Category Archives for "Real Estate, Staging, Color and Design Trends"
Real Estate Trends, News and Statistics
Home Staging Zillow Statistic
Latest Home Staging Zillow Statistic
As the market heats up, we are seeing more real estate agents and sellers recognizing the huge benefits that come with hiring a professional home stager! Here is the latest in home staging statistics according to a new Zillow Digs survey of Real Estate Agents and Interior Designers:
Hiring a professional home stager was listed as one of the top two critical improvements a seller should invest in when selling their home in 2014.
“In a market where home prices are rising, it becomes even more essential to get every dollar you can from the sale of your most expensive asset…professional home staging does this for sellers.” – Audra Slinkey
I’m seeing bidding wars all over the place for the right home that is staged beautifully in this 2014 spring housing market. The savvy agent who wants to have the reputation for getting sellers “top dollar” understand the necessity of staged and merchandised rooms, as well as professional photos to post online.
Curb Appeal was listed as the number one home improvement item while using a professional home stager was listed as number two according to the survey.
A home stager can skillfully identify ways to highlight your home’s best features and compensate for its shortcomings. The goal is to make “your home appeal to the broadest audience and number of buyers possible,” says Zillow Digs Board of Designers member Mara Miller of Carrier and Company in New York City.
Warning…not all home stagers are the same! It takes extreme design expertise, a strong knowledge of the real estate market and buyer demographic, as well as special training in phraseology, staging psychology and vendor partnerships (flooring, window coverings, furnishings, etc..) to really maximize the value of the transformation.
Ready to Become a Successful Home Stager and Redesigner?
XOXO – Happy Staging!
Audra Slinkey
Hope to hear from you!
1-888-563-9271
Top Ten Staging Trends for 2014
I love design and probably own every staging and design book and magazine available. I’m really loving the design trends that are driving the staging trends of 2014 because they reflect the brighter economic outlook of sellers and buyers. When people feel good about their home equity, job stability and market conditions…great things happen in design! It’s no wonder that in a recent Houzz Survey all of the tradespeople (especially designers) were feeling wonderfully, optimistic about their revenue growth in 2014! There’s never been a better time to become a stager and designer!
1. Staged Outdoor Spaces – Can you imagine what this space would look like without the staging? Yes, it would be cold and dreary. Karen Hunter of http://www.staging-magic.com/, transforms this yard into an entertainers dream come true! Staging is about creating the vision of what life in the home would look like and including the outdoor living areas is critical! This staging trend is probably one of the most essential and I see so many sellers not have their outdoor areas staged. Remember a photo is worth a thousand words, so have the stager stage the outdoor space, take your gorgeous photos and that is what will sell the buyer online. 95% of buyers are online first trying to find the home of the dreams…what do you think this photo would say to the buyer?
Don’t forget to stage all of the outdoor space and especially the BBQ/bar area. The husband weighs in on the home decision and I imagine this staged outdoor area would speak louder than the table area.
2. White Kitchens – Huge trend now for home owners is light, white, bright kitchens! In a recent Houzz survey an overwelming amount of respondents desired a white kitchen in their home. A professional stager can easily offer this solution at a low cost since the right painter, accessories and accents are what is needed. When the kitchen comprises almost 30% of the buyer’s decision (according to NAR) a little more expense in this main area makes a world of difference in price! Elayne Forgie of http://forgiehomestaging.com/, works wonders in this space.
3. Birds On Display – The bird in the pillow is just a taste of what we will see more of in the future. Whereas last year’s trend was the white porcelain deer head on the wall and horses, this year’s trend is sweet, little birds. I also love how Monica of http://www.definedspacesstudio.com/, used a palette of wheat yellow and variations of blues to create this dreamy bedroom. Okay, I know the chevron pattern is a bit over-used but in this instance it anchors the palette of yellow and blue nicely.
4. White Slipper Chairs and Bright Pops of Color on a White Canvas – White slipper chairs have always been popular but now we’ll see more of them in these whimsical settings where pops of bright hues help to modernize the space. This staging and design technique by Jo McLaughlin of http://jomclaughlindesigns.com/, looks great throughout the home as the overall sunny economic outlook reflects the bolder color palettes people desire. I also love the metallic framed art which is also very popular right now whether silver (as in this photo) or gold.
