining Thoughts-Room Service Home Staging

Realtor Presentations- I Like to Keep It Short and Sweet!  

While I prefer meeting Realtors one on one to get to know them I have given Realtor presentations and for me it’s all about this....keep it short and sweet! I wanted to share my experience after reading a request from fellow Home Stager, Pam Smits.   

I don’t know about you but I prefer to go where I’m wanted, so if you’re trying to set appointments for presentations focus on the offices that really want to learn more about Staging and your services.   There will be time enough for you to beat your head against a brick wall.  

1. Ask the Broker if there is anything in particular that they would like to know.   One of my favorite Brokers gave me guidelines which helped me focus my presentation rather than saying a lot about nothing.

2.  Don’t make this an “I love me” presentation.  Again, this particular Broker gave me excellent advice, and I’ve heard this on numerous occasions.  She said not to go in making this a “sell job”.  Give them something of value.  Give them information that they can use.  
Talk to them about the current “in” neutral colors.
Give them ideas on how they can convince their sellers to stage their home.

3.  Have Before and After Pictures.   The old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” holds true for presentations as well.  Everyone loves looking these.

4.  Ask the Broker about the time allotted but I still suggest keeping it Short!   Thanks to Twitter and our abbreviated society, our attention span is fairly short.   Realtors are busier than ever so they really don’t have time to sit through a long presentation.   Leave them wanting more!

5.  Don’t forget the Sweet!  I’ve brought in cookies, wrapped brownies and lunch.  And, with my brownies, they’re individually wrapped with my business card attached.  

So... come on Stagers, Realtors and others,  please add in your comment any suggestions you have!  

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

Realtors, Fellow Stagers, and Anyone Else out there... I need your help!!

I've been asked to give presentations about Staging by some of the local Real Estate offices in my area, as well as the local Board of Realtors.  Yes, I've spoken about Home Staging before, but this time... I want to really give them information they want.

I don't want to just stand up and say the usual :

  " Staging will help sell your homes quicker"  (duh..of course, otherwise why would a Seller invest in it?)

or

"Your sellers need to declutter"   (so.. tell me something I don't already know!)

I've always felt that Before and After photos were a good way of getting the message across, and yes I'll incorporate some of those but what I really want to know is what YOU want to know.

What is it that I can show you or answer about Staging that will make it worth 20 or 30 minutes of your time?

I don't want to put any more of my local Realtors to sleep any more than I want to look out at a sea of snoozing agents.

I know you know about Staging...so please tell me why you don't use a Stager for your listings!

Have you had a bad experience with a Stager...what can we do to change that?

I really do value any input you have... and I know the other Stagers here would welcome it as well.

Don't hold back  (who am I kidding, this is ActiveRain... I'm counting on you guys!)

Just hit me with the Truth... I can handle it...

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

Staging has a place in all kinds of Marketing..... Would YOU want to run out and join this Company??

I was stopped at a red light when I saw this sign.

 I couldn't believe this was placed by any serious company looking for help.

I don't know about you but my first impression was : 

                                                                            You've Got to be kidding me?

What kind of impression do you leave with your signage and marketing pieces?  Are you attracting the best Agents out there with your signs and advertising?  And, let's face it, if you were a Seller or Buyer, would you want them to represent you ?

In a recent post on Staging Your Office Space, I  discussed the importance of first impression and staging to help sell YOU.   How you express yourselves through your marketing pieces will definitely leave an impression on the viewer.  And, don't forget what we drill into our Seller's heads.... You have only ONE chance to make a good First Impression.

Whether you're a Real Estate Brokerage Firm, a Home Staging Company, Home Inspector or Mortgage Broker... think about the impression you're leaving outside the office!

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

I recently assembled a basket for our WCR Spring Basket Auction.  The  baskets were auctioned off to raise funds for the organization and everyone got creative. 

If you're involved in a Networking organization, such as your local Chamber of Commerce; participate in functions where you have a drawing for a door prize; or are asked to donate something for a charitable function I thought I'd share some of the really fun and very creative ideas these ladies had.

