February 1st, 2012
There is no greater experience in my life as when a client tells me how much they love me or how much I have helped them. Seriously, I live for your kind words and feedback (and no, I don’t have any self-esteem issues, I promise). It makes me feel as though I have gone above and beyond the call of duty, you recognized it and appreciated it in such a way that you wanted to share your gratitude with me. It tells me I am doing something right and that you have experienced positive results. Yeah! All is well in the Home Staging Queendom!
When it comes to your clients, you want them to feel the same way. You want to make sure that they feel extra special and in tribute to Valentine’s Day, you want them to feel loved…but not just this month, every month, every service, every time they work directly with you and your company.
Following are 5 advanced strategies that I use to make sure my clients love me. Some will sound a little familiar, but I encourage you to read the explanation as you will find the nuance to be a little more sophisticated than what I have shared in the past.
Why am I sharing these complex and secret strategies with you right here in the Home Staging Report…simple, I want you to be my Valentine!
1) Under Promise and Over Deliver. Those of you in my advanced level programs like the APSD Certified Stager Pro’s, Property Scene Designer Programs, and APSD Certified Home Stager Trainers, have heard me discuss this often. It is important to always under promise and over deliver. A great example of this is telling the client it will take you 4 hours to complete the staging and you are finished in 3. Or you can tell them that you will complete 3 key rooms, based on a “Bang for the Buck” service, and you complete a 4th room at no extra charge. You may decide to waive a normal fee or to just give a few extra curb appeal or marketing tips. Either way, when you give them far more than they expect, they will immediately love you! During our ‘LIFT’ home staging and real estate coaching program, I will be covering “Under Promise and Over Deliver” in detail during our marketing session. You can get more information at www.APSDmembers.com/LIFT
2) Add Touches of Love. Yes, these can also be Pockets of Emotion, but regardless, it is important that both your buyer and your seller “feel the love” when they walk into the home. This might be an old family photo album open to key photos, little cookies that have been baked in the shape of hearts with a note from Mom telling her son or daughter how proud she is of them for a certain accomplishment or a gift from husband to wife. When you add touches of love in your staging, it is felt by everyone that enters the home and they will certainly tell your client.
3) Track the results of your staging. When you follow up with the seller, investor or agent, to find out the status of the property it tells them you care, and as a bonus, it puts you back in the front of their minds. By tracking the results and the feedback of the showing you might be able to slightly “tweek” the property in order to help get it sold. When you view this as part of your service, your client will be stunned, appreciative and love you as their Home Stager for life!
4) Be grateful when you follow up. I hope it goes without saying that you need to send a follow up with every single staging, no matter how often you have worked with the client. Each time, be grateful. You might want to point out one favorite aspect of the home with each follow up or send a small gift that will remind them of the property, maybe a bag of candy that you used at the property or a special type of coffee your client commented on; send one of those, or just a special note telling them how much you appreciate their business…every single time. One of our home stagers, that I love to brag about, Mannie Tantawy, takes her clients for coffee, just to say thanks. She appreciates them, and as a result, they LOVE her!
5) Promote and Refer your client and the property. Yes, I realize this could really be about 4 steps all by itself, but I said “5,” so I am sticking with it! Whenever I complete a home staging job, I always ask my clients permission to refer them and the property. I might have a quick discussion with them as to any special guidelines they would like me to stay within, but even when I just offer, they are immediately touched. I always ask for a few of their promotional tools such as business cards or a web address and then of course, their property flyers and MLS or internet listing. Then, depending upon our agreement, I refer them and promote the property. You can promote them to your friends, family and colleagues, as well as posting the property on your website, in a newsletter and on various networking sites as well. And, you have probably guessed it, but I promise, your client will LOVE you for it…especially when it sells or they get another listing or property because of you!
If you are interested in additional home staging marketing ideas and ways to get your clients to love you so much that you have TOO many home staging jobs, then join me in our monthly Home Staging Coaching Program, ‘LIFT.’ Details are at www.APSDmembers.com/LIFT Isn’t it time to ‘LIFT UP’ your home staging business?
Tags: a home staging business, Apsd, best home staging training, Buck Service, Business Vision, Call Of Duty, career home staging training, Curb Appeal, Estate Business, Everyday Lives, Extra, Focus, Gratitude, home stage training, Home Stager, Home staging, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Training, Hurry, Karen Schaefer, Love, Marketing Tips, New Year, Niche, Nuance, Pd, Promise, Queendom, Real Estate, Real Vision, Secret Strategies, Self Esteem Issues, Several Factors, Single One, Specific Service, Stage Event, Staging System, Success, Tribute, Valentine Day, Valentine S Day, Vision Plan
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Career, Home Staging Marketing, Home Staging Tips | No Comments »
December 30th, 2011
It seems like we get so caught up in our everyday lives that we rarely take the time to focus on building something that is really near and dear to us, such as our Home Staging and Real Estate Business. We take care of everyone and everything else, but fail to give our business the attention it needs to sprout, grow and thrive.
