Home Staging - Will We Survive the Market?

I have had the opportunity to travel across the country in the past few months (in my role as a Trainer with Stagedhomes.com) - meeting with existing Stagers and teaching those new entrepreneurs that are excited about launching a business. The question on everyone's mind is "will Staging survive the market?"

I am also a Stager that has a large business in the Sacramento area - and this question has crossed our minds as well. The answer in a nutshell is, "YES" - we will survive but we have to have a survival kit! The crux of the survival kit is Marketing - and finding new clients and new market niches to carve out if the resale market is suffering. Those that do not stay out there marketing - the answer is "NO" - but it is not because of lack of opportunity - it is because of lack of effort and belief. We cannot escape face time - and the networking one-on-one that is the key to developing relationships for our business.

Other things besides Marketing to include in the Survival kit:

• 1 bag of Belief
• 1 case of Positive Attitude
• 1 jug of Perserverance
• Tons of Networking - go to all available opportunities
• 3-4 New Niches - develop specialities for business or other market segments
  
  We have some great press that has come out recently including HGTV's article on "The Top 25 Mistakes Sellers Make" - with #1 being NOT staging! That is wonderful press for what we do and stresses the importance of having an independent assessment of a house for sale. Here is the link to the article HERE and read it if you have not done so already!
  
  We have other press that has come out recently from CBS News - and there is an article coming out in Entrepreneur Magazine July 2008 issue on businesses tied to the real estate market - that will toot the horn of Staging.
  
  So why are so many Stagers living in FEAR of the market? With so much negative press, it is sometimes hard to focus on the positive. There are also those that got into this business as a hobby - and have not put the focus needed to survive the tough times. But when we have the attitude that we are in this for the long haul, then we have to learn to adjust to various markets - and create the demand for our services.
  
  In a slow market, Home Staging is needed more than ever! It is a necessary part of selling a house for a homeowner that truly wants the best offer in the shortest amount of time. We just Staged an average house that was priced a bit higher than market comps - and it sold in 1 day with multiple offers! The sellers are thrilled and so is the Realtor. The power of presentation is the key! There are buyers out there - and all it takes is ONE that falls in love with a house - and makes that emotional connection.
  
  When you have a house that needs Staging - give us a call. We work on Vacant and Occupied houses for sale in all price categories and areas of the Sacramento region. We also provide Staging to Live for homeowners that are not moving but want to refresh their houses.
  
  1-888-WE-STAGE - http://www.westagesacramento.com/