The "basket" on the far right was donated by Two Men and a Truck.  Their great idea was to include all sorts of items that would be useful on moving day including toilet paper, cleaners, tape, scissors, bags, snacks, and any other item you can think of.

I was the lucky winner of this Italian themed "basket" which included a huge white bowl that I love, Chianti, pasta, sauce, cheese,  and chocolates!

This was a favorite of everyones and I think received the highest bid.  It was a green leather tote with all sorts of gourmet goodies including coffee mugs, sauces, candies, and candles.

The lucky bidder/winner was our event sponsor who garnered major points when he took it home to his wife!

There were also baskets geared towards Easter which were full of chocolate, peeps, and all sorts of candies for everyone.

Carol Bloom of Regional MLS is always creative and this time she outdid herself. Her tray/basket had her own Sangria mix, glasses, a pitcher, fruit slices, and other festive goodies.

And, finally Room Service!Home Stagings "Put the Wow back into your Home" basket.  I included a gift certificate for a 3 hour ReDesign consultation, and was able to get gift certificates from Benjamin Moore, Ability Tile & Mirror, Marianne's Wallpaper and Windows, and Home Depot.  The box was from our Stager's favorite Ross (Under $7.00)

Hope these gave you some ideas for your next function. 

Please share some of your Gift Basket ideas!

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

Essential tools before you make that Client call....coffee, phone, laptop, Mirror(?)  Huh?

You know what it's like when you sit down to make your client calls.  You grab your coffee (or tea), open your laptop and cell phone and settle in.  It's probably not your favorite task but you know it needs to be done.  There are so many other things you'd rather be doing......... having a root canal for instance! 

Even if you're not a Realtor, most of us are SELLING something.   We have follow up calls to clients; following up on leads; calling associates; and of course... the dreaded cold call!

Just as you wouldn't show up to a business meeting looking less than professional, how you "appear" over the phone is equally as important.

Trust me... if you're in a less than professional mood... if you're tired and just want not to be doing this... it will come across the phone line.

This is a trick we used in my previous life.  I managed an office of anywhere from 9 to as many as 15 placement consultants.  Everything we did was through the phone.   This was also pre-email, Twitter, Facebook, text messaging and.... yes before cell phones. 

I used to place mirrors on my sales counselor's desks, right next to their phones.  Now, I knew my counselors and we all were nothing if not vain.    They couldn't resist looking into the mirror as they spoke over the phone.  And... that wasn't a bad thing.  As I walked around, they were all speaking to clients over the phone and looking into their mirrors at the same time.......and they all had smiles on their faces! 

Next time you sit down to make your calls, try looking in a mirror when you talk.  What will it show? 

Are you seeing someone with a scowl or frown? If so chances are the person on the other end is "seeing" the same thing.  

Now the story ends here... but if you have just one more minute scroll down and read a funny side story to the mirrors......

it won't take long ...........

but I know you're busy so I won't be offended should you need to stop here and get back to work

.............you want to scroll down.... don't you....

go on.... it will only take a minute.

OK... glad you decided to take the time... as I was saying... I placed mirrors on my counselors desks to help them "see" how they were coming across over the phone.  This suit one of my consultants perfectly as she was always looking in the mirror anyway... it wasn't that she was vain, but she took to this like a fish in water.  Weeks had gone by and she and that mirror were like working buddies. 

One day, when we were all in need of some levity, I saw that she was on the phone..... staring into that mirror.  I walked by and (making sure she was not on an important call)... removed the mirror from her desk.........

You probably know where this is going.... she had become so attached to that mirror that as soon as I lifted the mirror she became all tongue tied and couldn't speak!  

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

Something happened to me recently that truly hurt my feelings. It wasn't what was said but how it was delivered. What could and should have been said with a short phone call to me came via an email.  Again, it wasn't what was said.  It was the delivery.                             

It made me sad and for some reason it bothered me that even though I'm a gadget/tech kind of person, I would rather have had the old fashioned phone call. 

