RESA Awards 2015

RESA Awards

I’m truly honored and excited to be nominated by RESA as the Most Innovative Product or Service of the year for our Staging Mentors program!  What makes this RESA Award nomination so special  and unique is that it’s not about me…

This nomination is for the many, wonderful, successful, veteran stagers in our industry who generously give their time and knowledge to new stagers in order to elevate the industry as a whole.

I truly believe in learning from those who have tread that path before you and networking with mentors in your field.  The many mentors who I have worked with through the Staging Mentors program have gone “above and beyond” with the insight and knowledge they provide to new stagers while walking them through their staging process.  I have a partial list below of the Staging Mentor I would like to thank but unfortunately cannot list them all since we have so many!

Here’s a recent email I received from a new stager who just got mentored from Sherry Castaldi (who is also nominated for Occupied Stager of Year through RESA!):

Hi Audra, I’d like to take this time to tell you that I had the most fantastic experience with Sherry Castaldi of Organized By Design.  I was able to meet with her on Thursday November 29th to shadow her on a Townhouse occupied  consultation.  Before we met with the homeowner, Sherry and I  were able to meet for coffee to go over her process and what to expect.  Sherry has a proven technique that is simplified, organized and effective.  It’s no wonder her clients refer her to so often.

I can not say enough how helpful this was to me as a new stager.  Sometimes as “newbies” we can feel a bit overwhelmed and alone out there.  Having the opportunity to have someone like Sherry guide me through, show me how to simplify things and more importantly show the value of what we do to the client was invaluable.  I am so glad that when I signed up for the HSR course that I decided to include the additional option to shadow a stager.  It was money well spent.  Thank you for Audra for offering this option to your students. – Susan Thompson, www.ready-set-stage.com

So…a huge THANK YOU to all the Mentors below who made this program possible…

Arizona

Phoenix and Surrounding Areas – Barbara Hutson and Joellyn Machnics

California

Los Angeles Luxury Home Staging – Michelle Minch

Roseville/Granite Bay/Sacramento – Lori Polk

Sacramento/Roseville – Ryan Dressel

San Diego Area – Yvonne Marquez

Florida

Tampa Bay Area – Veronica Ortiz

Georgia

Atlanta Area – Paige Earles

Illinois

Central Illinois/Peoria Area – Tracy Molendi

Chicago Area – Kathleen Sarrett

Chicago NW Suburbs Staging Mentors – Shelly Brucki and Tammy Shimp

Chicago Western Suburbs – Margaret Gehr & Kathy Lobkovich

How to Make a Logo in 2 Minutes

When I spoke at the RESA Conference on Branding, I got so much feedback from stagers who needed more good tools and information, that I thought it would be fun to do a quick video on creating a logo using one of my favorite free online image editing programs.  I know it’s more “ideal” to pay a designer to do this for you but I also know that many of us are on a budget and want a bit more control over what our image and branding says about us.

Here’s a quick video I created that shows you how easy it is to create a nicer looking logo that you can use to watermark your photos:

If you liked that video, then you will really like the video I created on how to create a photo collage with your before and after photos!

XOXO – Happy Staging!

Audra Slinkey

Hope to hear from you!

1-888-563-9271

audra@homestagingresource.com

Websites for Stagers

When I spoke at the RESA Convention on “Blinging Your Brand” I got so many questions from stagers who have a great eye, know what they want their brand to look like BUT just don’t have the technical/computer skills to pull it altogether.  I also had to critically look at the website themes we offered and make some big changes, so….I’m so excited to introduce our new Custom Theme!

Here’s a five minute video that shows you how cool this Custom Theme is:

Now available in our Package Two which includes hosting and your website!

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,

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.

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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.“

5 Reasons to Start a Staging Business in 2014

What is it that you love to do and are passionate about?  Chances are if you love it, you are truly gifted at it.   Do you get goosebumps when you walk into a book store and head to the interior design section?  Do you anxiously wait for your design magazines to come in the mail or get “geeked up” over organizing your closet?  Do you notice every design detail when you walk into a friends house and then subconsciously rearrange the space in your mind? If you answered “yes” to any of these seemingly absurd questions then you definitely have what I call the “design sickness” and the good news is there’s never been a better time to explore the possibility of creating a business doing it.  There is nothing more exciting then doing what you love and getting paid for it!

