I know, I know, I haven’t written blogs for awhile (you will see why in 2009! I have books and courses for training companies being written & published right now, so all the writing juice went that way… You will definitely be the first to know when the first book hit the market in mid-spring next year)
I have always wanted to do podcasts for awhile, so here was my first try today! I interviewed TerryLynn Fisher, who not only gave me lots of words of wisdom when I was a newbie stager, who is also a wealth of sources for both real estate industry and staging industry. She has been incredibly active in real estate circles with her green initiatives, she also co-founded Stager’s List, which is a community dedicated for stagers to buy, sell their inventory.
The topics were very broad. I have decided for the podcasts, we are not going to do any formal Q&A, but more of a chatting format. I personally think it is also easier to listen to. Our topics included are:
*Top producers’ secrets even in down economy
*Staging industry
*Stager’s trainings
*Realtors who stage properties themselves vs. Realtors who work with stagers as a team together -> what are the differences and how that has changed Realtor’s business (TerryLynn has done both)
*Green initiatives in our industry
*Economic benefits of staging
*Being realtor/stager is a small business
*Profitable & sustainable business models
*Return on investment of staging & stats
*First LEED-H house in Northern California (Margarido House)
To listen, go to TalkShoe to either join stagingbabe’s community or just to listen.
Here is TerryLynn’s Bio
In January, 2008, Terrylynn was voted 2007 Staging Realtor of the YEAR through RESA (Real Estate Staging Association). She was awarded the Staging Spirit Award at the Staging Convention in 2006. In Real Estate since 1977, Terrylynn has been in the top of Production since joining Diablo Realty and has obtained various real estate awards and designations to improve her client services. She has published articles about real estate and staging in Staging magazines, newspapers and various blog sites. She has appeared on ABC 20/20 program on staging and locally on CBS.
These include the
CRS – Certified Residential Specialist
SRES – Senior Real Estate Specialist
GRI – Graduate Realtors Institute
CSP – Certified Staging Professional
And the recent Institute for Luxury Homes
course on Luxury Real Estate Specialist
Per Terrylynn, “I BELIEVE that staging enhances my client’s bottom line. Of all of the activities I do on behalf of my clients, staging is the one thing that the client can see, feel and experience as enhancing their return on investment. They KNOW their home is transformed into a product to market and sell. They KNOW staging is a marketing tool and they KNOW I will use it as one of the tools in the arsenal to sell their home at it’s maximum sale price in any market. Who am I to decide the client shouldn’t have every opportunity to maximize their investment? It is my job to tell them what I know that can enhance their sale. It is then their decision as to what they do with that information. To me, not telling them about staging and its benefits is NOT an option. Staging, expert negotiating and the truth in all dealings, I owe them no less. ”
www.Terrylynn-n-Team.com 925 876-0966
Real Estate Article and Blog written and published
by Terrylynn Fisher February, 2008
SELL NOW AND SAVE MONEY??!! YES it’s true.
In our local area, prices have been depressed for a while. California and Florida are the top two states for foreclosures and short sales, REO’s etc. This had caused a pretty negative affect on our markets. But actually in the early 2000’s boom years, most of our areas were up about 35% in value appreciation. So, it’s all relative isn’t it? IF we are now down about 15% to 20%, we are still ahead. And, if you subscribe to the real estate concept of buying and holding until the time is right to sell, well you might want to think about this too.
But wait, is there a reason to sell in a down market rather than wait for that 15% to 20% in price appreciation to regain in your area? You might think I am crazy, but just look at this analysis… (I am using round numbers for ease of illustration.)
Say your home was worth $300,000 three years ago. Say you lost 20% in value in the last year and a half. That’s $60,000, so your home is now worth $240,000.
Say the home you wanted to purchase was $500,000 three years ago.
Say they lost 20% in value in the last year and a half. That’s $100,000, so their home is now worth $400,000.
The GAP between your home and the new home is closer than it would have been two to three years ago.