As we start off this new year with a bang, I decided we should start off our home staging businesses with a bang as well.
I think that in order to get your Home Staging Business off the ground…and then some, you have to have a specific plan in place. During my APSD Property Scene Designer Training, I actually do a business blue print with each PD so we can specifically create a 12 month plan of success. Needless to say, the PD’s that follow the plan have a booming home staging business.
But, it is one thing to ‘say’ you have to have a plan and another to actually understand how to do one and figure out what goes into your plan.
That is why this year, I am going to do an APSD 12 month Home Staging Blue Print with every single one of you that joins me for our ONLINE STAGE EVENT because that is how strongly I feel about you having a specific vision and plan of action to carry out the vision. (By the way, all the details are at www.APSDmembers.com/OnlineSTAGE -hurry it starts next week!)
The important thing though, is to start now. Don’t wait because we all know how quickly time passes us by right? So please, I am asking you, encouraging your, willing to support you…make the choice right now, to be a success in the home staging industry!
First of all, there are several factors to consider when you decide to run and effective Home Staging and Real Estate Business:
1) Vision. Have you stopped to decide specifically what you want from this business? Are you looking to niche a specific service like “Curb Appeal.” “Color Analysis,” “High End Homes,” etc.? Or, are you happy to just set a goal, like 4 staging’s a week and take what comes? I find by starting anything with a very clear vision, you are far more likely to quickly achieve your goal.
2) Momentum. Once you decide what you want, you need to build momentum by taking massive action. I know most of you work other jobs or take care of your children (many of you do both!) so the thought of “massive action” could stop you in your tracks. But stop to think about what “massive action” could be. Maybe you decide that you can make 10 calls every Monday to local real estate offices. Then, on Friday, you send out follow up emails to the same 10. If you are not doing anything right now, that is “Massive action.” When you do it consistently, you will get results which leads to momentum. It is like losing weight, drop a pound or two in the first week by saying no to sweets and yes to a daily walk, you get results, which leads to momentum and before you know it you are in week 4 and have lost 10 pounds. Massive Action leads to Momentum which leads to results.
3) MindSet. Now that you have a little momentum going, you may start to second guess yourself. Maybe it is because of how you were raised, or you don’t have enough support at home or you simply lack confidence, but I find that in order to have continued growth, your “head” needs to be in the right place. Normally, we call this mindset and during my recent APSD Stager Pro and APSD Certified Trainers Program, we talked a great deal about confidence and mindset. It is a special session that I will be teaching during ONLINE STAGE.
I am a big believer in putting yourself in the right frame of mind, and keeping it there, in order to achieve the success you deserve. I know when I first started out on my own home staging business, I lacked confidence in my ability, did not think I could succeed, had a wonderful husband that didn’t understand what I was trying to do and was a very well conditioned mid-westerner that kept thinking “work harder and I will be fine.” WOW! Did I ever have a great deal to learn. Mindset is one of the biggest keys to success which is why I am devoting an entire session to it at our ONLINE STAGE training.
As women (and a few really cool guys) we have to put our mind in the right place for ourselves and our family. Otherwise we will live a life of poverty mindset and even worse, pass it along to our children. Wouldn’t you prefer a mindset of “abundance?”
4) Extraordinary Skills. When my APSD Certified Home Staging Professionals ask me how to compete, or blaze the home staging trail, I always tell them to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. The funny thing, is that I tell my small business consulting clients the same thing, so it works for every industry. It is easy to just look at what others do and do the same. What takes a little more effort is to be better. One of my mentors, Dan Kennedy, says “look around at your competition and whatever they are doing, do the opposite.”
I took this to heart when I created APSD. I looked around at everyone and I did the opposite. I created an association that supported our members. Also, I assumed you were already smart and talented, so instead of showing you how to create a trilogy of candles (because I assume you already know how to put 3 candles on a plate), APSD gave you a proven Home Staging system; a model to follow so you can yield specific results. Then, and this is the best part, APSD came out with specific trainings that spoke to our members and their bottom lines. I think you should make a bunch of income with your Home Staging and Real Estate business and be able to help your client in the biggest and best way. In order to do that, you have to offer multiple services which yield you multiple streams of income. In the APSD ONLINE STAGE training, I will introduce you to 25 streams of home staging income. Everything from Color Analysis to Curb Appeal to our propriety programs like Bang for the Buck and Estage!
