Posts Tagged ‘home staging business’
Secrets on How to Sell Your Home Faster
April 29th, 2013
When selling your house, it might seem obvious that you should pick your dirty clothes up off your bedroom floor.
Not so, says Realtor Joe Finnerty, of Prudential Patt, White Real Estate. Finnerty and his clients encounter homes with dirty dishes in the sink and an overflowing cat litter box.
“A part of you wonders: Did the agent tell them what to do?” said Finnerty, who has an accredited home stager on his team. “I have heard sellers say before, ‘If somebody really wants the house, they will overlook that stuff.’ They won’t.”
Real estate agents and home stagers say the surefire way to sell your home fast is staging, either with the help of a professional or by following the simple, effective rules of the trade.
A house that sells fast is clean, clutter-free and looks well maintained. Staged homes sell for about 8 percent more money since they sell faster, Finnerty said.
Real estate agents and professional stagers alike agree the window to make a good impression is small. An effectively staged home allows potential buyers to envision moving right in.
“Allow the buyer to see the house, not the seller’s belongings,” advises Therese Kelley, president of the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors.
Most buyers will first see your home online, so you want stellar photos that show all aspects of the house, said Nina Evangelista, owner of Staging It. She warns that clutter jumps out in photos.
“If they don’t like the pictures, they won’t call. The better the photos, the more traffic you will attract,” she said. “The more space and the cleaner the home appears, the faster the sale.”
Curb appeal
If an online listing piques a potential buyer’s interest, most then hop in the car and drive by the home, Evangelista said. That’s why sellers need to evaluate their entire home with a critical eye starting with the view from the street.
Lawns should be well maintained, and if it’s spring or summer, plant flowers, Kelley said. In fall or winter, make sure leaves are raked and walkways shoveled. Give the front door a fresh coat of paint and put new numbers on the house.
“It makes the prospective buyer think they really took care of this home in other ways,” Evangelista said.
If the target buyer is a family with children, list your home in the spring, said Shoshana Gosselin, an interior designer and stager who owns Love Your Room. Families don’t want to uproot their children mid-school year, so they typically aim for a summer move.
The house should be spotless. Get carpets shampooed and drapes cleaned. Eliminate pet or food odors and send Fido to the neighbors. Ditch the tchotchkes and take down the personal pictures.
“If you go into a living room and the whole wall is covered in family photos, it’s hard to picture yourself there,” Finnerty said
Buyers are nosy
Prospective buyers aren’t like polite house guests, warns Gosselin. They will be looking in closets and storage spaces, so start packing and purging.
“You want them to open a closet and see how big it is, not all your shoes,” she said.
Replace dated light fixtures or draperies. Make sure light bulbs are all working and turn all the lights on before a showing, Kelley said.
“Little updates, details are what sell a home,” Gosselin said.
Has your wife been nagging you about that door that sticks for years? Chances are, Kelley said, buyers will notice that too. Save yourself the trouble and fix it before your home goes on the market.
Paint and carpet are two of the cheapest and biggest updates a seller can make. Slapping a fresh coat of paint on the wall has a 109 percent return on investment, Evangelista said. Stick to neutral colors and bring in pops of color with accessories, said Gosselin, who recommends Benjamin Moore Marble Canyon as a buyer-friendly paint color.
Solutions big and small
Fixes don’t have to be expensive.
Put that dated fire screen in storage and let the fireplace shine with a fresh stack of firewood, Evangelista said. Or swap out the kitchen hardware.
“You want to appeal to a vast amount of people,” Evangelista said. “Not to one small unique set of people.”
The return on investment for major updates like a new furnace or roof is tricky because buyers expect homes to have these things.
“If you pay $6,000 for a new roof, we can’t raise the price by $6,000,” Finnerty said. “It definitely makes it more appealing. If the roof is totally falling down, you will get every penny’s worth back.”
If you fear the age of your furnace could be an issue for potential buyers, Kelley suggests having it serviced and finding out the replacement costs since it will impact your bottom line. Savvy buyers check a unit’s service card, she said.
Real estate agents agree vacant homes are the hardest to sell. If the owners have moved out, Kelley and Finnerty strongly advise renting furniture and staging a home.
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HOME STAGING
Stagers offer tiered services ranging from one-time consultations to total home overhauls with new furniture and accessories. One-time consultations typically result in a report with suggested updates.
If you can’t afford to hire a home stager, ask your real estate agent for help.
Know your target buyer and get your home ready for that person.
Eliminate niche and personal items from your home.
