FOR REALTORS ONLY – Catchy Phrases and Talking Points

Our recent blogs about “Pretty Pays, Pretty Costs” (January 24, 2012) and “Nobody Notices Normal” (February 3, 2012) generated feedback and comments from our Realtor partners.  They shared that they used these catchy phrases in conversations with the clients.

To continue those conversations (one of the purposes of the “to be continued” Blog), I decided to revisit a few of the catchy phrases and talking points we’ve used in past blog postings.  My hope is that we can refresh the memories of long- standing followers and spark the imaginations of all our readers.

“A House Needs To Use Everything Available To Be Competitive.” (March 30, 2011 Posting)

A Tulsa Realtor partner made an interesting observation about the state of the housing market.  “The market is still really tough.  A house needs to use everything available to be competitive.”  She and I agreed that professional staging can play a major role in making a house really competitive.  In my experience, proactive and successful realtors do use advanced techniques to help sell their houses.  And success breeds success as potential sellers want to list their houses with realtors who deliver results. 

People Buy the Dream and They Buy Value (August 10, 2011 Posting)

“Not all agents understand the value or true impact of a great staged property.  It’s not about how pretty a house looks – it’s about highlighting the features of the property, creating space and light where there isn’t any and virtually making the old house look and feel like new.  People buy the dream and they buy value.” (Christine Rae)

Dates, Job Interviews, or Selling Your House – Is There Any Difference? (March 4, 2011 Posting)

When we are getting ready for a date or a job interview, we make sure that we look our best (that is if we want a second date or the job).  Typically, we are properly groomed and wearing one of our better and appropriate outfits.  We want to impress our date or the person doing the job interview.  Why should it be any different when we decide to sell our house? 

Remarkable Is the New Business as Usual (May 2, 2011)

Most buyers don’t imagine themselves living in ordinary or “just OK”. They imagine themselves living in different, unique or special.  Buyers want to imagine their best selves in the house they intend to buy.  Professional home staging can transform “just OK” into “this house is unique, special and remarkable”. 

It turns out that there are more postings to be revisited.  We will share more in a future posting.

Here’s hoping you found a few useful phrases or talking points from these previous postings.  Anything is possible!!

Dwell in possibilities

Cindy

Seemingly Different, Remarkably the Same – Staging for the Urban, Professional Renter

Staging a house for sale; staging a model apartment for rent.  The staging task seems different as it is just one house to be sold and there are dozens and dozens of apartments to be rented.  The architecture of the house and the neighborhood set some of the parameters for home staging.  Where do you find the parameters for a model apartment that needs to showcase multiple styles and types of apartments?

And yet remarkably, the staging task is very, very similar.  In both cases, we stage to fire the imaginations of the buyer and/or renter. Our goal is to help people imagine their best selves living in this space. 

Today we feature the staging of the model apartment for The Metro at Brady located in the Tulsa’s Brady Arts District.  “Metro at Brady embodies the absolute finest in urban living.  The location is in close proximity to all downtown has to offer. From the restaurants, bars, live music venues and art galleries of the Brady Arts District to ONEOK Field, the BOK Center, Tulsa Performing Arts Center or Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, there will be no shortage of neighborhood fun to be had!” 

Thanks to a generous referral from my friends at Cort, I was given the opportunity to transform the model apartment into a showplace for cool, urban professional living.  It was so much fun using high end furniture and art from Cort  mixed in with my accessories and artwork.  The collaboration worked!

·         Kitchen – This very open floor plan is perfect for entertaining!  A selected few accessories  and contemporary barstools set a tone that welcomes the gourmet cook ready to entertain friends.

·         Dining Room –Less is definitely more in this space.  Each piece is special!  From the glass top pedestal table to the gracefully slung wood chairs with the faux snakeskin seats to the stunning piece of original abstract art to the pewter antelope horn candlesticks.  Need I say more? 

·         Living Room – Can you believe the amount of seating in this room?  When I sit on this sofa, I automatically put my feet up on the oval ottoman and don’t want to leave!  This room covers all the bases.  A place to read, watch television , enjoy conversation with friends and of course entertain!  The artwork (a Royce Myers original) raises the sophistication level leaps and bounds.   

·         Bedrooms and Bathrooms – Think luxury.  I utilized crisply pressed high end linens and towels.  Generous night tables and lamps framed the beautiful beds.  And of course, fabulous artwork.

You can see more photos of how we staged this model apartment for the urban professional renter at our Transitions website at http://www.transitions-home-staging.com/Metro-Brady.html.  You can also learn more about Metro at Brady at their website at http://www.metroatbrady.com/Tulsa-OK-apartments.asp. To learn more about Cort furniture visit their website at http://www.cort.com.

Seemingly different, remarkably the same – the possibilities jumped out once I realized that I was staging a lifestyle.  In this case, the lifestyle was different from most houses that I stage.  And yet, it was both challenging and exhilarating to stage a space for the urban professional renter.

 

Remember to dwell in possibilities

Cindy