But it doesn’t stop there. We continually differentiate ourselves from any other program by offering courses for today’s home stager such as “Vacant and Distressed Property Staging” which we will be doing during our ONLINE STAGE event. This is a hot button across the globe and once you learn to effectively stage “Vacant and Distressed” properties, you will have every real estate agent in your market place knocking down your door for help.
The new APSD Certified Trainers have already had a sneak peek into the program and you will have your chance to do so as well at ONLINE STAGE. Make sure you have the best skills possible and that is what will differentiate you in your Home Staging Market and get clients rushing to you vs. you having to chase them down.
5) Marketing. You knew I would get there, right? This has to be one of the biggest parts of your plan. During the point on “Momentum” I talked about setting a “marketing schedule” such as calling 10 real estate offices on Monday and following up with the same 10 on Friday. Believe it or not, if you just did this, and did it with good marketing, like that which you receive in “How to Market Your Home Staging Business” after a short time, you would have enough business.
Imagine if you added a postcard to the mix! Whoo Hoo! Now you may have to hire someone to help you! Okay, okay, I know I am being a little sarcastic but most home stagers don’t market. Part of the reason is they just never get organized enough to do so and the other part is that APSD is the only Home Staging Training Association to offer REAL WORLD home staging Marketing. The important thing is that you set up a marketing schedule and follow it. The more aggressive you are, the better your results. But there is one result that I know for sure, and that is if you don’t do any marketing, you will get zero results. So, set a schedule that you can manage and follow it. Your 12 month home staging blue print will be a step by step process to help you with this for every single month in 2012.
In the Home Staging and Real Estate Industry, there are at least 19 ways to effectively market your business and during our ONLINE STAGE event I am going to go through each way with you, step by step so when you leave, you have a MARKETING PLAN! It doesn’t have to be hard, but you do have to do it!
By simply following these 5 steps, you will find that your Home Staging Business is doing far more than just “getting off the ground” in 2011.
And because we are going to cover so much of this during our ONLINE STAGE training I wanted to give you an opportunity for you and a friend to come at our 2 for 1 pricing! Just check out my special offer below!
Tags: a home staging business, Apsd, best home staging training, Business Vision, career home staging training, Curb Appeal, Estate Business, Everyday Lives, Focus, home stage training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Training, Hurry, Karen Schaefer, New Year, Niche, Pd, Real Estate, Real Vision, Several Factors, Single One, Specific Service, Stage Event, Staging System, Success, Vision Plan
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Certification, Home Staging Marketing, home staging statistics, Home Staging Tips, Real Estate Tips | 1 Comment »
December 16th, 2011
Karen with Snow White
Now before I have to tell some of you to get your minds out of the gutter, let me explain. APSD is growing by leaps and bounds and I am hardly able to keep up on a daily basis. Recently we have added a new Operations Manager, a Website Manager, a Director of Training and a Director of Distribution…all of whom you will soon meet. But even then, I have been ‘cursed’ with an amazing vision and amazing members that are constantly forcing me to continue to grow, build and be the very best I can be so…help!!! I could really use Snow White’s tribe to get a few extra things done around here!
I realize that many of our APSD Professional Home Stagers are also growing and regardless of whether or not you need full time staff, we all need help with different things. So, if I had 7 extra people in my life that would bow to my every whim…here is how I would use them….
1) Grumpy- Customer Service. While we have almost ZERO negative customer service at APSD I would love to have someone whose sole purpose is to take care of our clients. To me, if you are doing things right, you don’t have to handle too many negative things, but rather practicing GOOD customer service is the way to go. In 2012, my goal is to get more calls out to clients, just to see how they are doing and find out how we can better help them to grow their home staging businesses. I want to make sure that we celebrate with our customers more often, and of course do anything possible to ensure their home staging success. Grumpy would be great at this because he would have to work harder than all the other me, it would force him to step outside of his box and really put his best foot forward every day!
2) Dopey-Event Coordination. Now this is a tough job so you are probably wondering why I have appointed ‘Dopey.’ The truth is that you have to be really laid back in order to handle all the stress and details of an event. When I do Home STAGE each year, it takes us 6 months to prepare, do the marketing, find the hotels, sort out menu’s, travel, do hand-outs and so much more. Unless you are REALLY relaxed to begin with, this can be a total nightmare. While everything happens under my direction, a full time event coordinator is in my future especially since we are taking our Home STAGE Events across the globe. What can you use help coordinating on a regular basis?
