I recently had a listing that had been on the market for just over 4 months, and prior to me listing the home, with another agent for 6 months. It was in an affordable suburbanFerndale, WA neighborhood with sidewalks, cul de sacs, and fenced backyards. There were other homes listed in the neighborhood that were selling within the first 90 days of being on the market. Why was my listing not selling? The house was practically the same house as the one up the street that sold quickly; same square footage, same kitchen cabinets, same bathrooms, same price range. My listing was being shown, but no offers!

After taking a good hard look, and comparing the homes that had sold to the one I had listed, I could come up with just one reason:Staging! The homes that had sold looked like they could be featured in aPottery Barn ad. Stylish wall colors, neutral toned furnishings and clean- clean- clean! My listing was currently not going to be featured inBetter Homes and Garden and I needed to change that! My product must be competitive!

I called in for back up-my managing broker and my co worker, both women with a good eye for home décor!. They were brought on to play bad cop while I could remain good cop to my seller. With very minimal resources…basically our time, our energy and the seller’s reluctant approval, we went in the home and got down to business. I began cleaning the house and my co workers began re arranging the furniture and decorations. As I vacuumed and scrubbed, they hauled out furniture, moved beds, and rearranged the paintings on the wall. After a couple of hours and one dismayed seller, the house looked GOOD! It was more inviting and spacious, clean, smelled fresh, and just made more sense.

Within one week, I had three offers on the table! This is no joke! The seller was delighted to say the least. She got98% of her asking price and was able to pack up and move…finally!

The experts say that Home Staging will reduce the time on the market by 1/3 to ½ and acquire 10 to 15% more money than an empty home or a messy home. I am a home staging believer after having just had this experience. In today’s real estate market you must not only be competitive with your pricing, but with your presentation!