Professional home stagers need to keep up with all the latest real estate trends, in order to create the ideal staging design and budget for each client. When it comes to real property, trends come and go, but focusing on a particularly hot topic in the property sector is a great way to get even the most difficult houses sold quickly. It is beneficial for all home stagers to maintain quality relationships with other property professionals, such as real estate agents and brokers. It is also wise to do lots of independent research about what is hot and what is not in the local property sector.
This essay examines the role of changing trends in the property enhancement sector of real estate marketing.
What are Real Estate Trends?
Trends change as market conditions vary and may also change with styles that come and go. In order to truly be a professional stager, it is necessary to maintain a firm understanding of the economic factors faced by home buyers and sellers. It is also crucial to stay up-to-date on the latest design ideas and buyer expectations.
Trends represent the current conditions of the property industry in a specific area. They may describe a variety of criteria including any or all of the following:
- The cost of real estate
- The general state of the economy
- The economic state of the mortgage sector
- The aspects of design which are “in” at the moment
- The typical wish-list of the targeted buyer
Fulfilling Trends
In order for sellers to be happy, a stager needs to help them get their objective met successfully. Of course, this means helping the property owner to sell their home ASAP and for as much profit as possible.
In a down economy, it may be more challenging to get sellers to invest in home staging services, since many homeowners are watching every dollar. Meanwhile, in a booming economy, many sellers will feel that they can sell regardless of staging, so they may elect to pass. This is why stagers must be knowledgeable about presenting the objective benefits of home staging, based on solid factual research. Sellers will soon see that in every economic climate, staging will facilitate a faster and more profitable sale.
Likewise, stagers must look for dramatic ways of increasing a home’s perceived value in order to please even the most discriminating of buyers. With all the competition in the real estate marketplace, buyers have come to know that they do not have to settle. They will keep looking for the right home for them, so stagers must be able to create this idyllic vision of perfection time and time again, despite the presence of case-specific obstacles presented in each and every home.
Value of Understanding Real Estate Trends
A good idea is to always have at least one group meeting between the seller, the stager and a real estate sales professional before actually staging the home to sell. This way, a think tank of ideas can be openly discussed and a real estate marketing plan can be decided upon. This conference will assist the stager and the listing agent, since all will be working with synergy towards the same goal.
The best strategy a stager can use to get their job done effectively and successfully is to look at each project from 2 distinct points of view. First, consider your client and their budget. Try to get them the most value for their dollar, while reassuring them that their investment will pay dividends. Next, think like a buyer when actually staging. Make sure the design will satisfy all the trends which are “must haves” for today’s property marketplace.