3) Sleepy- Product Creation. This is my most difficult task. I develop all the materials within our company and it is a ton of work. Not only do you have to come up with the idea, but it needs to be turned into a useable, profitable and proven system. You have to have a way to effectively and successfully communicate the message, build it into an offline and online training system, create workbooks, handouts, and even tests. Whew! Once I have the idea and the outline, that is when I would love to turn the rest of it over to Sleepy. You see the work is not difficult but it is tiresome and Sleepy would be perfect for the job. He just needs to follow my lead, cross the ‘t’s and dot the ‘I’s’ and then give it back to me to ‘sprinkle the fairy dust’ and turn the product into a true profit center for all of our home stagers.
4) Sneezy- Curb Appeal Expert. While I love Curb Appeal I think it can only be a true love if you are willing to suffer for your art…I do and so does Sneezy as we both have horrible allergies! Curb Appeal is one of the most essential components in selling a home and when you are an expert at Curb Appeal, as a professionally certified home stager, you stand out in the crowd. Curb Appeal is also one of the most searched for terms on the internet when it comes to real estate so if you can talk about Curb Appeal and showcase your APSD Curb Appeal Expert status on your website, it will also bring you more traffic! If you are not familiar with our Curb Appeal Certification program, you can find a complimentary 59 minute video at: www.APSDmembers.com/CurbAppeal
5) Doc-Head of marketing. This is a position that I am desperate to fill but being a marketing person myself, it is hard for me to let go of it. I think Doc is an in charge and confident person. Plus he is completely creative when it comes to getting others to get things done so I know his creativity would serve me well. If you are not good at getting your own marketing done, then a ‘Doc’ may be in your future…or a special marketing program I am going to announce in January so make sure you watch for it. No matter what, marketing is your most important tool when it comes to running a healthy home staging business. Whether you do it yourself, hire it out or have your own ‘Doc’ of Marketing, make sure it gets done every single day!
6) Happy-Personal Asst. I have Eve as my personal assistant and she does everything within her power to take care of me. She quietly manages my schedule, and my overload, does various tasks and always makes sure that I don’t miss a beat. My only desire is that Eve was not virtual I have never even met her…but she is always happy when she talks to me which makes me feel good. I like happy people and I like to surround myself with happy people. The person that spends the most time with me is a personal assistant so they have to be happy…even when I am not! And, let’s face facts, when you have someone that is happy to help you, happy to take care of you, happy to answer the phone and happy to drop off your dry cleaning…doesn’t that make you happy in return?
7) Bashful- Head of PR. Have you ever noticed how celebrities get great PR from their press agents but you never really ‘see’ press agents? I think it is because they are bashful and living vicariously though those they promote. This is exactly the kind of person you want to promote you and your home staging business. You want them to look at all of your key selling points, such as your niche within the home staging industry, your expertise, where you do the majority of your home staging services and of course, what is really special about you. Then, have them shout it from the rooftops, post it on the internet, talk about it in social media and send it via direct mail to every single possible prospect. If you are not good at promoting yourself, get a ‘Bashful’ to do it for you!
Well, there you go! Now you know what I would do if I had the help of 7 little men….what about you?
Tags: a home staging business, All I Want For Christmas, Apsd, Best Foot, best home staging training, career in home staging, certification for home staging, classes for home staging, Creativity, Curb Appeal, Daily Basis, Design Business, Different Things, Event Coordination, for home staging business, Full Time, Good Customer Service, Gutter, Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Training, Home Stagers, home staging careers, Home Staging Training, Karen Schaefer, Laid Back, Leaps And Bounds, Little Men, Marketing, Operations Manager, Professional Home Stagers, Snow White, Sole Purpose, Time Staff, Tough Job, Tribe, Whim
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Trainer, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Career, Home Staging Marketing, Home Staging Tips | Comments Off
November 23rd, 2011
An Unprecedented Offer….
Watch my new 4 part training video series being unveiled over the next few weeks. Here’s Video #1 – Absolutely Free!!!
Training Video #1: Taking your Home Staging Business to the Next Level
In this video you will discover:
The exact steps to creating Multiple Stream of Income
How to use the BAR Formula (for marketing results)
Easy process to find out your clients goals
Plus much more…
Watch Now! APSD “The Next Step” Training Video #1
Tags: a home staging business, Apsd, best home staging training, career home staging training, career in home staging, certification for home staging, classes for home staging, Creativity, Curb Appeal, Design Business, Discover, Document Location, Emotion, Estate Business, Exact Steps, for home staging business, Goals, home stage school, Home Stager, Home Stager School, home staging as a career, Home Staging Business, home staging careers, Home Staging Services, Home Staging Training, Karen Schaefer, Marketing, Next Level, Real Estate Marketing, S Real Estate, Scene Designers, Stager, Staging Service, Staging System, Step Training, Training Video, Video Business, Video Series
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Trainer, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Career, Home Staging Certification, Home Staging Event, Home Staging Marketing, Home Staging Prices, home staging statistics, Home Staging Tips, Home Staging Training Videos, Real Estate Tips | Comments Off
November 21st, 2011
Congratulations to APSD Certified Master Trainer Kristy Morrison of Capital Home Staging and Design in Ottawa, Canada and her new team of APSD Certified Home Stagers Alanna Tozer, Simone Goyette and Darlene Belleau.