Rooms look smaller without furniture, so placing just a bed in a room helps buyers with scale.
Small, inexpensive updates can make a huge difference.
Source:http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2013/04/lehigh_valley_real_estate_agen.html
Thriving in Franchising After Leaving Corporate America
April 2nd, 2013Showhomes Franchise Profile: Fred and Lorraine Pierson of Raleigh, NC
Fred Pierson’s path to entrepreneurship was anything but linear. Before becoming a Showhomes Home Staging franchise owner in Raleigh, N.C., Fred Pierson had two different corporate careers.
In college, Pierson earned a degree in aviation management and went on to manage corporate jet facilities across the United States. Due to the nature of his work, he and his wife, Lorraine, moved frequently. After years of packing and unpacking, Fred, Lorraine and their young children settled in North Carolina and Fred left the aviation industry and his first corporate career.
Fred then joined Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He felt that “hospitality was similar in nature” to his aviation work. For the next decade, Pierson worked his way up the corporate ladder, eventually earning the title of General Manager. As the economy contracted during the Great Recession, Fred returned to work for a competitor at half the compensation of what he had been making.
“After doing corporate work for 25 years, my wife and I felt it was time to start working for ourselves,” says Pierson. “In life, opportunities present themselves occasionally, but what really made Showhomes the right opportunity for us was the timing,” he explains.
As luck would have it, a good friend of Fred’s was starting her own mortgage brokerage firm around the same time as his departure from the hospitality industry. Due to her encouragement, Fred became a national and state licensed mortgage loan officer — passing both tests on his first try.
“Old dogs can learn new tricks!” he says.
Working as a mortgage officer was very interesting to Pierson, though he soon realized it could put a strain on his relationships with friends.
“I refused to sacrifice my relationships with people to originate loans,” Pierson explains, “As such, my wife and I looked at opportunities that would provide me with a pipeline of loans without pushing me to use my personal contacts.”
A good friend led the Pierson’s to Showhomes, a business model they felt they would use as an “ancillary feeder” to his mortgage business that catered to those relocating to the Raleigh area.
“We quickly saw that the opportunities with Showhomes were far greater than within the mortgage business,” says Fred. “In a short period of time we saw impressive results that allowed us to walk away from the mortgage side of things and focus on Showhomes.”
The Pierson’s ultimately chose Showhomes over other franchise opportunities because it played to the couples’ talents. Lorraine enjoyed interior design and, as a byproduct of Fred’s aviation management days, was adept at staging houses and making them feel like homes. Fred, a self-described “turnaround specialist for companies,” easily brought in new business.
“Technically no one does what we do on a national level with the level of support and national branding that Showhomes offers,” Pierson says.
On what to expect when becoming a Showhomes franchisee Fred says, “You’re buying the right to a territory and what you do with that territory and how you manage it effectively is up to you.
As franchisees, Fred and Lorraine have learned a considerable amount about real estate and the effect staging has on the buying and selling process. The number one challenge to Showhomes as a business model, according to Fred, is demonstrating the value of a staged home to both the seller and to the realtor. “Showhomes is here to stage, maintain, manage and protect your home. My job is to make someone fall in love with your home; it’s the Realtor’s job to find a buyer”.
With experiencing close to a 70-percent success rate of having homes sell within 90 days of being staged, the Pierson’s feel that the human elements—leaving slippers by the bed, The Wall Street Journal near the coffee maker– clearly make a difference and bring a human touch.
“To be successful it helps to be well-rounded and most people, because of their corporate careers, are specialists in a particular area, like sales, operations, or administrative. For this reason, it works best with a great team, similar to myself and my wife Lorraine.”
“I take great satisfaction in explaining Showhomes to business principals,” says Fred, “Smart people right away say, ‘That’s an amazing business model!’”
Showhomes Awarded the Franchise Business Review Top 50
March 8th, 2013
Franchise Business Review surveyed more than 26,000 franchisees representing over 350 franchise brands based on their level of satisfaction, experience, market area, business lifestyle, and other demographic characteristics. The list of the 2013 “FBR50” received the highest ratings by their franchise owners.
Nashville, TN, March 08, 2013- Showhomes, America’s largest home staging provider, announced today that it has been awarded into the 2013 Top Franchise Systems for the fifth year in a row.
Franchise Business Review surveyed more than 26,000 franchisees representing over 350 franchise brands based on their level of satisfaction, experience, market area, business lifestyle, and other demographic characteristics. The list of the 2013 “FBR50” received the highest ratings by their franchise owners.
