When a professional home stager is engaged to help with this process, it can be very emotional. The home stager has a very specific mission – transform this house of memories into a space that appeals to as many buyers as possible.
My approach is to help the seller make this transformation with as much tact and compassion as I can muster. I know that I have to be “tough” enough to make the transformation. If not, the house would remain being Smith-friendly and not buyer-friendly. But, I also take more time, listen to the stories about those precious memories, and make sure that the sellers at least understand why we are doing what we are doing.
In some instances, my approach works. In other instances it does not. Here are a few quick examples that will sound familiar to every real estate professional.
“I need to call my wife and prepare her for what you have done before she gets home. This is going to be very emotional for her.” In this case, my Realtor partner and I went in and identified dozens and dozens of items that needed to be removed and boxed up for their new home. This couple was very sentimental and displayed family heirlooms, treasured gifts from family and friends, and purchases from favorite trips. The end result was a house full of wonderful things that masked the flow and focal points of their lovely home. The wife arrived home emotionally prepared for her buyer-friendly house.
“What you did was too minimal for what I consider pretty. A buyer can see past all my stuff. You must put everything back exactly as you found it.” This one was a shock to my Realtor partner and me. This seller was a retired corporate executive and so we expected a savvy seller ready to do what needs to be done to get the house on the market. Instead, we spent 2 hours making the house buyer-friendly; 30 minutes letting the seller vent about all that we had done wrong with the house; and about an hour putting it back to the same condition as when we walked in the door. The emotions of changing what reflected the taste, style and identity of this seller was greater than the desire to make this house buyer-friendly.
“I appreciate what is being done and want to do it, but I must confess it is much more emotional and tiring than I expected.” This seller was ready to sell and stage. When the time came to transform her house, she was surprised by how emotional it became. And the irony was that this seller was a professional home stager named Cindy!
I learned from my experience just as I learned from many, many emotional sellers I’ve assisted over the past 6 years. These experiences made me even more sensitive to how emotional staging and selling your home can be.
Dwell in possibilities
Cindy
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