We are so proud of you!
Not an APSD Certified Master Trainer Yet? Sign Up here and get the 1st course absolutely FREE!! FREE OFFER!!
Tags: a home staging business, Apsd, best home staging training, career in home staging, certification for home staging, classes for home staging, Curb Appeal, Darlene, Design Business, Document Location, Emotion, Estate Business, for home staging business, Goyette, home stage school, home stage training, Home Stager School, Home Stager Training, Home Stagers, Home staging, home staging as a career, Home Staging Services, Home Staging Training, Karen Schaefer, Marketing, Marketing Efforts, Master Trainer, Money, Ottawa Canada, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Real Estate Marketing, S Real Estate, Scene Designers, Simone, Stager, Staging Service, Staging System, Success, Tozer
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Trainer, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Career, Home Staging Certification, Home Staging Marketing | Comments Off
November 16th, 2011
Unless you have been living under a rock or perhaps have been on an extended vacation in some far flung part of the world where they make their own huts, and barter chickens, you should know all about the down turn in the real estate market.
And if you are like many people, this is not good timing because you may want or need to sell your property, but don’t even know if it is possible. Well, it is, but you have to be willing to do a few things “outside of the box…” or in this case, outside of what you are watching on your favorite Home Show.
There are 6 very specific strategies to selling homes in today’s market. These strategies work for every type of house, and every type of exit strategy.
1) Know your customer—In order to be able to deliver exactly the right property to the right person, you have to know who they are, what their family is about, and their preferences. We tend to market and present (Often known as “Staging”) a property for ourselves, appealing to our own tastes and sensibilities instead of that of our customer. When we learn who they really are and appeal directly to them, vs. ourselves, the property becomes unforgettable because it “spoke” to them.
2) Don’t over or under fix- In today’s market, the buyers have all the power so they can negotiate on every single term and they don’t have to be in a hurry because there are so many choices. If you under fix a property instead of making it “apples to apples” to the other properties for sale in the neighborhood, it becomes a wholesale property, not a retail property.
If you Over fix, you take a chance on intimidating the customer, making it uncomfortable for them and their family (too nice, too formal) and ultimately you will over spend for the neighborhood. Because your buyer has so much negotiation power, they can wait on you to get desperate and sell at their price, not yours, which of course forces you to lose your ROI (Return on Investment) completely.
3) Never Show an Empty Property (or one that is dirty or in the middle of a rehab) – Don’t show a property until it is ready to be shown. The buyer will try to convince you that they can imagine the transformation, but really they can’t and you will lose them as a potential buyer. It is better to show the property when it is 100% ready to be shown. People will wait on it if you do a marketing campaign to entice them to register for a private showing while you are making the property unforgettable (Just like “coming soon” in the movie industry). If you don’t wait, then the property will still be unforgettable but more for the 2x4’s with nails in them and dead flies in the bathtub…not what you are going for!
4) Brake Stopping Curb Appeal—Most people believe this means mowing the lawn and picking up the grass. That is part of it, along with trimmed hedges, flowers and a mailbox in good condition. However, that is just the foundation of Curb Appeal. To make it Brake Stopping Curb Appeal, you really need to layer in Pockets of Emotion™ to catch their eye as they roll to a stop. Give them something to really enjoy, share with their family, sneak in for a closer peak, and tickle their funny bone. No one takes the time to do this and yet, if they did, your buyer would come to a dead stop, every single time.
5) Do Personalize- It seems as though we have always been taught to de-personalize a property. I’ll admit, that used to be the case. But just as fashion changes, so do people, trends, and selling strategies. In weak or poor real estate markets, it is especially important to add personality to the home. If, as a society, we did not want to see something personal, would Reality TV be such a hit? Give your home a personality. Add bits and pieces of the family that made the house a home, like little league announcements, report cards and a photo or two. Show them a “story” about the parents, kids and pets—just make sure you really define your customer, so in essence they will be seeing themselves in the home.
