Home Staging. Designs. Life.

Wow Cindy,

I guess this would amount to a backhanded compliment...aside from the false statements about concealing flaws.Morality aside-it doesn't make sense...it would not behoove a stager to become involved in any concealing- jeopardizing their livelihood- as their take is earned whether the home sells or not and they are done!

It sounds like the report does not emphasize that buyers should always do home inspections which would uncover most problems (would not uncover problems that are intentionally concealed).  Buyers should appreciate staged homes as they provide more opportunity to look at a home in its best light and make sure they get the home thoroughly inspected and all should be fine.  Intentional non-disclosure of material facts will come to haunt the seller and seller's agent when the time comes.

I never thought of it this way...I think this is a very interesting argument...what a stigma a rumor like this could have on the staging industry...by saying they're experts at hiding flaws...that's a tough one...that is their job I guess...

As a long-time real estate investor, I know that a knowledgeable buyer will be able to look past the staging or lack of....however, most people are unable to visualize whether or not a particular home will be right for them.  I think mixing in property fraud with home staging is really pathetic.  There is a huge difference and though there are some less-than-upfront realtors and property owners who can be dishonest, STAGING should not have to take the blame for major flaws in a home.  The next thing we will get blamed for is that the bathroom tile is 40 years old and why hasn't the stager forced such a change??  LOL!!  Thanks for the information Cindi...it is always good to be in the loop!! (negative or positive news!)  Regards-Kathleen

I just came across this article, and came into the rain to post a blog on this...sooooo happy to see you already had!  As a stager, I felt rather offended - if there is a serious problem with the home, hiding it won't change the appraisal or inspection, and is not ethical.  We alert the homeowner to what we see that needs to be done, but do not resort to "trickery!"  Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Hasn't "buyer beware" been around a lot longer than staging?  And doesn't it apply to just about everything, especially high ticket items like homes.  And what about home inspections?  Haven't they become the norm in most situations?  Blaming ignorant buyers on stagers is a cop out. 

I have NEVER tried to hide a structural flaw or even a superficial one and I never will.  If the seller moves the soap dispenser over the cracked tile, or burnt hole in the laminate, then so be it.  Someone needs to put the blame where it belongs.  AHHH! I guess this is why the disclosurer pages have become so lengthy in the contracts.   

Thanks so much Cindy for the heads up.  I have to do a presentation to a agent office this next week and being armed for such insinuations is impt.  Great post!

 

 

 

This is a great post.  Splendidly provacative... and dumb.  My opinion, of course.  We don't have to defend staging - everyone all along the process is loves staged houses.  Makes the sellers realize how grateful they are to the house, that it has served them well.  Gives buyers an idea of how fun the place can be. Plus, it gives us creative types lots of ways to express ourselves. Boo to the NAEBA!  Just jealous, that's all!!

Thanks for bringing this article to the attention of those, like myself, who haven't seen it yet.  It would be wrong to stage specifically to cover up problems in a home that is being sold and anyone who does is wrong. 

A good stager will point out those problems and suggest they get them fixed.  My opinion, of course.

 

Me again...just finished reading the whole article.  I love how the benefits of home staging are justified but then it's attempted to 'instruct' the reader/buyer to beware of them and that they can translate anything they like in the staged homes into any other home they see.  Yes they can and I do believe that's called DECORATING...  Thanks again for sharing!

Stagers Rock!

Cindy, This is so crazy. Here is something else I find interesting. With the one exception of Barb Schwarz, ever other person in the list of "enemies" is an ActiveRain member. WOW!

The so called enemies are in good company. The bottom line is if your house isn't well presented "staged" you're left selling it to buyers who can really visualize, and the more they have to visualize the less they are going to pay. I have tried to consul my clients to buy the house that's not so pretty because they'll get a better deal on it and it's not that difficult to make it pretty. On rare occasionally they get the concept, but usually they don't. No matter what I tell them, they want to buy the pretty house. I stage my listings, so if they're not going to listen to me, they're not going to listen to anybody.

As far as covering up flaws, that's just nonsense. Anyone with half a brain get's the inportance of full disclosure.

