Home Staging: Set the Scene for a Sale
Take some tips from this Realtor® who uses home staging to enhance a listing’s charm and appeal.
When a property sits idle on the market, it can frustrate and shake the confidence of even the most seasoned agents. Nick Rice, sales associate with Realty ONE Group Advantage in Lutz, experienced this firsthand when one of his recent listings languished for six months without attracting any offers.
“It was vacant and I knew it just needed beautiful staging,” Rice says. “If a listing isn’t presented well, people won’t be able to picture themselves living there. During COVID, even with obvious flaws, properties were in demand. Now, they must be either well-staged or in such a high-demand neighborhood that people will say, ‘I’ll take it,’ no matter what.”
Rice persuaded the owners that it was time to hire a professional staging company and consulted with a representative from Step by Stage Interiors, which services all of Central Florida. Confident in their ability to showcase the property in a more favorable light, his hunch was correct when he got it sold.
“I knew staging was the answer,” he says, noting that he doesn’t stage every listing because some properties sell themselves based on location or unique features, while others might benefit from the added visual appeal.
His objective with staging is to help buyers see both the functionality and potential of a home—and he says it’s effective for homes of all sizes. If a buyer comes into an empty home with a smallish primary suite, for example, they may wonder if their king-size bed will fit.
“That happened at one of my properties, and after staging it sold the next week because the buyer could see what could fit in the room,” he says.
Large, empty homes tend to look like an empty building and seem cavernous and impersonal. He aims for a “homey” feel because it resonates with buyers much like a well-appointed model home in a new community. “Staging is designed to make potential buyers fall in love with the atmosphere and think, ‘I want this house.’”
Here’s his strategy:
1. Empty the place out
“One of Step by Stage’s stipulations is that listings must be vacant,” Rice says. “If your seller is able to vacate the property and remove all their items, that sets the stage for showing the house in the best light. In two recent scenarios, owners moved out before we professionally staged their homes.”
This approach turns each space into a blank canvas, ready for transformation. If a property is in disrepair and requires structural fixes or serious cosmetic work, the stagers will decline to become involved.
“You cannot put lipstick on a pig; they’ll see the pig,” Rice continues. “I’m selective and [expect that] owners have already made a beautiful home that we just need to [improve] with staging so buyers can see the possibilities. If it’s not turnkey ready, it’s going to sit, or you’ll have to adjust the price.”
2. Work with experts
Rice stresses the importance of choosing a staging company that employs professional interior designers.
“One of our listings that struggled to sell had navy blue kitchen cabinets,” he says. “While I am pretty good at choosing my clothes and figuring out what doesn’t clash, I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do here.’ Step by Stage’s designers came in and knew exactly what to match with navy blue.”
It’s also important to work with a staging company that has an abundant source of furniture. “They also have a warehouse full of furniture in a variety of textures and colors because every listing is different,” Rice adds. “They’re pros and very good at what they do. They got mad at me once because I put a flower on the kitchen counter. According to their contract, everything has a place and purpose, so you’re not allowed to add anything.”
3. Use professional photographs
After staging the home with tasteful furniture and décor, the company brings in a professional photographer to take interior and exterior shots that showcase the property’s appeal.
“I am big on my photos bringing a potential buyer to the listing, while keeping it ethical,” Rice says. “The last thing I want is for them to show up and be disappointed. It’s about presenting the house attractively but realistically. You don’t want a buyer walking into a home and feeling let down because it didn’t meet their expectations.”
According to Rice, “The house essentially has to sell to the buyer three times: after the offer, after the inspection and into the appraisal.” He believes an appraiser may assign a higher value to a home that is professionally staged compared to unstaged comps. “In my listing contracts, I state that we should keep the home staged until we have a satisfactory appraisal because removing the staging before then risks having to relist without it.”
4. Be ready to front the costs
Sometimes sellers pay for staging, but Rice will also cover the cost and later recoup it through his commission if necessary. Last summer, he made a calculated risk that paid off when he fronted the cost for staging a sprawling six-bedroom, six-bath home in Wesley Chapel.
“If I didn’t sell before the owner canceled the contract, I would’ve eaten the $7,500 staging fee,” he explains, pointing out that he’s never had a staged listing expire before a sale. “Luckily, the staging worked and it sold within 45 days on the market. I trusted the cost of staging because it was a one-year-old property that wasn’t overpriced.”
Agents can always have the seller pay for staging or include a clause in their contract that ensures reimbursement if the property doesn’t sell, he advises.
“Many high-end Realtors® make sure their listing agreements stipulate the reimbursement of marketing fees,” Rice adds. “In today’s market, if you have upgrades and staging you’re not going to get anything extra. But not having it staged could make it potentially sell for less because people won’t see the potential of the small versus gargantuan square footage.”
Leslie C. Stone is a Vero Beach-based freelance writer.