Insights Into Staging
One of the most common questions I am asked is, “who PAYS for all this stylish beauty you bestow on each property you touch?!” JK. What they really mean is who is responsible for the cost of staging the home, between a realtor/seller relationship? The truth is, it depends.
With each project, the answer changes depending on the circumstance of the listing. Sometimes the seller pays for the staging, sometimes it’s the realtor, other times the cost is split between both of them and in some cases the realtor pays upfront and is reimbursed by the seller after the house sells. Lotssss of options.
The route you take is can be determined based on a few different factors:
The listing price
The commission structure
Whether the seller will also be buying with the same realtor
The cost of the staging which can vary vastly from project to project
Ultimately, it’s up the realtor to decide what works best for their business and margin.This is why it’s so important to have a solid relationship between the realtor and stager.
We all know that the number one goal when selling a property is to get the top selling price, and things like pricing strategy, timing, and quality of the staging are pieces of the puzzle that can come together to make those goals a reality.
When everyone works together as a team (because, in my humble opinion, the stager should be considered an EXTENSION of the realtor’s team, okayyy?), everything goes smoothly on all ends. The staging is on brand for the realtor, it suits the target demographic for the listing, and not only shows well both in photos and in person but stands out amongst the competition. AKA, that thing will sell for top dollar.
SO. How do you get your seller on board for staging?
Be clear about the staging process so they know what to expect
Be prepared with an idea of the cost of staging (ahem, let’s chat!)
Understand the value of the work of your stager (aka know the difference between staging and great staging)
Present facts and staging statistics
BONUS: Before and after photos go a loooong way!
As a stager, I TOTALLY recognize that the realtor goes to bat for us during their listing presentations. This is why I created my pre-staging package as a way to help realtors nail the conversation, every time. It’s full of staging facts and statistics, before and after photos and includes a pre-staging checklist. And mostly? It’s gonna help you sell that thing for top dollar.
Click the button to snag yours!
Thanks so much for reading!