5. Speaking of gold….the next big trend is warm gold/brass accents – Framed mirrors, art or brass bar carts add warmth and sophistication in any room. Carmen Cuesta of C.C. Loeb Interiors beautifully displays an old wooden table with a touch of vintage and greenery. Certified Home Stagers and Home Stylists have many inexpensive tricks they use to add glamor to a space using what home owners already have.
6. Purple Accents in Small Doses – We all know that the Pantone color of the year dictates future color trends (that’s why we’re seeing so much yellow and turquoise now manifested in design (Pantone’s past colors) but this year’s Radiant Orchid I believe will be best seen in small doses in living areas (as in this staged living area by Lisa DeFrancesco of South Shore Staging and Photography, http://www.ssstagingandphotography.com/.
And while you won’t see Radiant Orchid on the walls in the living areas of truly staged homes, you will see it in beautifully redesigned/styled homes. Susan Batka of Aerie Interiors, http://aerieinteriors.com/ creates a sensual and inviting space for the bolder client. The zebra print rug really helps to anchor the space and look.
7. Dual Coffee Tables – placing two coffee tables next to each other to scale a larger space is a much better staging solution than just one.
8. Clear Tables, Chairs, Lamps and More – Glass has always been an excellent staging tool because of it’s reflective nature and ability to create more light in what would probably be a dark space. Elayne uses glass tables, glass hurricanes and glass lamps to move the minimal light throughout.
White is Right in Big Doses – While white kitchens is the hottest kitchen trend, white also sells when it’s in an 80% dose as in this living room.
9. The Navy Comeback – Navy blue is making a come back in a huge way! Navy just stole our hearts originally via patterns like chevron, ikat and floral (as in this chair) but now it’s really making it’s presence known as a “new neutral” that pairs well with yellow (as shown), turquoise, coral, chartreuse, wheat …basically all of the bright 2014 on-trend colors that add pop to a space. Navy is one of those versatile colors that can work with bright or earth tone accents (just open your latest Pottery Barn catalog to see it with earth tones).
10. The Statement Piece Over-sized Chair – There are so many things I love about this staged space but the dramatic, over-sized, wing-back chairs are my favorite. Every space needs that one thing that makes the buyer go “wow”! Kristine Ginsberg of http://www.elitestagingandredesignmorriscountynewjersey.com/, the USA Top Professional Stager of the Year invests in luxury accessories that create harmony and sophistication in her spaces. Plush elements like the platinum garden stools, mirrored console and geometric lamp shades serve to pull together this space.
In a new Houzz Survey all of the tradespeople (especially designers) were feeling wonderfully, optimistic about their revenue growth in 2014! There’s never been a better time to become a home stager and designer!
11. Non-Matching Chairs Around the Dining Table to Create Interest and Memorability – Those of you who are familiar with my staging and design training know that I never stop at 10, so here’s another trend I think will play strong in the staging world. You can remove the end chairs in a formal dining space to create space and to also take a great, real estate photo head-on OR add unique, statement piece end chairs to take an interesting side photo of the space. Remember, staging is always about the best photo since 95% of buyers are online first, so pick the shot, then stage it.
Here are my Top Ten Staging Trends for 2014 in Slide Show Format
I’m really loving the design trends that are driving the staging trends of 2014 because they reflect the brighter economic outlook of sellers and buyers.
What are some other trends that you are seeing?
2014 Home Staging Convention
Five Lessons Learned From the 2014 RESA Convention
Can you believe all the Home Staging Resource members who attended the 2014 RESA Convention? There were over 60 of us and boy did we have a blast! Every year I speak at the RESA Conference and learn so much that I add to our HSR Certification training. I love that online training provides me a “real time” educational avenue to provide critical information to the hundreds of HSR Members across the world!
Over the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing some of the things I learned at RESA, as well the success stories I got to hear firsthand from this incredible group of women. Make sure to stay tuned by signing up to the right for our blog. I also am spending a ton of time adding what I learned from the RESA Conference to my HSR training area, so everyone can benefit from the takeaways which is the beauty of online training.
Here are some of the 2014 lessons I learned by our incredible line-up of speakers:
Lesson Number One – Your contract is your “paper courage” said Kimberley Seldon on day one, so when a client wants to do it differently…you refer to your contract and make no exceptions.