Cindy - thank you so much for this post. I hadn't seen this report. It is truly amazing how some things can become twisted to suit a particular person's thoughts! I'm so glad I joined AR. Because of this I can keep up with things I might not have come in contact with otherwise.

Thanks for the post. I followed the link and browsed the article. Very interesting and informative. The realtors job is to point out concerns, recommend a home inspection... Still, though, a stagged home will sell faster, typically, and in a market with an abundance of listings it's a good thing.

Cindy, unfortunately some EBAs seem to consider real estate as an adversarial enterprise, with sellers and everyone associated with the sellers being the enemy.  This isn't useful, and makes transactions much more unpleasant for everyone.  Looking out for your client shouldn't imply that everyone else is a potential crook.

Thanks Cindy.  I've printed out the "report" and will have to read it quite thoroughly before commenting. Thanks! - Calie

Cindy,

Great points you made about the article. I agree about not hiding things.Extremely unethical. It just goes to show the power of staging when the agents don't notice things as well. We are all emotional human beings and seeing a staged home compared to some of the other less desirable homes, as an agent you want your client to get the best home for their money.

When I read the "ALARMING" press release I was a bit miffed.

• But the Report does makes some good points.
• Gets some facts WRONG.
• Takes a few cheap shots at some stagers.

It is worth reading for all these reasons.

I will have more to say on this...

Me

Cindy - You are the GOOGLING queen - Thanks for the post! 

What a Strange and Bitter article -

Let's see, let's blame a stager for the Realtor and Buyer not noting a cracked foundation, let's advise  Realtors not to fully market and package a listing to the fullest because you know - a beautiful, well appointed home is BAD, and let's not have a Buyer fall in love w/the home... that would be truly tragic.

But I do have to comment - now that there are 2 stagers to every suburban block - there is going to be some BAD BAD STAGING out there... I  hope that none of the AR Stagers would ever try to purposely hide a crack in a wall w/the Homeowner's Daughter's Wedding Portrait on an Easel.  -EEGADS not only is that bad staging, but tacky taste. 

Julea Joseph, Interior Stylist - Reinventing Space

There's a caveat to everything in life.  Staging is one of them.  I'm actually going to take the course next month, but this certification will never usurp my duty to "deal fairly and honestly".  I'll never allow a customer of mine to buy a home with a broken window because they'll have it inspected first. 

Consider the source of this argument, though.  These are the agents who would NEVER list a home-gasp-and actually represent a seller!  They ONLY work buyers.  And as mentioned in one of the other comments, are totally convinced that the world is out to get them and their clients.  These folks don't know how to market homes and often their buyers pay too much anyway since those agents aren't going to get the call to list the house down the road.

Glad you mentioned this article-it's just amazing, isn't it?

Let's take this further. 

PEOPLE WITH GOOD TASTE SHOULD BE OUTLAWED.

It's criminal I tell you.  There are even homeowners that have good taste and decorate their homes better than some others.  It is terrible that those with good taste, and those that hire others with good taste are free to roam the land making things... nice.  

I crack me up on some days...

I find it hard to believe that sellers would stage a home to hide defects, but I guess it happens.

Normally, staging home makes it more appealing to the buyer's eye than looking at a cold, empty home.

 

As a buyers agent I can tell you if there are 2 identical homes (floorplan, neighborhood). THe buyer will get excited and pay more money for the home that is staged properly and the buyer will become emotionally involved. And if a home is perfect to the eye the buyer is more likely to cut the expense of the inspection. I have witnessed this on several occassions.

Fascinating article Cindy, thank you for bringing it to our attention. 

I am not surprised to see such an article, there are always two sides of the coin.

However, there arguments against staging are weak at best.

1.  Covering up damage.  Every stager I know, specifically tells stagers to repair damages.  I even go as far as recommending the seller do a pre-sale home inspection, so they know themselves the state of their home.  Sometimes you just don't know, about repair issues.  I also fully explain, that any issues that are not resolved BEFORE listing, WILL come up in a final inspection.  I and many of my fellow stagers are not in the business of dishonesty. 

