Setting the Stage for Home Sale Success w/Barb Schwarz

I’m a big believer in home staging. It’s a widely used and respected strategy in the real estate industry. It’s recognized as a very effective technique in selling a home in less time at a higher price. You already know that every property needs to be clean and in as good repair as possible. But what's equally important is the staging and how you communicate it to the seller.  I'm so honored to have Barb Schwarz as my guest. Before getting into real estate, her background was in theater and this gave her a unique perspective as an agent. This lead her to creating the home staging industry.  Prepare to be inspired by her vast expertise on the subject. You'll hear incredible tricks for the trade, her analogies, as well as some great "Barb sayings". You can contact Barb on her website or send her a message on her Facebook page. This podcast was originally recorded on Michael LaFido’s Luxury Lunch & Learn series.   “Most agents don’t understand the importance of staging or they don’t know how to articulate it to the client.”   - Michael LaFido Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode There is no “I” or “you” in team: A surefire way to get your client on the defense is to address them with “I” or “You”... You need to shift the dialogue to “we”. You and your client are a team. If you do this, the client will value you at a higher level, and be more open to accepting whatever you tell them. Honor the client’s home and their possessions: Take an active and sincere interest in the client’s possessions. Compliment what you later want them to put away. It will be much easier for the client to put away that ugly, day-glow painting or creepy taxidermy polar bear so that their house stages well. Visualization is key: Many times a home can be painted cool gray, have perfectly bare counters and floors, but still have overly personalized items. They make buyers feel like they're intruding into someone's life, which is the opposite of what you want. It’s the agent’s job to position the home so that the vast majority of buyers can visually see themselves moving in, so they'll pay the price you want in order to make it their home!   Guest Bio- Barbara Schwarz is the creator of The Home Staging Industry®. She has personally trained over a million home stagers and real estate agents through her courses, training, and seminars. She is the founder and builder of The International Association of Home Staging Professionals, The Staging University, The ASP Courses and Designations, and Stagedhomes.com.   Recommended books: Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling Home in a Down Market Building a Successful Home Staging Business Staging The World