My Training Takeaway – I’m going back through our example contracts that we provide in the training using Kimberley’s mantra and making them stronger and more steadfast.
Me and my good friend Shell Brodnax (the amazing woman who always makes the RESA convention a success)
Lesson Number Two – Steven Aaron spoke eloquently on the need for stagers to “do a better job articulating confidently your value!” Give real estate agents an easy way to recommend you to their clients.
My Training Takeaway – Add to the training “Realtor Partner Plan” and “Realtor Presentations” a page/slide on how the stager makes the agent look awesome.
Me and Kristine Ginsberg the winner of the US Stager of the Year and an HSR Member
Lesson Number Three – Katie Lance (a social media guru) spoke on what’s important in social media for 2014 for stagers and how you can easily connect to clients using some of the new social media technology.
My Training Takeaway – Completely redoing my social media and networking section to reflect the 2014 trends, add the tips and tricks of connecting with clients and being a “good stalker” which will make it easy for HSR members to make agent partnerships.
Me and Lori Murphy, Ululani Poepoe and Valerie Monkarsh the new HSR stagers nominated for Rising Star category
Lesson Number Four – Shell Brodnax was one of my favorite speakers and spoke about “Reining in your fears – stop focusing on what could go wrong and focus on what’s right!”
My Training Takeaway – Add more information and video in my Week Two Marketing section that helps stagers connect easily with their propects and clients, so the “fear factor” never comes into play. I also am pushing the Staging Mentor program since is an easy way to take the fear away by working at a home and with clients under a Mentors guidance.
Me and my sister and mother who come and just enjoy the convention with me.
Lesson Number Five – Matthew Finlason spoke on the psychology of staging stating that, “it’s not about pretty rooms but about SELLING homes!” He also emphasized understanding the “buyer demographic” and creating a lifestyle design plan that fits.
My Training Takeaway – Expand on my six buyer demographic Internet research steps and add a “Buyer Demographic Profile” form to that section.
What Agents Really Want
3 Tips on What Agents Want from Home Stagers and a Staging Story
What a lot of home stagers don’t realize is that agents want different things in different real estate markets. For instance, in a “buyers market” which was 2007-2011 agents just want the property to sell and not sit on the market like their competitions. In today’s seller’s market, the savvy agent wants to get the best price (and sell quickly) but price is king. Why? Because the smart agent knows that if they can be the “high price” leader in their market, then people will give them their listing (instead of their competition).
I love this story told by Lori Murphy who was recently awarded a 2013 Best of Houzz award and nominated for the RESA Rising Star of the Year even though she essentially just completed her HSR training and started her business last year! At the end of the story, I give my three tips on what agents want right now…
Hi Audra,
Last Friday, I met with a broker who pays for a staging consultation for ALL of his listings. I met him through an agent in his office that I have worked with. The broker’s name (to make it easier) is John.
So, John explains to me how they had a stager who became ill and quit the business and how they have been searching for one since. They’ve used one here and there and he said, they probably “staged” OK . . . but they needed more.
He continued to tell me how he wants someone who will give the seller the “bad news” so that he doesn’t have to, because he wants to keep his relationship with the seller.
The stagers they’ve been using seemed to just want the seller to like them. He said, “I need someone who will explain to sellers “why” and help them understand it is important in preparing the house to sell. I’d rather postpone putting it on the market by 4 weeks, if when it is listed it’s ready . . . every thing’s done.”
As I sat there listening to him, (he went on for an hour . . . I’ll try not to), I realized something.
At first I shook my head agreeing with him and thinking to myself, “well, of course, that’s what we do” . . . and then it hit me . . . I was trained that way. But it became suddenly clear that because not every stager in Columbus, Ohio received their certification from the Home Staging Resource . . . . well, let’s just say the advantage I have became crystal clear.
I don’t know how or what material the other courses train but I do know that I received the most comprehensive training from HSR. It wasn’t just – “here’s a certificate, now go and tell people you can decorate”. I learned so much more than how to help prepare a home to sell. I have learned (and continue to) so much about being in business as a whole. And I remember when I decided to get my certificate, looking at all the courses that are offered. I remember being on the HSR page for the first time and thought “oh, my, there’s a lot of stuff here”. But for whatever reason – I chose to sign up. And I remember thinking that it was so much to take in; but read your words about how it would all come together and make sense.
