How Home Staging Can Make or Break a Listing

Calgary Real Estate Podcast with Eric Mortimer

How do home stagers help sellers save, and earn, money? Special guest Rachel Borrelli of Diversa Designs joins us today to explain. Today I am joined by special guest Rachel Borrelli, Owner of Diversa Designs Home Staging and Redesign, to cover some inside tips on effective home staging. These helpful hints are absolute musts in our current market. But before we move on to these tips, let’s go over a question many ask when the subject of home staging arises: How do stagers help people save and make money with their homes? The way stagers help people save money is actually quite simple. Stagers can enter a seller’s home right before they list to tell them exactly what should be done to prepare the property. This prevents sellers from wasting time and money on unnecessary upgrades or repairs. Having the advice of a professional stager can guide sellers to making informed, effective renovations. According to Rachel, kitchen updates bring some of the highest returns. She also said that these updates can sometimes be as simple as changing out knobs on cabinets. Beyond just helping sellers save, stagers can also help sellers earn more for their home—as we mentioned earlier. In fact, studies have found that professionally staged homes can earn between 6% and 20% more than other listings. And our team here at Eric Mortimer & Associates can absolutely verify this trend. According to statistics pulled from the Calgary Real Estate Board, our team sells 96% more homes than other agents. We also sell homes 48% faster and for 100.7% of the purchase price, on average. Our collaboration with Rachel and Diversa Designs has played a significant role in achieving these incredible statistics. Moving on, let’s talk about what stagers are looking for when they step into a home. Rachel says that the first thing she considers is how to highlight a particular home’s best features. Making sure a home appears spacious in person and in all marketing materials is very important. Modernizing a home can also be helpful in boosting its appeal. While some may feel these tasks are something they could take on alone, the guidance of a professional stager is critical to any seller’s success. “Staging gives buyers the opportunity to really fall in love with the home.” Professional stagers stay on top of current trends because what appealed to buyers 10 years ago is not necessarily effective today. Of course, not all buyers will have the same interests and tastes. Professional stagers have an extensive knowledge of what is attractive to various demographics. With that being said, it is no wonder why having the help of a professional stager is so important. Nevertheless, some still question whether hiring a stager is worth it. If you are still unsure, consider the following statistic: 77% of agents believe it is easier for potential buyers to see how a given room can, or should, be used. Vacant rooms look smaller and make it more difficult for buyers to see past flaws. A staged home, on the other hand, could entice buyers to spend eight times longer during showings. This gives buyers the opportunity to really fall in love with the home. If you want to know more about home staging or have any other questions for Rachel, you can reach her by phone at [phone] or by email at [e-mail]. And if you are interested in selling your home, feel free to give me a call or send me an email and our team will send you a free home preparation guide. I look forward to hearing from you soon.