2.  Furniture Scale.  I have been in design long enough to know this is an important factor on variety of levels.  Esthetic's aside, proper scale furniture improves FUNCTION of a room.  By placing proper sized furniture in a room, a stager very clearly shows a buyer how the room will best function, or in some cases an alternative use for a space.  This to me, this is a clear advantage to a buyer.  Eg.  If a twin bed is all that will fit in small bedroom, and there is little room for a dresser.  It is a SMALL room.  Do not consider trying to put a queen, a dresser, at 2 ends.  It  will NOT fit.  The seller is very clearly telling the buyer this!  I could go on here but you get the idea.

3.  Covering wall damage:  In most cases, I ask sellers to remove more from their walls than I ever ask them to put up!   Most of the time, stagers are trying to actually trying to "expose" more of the house to the buyer, leaving most walls fairly empty.  There is nothing to say that even before a stager is hired, that a seller on their own had wall coverings hiding damaged walls.  It is unfair to blame a stager for this!

4.  Beautiful Window coverings.  Give me a break!  Again, I ask more clients to remove unsightly, unattractive window coverings.  What is to say a Stager did not do the same.  Removed ugly ones, and replace with simple more attractive ones.  How this the stagers fault.  Many, many homes have more fabric on their windows than most fabric store themselves.  Do they get blamed for covering up a rotten window frame? 

Sorry for my long winded response, should have written a blog! 

 

EBAs......you wouldn't want your daughter to marry one. ;-)

I know some great Realtors that are EBAs but a lot of them try to use the "holier than thou" hook, i.e. our way is the only way, traditional agents can't properly represent buyers, etc., etc., ad naseaum.

There's a huge difference between emphasizing a home's appealing features through staging (which absolutely does make a big difference) and using decor to cover up structural damage (which absolutely is illegal, at least most and probably all places.)

But their article wouldn't get half so much exposure if they didn't take such an adversarial view, right?  Kind of like Freakonomics.  No one will ever sell a lot of copies of a book called "My Real Estate Agent Did a Good Job and Didn't Try to Dork Me Over".

Irene

Ah, so stagers are now lumped in with Realtors as being "bad guys" out to dupe the unsuspecting public. I was wondering when that would happen. There's always someone or some group that wants to look like the hero to their clients by painting the other guys in a negative light, isn't there?

C'mon...how ridiculous! But a great post!

Staging makes a home look it's best. Nothing more, nothing less. For many of us Realtors, we've been assisting our sellers to do this for years. It is not about covering up flaws, it's about enhancing features. I'm getting my Accredited Staging Professional designation next week so that I am more skilled at how to do this. To me, staging is another form of marketing. Staging does not equate covering up material defects; however playing down "flaws" like a small dining room by using a smaller table would qualify as staging. In that type of scenerio, the buyer is standing in the dining room with a listing sheet showing the dimensions to be 9x9! Hardly a coverup. One could say that the homeowner whose home is full of clutter is "hiding something" as well with all the stuff...maybe they are the next target...?

Can we not give buyers some credit for being intelligent, discerning home shoppers? As a buyer, I would be insulted. When representing buyers (I'm also an Accredited Buyer Representative), I have always reminded them that "the decorating doesn't stay with the house" so that they look past the decorating to the "bones" and permanent fixtures. But, in fact, if staging helps sellers sell their homes faster and for more money, that's because good staging does increase the value of the home. Many times it includes a fresh coat of paint, new carpet, repaired tile, new light fixures...etc. These items increase the value not only by the actual $ spent on the improvements, but in the time saved by a buyer who is relieved not to have to do that work himself. Time is money. So the buyer is not "duped" into spending more money, they willingly realize the value of these improvements.

We don't have a lot of staged homes on our market. Those that are always show better than being vacant. Most of our properties, though, are second homes and as such are rarely if ever vacant. The idea that staging is used to cover up defects... and in lieu of inspections is ridiculous. Anybody who says something like that,  or any article that has something in it like that can't be taken seriously. Nevertheless, thanks for bringing it to our attention.

