How Can I Stage Smarter, Faster and Better?

Part 5: Staging and Promoting Vacant Properties

Promoting vacant properties by setting the most optimal, visual scene possible … as quickly as possible … is critical.

The objective of staging is to eliminate as many excuses and distractions that buyers might have when viewing a property. The result we are looking for is positive feedback … and a sale! The lesson for agents and sellers is the sooner staging takes place, the better AND the more visibility the property gets by promoting it in a variety of ways, even better!

Photos and Virtual Tours:

Staging definitely creates a dynamic first impression when buyers first visit a property, but emotions can also be triggered with eye-catching visuals in the marketing materials used to promote the property.

Take a look at online virtual tours and gauge what your first reaction is — positive or negative? In most cases, this will be the same for prospective buyers. Learn to see through their eyes and encourage agents to stage all their listings before taking marketing photos, filming a virtual tour or holding open houses. Remember that first impressions are lasting impressions.

The same applies to property photos when marketing real estate…you are never given a second chance to make a first impression. The first glimpse buyers have of a property will be a lasting one — whether they are viewing it firsthand or from looking at a photo or virtual tour.

Exactly what turns buyers off when viewing a property is as varied as the individuals themselves. A realtor’s mission is to eliminate as many reasons for these excuses as possible — upfront! The goal is to elicit positive feedback and ultimately result in a sale. This begins with the visuals of the property.

Paying attention to details when taking photos of the property is an essential ingredient to creating a good, first impression with potential buyers. Reasons for poor quality photographs are lighting conditions (too much or too little sun); photo equipment that either isn’t used properly or is outdated; or a lot layout that is not conducive to getting a good shot of the property.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Using visuals (photographs and video footage) to create visibility for properties and prompt showings is a powerful marketing tool. Take a close look at the photos of current listings…what impression are they leaving on potential buyers?? They need to be lasting, not lacking.

Open Houses:

Appeal to the senses. Suggest that agents have a fire burning in the fireplace in the fall and winter (only when someone is present); open windows and patio doors to let the outdoors in whenever possible. The sound of water coming from indoor and outdoor fountains elicits a comfortable and inviting feeling to visitors. Fresh scents like clean linen, green grass, and ocean breeze are welcoming, yet not overpowering.

Consider hosting a ‘before and after’ party for agents to showcase your work.

Computer Program or Cue Cards:

If the property is challenged with a confusing floor plan or has rooms that can be utilized in a variety of ways, S-P-E-L-L it out for the buyers! Use ‘cue’ cards in those areas to suggest the multiple uses for a room and post the cards where they are easily visible in the room.

A more dramatic and highly effective tool would be to use a computer program to draw one or two possible remodeling floor plans and attach to the door of the problem room. Buyers can’t make changes mentally and tend to think remedies might be impossible until they see potential layouts visually laid out for them.

Use paint color CD’s available at most paint stores, to digitally paint the outside and inside of the home to help buyers see their favorite colors on the walls.

Several real estate agents create a property-specific binder of information for buyers to look through when visiting the house. They not only include information on schools, libraries, health clubs, grocery stores, etc., but show photos of the property at different times of the year, views that might not be seen by buyers on a rainy day or at night, wildlife that roam nearby, interesting history about the home and/or neighborhood, hiking trails, etc. This is an excellent way to emotionally connect the potential buyers to the property.

Signs:

Ask the agent and seller if you can place an acrylic flyer/brochure/business card holder in the property after you have staged it.

Encourage agents to add a ‘Professionally Staged Home’ rider on their yard sign.

Place a ‘Staging in Progress’ sign with your company contact info in the yard while you are staging the property.

Here are two examples:

© 2009 The StagingTutor.com Blog.