6) Create Simple Appeal with Pockets of Emotion™- Everyone wants to fall in love with their new home, so give them a reason to do so. A Pocket of Emotion™ is something that is selectively placed within the scene of each room that creates extreme emotion, laughter, gives pause, causes remembrance and ultimately lets the buyer make a strong connection and fall in love with the home. In other words, you have just created an “Unforgettable” home for your buyer.
For more information on Karen Schaefer and her Proven Real Estate Marketing and Home Staging Selling Strategies, go to www.APSDmembers.com/ezine
Tags: a home staging business, Apples To Apples, Apsd, best home staging training, career home staging training, career in home staging, certification for home staging, Chickens, Choices, classes for home staging, Creativity, Curb Appeal, Design Business, Document Location, Emotion, Estate Business, Exit Strategy, for home staging business, Game, home stage school, home stage training, Home Stager School, Home Stagers, Home staging, home staging as a career, Home Staging Training, Hurry, Huts, Marketing Efforts, Missions, Money, Negotiation Power, Neighborhood, Real Estate Market, Real Estate Marketing, Retail Property, S Market, S Real Estate, Secret Strategies, Selling Homes, Selling Your Home, Sensibilities, Stager, Staging Service, Staging System, Strategies Work, Success, Tastes, Text Javascript, Wholesale
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Trainer, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Career, Home Staging Certification, Home Staging Event, Home Staging Marketing, Home Staging Tips, Real Estate Tips, Uncategorized | Comments Off
November 14th, 2011
One of the things that keeps many of us from investing in today’s real estate world is the knowledge that we probably can’t get a loan. This is certainly what I used to think, even though I have good income, money in the bank, and a good credit score. But, in talking with a few other investors recently, I have come to realize that there are still options for investment loans.
My friend Mark recently purchased a rehabbed duplex in a transition neighborhood of Downtown Denver. He had been looking around and as luck (or the Universe) would have it, once he put his feelers out, this property came to him. We talked about the property, his excellent cash flow as well as the loan he was able to get. He was excited about a 4.5% interest rate on an investment property…and so was I!!! I asked him about his lender and it turns out that she works at a mortgage company specific to investors that I myself have used in the past. Now, they have reworked their loans so they are more accommodating in this marketplace.
Lesson number 1: Look for lending companies that are specific to investors. While you can do an internet search, I would also recommend that you go to your local Real Estate Investors Club as any good lender that deals with investment properties will be there!
I asked Mark what he had to do in order to get the loan and some of his answers were obvious. First he had to have good credit and a good track record, both of which he had. Then he had so show solid and consistent income, which even though he was an independent contractor, he was able to show steady income for the past several years.
Lesson number 2: Keep good records of your income, clients, contracts, future business and all payment records.
Finally Mark said ‘well, I also had to put down 25%.’ A-ha! I knew that it was all too good to be true up until that point. In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that he could have put down less and still have gotten financed at a higher rate, so part of that was his personal choice. But when you put down more, you can actually have a lower rate long-term, achieve greater cash flow and of course, have a lower payment.
Lesson number 3: Save your cash to get a better loan!
It is not at all impossible to get loans today, but learn from the above lessons and it will be far less painful!
Tags: a home staging business, Apsd, best home staging training, career home staging training, career in home staging, Cash Flow, certification for home staging, classes for home staging, Consistent Income, Creativity, Credit Score, Downtown Denver, Duplex, Feelers, Friend Mark, Full Disclosure, Home Staging Business, Income Clients, Independent Contractor, Internet Search, Investment Loans, Investment Properties, Investment Property, Karen Schaefer, loans, Local Real Estate, market, Marketing, Marketing Efforts, Money In The Bank, Mortgage Company, Real Estate, Real Estate Investors, Real Estate Investors Club, real estate loan, Real Estate Market, Real Estate Marketing, S Real Estate, Scene Designers, Stager, Staging System, Success, Text Javascript
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Tips, Real Estate Tips, Uncategorized | Comments Off
November 11th, 2011
Each month I am inspired by Home Stagers across the globe. Not only are there some really amazing, talented and creative people out there, so many of them are compelled to help others in so many ways.
Of course when you help someone sell faster and in a shorter amount of time that is ‘giving’ in and of itself. You are giving your gift, your talent and your expertise to help someone sell faster and for more money. Sounds good to me.
Our world today of course comes with lots of distress, anxiety, and fear about selling real estate. Add ‘life’ into the mixture and things can get relatively crazy in a short amount of time.
Recently, I held an APSD Certified Home Stager Trainer/Stager Pro Training in Colorado Springs, CO. While we normally do 2-3 houses during this training, for APSD Trainers, I usually keep it to one house as the focus of this training is on systems, additional services, business and marketing.