I can see both sides of the coin.  I have talked to stagers who say to paint that closet before anyone sees the mold, or just grab some peel and stick flooring to cover up flaws in the floor.  But honestly, even if staging draws people in emotionally, and they make and offer and accept it, that is when you bring in a professional home inspector to find out the defects.  During the inspection you TOO look at it behind the doors, and cupboards.  All those things that would be considered "rude" during a first viewing, you are now doing to protect your investment.  Stagers are showing the "potential" of the home when they are staging. It takes a well informed agent to protect their buyers.  

I'm not protecting my buyers if I steer them away from homes because they might look nicer.  Wait....steering HMMMMM isn't that illegal? 

IMHO much of staging is just good common sense. It works both ways too. I often say to buyers to look past the big furniture cluttering the space in non staged homes. When it's beautifully furnished and my buyer is only focusing on the furnishings and not the home itself I tell them to remember you are not buying their furnishings.

Staged or non staged I always turn on all the lights and air conditioning in the summer. Many buyers will ask to turn the lights off to see the natural light and ask to open the windows and turn off the a/c to hear if it's noisy.

 

 

Wow what a hoot!  So waxing a car before you sell it will hide the fact that the engine does not run well under this logic.  ATTENTION ALL STAGERS I am an Accredited Buyers Representative and I love your service. Buyers appreciate a clean well organized home that looks and smells good.  There is nothing more embarassing than showing a home that is dark, cluttered, dirty, and smelly.  Perhaps the author of that article would like to take on model homes in new construction projects that show the buyer a staged home to sell them thousands of dollars of upgrades. Keep on doing what you do it is a wonderful service for both the seller and buyer.   

 

WOW, LOOK AT ALL THESE FABULOUS COMMENTS! I love everyone's comments, it strongly affirms that staging is a great service not only for the sellers, but also the buyers as well. It's just curious to me that a national association will publish a report that clearly negates an entire sector of the real estate industry. Moreover bascially dismissing sellers agents too since they too take part in the consequences if stagers purposedly hide a stain, etc. 

THANKS SO MUCH!

Cindy 

When you make up a house to look nice just to sell it you may be deceiving people.  They may have a point.

I do a lot of buyer representation, and I think it's an important part of my job to help clients look beyond the appeal of a carefully staged home.

Stagers deal with aesthetics not structural or other problems inherent to the property. Home Inspectors are the ones to deal with the underlying issues that the house may have.

We are not magicians, sorcerers or cover up artists.  We create an environment that is buyer friendly and gorgeous to boot.  If there are multiply buyers and multiple offers because of the job we do - then I say we did our job well and fabulously.

This article was aimed at a buyer and their agents who at some point are going to be sellers (if they already are not) wouldn't these same "buyers" want the same result for their listing?

These kinds of articles make me smile - while I understand the premise of it and "protecting the buyers from paying too much" it just means more stagers are out there doing their job and doing it well!

A Jaguar will always fetch more than a Honda.... (by the way, we own a Honda...)

It's called "GET A HOME INSPECTION"! To blame stagers for a home's flaws is ridiculous. If a buyer doesn't hire an inspector, then they have no right to complain about later problems. And anyways, I have walked into many homes that are staged, but the house still looks rundown. As the saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig!

What an article! Thanks for sharing... I guess everything has two sides to it, though since before I even knew what staging really was, I thought it was something buyers and sellers could benefit from.  I, as a potential buyer at one time, was always happy with staged homes because they're more exciting an appealing... Yes, I personally would pay more for the emotional connection - isn't it worth it I say!  I would not want to miss out on that feeling of it being Perfect! for you, just to save a little money.  (And $5,000 while a lot, is nothing in the scheme of things when talking about the price of a house).  As far as the ethics mentioned in the article, it is such a shame.  I hate to hear that there are stagers out there that do that, or that this is the impression that some people have of the industry.  That is not what we're about, and as hard as we work to educate people about the industry, I hope this doesn't become a larger opinion than this.

No one pays any attention to NAEBA.

For that matter, no one pays any attention to staging in homes.

Lenn "Recovered EBA" Harley

Hi Cindy Lin - I had a big reaction to this article and posted about it with reference to your post of course. Great job! I would like to see us all request a copy of the survey.