“The satisfaction and success of our franchise owner is our core focus at Showhomes” announced Matt Kelton, Chief Operating Officer. “We are honored to have received this industry respected award for five years in a row. Communication with the Showhomes franchise community is essential and Franchise Business Review is able to help us measure our work with the franchise owners and areas where we need to improve each year.”
To compile the honorees for this year’s list, Franchise Business Review surveyed more franchise brands than ever before. “These franchisors truly understand the importance of surveying their operators. If franchisees aren’t happy, they won’t validate your system, and you won’t sell franchises-it’s really that simple” said Franchise Business Review president Michelle Rowan.
Franchise Business Review annually recognizes franchisors with the highest overall franchise satisfaction based on its survey of franchisees. The survey includes 33 benchmark questions, relating to the franchisee’s experience and satisfaction as well as market area, business lifestyle, and other demographic characteristics.
About Showhomes
Since 1986, Showhomes has helped realtors and homeowners sell more than 26,000 homes worth more than $8 billion across the United States. Showhomes provides a turnkey package in home staging that includes whole-house furnishings, professional decorating, a live-in home manager and marketing support services. For more information please go to www.showhomes.com or contact us at 1-888-481-6742
3 Real Solutions for the Vacant House Problem
March 4th, 2013
3 real solutions to help solve the Vacant House Won’t Sell problem owners and Realtors have
There are many houses on the market that are currently sitting vacant all across the country. Many are foreclosures, short sales and bank owned properties, but thousands upon thousands that are owned by traditional sellers who are current on their mortgage and are trying to sell the property for one reason or another.
Many property owners are choosing to downsize in this tough resell market. Some owners are choosing to upsize, and take advantage of the favorable interest rates and lower home prices to move up into a bigger home. And there are the people who move and relocate for job, family, health, or retirement purposes. For many reasons, there are countless numbers of property owners in today’s market who own 2 houses, with one sitting vacant and listed for sale.
Vacant homes attract problems. From break ins, to vandalism, to an unkempt yard and bad landscaping, missing AC units, utility costs, broken pipes that go unfounded for a long time, and others, there are many reasons not to want a vacant house sitting for too long.
Not to mention there are certain cities across the country where vacancies are more prevalent:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/44860467/?slide=2
But there are real options to consider for your sellers with vacant houses. Here are some viable solutions to the vacant house not selling headache faced by many:
Rent the house
You’ll need a standard lease agreement applicable in the State your property is in. Or your seller can hire an experienced real estate agent or leasing agent to help lease up the house as well. It’s important the owner has someone who is experienced in leasing (and licensed in most cases) complete the lease agreement and any other applicable documents. Owners tend to want to save money and do things themselves, only to do them the wrong way and subsequently lose money and time. Plus, if an owner doesn’t follow the landlord-tenant laws in their respective State, the owner could become the defendant in a lawsuit even when the tenant doesn’t do what he or she is supposed to.
Do a lease with option to buy
Similar to the lease agreement, a lease with option to buy includes the lease plus a separate purchase addendum. The purchase addendum gives the tenants the option to buy the house they are living in for an agreed upon price and within a certain time frame, usually running concurrent with the lease agreement. If the tenants don’t exercise their option to purchase the house prior to the end of the agreement, they can either move out, or renew the agreement with the owner.
Many people call a lease with option to buy a lease purchase, rent to own, and other misused terms. I specifically use “lease with option to buy” because I want to make it clear the tenants are still tenants, not “property owners”. If the tenant doesn’t pay, the owner would evict just as he or she would on a regular lease agreement.
Contact a staging company such as Showhomes
I’ve professionally used a company called Showhomes on many of my vacant listed properties in the Greater Kansas City area. I know Showhomes (and there are probably some other similar companies) is in many major metropolitan areas across the country. I’ve found the benefits of using a company such as Showhomes are many.
One, there is no upfront fee. Two, the vacant house gets both staged and occupied for the duration of the contract period (usually until the house sells). Three, someone else is paying for utilities and yard care. This is HUGE if your vacant house is in a winter climate! Fourth, there are no long term contracts with tenants; rather Showhomes uses home managers who are independent contractors with very short term agreements. I know from experience a well staged and well cared for house sells quicker and for more money than a vacant one! I have personally had good experiences using Showhomes.
To find out more information about Showhomes go to www.showhomes.com
(And no, I am not affiliated with Showhomes nor a paid spokesperson, just offering personal and professional experiences I’ve had)
Good luck with getting those vacant listings sold!