Sell 3 years ago $300,000 Buy 3 years ago $500,000
Difference $200,000
Sell now $240,000 Buy now $400,000
Difference $160,000
What does this mean to you? It means $40,000 less in down payment or mortgage. IF it is $40,000 less in mortgage at 6% interest, that’s $240 per month less in monthly mortgage payment you are paying for 30 years!!! Compound that for a nice savings.
Then in California our property taxes are approximately 1.25% of the sales price.
3 years ago $521 per month in property taxes
Buy now $417 per month in property taxes
Savings $104 per month savings
Add on the fact that our interest rates are almost at the lowest of low that it has ever been and you will save more on your monthly payment than almost any time in history. The bonus for most areas will be that the conforming loan rates are about to rise, when President Bush signs the bill. This is huge for us in California where it could rise from $417,000 to $729,000!!! This would make a huge difference for people wanting to refinance or purchase. IF you don’t own real estate, now may just be the time to look at buying with prices at a low point. And, it may be time to look at selling and moving up?
What do you think?
Photo courtesy of 
Do: Show a nicely maintained exterior. It gives people a great impression that you have been taking care of it and it’s nice to live in. (photo credit 
Don’t: Show a haunted house (it’s only cool 1 day out of 365 days a year). A house that is ill-maintained on the outside gives people a bad feeling and impression when they first see the house. (photo credit
Am I getting ripped off by my home stager?
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008Whew it has been quite a 2 weeks! I must say, not been able to write and blog for the past 2 weeks have accumulated more guilt than a Catholic priest! Now we have a new president elect and my office finally has passed our fire inspection.
Anyway, back to normal staging channel…
I recently received an email from a gentleman who wanted to know if the staging price that his realtor quoted him was reasonable. He said, “I want to know if my realtor is overcharging me, he quoted me $BLAH for Blah square foot.” I also recently spent 20 minutes on the phone with a perspective client, who is a home owner. She is interviewing stagers and she asked if she can see what type of furniture the stager is going to use. The stager replied “Well, it’s going to be a surprise on the day of.” The perspective client told me she was shocked by the response since “as a customer, shouldn’t I know what I am paying for?”
Frankly, as I wrote before in other blogs such as #1 Question You Need to Ask Your New Stager, How A Stager Can Potentially Kill Your Deal, 6 Tips On How To Hire A Stager, Did You Hire Mr. Joe the Plumber to Stager Your House, and many other, there really are no industry regulation as to how someone would charge. My friend who is a realtor has gotten quotes ranging from $2500 to $5500 for a 1,100 square feet condo in San Francisco. So, how do you know if you are paying for the right person and for the right price?
The answer is IN YOUR PROPOSAL. A good proposal should tell you at least these 3 things:
As of getting “ripped off,” this is where you should ask for portfolio and references. A good stager should have strong references, portfolio and success stories to back those up. Don’t judge just by pricing. Just because s/he came in at lowest bid, doesn’t mean s/he doesn’t do good work. Same goes for the highest bidder.
Additionally, do your homework. They invent Google for a reason, use it to your advantage. Other sites such as LinkedIn, Yelp.com, are good reference points as well.
At last, once you hire the stager, you should TRUSTÂ his/hers professional opinions. For an experienced stager, this is not his/hers first rodeo. There is no need to question he/hers design decision every step of the way and then turn around and say: “I don’t know, you are the designer. Shouldn’t we do it like this?” If you compared all the proposals, you decided he/she is best to stage your home because his/hers pricing is fair and the work looks great, then you shouldn’t have any more doubts, especially if you already did your homework and make sure he/she is reputable.
I always smile when people ask: “Are you going to do a good job? Make it beautiful?” Because, really, I spent all this time building up a business, I am just going to throw all that money and blood and tears and sweat away by staging your house horribly?
Having a stager should be easy and pain free. Don’t you think?
Tags: hiring, home staging, pricing for staging, Real Estate, stager, staging fee
Posted in A Stager's Commentary, Agent Tips, Home Seller Advice | 1 Comment »