As I read through the report I found that overall it felt like an advertisement to use NAEBA members.  The document made a point several times that by using a NAEBA member, buyers are not likely to be fooled.

Hmmm Sounds like another form of the psychology that they are condemning..??  I sure am not apposed to good creative marketing but I hate it when it's at others expense.

 

Some of those so called buyers agents may have missed a few homes that would be perfect for their clients (can't see the forest, 'cause the trees are in the way...comes to mind) and are still looking at homes with them.  Let the market do the talking, start making some money (you are a business) and let the process either make the sale or negate it, if need be.  With the exception of a few, I don't know to many buyer agent only business models that are making the kind of money being made on full service brokerage.  For stagers to hide something or resort to trickery is BULL.....not too many home inspections will miss those kind of defects.  I live in a 2 year old home that was used as a model and was staged perfectly,  I did not see the scratches in the cabinets or a the 3 inches of insulation that was missing, or the fact that there was a large scratch on the whirlpool where there were flowers, etc., etc.....but the process of the home sale did.  The NAEBA has to come out with this kind of BULL, because they have fewer buyers, and need to put the blame on stagers, listers, and anyone else they can think of.  I think more of the professionals who call themselves professionals need some sales training, and quit whining!  Sorry to rant, I got carried away, but I feel better.

Dick Beals

Looking beyond the staged appearance of a home is prudent advice for an agent to give their buyer client. It's all about perspective. It's in the Buyer's best interest to look beyond it and in the Seller's best interest to do it so an otherwise vacant property becomes more appealing. When written only from the Buyer's perspective, it's a compelling argument. When reviewed as a whole it has it's flaws. Great post and I understand why from as Stager's perspective, you would find the article unsettling....now, for all those FSBO reports and sites that tell the public they don't need the professional representation of a Realtor when buying or selling...

After all this time of telling our clients to stage their homes and how much it will help them (which I happen to love the staging part of the listing process), now it's wrong?  I will continue to help my Seller's get top dollar for their home.  That's the fiduciary responsibility we have to our clients, isn't it?

I guess all the retail stores should stop merchandising as well. I think staging helps the buyer just as much as the seller (i.e. sense of space, design ideas, etc). To avoid a staged home is just craziness.

I have not fully read the article and will come back after I do, but I just finished skimming the comments and had to laugh when I read Lenn's comment!  Jim Lee and Lenn got it nailed down!

Back after I read the report - thanks by the way for putting this out there.

Ann

What I find fascinating is the buyers' reaction. Not to a professionally staged home, because we have very few in our market, but to the stageing type techniques they see on tv. I've had clients walk into a home and pick up throw carpets looking for marks on the floor or moving cannisters on a counter looking for stains on the counter. They act like detectives because they saw a 'trick' on a tv show. I think some buyers see the concept of stageing as meaning to deceive. This is not a reflection on professional stagers but again on the media and to anxious sellers. I've alway felt that a buyer is more comfortable with a flaw that is disclosed than to one they find.   Again, human nature is fascinating! But if we understand their thinking we can help guide them.

 

 

 

 

If you want to sell yourself (i.e. as a buyer’s agent), isn’t it a good idea to present yourself in the best way possible?   Dress well, smell good, and show yourself as a knowledgeable professional.  That first impression is also an emotional one.  Your approach and presentation will “sell” them.

The unfortunate thing about this approach is the very clients they represent will one day want to actually sell their home … “want a fast sale” … “for the most money” … and staging will be the answer.  Doesn’t that potentially put this national association’s credibility in an interesting situation with their past clients?

I understand they represent buyers.  I do not understand the negativity toward anyone helping the real estate industry improve on the buying or selling side.  Sometimes, I’m very sure associations can actually hurt the industry they’re trying to serve.

Buyers agent seeking a client or staged home seeking a buyer – it’s the same principle.

What about  the buyers who are selling another house?  In another market or locally, listed with an agent who may suggest staging to get the home sold faster at a higher price, yet certainly not suggesting hiding defects or bamboozling buyers.  Confusing and sad for the consumer.