JJ Pawlowski, Broker / Agent
The Real Estate Investor’s Agentsm
Why Stage When Homes Are Flying Off The Shelves?
February 28th, 2013In the current hot market, it’s easy to shake your head and think “Homes are selling like crazy! Why do I care about staging?”. Well, it’s simple. Because we all like money, we love happy sellers, and we want the referrals that gushing seller will send our way by helping them reach their goal of selling their home fast and at a premium price.
I spent many years in the auto industry before I came to real estate and design. Even when the market was hot, we never pulled the just-traded-in-used-car right up to the front line and tossed a for sale sign in the window. Why? Because we knew the best way to market it was to have it re-conditioned first– clean it up, dress it up, put some smell pretty in it and then pull it out on the front line for a premium price. It was no surprise our used car department trumped our new car department in sales, profits and happy customers.
Selling a home is no different. Price, condition and presentation are the 3 magic ingredients for a successful sale with the best buyers. Price it right, clean it up and get it staged to maximize the opportunity to get top dollar. Seller can’t afford it? Sellers can’t afford NOT to! Staging returns 176-353% ROI depending on the type of staging or re-design done. Buyers connect with beautifully presented homes, starting right from the first glimpse online (another reason to stage– you get FABULOUS interent photos)!
Fun fact: The average cost for a re-design (seller occupied makeover) is about $500. The average GAIN from that investment is just under $10,000. The average cost for vacant home staging is $2,200. The average GAIN from that investment is about $30,000. Sounds like winning the lottery, doesn’t it?
A recent seller decided it wasn’t worth the few hundred dollars to re-design and stage his home. It sold without staging. The realtor’s comment still rings in our ears. “I could have gotten him about $10,000 MORE if he would have had it staged”.
Marketing your homes without staging leaves money on the table for you and your seller. Whether the market is slow or hot, staging still brings more money to the closing table. But more than that, it’s a great tool in your marketing toolbox to build your business. After all, building your business comes from having happy sellers who will sing your praise and share their success story with friends, neighbors and family. That’s what staging brings to the table. And that’s money in the bank.
*Stats are from RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) and NAR (National Association of Realtors). Fun Facts are from Showhomes Tampa data, 2010-2012.
Linda L. Saavedra, CPRES, APSD, SPCS
Licensed Real Estate Broker
Showhomes Tampa
Award Winning Staging Provider
Showhomes Franchisee Featured in 1851 Magazine
February 27th, 2013Thriving Under $100K
By MATT DIAZ
FOR MANY ‘ZEES, LOW-COST FRANCHISES PROVE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL
With today’s economic climate, it’s easy to be drawn to low-cost options to help make ends meet. In the world of franchising, however, this notion has its ups and downs. Just because an opportunity is low-cost doesn’t mean its the right choice, nor does it mean you will fail. There are a number of factors that play into owning a successful franchise, and these three franchisees know just what it takes to be successful with less than $100,000.
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Wireless Zone is the largest independent Verizon Wireless franchise in America. With a foundation set on customer service and community outreach, it is no wonder this franchise has been able to reach over 460 units since its founding in 1988.
“I saw a business that I didn’t feel was going anywhere but up,” said Nate Bastarache, franchisee forWireless Zone. “I saw stability and growth of the Wireless Zone concept and knew that it was right for me. Additionally, a lower cost option allowed me to build a foundation for success more quickly”
The potential for growth was one of the primary reasons Nate got involved with Wireless Zone and one of the key factors that led to his success. After 15 years in the automotive industry working primarily as a general manager, Nate opened his first Wireless Zone location in Easthampton, Massachusetts in 2009. Currently, he is working on his fifth store with hopes to open more in the future.
One issue with a low-cost option is growing too big too fast. “If you have a number of locations but just one is under-performing, it can bring your entire operation down,” Bastarache said. A good way to curb this issue is to carefully plan out developments with respect to time and location. “As Americans, we often forget that our eyes can be larger than our stomachs, a personal affliction of mine.”
Another way Wireless Zone helps procure development is through community outreach.
“The wireless industry is extremely saturated with everyone having a phone these days,” said Bastarache. “The Wireless Zone model is extremely community oriented and we embrace that. The more community outreach we do in these communities, the more successful we are.”
Barbra Bliss-Modder is as passionate a franchisee as you will find in any system. For seven years, she has been a franchisee for Showhomes, a premiere home staging franchise that transforms vacant houses into life-filled, inviting homes that appeal to buyers.
