- From Sharon McConnell's Active Rain Blog
Last week I met some old friends from Active Rain for the first time. Even though they did not know me, I knew who they were. Secretly, I’ve been reading their blog posts since I joined Active Rain in February 2008. We shook hands at StagersLIST.com ’s First Annual Tri-State Staging Expo in Secaucus, NJ. I knew their faces, now they know mine. I hope they enjoy getting to know me as much as I did them.
Now we are new friends. They have voices and personalities. They are genuine, caring, hard working, and have a sense of humor. They are passionate about staging and promoting the staging industry. The Tri-State Expo was a wonderful experience, totally organized, full of fun, expert advice and inspiration. They encouraged me to jump into the joy of blogging and enjoy the growth of my business.
It was so nice to meet you in person.
Shell Brodnax – Real Estate Staging Association
Kym Hough – Staged to Sell
Kate Hart – Hart & Associates Staging & Design
Juliet Johnson – Staging – Home Staging NJ
Melisa Marro – First Impressions Home Staging & Interior Redesign
Phylis Pafumi - Restyled to Sell
Here is another secret. I love real estate staging as much as they do. Kim and Kate, here is my first post. Thanks for the encouragement!
- From Juliet Johnson's Active Rain Blog
Christine Rae is lovely to listen to.
More than her dulcet tones and pretty demeanor... and her deelaightful English accent... it's the plain-speaking wisdom she dispenses, freely and kindly, to all.
We asked her to apply her inimitable brand of clarity to the topic: how to make staging a staple in any market. For copies you'll need to check in at StagerLIST. Along the way of answering this question... here were some of my personal takeaways:-
1. 79% of home owners believe they need to spend about $5,000 getting their home ready to sell.
2. 63% of all buyers say they are prepared to spend more money on a house in great condition than one that needs work.
3. The Staging Business is not about your decorating skills. (It's about business skills and marketing.)And profit is not what the home owner just paid you.
4. "In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these." Paul Harvey
5. Get back to basics, the most fundamental of which is farming (I take this to mean, "in order to reap, you gotta sew")
6. Cultivate efficiences...and consistently ask - what did I do right, what could I have done better, and then ask for the referral.
7. We must call ourselves Real Estate Stagers, not "home" stagers. It affords a professional allusion as opposed to the softer hearth and home... depending upon the kind of business you want to run, that is.
All this was in the first 40 minutes of the EXPO! And I haven't even mentioned her meaty slides as I'm told they'll be posted on StagersLIST.com
Good, eh? |