 

PLEASE.  Homebuilders started the notion when, with undersized furniture and an abundance of mirrors, they created model homes that "look" liveable.  Home stagers take a home that is NOT a model and create for buyers a neutral environment that provides a look at the HOME, not the decorating.  Most use minimal additions, and my favorite stager simply offers ways in which to provide the benefits of the home without distracting "stuff".  Home staging is the best thing to hit the market in years- I'm not even linking to the site that is foolish enough to discourage it.  Great post, though!

Back now that I've read it all.  What a bunch of nonsense that is!  When I work with buyers, most of them appreciate seeing a home that shows well - shows the sellers care about their home and how it looks, whether they did it themselves or had a stager do it for them.  Some buyers just cannot see the potential a home has if it's not nicely decorated or staged.

It would seem now that NAEBA has turned its attention from agents who represent buyers AND sellers to the stagers who help homes look their best - crummy all the way around!

Forewarned is forearmed - now that you know this report is out there somewhat, you can prepare for it in case you encounter anyone who adopts that attitude about staging.

Ann

Cindy, Thanks for this great post. Of course, I agree with everyone's comments. I just see this as a form of flattery. There will always be this kind of element; whether an individual or a group that feel the only way to make themselves feel or look better is to try to discredit someone who is enjoying some level or success or attention. It's always going to be there in some form. I think it really puts their credibility into question, not ours'. A case of sour grapes I think. People will see through this in time.

I think the premise of that article is rather ridiculous.  Staging the home can only help to assist buyers in seeing the possibilities of a home.

When I work as a buyer's agent I love to show homes that are staged.  It shows that the seller cares enough to present the home with its best foot forward.  So I suppose this is just someone's opinion like most other controversy.  Don't you just love freedom of speech?

 

I like to respond to this paragraph:

"NAEBA recommends that buyers remain cautionary about staged homes. In the real estate profession there are an abundance of stories of buyers seeing a staged home, becoming emotionally attached to it, and then paying over market value for the home. This is exactly what you want to avoid as a buyer. The emotional attachment can end up costing you thousands of dollars. "

Yhis association needs to sharpen their skills such that they can cut through any incarnations of a staged home. Is this an admission that they are not good at their job?  Go stagers!

Moses - LOVE your question, "Is this an admission that they are not good at their job?"  It certainly does make one wonder why they felt the need to write what they did, doesn't it?

Ann

The same could be said, I suppose, for homes that are very cluttered, in that the clutter hides the lack of repairs, and other issues. I wonder how many folks will actually pay attention to this report? But I imagine it does make sense, then, for stagers to not only talk about what their services are intended to do but also what they don't do. This issue has been raised before about the industry and I suspect will continue to be raised.

Good post, Cindy. Thanks for bringing this to eveyone's attention. Some great comments and follow-up discussion.

Jeff

I want to thank everyone  for their comments! It affirms why staging is needed in this industry and how we can help each other to make it happen for our clients!

Cheers,

Cindy 

What a Lot of HOOEY!  Sellers have every right to show their homes in the best light!  And I have never seen a buyer's agent that could overide, counteract or discount a purchaser's emotional reaction to a house.  These buyers agents are digging their own graves and biting their noses off to spite their faces - why would you stand in the way of a buyers positive emotional reaction??? STUPID 

I have drafted a letter to Jon Boyd you can view it at http://activerain.com/blogsview/176725/It-Takes-A-Lot

I have not sent it yet but I will be doing it soon.

OK - here's an idea - The NAEBA is having their 13th Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV. from November 12-15, 2007 .... Why don't we all go?

Calie, did you know anything about this article before it was published WITH reference to you and your website.  If not, that's even more tacky. 

Vegas is a great place to be in November...I'm game. 

waterberry-a "refreshing" berry that tastes like water...????

Cindy Lin,

Thanks for raising my blood pressure about 100 point! lol,  They are crazy to think stagers are trying to hide something because here in Chicago it is illegal to with hold that info to, and as far as using smaller furniture, I have small furniture in parts of my home that I live in, it what I choose to use and goes with the room.  We can't all have houses that are 6,000 square feet.

