What is a Staging Consultation?

As a realtor, you may be familiar with the idea of home staging—bringing in furniture and accessories to create a measurable and marketable change in the perceived value of the property.

But are you familiar with what a staging consultation is and how it can benefit you as a realtor?

Are you looking to...

Produce better property photos for online listings?

Bring in more attendees to your Open House?

Sell your listing quicker?

Have a happier client, and, in turn, more referrals?

Then you’re going to want to read on. (That’s everyone, right?)

A staging consultation is where a certified staging consultation expert comes in to walk room-to-room with the homeowner, providing recommendations for how the homeowner can best stage their property to sell using the furniture and accessories they already own.

But why stage?

Staged properties sell quicker, simple as that. Don’t believe me? Let the statistics convince you: Properties that are staged prior to going on the market spent 73% less time on the market than properties that were not staged. That’s a big difference.

No matter what price a property may list at, every property deserves a pre-listing consultation. Budget ninjas, fear not: a staging consultation doesn’t have to be expensive, with most consultation prices in the $250-$500 range. But your small investment in a staging consultation can have big results. (See again: 73% less time on the market!)

So what exactly happens during a staging consultation?

Here’s what doesn’t happen: We walk into a sellers’ home and tell them they have poor taste in decor.

Here’s what does happen: We meet the client where they are mentally and emotionally based on their timeframe, their budget, and their abilities. We provide solutions to whatever is behind the door.

As we walk the home with the sellers, we offer detailed recommendations for how to prepare the home so that buyers will have those love-at-first-sight butterfly feelings as soon as they step over the doorstep for a tour.

During a staging consultation, we begin first with the “non-emotional” rooms, like the foyer or dining room. These are rooms that don’t have as many memories attached to them, and so sellers have an easier time being open to our suggestions. By starting here, we build trust with sellers and educate them on the whys behind the need to edit or pre-pack parts of the space to get it ship-shape for selling. Many times it’s as simple as moving a few furniture items around to allow for a better flow to the rooms. Sometimes we recommend fresh paint.

Who doesn’t love a before and after. This is from a recent staging consultation. The homeowner did a great job in following all the recommendations. Yes, they don’t look like a magazine cover but it does look much more inviting to buyers right? Which room would you rather take a buyer to? Not a lot of work was needed in this room but just a few things made the first room you see when you walk in the door more inviting.