Eventually it did make a little sense, and then a little more, and then came the first staging job . . . .and then it really came together! lol
My time with John ended with him giving me the name of a seller, and 2 more later that week. I am hoping this is the beginning of a great partnership. I am anxious to see what he thinks of the consultation report I sent him and the client; something tells me he will be impressed. =] (yes, it’s from the HSR staging forms, tweaked a little).
In the meantime, I mentioned John to another agent I have worked with and the next thing you know, she sent me an email saying, “hey, I thought maybe we could do some marketing together”. She now wants to reimburse sellers for the consultation if they stage first with me.
Audra, I’m so glad I made the choice to sign up with HSR! And YOU . . . over the last year and a half, I have never felt that I was in this alone.
Thanks Lori for the story and photos. Here are three tips for what I think real estate agents want and need right now:
- Agents want to be listened to and understood – This may seem obvious but too many times the stager is trying to fit the agents needs into their business model rather than coordinating their pricing/services around what the agent needs.
- Agents need “staging honesty” for them and their clients, so that the house will get “top dollar” – I see a lot of stagers do a “half staging” job which looks worse than vacant sometimes because the scale is completely wrong. As stagers, we need to be clear and honest about what the home needs to get the best price. The agent does not want to be the “low priced” agent, so we need to be ruthless with the seller on what kind of return they can see in a seller’s market if they stage it well.
- Agents need tools and resources that look great in order to resell our services to their clients – This is where so many home stagers go unnecessarily wrong! Agents need beautiful looking sales materials to convince their clients that staging is the right thing to do.
Image is everything and that is why I just added a a 6-video and two-hour series about “Blinging Your Brand” in our HSR Member’s area because we have to make agents look good for their clients!
Cheers to all the talented home stager’s out there! Any more tips you would like to add to this post?
XOXO – Happy Staging!
Audra Slinkey
Hope to hear from you!
1-888-563-9271
audra@homestagingresource.com
Seriously Flawed Study
This is not true staging by any means…
There was a study published by the Wall Street Journal* claiming that “staging” has no effect on the home’s sale price based on the photo above…seriously?! The study had a group of people view virtually staged before-and-after photos and asked them whether they would pay more for the beige room (above) over the purple room (below). Each of the respondents said they would not pay more money for the beige virtually staged room over the purple room.
How can anyone take this study even remotely serious is a minor miracle. Here are the huge problems with this study:
- The rooms were “virtually staged” (not real, in person staging which is what “staging” is truly is)
- They were “virtually staged” by a someone who doesn’t appear to know much about staging from the looks of the “after” photos
- The “before” photos of a purple room (see below) and colorful furniture look so cartoon like, it’s almost laughable!
- Ironically, the respondents believed that “other” buyers would pay 3.7% to 4.0% less than value of the home if it’s not painted and fixed up.
- Virtual stagers are insulted by these photos since they don’t come close to the quality work that a true, virtual stager can do.
This isn’t even good virtual work…is this Mickey Mouse’s home?
I wasn’t going to even respond to this study since I didn’t want to bring attention to something so absurd but since there has been some chatter about it, let’s put this matter to rest once and for all.
Anyone with half a brain would look at that “after” photo and never in a million years call this a “staged” room!
In case you were one of those silly people who actually wanted to give this study credence and thought that room was “staged”…here is what “staged” really looks like of a home that sold for $100,000 over asking price in October, 2013 within 8 days of staging:
(This home was staged by Donna Dazzo of Designed to Appeal in New York City)
Living Room Before
Living Room After
Living Room Before
Living Room After
Master Bedroom Before
Master Bedroom After
Boy’s Room Before
Boy’s Room After
Girl’s Room Before
Girl’s Room After
Terrace Before
Terrace After
I guess it’s a good thing this home seller didn’t listen to “other” agents who think staging doesn’t work and cite this study…
By the way, I could have produced tons of other similar success stories and photos by the many amazingly talented home stagers across the country who have been maligned by this study. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that when you improve upon a product, you get a better price.
XOXO – Happy Staging!
Audra Slinkey
Hope to hear from you!
1-888-563-9271
audra@homestagingresource.com
*By the way, the study was called: “The Impact of Staging Conditions on Residential Real Estate Demand” and the Wall Street Journal article was called: “Home Staging Effect? Not Much.“