Staging a Home for a Successful Sales Result with Thomas Scott of Showhomes on Staged Home Lifestyle Radio Show
My special guest on October 1, 2009 was Thomas Scott of Showhomes, America’s largest home staging company. As the VP of Operations for the nationally franchised home staging company, Thomas teaches Showhomes franchise owners how to run profitable home staging businesses that focus on successful home sales for homeowners so that they maintain healthy profit margins.Staging a home for a successful sales result requires going beyond making a space pretty. The home staging industry has grown so much over the last few years and has attracted many entrepreneurs with a passion for decorating. The caveat is that home staging is not just decorating which is often a misconception. It’s part of the equation, but more importantly, it has to be very strategic and that’s where the industry falls short - when Stagers or even the Realtors and home sellers don’t understand that there is a psychology behind the home marketing process.Here's just a brief highlight of the tips Thomas shared:
• The good news is there ARE buyers! 92% of people still have a job and despite what you hear, people can still get a mortgage and buy a home. Don’t focus on the 8% that the media focuses on.• The bad news is that for every one of these buyers, there are 40-50 houses to choose from.• You have to win the Beauty Contest to sell a home. This is absolutely true in more expensive homes! What counts is, of the 40-50 homes they have to choose from, which one sticks in their memory.• Winning the beauty contest takes a LOT more than just looking pretty! Anyone can make a home look pretty. Keeping it there 24/7 so that it shows perfect all the time and hits on all cylinders is what takes your vacant home to the next level• Time spent in a home for sale is CRUCIAL. The more time a buyer spends in your time, the more likely your home will set its emotional hooks. Realtors don’t sell homes, they just get a buyer into a home. The home HAS TO SELL ITSELF. It’s like dating: no sparks means no second date.• Getting people to spend 45 minutes (target time) in your home involves strategy, some science, a big dose of common sense and lots of psychology. Traffic patterns, the flow of each room into the next, focal points, visualizations, color, smell and view all play into this.
To listen to the full interview, visit our radio page at http://blogtalkradio.com/Staged-Home-Lifestyle.
