With so many homes on the market, how can a real estate agent make their property stand out? Be honest, would you click on the listing with unfocused pictures of a greige and extremely cluttered condo?
Nowadays, the look of a home is as big of a selling point as the square footage of the space and other built-in features. Beautiful rooms in a home make it easy to grab a potential buyer’s attention compared to numbers and figures. This is where home stagers come in!
As a home stager, you know the ins and outs of marketing a home effectively through aesthetic changes. Real estate agents, on the other hand, handle the business-side of a sale. Home stagers are becoming indispensable for real estate agents as the market becomes more competitive. Just as much as they need your services, you’ll also benefit from working with them. In fact, many home stagers get their professional start from working with local real estate agents.
Are you looking to work with a real estate agent, but don’t know where to start? Look no further! Here’s our guide for home stagers.
Legally, the agent is the brokerage (that is, the real estate business) that a client makes an agreement with. But the term is often used interchangeably with “real estate salesperson” to indicate the person that prospective buyers and sellers work with.
Both agents and brokers have earned real estate licenses and are considered sales professionals. The license is earned through taking a set number of courses and passing a test. The difference between agents and brokers lies in the fact that brokers do additional courses to become qualified to run their own brokerages and can then hire agents to work under them.
Real estate agents know that their marketing strategies can only go so far with homes that aren’t appealing to the eye. They say that first impressions are everything, so having dynamic and attractive photos for online listings will give real estate agents better returns for their efforts.
Beyond the listing, the realtor needs to make sure that the house looks presentable before a showing or an open house. At this stage, a home stager’s expertise is unparalleled! Home stagers work closely with both the real estate agents and the property owners to create a beautiful home that is stunning on the inside and out.
Because home stagers take the lead on the presentation of the home, real estate agents find that they can relax more. Having another professional in the arena will ease up the stress levels of the real estate agent. They can then focus on marketing the home for sale without worrying if the house will be presentation-ready on the day of the open house.
Real estate agents will often recommend home stagers when an open house or showing is planned. Home stagers are most often called in when…
The home is vacant. Vacant properties are much harder to sell. Prospective buyers have a hard time seeing themselves in an empty home. Home stagers have the job of trying to make the space feel like a home, while at the same time keeping it depersonalized.
The home has been on the market for a while with no takers. If a home is competitively priced and everything is in working order, but it’s still given no attention, home stagers may be brought in. A little clean up here, some new furniture there, and the place becomes buyer-ready!
Especially in urban areas, there are more home stagers than real estate agents. Simply walking into a real estate office with a portfolio isn’t enough to secure a partnership with an agent. Relationships are difficult to build and take a lot of effort.
The best way to establish new relationships with real estate agents is through networking. Whether it be from using pre-existing networks such as your own business contacts or from connecting through your friends and family, never underestimate the range of your net!
Many associations also hold annual conventions and trade shows that are great opportunities to meet real estate agents. Market your skills and, most importantly, teach them how home staging can help them with their sales. Don’t forget to bring a business card!
To really solidify your budding relationship, invite them to see how you conduct business during a staging consultation. You’ll be able to show off your professionalism when working with clients, and they’ll be able to see your credibility as a home stager.
Real Estate Agents vs. Real Estate Brokers
Legally, the agent is the brokerage (that is, the real estate business) that a client makes an agreement with. But the term is often used interchangeably with “real estate salesperson” to indicate the person that prospective buyers and sellers work with.
Both agents and brokers have earned real estate licenses and are considered sales professionals. The license is earned through taking a set number of courses and passing a test. The difference between agents and brokers lies in the fact that brokers do additional courses to become qualified to run their own brokerages and can then hire agents to work under them.
Why do real estate agents need home stagers?
Real estate agents know that their marketing strategies can only go so far with homes that aren’t appealing to the eye. They say that first impressions are everything, so having dynamic and attractive photos for online listings will give real estate agents better returns for their efforts.
Beyond the listing, the realtor needs to make sure that the house looks presentable before a showing or an open house. At this stage, a home stager’s expertise is unparalleled! Home stagers work closely with both the real estate agents and the property owners to create a beautiful home that is stunning on the inside and out.
Because home stagers take the lead on the presentation of the home, real estate agents find that they can relax more. Having another professional in the arena will ease up the stress levels of the real estate agent. They can then focus on marketing the home for sale without worrying if the house will be presentation-ready on the day of the open house.
When would a home stager have to work with a real estate agent?
Real estate agents will often recommend home stagers when an open house or showing is planned. Home stagers are most often called in when…
The home is vacant. Vacant properties are much harder to sell. Prospective buyers have a hard time seeing themselves in an empty home. Home stagers have the job of trying to make the space feel like a home, while at the same time keeping it depersonalized.
The home has been on the market for a while with no takers. If a home is competitively priced and everything is in working order, but it’s still given no attention, home stagers may be brought in. A little clean up here, some new furniture there, and the place becomes buyer-ready!
Networking and advertising your staging services
Especially in urban areas, there are more home stagers than real estate agents. Simply walking into a real estate office with a portfolio isn’t enough to secure a partnership with an agent. Relationships are difficult to build and take a lot of effort.
The best way to establish new relationships with real estate agents is through networking. Whether it be from using pre-existing networks such as your own business contacts or from connecting through your friends and family, never underestimate the range of your net!
Many associations also hold annual conventions and trade shows that are great opportunities to meet real estate agents. Market your skills and, most importantly, teach them how home staging can help them with their sales. Don’t forget to bring a business card!
To really solidify your budding relationship, invite them to see how you conduct business during a staging consultation. You’ll be able to show off your professionalism when working with clients, and they’ll be able to see your credibility as a home stager.
It’s interesting how there is a need for co-alliance between real estate agents and home stagers. They both really play a part in showing off and selling a home. My wife and I are looking for a home actually and knowing that there are important roles at play here can help us to decide on what kind of real estate agent to look for.