Why You should Stage Your Home For Sale

If you’ve been thinking of selling your investment house or your home, you should make sure that you take full advantage of home staging trends. There are several advantages to home staging trends, which we will take a look at below.

One of the best things about staged homes is that they sell in less time. This is great news for sellers, as these types of homes will sell really fast. In most cases, you won’t have to worry about your home staying on the market for a long period of time. Research has shown that staged homes sell nearly 40% faster than other homes on the market.

Staged homes also sell for more money. Homes that have sat on the market for a long period of time will normally get lower offers due to the fact that home buyers will begin to think there is something wrong with the home. Staged homes on the other hand, don’t sit on the market for long at all. Once they are listed, they pretty much draw attention to themselves - resulting in a fast sale.

A staged exterior will also draw viewers. When home buyers first arrive at a home that is up for sale, they instantly make up their mind whether they should get out and look around, or drive off. If the yard is staged with flowers and the yard is manicured and properly taken care of, chances are that buyers will want to see more. If you entice your buyers by showing them how nice the home is outside, they will surely want to know what the home is like on the inside as well.

Once a buyer has stepped inside of the home, he will know within a matter of seconds whether or not he likes the home. To get the buyer’s attention, you’ll need to stage your home to the buyer’s liking. You don’t want the buyer to feel rushed or get the wrong impression, which is why you should always set the stage and entice the buyer to take his time and get a good look at the home.

Staging the living rooms and kitchens will also help to sell the home. Buyers love living rooms, which is why you should always make sure that the living room is the center piece of your home, and decorate it accordingly. Kitchens on the other hand, is where you should really go all out, decorating with fruit and such. You should always make sure that everything is in place as well. Buyers love to see homes that are ready to move into - and not ready to be worked on.

Staged homes will also attract more real estate agents and get more advertising as well. If a real estate agent loves your home, he will want to show it off. If you stage your home, chances are that real estate agents will eat it up. When they do, they will advertise your home more than others, just to get you some deserved attention. This way, you can benefit from a lot of exposure at absolutely no extra cost.

There’s no other way to look at it, other than staged homes sell. They attract more buyers, more real estate agents, and they give people the feeling of home. When you go out of your way to make the buyer feel that your home is his dream home, he will know.

© Allison Van Wig

The Magic of the MLS

When you list your home for sale, one of the most important tools your realtor will use is the Multiple Listing Service which is commonly called the MLS. By listing your home in this massive database, other realtors will be able to find it. The MLS acts as a system for matching buyers to suitable homes.

Originally, the MLS was a print system with books published showcasing the area’s homes for sales. As technology improved, the MLS moved to a computer-based model. Today, realtors can log on to the MLS, enter new listings, remove sold listings, and perform detailed home searches.

The MLS isn’t necessarily a national system. Rather each region maintains its own MLS which makes it crucial that your agent lists your home in the right MLS system. If your home is in San Diego, you’ll want to be in the San Diego area MLS, not an MLS that caters to LA realtors.

Not all homes are entered into this database. The MLS is a member based system. Realtors must pay for access. If you are trying to sell your home on your own, you can’t simply add it to the MLS. You may be able to contract with a broker to list the home in the MLS for a flat fee.

The MLS offers realtors access to a huge inventory of homes currently on the market. For example, if an agent has a buyer looking for a three bedroom, two bath home with an attached garage and a large lot in a particular price range, the agent can input the buyer’s criteria and target the search. The MLS creates a listing of all suitable homes that meet that buyer’s needs. Now the agent can show each of the targeted homes to the buyer.

What if your home isn’t listed? It won’t be displayed in the list and the buyer will never see it –- even if your home is the perfect one!

What information does the MLS contain? The MLS is incredibly detailed with your home’s address, square footage, age, upgrades, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, special features, school district, financing options offered, photos, and links to your home’s website or “virtual home tour” if you have these tools online.

When interviewing potential real estate agents to list your home for sale, one of the most important questions you can ask is whether or not they intend to list your home in the MLS. If an agent responds by saying they don’t use the MLS, keep looking! This agent may be hoping to find a buyer on her own, doubling her commission. However, the MLS exposes your home to far more potential buyers than one single agent can possibly hope to find on their own. It is a cooperative marketing tool that works!

Not only will you have a larger sales force showing your home to potential buyers: the laws of supply and demand kick in. Can you imagine having several qualified buyers interested in your home? When this happens, you maintain the upper hand when it comes time to negotiate. Your home will sell faster and at a better price when it is listed in the MLS.

Allison Van Wig©.