I’ve been asked quite often “Katie, in this hot market is it even necessary to go through staging a home? I mean, won’t it just sell right away?”
At Corcoran Realty & Co. we always believe that staging is an imperative part of the process. In fact, when we opened our doors in 2019 it wasn’t in a regular office; it is a warehouse. We can officially call ourselves Wisconsin’s 1st Brokerage in a Warehouse. I mean, why not put all the resources needed under one roof?
Okay, but back to the question. Is it important to prepare a home for the market?
Yes, 100%. Let’s say that you are going to sell your car. A car that you’ve been driving your young kids around in for the past 5 years. You know what I’m talking about. French fries under the seat, crayon on the windows…like 800 napkins falling out of the center consul. Don’t you think that you’d get more money if you took in your car to get it detailed? Don’t you think you’d make a bit more money if you got an oil change, made sure the tires are good and rotated? You would have an easier time selling it, which very likely would result in more money in your pocket.
Of course, with that statement above, you could argue that that I’m saying you should empty out the house & clean it...nothing more. That’s a start, but then I think it’s best for us to bring in our staging items to sell how the home can make you feel.
Selling residential real estate is a delicate dance between business and emotion. It's a huge financial transaction, however…it’s where you live! Most people are emotional about where they live. So in order to really drive home the desire, we want to make an emotional connection with Buyers so they can visualize themselves in the home. We want our photos looking fantastic, and moreover we want the Buyers to walk in the door and still be able to visualize the space.
The very first time I staged a home was in 2014 in the Crestwood subdivision in Glendale, WI. I had the most charming seller, his name was Brad. He was in his 70s/80s and just the nicest guy. I felt so responsible for Brad to have a good experience. However, his empty house was just sitting on the market…no one was biting. (Yep, that’s what happened back then).
At the time, I didn’t have a ton of funds, however I had about $300 in cash from a rummage sale I put on. So I went out shopping and spent all my money on some staging items. Paired with a few of my own items from home, and a few of another fellow realtor, I staged his house and re-shot the photos. We sold shortly after.
It was that moment that I realized the power of staging.
But Katie, that was then, this is now.
You're right. Today's market offers less hurdles to sell homes. And yes, I could sell a home in today’s market without staging. But the question is, will the Seller get the best results? No, they won’t. Buyer's want to be shown the potential.
For more info on Corcoran Realty & Co.’s complimentary home staging click here!
Corcoran Realty & Co. has staged homes in the Greater Milwaukee Area including, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Fox Point, Bayside, Glendale, Mequon, Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington, Bay View, Cudahy, Oak Creek, Wauwatosa, the East Side, Washington Heights, New Berlin, Brookfield, Elm Grove & out to Lake Country.