I love the latest in communication "toys" and think that they are a great way to save time and make sure that your message is being delivered.  My first "real" job out of graduate school was placing office support staff.  There were no cell phones, heck there weren't even personal computers, email or fax machines.  Not everyone had an answer-machine.  If I needed to contact an applicant ASAP and she wasn't home, I'd put a "fish" on her line. 

What's a fish?     You youngsters are gonna love this!  We'd call someone's number and if no one answered, we'd let it keep ringing. There were several lines on each phone, so we could use other lines to make calls.  When the light on the "fish" button  went out, it alerted you that someone had come home and you'd call back. Drove their poor pets nuts!!!

I digress.

Lately though, even email has been taking a back seat to FaceBook, Twitter and Linked-in.  My young friends (14 and 15 yr olds) don't even use their cell phones to speak to each other.  They text.   Recently there was an article in  USA Today of a study done that said college students were less empathetic towards others than previous generations.  It theorized that more time was spent on social media than actual face to face interactions. BTW that does not necessarily bode well for the older generations who will rely on these generations for assistance!

But think about it... when was the last time you actually spoke to your friend/brother/client/networking buddy?  Do you even know how their voice sounds?  There's a wonderful Realtor, Matthew Swanson, in Boca Raton, Florida who has been a great supporter of Staging.  He sends out his regular email newsletters, but that's not all.  Periodically, I'll get a quick phone call from him with some new information, or just to check and see how my business is going.

So, if for no other reason than better business and marketing results for you as a Realtor, Stager, Mortgage Professional, Home Inspector or whatever, I encourage you to

                                        Reach Out and Touch Someone!

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

 

Anybody there??                                                      

 Now, for the remaining hearty souls and I hope some of you are Realtors, then let me explain how using the services of a Home Stager can make your life easier.  I was inspired to write this after I  read an excellent post by Lisa Hill of Florida Property Experts in Daytona Beach that suggested how Realtors and Home Stagers can work together.

If you are not currently using the services of a Home Stager or if you're considering it,
 let me show you how Staging can help you with :

1.  SELLERS-It's not always easy suggesting to a Seller that their home needs staging.  You clearly don't want to offend them but on the other hand, you need to get the house sold.  Clutter, over-sized furniture, and bad paint jobs are NOT going to sell the house.   Work with your local Professional Home Stager.  We can play Bad Cop to your Good Cop! 

                                                                                                              

2. POTENTIAL BUYERS- Listing Staged properties is an invaluable instrument in your own marketing and advertising campaign to BUYERS. Let them know who the true professional is. I can still  remember the name of the listing agent when we purchased one of our own houses.  Each of her homes had a CD tour of the house, professional brochures, and showed beautifully.  Every light was turned on and every window covering was open when we showed up for an appointment.  I loved our own Realtor but I can't tell you how impressed I was with this particular Realtor.

                      

3. REALTORS- Gain the reputation among your peers for representing well presented and very sale-able houses.  We've all been there.  You see a new listing.  The landscaping is overgrown, clutter is everywhere and repairs need to be made.  You can't believe the listing agent let it go on the market in "that" condition.  Team up with a Stager and let your sellers, buyers and other Realtors know that you are the Professional in your area.

                                                              
4. YOU- Marketing a property has gotten easier in some ways thanks to the Internet, FaceBook, Twitter, and of course, ActiveRain.  But, it still can be a 24/7-dealing with people-problem solving kind of profession.  Why wouldn't you add to your bag of tools, a professional home staging consultation?   Stagers want to work with you to make sure your property will appeal to most Buyers.  We're there to highlight its features and show how a Buyer might work around those uniquely shaped rooms.  We can often gently nudge them into painting that bright purple wall or replacing the stained and worn carpeting.  
               
Next time you're looking for ways to make your job just a little easier,  pick up the phone and meet with your local Professional Home Stager.

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com

                     

                                   

 

 

 

Thought you might find this interesting.  I'd also suggest going to the article and reading the comments.  It's always good to know the opinions that are out there.  Debra's seminar idea is a good one!

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my about.me profile!

Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager

561-914-6224   Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com