A Stager asked me to have a look at her website and give her some feedback. The site was beautiful, as I expected, but when I clicked to look at her work I saw only listings, complete with MLS numbers and lot sizes. If I were thinking of hiring a Stager, I’d want to see examples of what she’s done, before and after photos or just the beautifully photographed finished rooms. I’d be interested to hear about the challenges faced with each house and how she solved them.

If I’m looking at this site while shopping for a Stager, I do care about how I feel when I look at a picture of the kitchen. I don’t care if the appliances convey. That’s the difference between hiring a Stager and buying a house.

Using locations on your website provides important fodder for search engines and helps locals find you. And while it gives potential clients a certain level of comfort to know that you’ve worked with homes similar to their own, pinpointing a street address may not be necessary (or appreciated by the new owner). “Oakwood area, low $600,000s” would be about as specific as I’d like to get about the house itself.

Another thing to consider is the regulations involved when a listing is advertised for sale. As a real estate agent, I know my state laws and the NAR Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice will require any advertisements of my listings to carry certain information. For instance, if my phone number is used, my state requires that my brokerage phone number be used as well. I’m also required to disclose my brokerage name, which is usually done through the use of a logo. I am allowed to advertise only the agreed upon price. If the seller changes the price but the website isn’t updated, this would be a violation. Helping out an agent friend by advertising their listings may not work as intended, but linking to “Agents I’ve Worked with and Recommend” is both a testimonial and referral.

An easy guideline is just to keep in mind the purpose of your site. If you’re trying to grow your staging business, your key themes may be focusing on room transformations, solutions to problem areas and helping homes sell faster and for more money. By showcasing your work instead of giving data that creates a perception of listings, you’re also able to keep photos of the homes on your website indefinitely.

If you have thoughts about this, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

The home was vacant, and I refuse to simply take pictures of 2 blank walls, it wasn’t anything to write home about, and to top it off it was TINY!!!! It’s only 950 square feet with 3 bedrooms on two stories, meaning the stairs eat up some of the space… that kind of small! You know, the kind of listing that’s always described as “Cozy”

See her solution here, “Cozy” Home? Not Anymore!

First of all, it’s the right thing to do. You’ll feel better when you know you’re a part of the solution instead of adding to the problem.

Secondly, people like to work with people/companies who are being responsible about the environment. Even clients that haven’t begun living a greener lifestyle themselves still feel that they are helping out if they “vote with their dollars” for a healthier way of doing things.

But mainly, it sets the tone we are looking for in Staging. Natural materials are soothing. They have a calming influence that makes an entire space feel relaxing. Natural colors are never jarring or distracting.

Think about how rocks, coral or driftwood have a sculptural quality without becoming a statement piece. Wood furnishings and floors have a warmth that appeals to any decorating taste. Wicker adds texture while being inexpensive and lightweight, both of which may be important traits for your staging props.

Together this results in exactly what we’re aiming for in Staging. The house itself becomes the star, the “stuff” in it serves only to create a warm and inviting feeling in whoever enters.

“Wallpaper that reacts to heat, the painting that react when you touch it, or the daily calendar that fades away during the day. ” Heat Sensitive Wallpaper?

I’m sure it won’t be the last either. This show speaks for itself.

One of the easiest ways to do that is to link to your inventory list of Home Staging Shows from your website or blog.

But what else can you do?

* Link to your Shows in the signature of every email.
* Make up CDs of your Shows to be given out at Open Houses.
* Embed your Shows in your website and blog to illustrate your words.
* Use the shorter link (found under Show Links in Manage and Edit) in print ads.
* Email Shows to potential and past clients, friends, family members and contacts.

As a business owner, it’s vital that you get your name in front of people as often as possible. Continue to advertise yourself in a way that is economical and showcases your work like nothing else. Put your Home Staging Shows to good use!

Craig owns Real Estaging, a the metro Chicago area Home Staging company. I feel confident saying that he’s wowed me time and time again through his blog on Active Rain and his Home Staging, Rants & Ravings.

Let’s capitalize that: STAGING GENIUS.

In this Real Estate Show, he takes vacant homes and transforms them into Model Homes. He’ll tell you in his own words in his post, but I see things from my own view.

Empty houses just don’t have any life in them. They are sad and lonely. They feel hollow.

We are all optimists, and when we shop for our next homes, we are also trying to buy a new life. You might think that you’ll cook more in your gourmet kitchen. You might imagine having friends over more in your cozy family room, or giving yourself a relaxing break in your new, spa-like bathroom.

You’ll buy the life you wish you had. Staging will help you see the life you could have, if only you paid attention. An empty room might leave you feeling cold, but any of Craig’s spaces will make you want to walk right in and start your new life that very moment.

It’s like he can show you want your dreams of your future ought to be.

Thank you, Craig. This one was amazing.

Real Estate Shows is a marketing tool that allows you to take digital images, link them together in a slide show that mimics live video, and personalize the “show” with music and your own text. Obviously the uses are unlimited, but specifically its application to marketing real estate is powerful.

Click here to see Sue’s RealEstateShows.com User Guide on ActiveRain. Then click here to visit Sue’s website… Staged First Impressions.

Sue, thank you again!

One of the main problems with wallpaper is that it’s so personal. Stager Marci Toliver of Fresh Eye Designs says of a recent conversation with a client, “I told her wallpaper is like a bathing suit. I wouldn’t wear hers and she wouldn’t wear mine!” Now that’s personal! It’s also a great way to get the point across to your clients, isn’t it?

Staging is all about creating an atmosphere that will appeal to as many people as possible, in order to sell the home quickly. You’re creating a feeling for the potential buyers of the wonderful lifestyle they could have in this house. The house is serene, calming, welcoming … and then their eyes find the bright floral/frou-frou/fussy wallpaper.

It’s about as jarring as a speed bump on the interstate.

Although the sellers might adore roosters/teacups/ivy, it’s not as likely that the majority of buyers will feel the same. Buyers are picky people with lots of choices. Wallpaper is a pain to remove, and it makes most people tired to even think about doing it themselves. Unless they’re getting a substantial discount for it, most buyers prefer to have a move-in ready home.

I have seen staging with wallpaper work wonderfully, but most of the time I think it’s worth it to take the time to remove it before listing the house. Freshly painted walls give a buyer one less roadblock to making a home their own.

Soon afterwards, Joelle Green of Joelle & Company Designs made up one for her staging company.

About 80-85% of home buyers now begin their search online, before ever contacting anyone. They are actively searching for not only their next homes, but also the people they will employ to help them reach their goals.

The best time to try to reach these future clients is RIGHT THEN, when they first begin their search. You have the opportunity to make a Home Staging Show that will reach them and get them excited about working with you — and isn’t that what you really want?

These online shoppers are likely going to be checking lots of local sites, trying to find the right people to employ to get the job done. Make sure you’re asking for their business, and showing them what you can do for them!