Thank you really for the post I think there are just haters out there Cindy, I wouldn't worry to much about it. look around at the facts on AR STAGING WORKS!

best wishes, Brian Bloom

Cindy- thank-you so much for this wonderful post and for bringing this article to the attention of AR members.   As Sherin did, I too decided to post on this article(with reference to your post) although I chose to post from a different perspective.  This article did not make my blood boil, nor was I upset.  Rather, it excited me to realize what a fabulous marketing tool the NAEBA has provided for home stagers.  I will be referring my clients to this article as I find it to be a very educational article for both buyers and sellers. 

I am still amazed by the responses this little blog received from you all! A lot of positive affirmations of why staging matters in this industry from non-stagers. And how it sparked others to blog on their own. I am so proud! ;)

Cheers,

Cindy 

I also want to thank Dru for emailing me about Realty Times' article about this buyers' reports:

Comment by Dru Bloomfield | Scottsdale Real Estate:

Blanche Evans at Realty Times took the time to respond to the NAEBA report, kicking off a new column.

Who's Getting In Your Pocket, Now: Spoilsport Buyer's Agent Group Comes Out Against Home Staging

Among her comments:

"That's as silly a complaint as I've ever heard. Worse, it can do some serious damage."

"I can see the buyer's lawsuit now: "Seller emotionally influenced buyer that romance, family togetherness and reading would increase enjoyment of owning home."

It's a good read. 

Dru

 

I loved Blanche Evan's comment about "miracle bras and mascara"   Thanks for sharing the link. 

I woinder how many stagers are even familiar with NAEBA?  I sent an email to a client recently and said we would not get feedback on the showing because the agent showing her house  was an EBA.  We have EBAs in our market but I did not pay much attention to them until about three years ago. My client left me a voice mail then that she did not understand what an EBA is.

We did not get feedback!

Hi Cindy - NAEBA has been bashing other agents for years.  Now I guess they're turning their attentions to another professional in the hopes of earning some press.  I wouldn't let it worry you!

 

Cindy - thanks for sharing Blanche Evan's link.  Her comments are quite funny.  I really like the one about the lawsuit.  I ssem to recall that there something in the media a while back about a lawsuit against a realtor for NOT advising a client that home staging could benefit them? 

Don -- That just puzzles me. That's SO UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNETHICAL! It's terrible business practice, not to mention making themselves looking like the silly bully at the school playground.

Cheers,

Cindy 

Cindy et al,

"Since this is a "non-forwardable" message, you may wish to send it directly

> to Jon Boyd.  His email address is jon@buyersagentannarbor.com

> 

> Martha C. Krafton

> NAEBA Administration

> (703) 920-1095

> FAX:  (703) 920-9101

> mkrafton@naeba.info

_________________________________________________________________

The incredible amount of responses above touch on most points I addressed my email to Mr. Boyd. However, here is an excerpt from my email, regarding a point he made that I thought was one of those "pot calling the kettle black" scenarios:

"To Mr. Boyd...Regarding the following quote from the NAEBA article: "The fact that a home shows poorly hurts the seller's negotiation position and that helps us negotiate a better deal on the buying side"

I could easily build a case for this being a trickster-type behavior [on NAEBA's part] when devaluing a home that shows poorly and gets buyers a "great deal" because sellers are "unsophisticated" and "uneducated" about how to properly optimize the perceived value of their homes."

I have respect for both sellers and buyers (and their agents, except maybe the ones who want to put a picture over torn wallpaper) and I provide a valuable service to all parties involved with regard to the thoughtfulness and time I spend in preparing homes with honesty, integrity and heart. 

Janis L Gaines, ASP, member IAHSP

The Notably Well-dressed Home

Dear Cindy,

As a NAEBA member, I wanted to comment on your blog (please hold the tar and feathers!) :-)

As other stagers have mentioned, I think the whole NAEBA press release is testament to the power and value of staging.  If I were a listing agent, I would think that not recommending home staging to a seller would be akin to a buyer agent not recommending a home inspection to a client. 

I attended a seminar on staging at my state ass'n of Realtors convention last year, which only confirmed my previous opinion that staging is fundamentally important, from a seller's perspective, especially in slower markets which many of us are now experiencing.