AS always, I contacted my agent to see if she had a house she wanted me to stage and she had a few but none were right for the training itself. So, I put the word out and a good friend contacted me to tell me they had a home they could use help with. They were willing to employ multiple exit strategies and the home was vacant so I could have everyone work from a blank ‘pallet.’
It was a perfect home for our staging training as I really like to challenge everyone to flex their creativity muscles.
The Trainers worked so hard on this home, that needed so much love…and they put their hearts and souls into delivering the perfect property for the new home buyer.
As they were staging I told them the story of this home. This home belonged to some dear friends that no longer lived in the area. Like others, they had a few rough years and were just getting back on their feet and doing great things when tragedy struck. My friend, who had fought cancer twice in the past and won, was diagnosed again, this time, there will be no winner. He and his wife are devastated and so am I. You see, he is the reason I got started in Home Staging and this is the same home that I staged for them 5-6 years ago to prove myself and my services….all those years ago, when I was brand new, I came in did curb appeal and staging and the same night their calls increased by 45% and the home was under contract in just 7 days.
Of course, knowing this, it touched the hearts of the trainers as well and they really staged with their whole hearts. At the very end, I even saw some of them picking up little bits of trash and clutter from the yard that often accompanies a vacant home. Then, Sara Garden, our APSD Certified Home Stager Trainer in Boulder, CO turned to me and said “you know Karen, with all of us, it would only take about 15 minutes to pull all the weeds, fix up the yard and make this place shine.” She did not realize it at the time, but I had tears in my eyes. Imagine telling someone during a training that you would be willing to get down on your hands and knees and pull weeds (before we go back to the Country Club to finish our training!) to help someone out.
Not only did the trainers do an amazing staging and really turned a ‘smelly cat’ into a ‘cash cow’ for the sellers, but the property had 2 offers within 4 days after sitting on the market nearly 4 months.
Needless to say, it was an enormous relief for the sellers, my friends, to have this off their plate and a great Kudos for our CT2 team of Certified Home Stager Trainers.
It is just another example of the great community of which we are all a part….and the good we can do for the individual and the world!
I am giving thanks for all of you!
Tags: a home staging business, Additional Services, Amount Of Time, Anxiety, Apsd, best home staging training, career home staging training, certification for home staging, Colorado Springs Co, Creativity, Dear Friends, Design Business, Document Location, Emotion, Estate Business, Exit Strategies, Globe, Good Friend, Hearts And Souls, Home Stager, Home Stagers, Home Staging Business, home staging careers, Home Staging Training, Karen Schaefer, Mixture, Muscles, New Home Buyer, Pallet, Perfect Home, Real Estate Marketing, Services Business, Stager, Staging Service, Staging System, Success, Tragedy, World Today
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Trainer, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Certification, Home Staging Event, Home Staging Marketing, Home Staging Tips, Home Staging Training Videos, Uncategorized | Comments Off
October 7th, 2011
APSD Home Stager Training
November 5 & 6
Holiday Inn Express, Paramus NJ
50 Route 17 North / Paramus, NJ 07652
Hotel Phone: 201-843-5400
http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/paramus/pamct/hoteldetail
Are you:
Looking to start your own successful business?
A stay at home mom or retired and want to start a second career?
Looking for extra income from a part time or full time business?
Trying to sell your home and not getting enough traffic?
A Realtor frustrated with not enough showings, or showings with no offers?
A real estate investor trying to maximize your profit on a fast turn?
If you said yes to any of these, then join the Power of 3:
Barbara Heathcote, Home Staging to Sell Now
Mary Fitzgerald, Staging Works
Mannie Tantawy, The Staging Fashionista
in Paramus, NJ on November 5 and 6 for the spectacular APSD Home Stager Training. These 3 dynamic trainers not only provide lively, engaging and insightful education, they also run and operate 3 very successful home staging businesses!
You will learn:
Unique APSD Principles and Techniques – Learn how to differentiate yourself from other home stagers, and see why we are averaging 23 days on market, not 4-8 months!
The Sweet 16?s – 16 practical and easy ways to provide more value to your clients, and get more follow-on business.
Pockets of Emotion – Experience firsthand how to emotionally engage potential buyers with the home so it sells fast!
Hands on Scene Staging – Learn by “doing!”
Marketing Strategies – Practical and proven techniques to increase your marketing and get more clients than you can handle!
4 Streams of Income – That will make you money on Monday!
Get all of this — plus extra surprises — for only $597!
This is our early bird special – hurry, the price goes up after October 14!
Don’t miss out on this fabulous training event. It is unlike any home staging training you have ever read about. If you want to distinguish your home staging business from other stagers, then this APSD Home Stager Course is for you!