Here are five reasons (with statistics) why starting a staging and redesign business is a practical and perfect idea for 2014:

• Home Values Are On The Rise – What a roller coaster it has been but now in almost every area of the country, home values are going up.  What does this mean for stagers?  It means there is value in the sale of the home, so staging becomes a “windfall” of sorts for sellers who really want to get all they can out of selling their most prized possession.  (The median price of a house in the United States is $197,100 which is up over 10% from last year’s median price of $176,800 according to the National Association of Realtors NAR) (According to the National Association of Realtors, almost 20% more home sold over 2012 numbers:  5,160,000 homes in 2013 vs. 4,660,000 in 2012)
• Remodeling Is On The Rise – What happens when people start to take an interest in their homes?  They look for critical expertise from a home stylist, color expert and designer! (In an HGTV Magazine reader poll over 25% of readers underwent a big renovation, like a new kitchen or bath in 2013)  (In a 2013 Houzz survey of over 100,000 people over 53% plan a renovation in the next couple years, think it’s a good time and plan to hire professional help)
• Home Staging Was Specifically Listed As A “Best Career for 2013 and Beyond” – In an article by career guru, Marty Nemko, staging was listed as a best job and fastest growing career for the future. (Link to Article)
• Sellers Are Now Staging Savvy – With the rise of HGTV, Pinterest and Houzz the average seller understands the value of professional, design advice for both living and selling!
• Agents Are Now Staging Savvy – It’s taken home stagers years to educate the real estate industry of the benefits of staging and now home stagers have become a de rigueur part of preparing a home for sale.

The most famous real estate agent of all time, Barbara Corcoran is speaking at our Staging Convention in a couple weeks, so it’s incredibly encouraging to see how our work over the years in educating the public on staging has Barbara as a huge supporter and advocate!

 

Timing is everything and building a business is a luxury but the biggest regret I hear our member stagers say is that they wish they started earlier.

Here are just a few quotes from our members I thought was worth posting to encourage others that a new year, can mean so much to you…or it can pass you by.

Staging Training Comparison

20+ Reasons Why HSR is Your Best Choice for Staging Training…

A lot of training companies will call themselves the “world’s best” or “accredited” but you have to dig deeper to find out the facts and make sure you invest in the best partnership for your business!  I know it’s confusing, so I recently put together this video in hopes to explain the HSR point of view and my philosophy on what makes us the best choice.

Another great reason to choose HSR as your trainer of choice!  The Home Staging Resource was the first truly, Accredited Home Staging Training Provider by an independent, third-party who has audited our training (the Real Estate Staging Association).

Click Here for 20 other reasons to choose HSR…

5 Critical Reasons to Attend the RESA Convention this Year

Every year I go to the RESA Convention and every year I get ten times more done in my business the months following that inspirational event because it is so motivating!  I really can’t say enough about this event, so I thought I’d bullet point some key reasons to attend (and use to convince your spouse the importance of you going!)

1. Barbara Corcoran – Need I say more?  It’s incredible to me that RESA was able to get her to speak and I can’t wait to see what kind of wisdom this amazing woman has to share!
2. Training Times Ten – Yep, you will learn so much at this event on so many different topics!  The experts are hand picked and are the best of the best!
3. It Will Fire-Up Your Business – I promise you will walk away feeling invincible and capable of tackling the toughest projects, clients and marketing activities!
4. You Will Make LOTS of Friends – Staging and design can be a lonely business, so coming to this event allows you to connect with peers, network and make friends that will also hold you accountable and encourage you all year round.
5. Early Bird Pricing Currently, Las Vegas is a Cool Place to Visit and the Great Food – Okay, I listed three more fantastic reasons that not everyone is aware of…in fact, I think I gain five pounds from the amazing food that is served at the RESA Convention every year.

This event will sell out soon, so click here to sign-up today!

For past and present HSR Grads, I have a special video invite just for you…

Home Staging in Prague

Home Staging in Prague – Another Home Stager Success Story

I love this story because it shows that the principles of gorgeous home staging are universal! Pavlina Glacnerova of Prague Home Staging, has a wonderful talent of transforming rooms.  She also has an encouraging story to tell about how she got started, so read on and hear in her own words her story, while enjoying her photos…

I am a mother of two small kids (1 and 3 years) and I got very nervous about my future career last year. I realized that I don’t want to get back to my former profession – account manager. I yearned for a job without any time borders, without hundreds of pointless reports, without a boss which doesn’t listen but boasts of my success. I desired to be responsible for all my action and express myself.

One day I saw some realtor talking on a TV about real estate business in Czech Republic and suddenly he mentioned Home Staging. He said that it is something brand new in our area and it’s got a great potential to be very successful soon.  First I started searching on the internet for some details to find out what it takes to do it. I found a few awesome pages of Home Stagers in USA and Canada and realized I need some serious training.

I found HSR and immediately had no doubt that this is the right resource for my dream career. The was even more surprised when I had sent some questions and Audra’s emailed response arrived immediately. Because I am from Europe I’m a bit limited by a different time zone. But this fact turned out to be unimportant with HSR. I was also quite concerned about the time to finish the course but thanks to HSR I’ve been able to study by my own pace and successfully finish and achieve the certification in about six months.

 

I can’t even express how happy I am that I joined this training because HSR is not only about training but mainly a critical resource of information absolutely necessary for the right start. It is not only about home decorating, design and real estate business. It’s about a million other practical advises and instructions which you need if you want to start doing this business and be successful. It is about your presentation, how to naturally approach to a client or realtor, how to build a credible business and relationships…how to get respect.

 

I looks to me like Pavlina is doing everything right!  Her photos look spectacular and she’s branding herself beautifully on her website:  http://ukazkovydomov.cz/

Great job Pavlina!