Personally, I would rather show a staged home to a buyer client that an unstaged home.  

I think the point of the press release was to point out that stagers are hired by sellers to try and help maximize the sales price of their homes.  Just like an exclusive buyer agent is hired by the buyers to try and help the buyer get the best deal possible.

If buyers can understand the techniques employed by home stagers to make properties seem more appealing, they will be more knowledgeable when viewing properties and making purchasing decisions.

As for the "know your enemy" reference, I can assure you that this remark was made facetiously, and was intended to be humorous.  Home staging is an honorable profession which I and any other knowledgeable Realtor would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone selling their home.  On behalf of NAEBA, I apologize to any stagers out there who took offense.  

Thanks for allowing me to comment.

Best regards,  

Cin,

I think the exciting part of your blog is the huge number of realtors that commented for staging.  We see many blogs that need realtors feedback and only stagers reply - I will be using alot of there comments as well as the article in my presentations.  Tks.  Becky

 Cin:

What the NAEBA should be telling potential buyers is NEVER BUY A HOME WITHOUT A HOME INSPECTION!!!

I find it absurd that an agency/assoc. can make a claim like that about staqing.  Also I "hazard to guess" but I feel sure legitimate Realtors don't feel this way, everyone should be thrilled that a home is move in ready.  And the number $5,000+, where did they get that price??  Any quality stager would compel the sellers to make repairs.  FSBO has gotten crazy and I have tried it, only if a person is paying cash is it worth it, IMO. 

Thanks for bringing this to everyones' attention.

Cindy -

I am a member of NAEBA and I was shocked by this article as well. The tone is not in line with my experience, but some of the examples are. I recently sold a home where the home was over staged. There were carpets and furniture hiding all kinds of stains and flaws. There were also hundreds (no joke) hundreds of faux plants in the townhome so it smelled like a fake plant store. I've also seen super short beds set up like double beds that make a room look like it will accomodate more than it really will.

In the end, let's not underestimate buyers. Even if someone is buying their first home and needs guidance when it comes to mortgages, or contingencies, inspections, pricing and negotiating, most buyers are not fooled by staging as much as they use it to imagine the house as a home.   

 

That is absolutely nuts!  I am an Accredited Buyer's Rep myself and have never heard of such!  Bottom line is buyer beware.  That is why I always recommend to buyers to go through the home top to bottom, using a home inspector.  Material defects must be disclosed unless they are obvious, so I can see the point about covering the foundation cracks, etc., being an issue, but they should be disclosed if material anyway.  I do not think that this article could possibly hurt the staging profession.

Dale Campbell - www.CentralVirginiaRealEstateAgent.com

Wow - didn't see this blog until now but am almost glad as I can also see the comments made by so many Realtors defening staging.  It's seems the general opinion was that the article wasn't really written to degrade but by saying that some Stagers mask fundamental flaws - NOT GOOD!  I think any Stager, Realtor, Inspector or any human being trying to conceal a real problem with a home is un-ethical, won't be trusted, referred and probably won't be in business too long. 

Glad you found the article and passed it along to us Cin! 

All the best,

Beth 

I read this report too, with great amusement. Clearly their whole objective is to convince prospective home buyers that they need to use an Exclusive Buyer Agent (EBA). After all, isn't that the mandate of the NAEBA?

The fact that they decided to take aim at stagers (and needed to misrepresent what we do in the process), is only further proof that staging works! Clearly in any real estate transaction you have a seller hoping to make as much money as possible and a buyer who wants to pay as little as possible. And clearly, if you're a smart seller you realize that one of the best strategies to use in getting the most for your home is to show it in the best possible way.

There's nothing unethical in staging and staging isn't about hiding damage, it's about creating an environment a buyer will emotionally connect with and imagine themselves living in. 

I have to say I was flattered that Staging Diva was at the top of their "know thy enemy" list! Guess they think I'm good at what I do!

By the way, does anyone for a moment think a real estate agent (who lives on commissions) will say to a client, "I know you love this house and want to buy it, but that's just because it looks great. Forget it, let's go see the ugly house around the corner instead."