Agenda (subject to slight revision):
Saturday, Nov 5, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Your Home Staging Career
APSD Principles and Techniques
Why we are unique
Sunday, Nov 6, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Review of APSD Principles and Techniques
Adding your unique value
Emotionally connecting potential buyers
Hands-on workshops
How to market your business
Additional, immediate streams of income
Implementing what you learn
Register HERE @ http://apsdpowerof3.wordpress.com
APSD Home Stager Training
Saturday, November 5, 2011 to Sunday, November 6, 2011
Tags: Apsd, Dynamic Trainers, Extra Income, Fashionista, Full Time Business, Heathcote, Holiday Inn Express, Home Stager, Home Stagers, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Training, Hotel Phone, Marketing Strategies, Mary Fitzgerald, Paramus Nj, Real Estate Investor, Route 17, Showings, Stay At Home Mom, Streams Of Income
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Trainer, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Career, Home Staging Certification, Home staging cost, Home Staging Event, Home Staging Marketing, Home staging Photos, Home Staging Prices, home staging statistics, Home Staging Tips | Comments Off
September 19th, 2011
Another question that I get all the time is “How much do I charge?” With the APSD Certified Home Stager, Stager Pro and Property Scene Designer Courses, we always discuss this and supply sample pricing across the U.S. for various types of areas as well homes. Each of you may be different but with my services, they can start as low as $97 and go all the way up to $25,000 if I am also adding a marketing campaign to help sell the home. It depends upon the type of service, the home, the seller and how quickly they want to sell.
Generally speaking, if you wanted to base everything off of averages, the average home staging is normally about $1500. If you live in a more rural or conservative area, you might be charging more along the lines of $500 and if you are on a coast, you can go much higher such as $5000 to $10,000. Usually, the price is indicative of the staging. In California, you might charge $7500 and in Wisconsin you might charge $500 but you have to do a great deal more in California to make your client happy and to sell them home than you have to do in Wisconsin so the ROI can often be similar between the areas.
My rule of thumb on average home staging services (if there is such a thing as an ‘average home staging!’) is approximately:
Midwest: $497-$1497
East Coast and West Coast: $2497-$9997
High Profile, non coastal cities such as Denver and Dallas: $1497-$4997
These will vary greatly, but again, I am just giving you some averages. You can also expect to receive additional income from monthly furniture and furnishing rental, drop off fees, and any additional special services. I have 25 streams of income with my own Home Staging Business, so these are just a few, but you should be aware of them as you quote prices.
You can of course support your prices with you sales results, for instance, while it is difficult to track, APSD currently has an average DOM of between 21-27 between our national team. What is your DOM? You can and should also show your client how home staging does not cost them a dime, but rather saves them money by providing a cost savings chart on the difference between the weekly and monthly hold charges with and without home staging services. Make sure that you have visual aids when you do this as it looks much more professional and it is easier for your prospect to take in and process.
The nice part about using tools is it also supports your agent if they are in the difficult position of trying to ‘convince’ the client. Now you agent can simply introduce you as the expert, you can determine the needs of the client, what it will take to meet and exceed their needs and goals, back it up with solid results and if you do this, you will quickly find that no selling is required at all.
A friend of mine, a real estate guru from ages ago, used to say “If you still have to sell when you come to your close, you did something wrong in the presentation.” What he means is to show them what works and the results do the selling for you. Now, when you go to present your pricing you can do so with confidence.
***To receive Karen Schaefer’s APSD Certified Home Stager Session #1 Free CD along with the Session #1 workbook, Karen’s book on the ‘5 Steps to Selling a Property or Listing in 30 days or less’ and her favorite Pocket of Emotion, just go to www.APSDmembers.com or call 1-877-900-STAGE
Tags: a home staging business, Additional Income, best home staging training, Business Services, career in home staging, certification for home staging, classes for home staging, Coastal Cities, Conservative Area, Dom, East Coast, for home staging business, Furnishing, Furniture, Home Stager, Home Stagers, home staging as a career, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Services, Home Staging Training, Marketing Campaign, Marketing Help, Midwest, Rule Of Thumb, Streams Of Income, West Coast
Posted in Home Stager, Home Stager School, Home Stager Trainer, Home Stager Training, Home Staging Business, Home Staging Career, Home Staging Certification, home staging statistics | Comments Off
There is no greater experience in my life as when a client tells me how much they love me or how much I have helped them. Seriously, I live for your kind words and feedback (and no, I don’t have any self-esteem issues, I promise). It makes me feel as though I have gone above and beyond the call of duty, you recognized it and appreciated it in such a way that you wanted to share your gratitude with me. It tells me I am doing something right and that you have experienced positive results. Yeah! All is well in the Home Staging Queendom!