“For most people, becoming a franchisee means taking a leap and investing your life into something new,” said Bliss-Modder. “Being passionate about your concept and investing more than just time and money is what makes a franchisee successful.”
Franchisee of the year for Showhomes in 2010, Bliss-Modder knows what she’s talking about. “I was a realtor for six years before purchasing my territory. I love homes and I love to help people visualize, so this was a perfect business for me.”
“When choosing a low cost franchise you have to be aware of the barriers to entry and how easy it might be for others to duplicate your product,” said Eric Patrick, a franchisee of Painting with a Twist. “This can lead to crowding in a market so it’s important to make sure you believe in your concept, truly enjoy what you’re doing and focus on what separates you from your competition.”
For Patrick, being in this business is all about giving a great experience to his customers. A self-taught painter, Patrick originally worked as a corporate artist for Painting with a Twist before purchasing his first location in Miami, Florida.
“What really separates us from the competition is our passion and having fun,” said Patrick. “If our customers don’t have a good time and leave feeling good, we haven’t done our job.”
Eric has recently opened his second location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“A low cost option allows someone without significant assets or a major loan from a bank to obtain their dream of business ownership in a relatively short period of time,” said Patrick. “With the state of the economy right now it’s difficult for people to find funding, so these opportunities are very important for building up local communities.”
http://www.1851project.com/thrivingunder100k022713/
The Color of the Year for 2013 Is …
February 22nd, 2013
Home interiors are going green this year. Pantone has named “Emerald” its color of the year for 2013.
Pantone describes the jewel-like hue as a “lively, radiant, lush green” that can offer sophistication and luxury.
“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”
Emerald paint, accents, and accessories will likely be decorating more home interiors this year. Pantone says that Emerald can be used to add luxury to an entryway, powder room, dining room, or study, or it can help transform a living room by using it as an accent wall. Emerald-colored bedding, pillows, and bath towels will also likely be making its way into more decors this year, Pantone says.
Emerald replaces last year’s color of the year — the reddish orange color known as “tangerine tango.”
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine
5 Reasons to Start a Home Staging Biz in any Economy
September 21st, 2010No Place Like Home: 5 Reasons to Open a Showhomes Home Staging Franchise
Think home staging is a career choice only for creative people who love to decorate?
Think again.
Before Staging by Showhomes
Careerbuilder.com listed Home Stager as the top emerging career in the down economy and the remarkable sales results home staging produces is creating potential for enormous growth throughout the coming decade. Ironically, to grow, the industry needs fewer hands-on designers and more traditional business operators, who can operate, manage and market scalable businesses.
After Staging by Showhomes
Here are five reasons to start a home-staging business in today’s market:
1. There are large numbers of houses for sale today and higher percentages of houses are vacant and need staging. Furthermore, research shows that staged homes sell 78% faster, while vacant houses often sell for 15-20% lower prices than fully staged homes.
2. There are far fewer home-staging companies than people who need staging. Part-time and hobbyist home stagers, who currently dominate the industry, barely put a dent in the need for the service. Full service home-staging businesses and franchises are few and far between, which leaves a large niche of potential customers, most of whom prefer to work with a reputable, full-time company.
3. It’s only going to get better. Shell Brodnax, President of the Real Estate Staging Association had this to say about the future of staging: “Since home staging has had so much exposure over the last few years, more and more people are aware of it and home stagers have an easier time starting their businesses.”
4. Think the home-staging business is just for decorators? Wrong. Home staging is just like any other service business: It requires sales, systems, customer service and product quality. The industry needs more business-oriented operators who can run and manage a scalable business.
5. Using a home-staging company to prepare a home for sale and even manage it while it is on the market for sale is becoming more and more common. Trade associations like the Real Estate Staging Association focus on educating both realtors and homeowners about the benefits of using a staging company so it becomes as normal as using a realtor or title company to sell a home. This effort has significant momentum and will continue to grow.
Nashville-based Showhomes, a nationally franchised home-staging company in business since 1986, has experienced positive growth for the past six years and is rapidly expanding in today’s real estate market.
Bert Lyles, Showhomes CEO
“What we are looking for is someone with the drive and skills to manage a business,” said Showhomes CEO Bert Lyles. “To take advantage of the growth opportunity, staging businesses need much larger scale than most part-time stagers have in today’s market. We’re expanding and recruiting business owners who might never have staged a home themselves but have the skills to hire and manage stagers. It’s an amazing opportunity for positive growth in a niche business.”