Sex today is used for marketing just about everything and anything not remotely connected to sex-but it works. And real estate staging does for houses what sexy ads do for marketing-it sells!

In today's competitive real estate market, you cannot afford to gamble with your equity by not staging. Sure, I have heard all the reasons why you think you don't need to stage (and you can probably think of some I haven't heard too!), but ask yourself:

-Do you really want to sell your property?

-Do you want to sell in the shortest amount of time (or an indefinite time with poor results)?

-Do you want to secure the most amount of equity possible when the sale goes through?

If you answered "yes, yes, and YES!," then staging is what you need to do.

Let's Talk Facts...

FACT: Everything counts! That means everything you do-or don't do-to ready your property will make or break the sale.

Here are more facts that may help make your decision easier on whether to stage or not:

-78% of sellers today are willingly investing up to $5,000-and often more-to make their property move-in ready.
 

-More than 63% of buyers today say they are willing to pay more money for a move-in ready property (Read: We don't have time or money to do the work).
 

-93% of buyers today look at property on the Internet first to create a list of "Must See" listings. In other words, the photos posted of a property on the Internet must sizzle-staging by a professional who knows how to stage for the perfect photos is crucial.
 

-Decisions to buy are made emotionally and then supported intellectually. First impressions-good or bad-are made in the blink of an eye.
 

-A recent survey showed, in the opinion of 1,000 real estate professionals, that the projected ROI for staging to be as high as 589%.

Staging is an umbrella word for three definite steps: Consultation, Work, and Showcasing. (Work means fixing and upgrading the condition of the property.)

Everything counts! That means anything you decide not to fix, clean, upgrade could be the reason your property is on the market longer or sells at less than expected.

Once your seller decides to move, they need to divest their emotional connections to the property and accept objective advice from a professional who has the credentials to help market their biggest asset.

 -By Christine Rae, International Staging Training Academy