When a seller doubts the recommendation that their home needs staging, here is some valuable information to enlighten them on the value of home staging to their wallet.

How many articles about home staging do you think exist on http://www.realtor.org/? Over 900 articles!

Lack of time?  Hire An Expert

Many Realtors focus on doing what they are good at, and that's marketing property and contract negotiations.  Not everyone has the time to get self taught as an expert or get a certification, and most people need an independent, objective, and critical eye to assess how their home shows. Believe me, if some people didn't have bad taste, they'd have no taste at all. In addition, there are many resources and various contractors that sometimes become involved with some staging projects and it takes years to assemble a team of contractors to get things done quickly and affordably. Painters, carpenters, the handy man/woman, electricians, landscapers, movers, off site storage firms and professional organizers are but a few of the contracts that become necessary.

Proven Results - Seeing is believing!  

Often owners who have their home on the market see homes in their neighborhood selling within a few days or weeks and for top dollar, while their home gets few if any showings. They ask their neighbor "how'd you do it" only to learn that their neighbor's home had been staged and designed to sell. By the time the seller gets around to staging the home, it may have become a stale listing.

Good Cop/Bad Cop

Sometimes the Realtor is uncomfortable being the "bearer of bad news" and risks not getting the listing by overwhelming the seller with all that needs to be done to the home to get it ready for market. Some Realtors are great at selling but not space planning, interior decorating or staging so they refer it out. Sometimes the seller doesn't take the Realtor's staging suggestions seriously especially if the Realtor is a friend or relative of the seller. Therefore many Realtor's prefer to be the good cop and let the home stager fulfill the role of nice bad cop.

Saving Money In The Long Run

A good staging professional can also help the seller save a lot of money by recommending which specific improvements (paint colors, flooring solutions, kitchen and bath hardware, furnishings and accessories) that will yield the highest return on investment helping prevent costly mistakes.

Show Them The Money With Profit Models

The additional profit that can be made on the sale of $300k resale benefiting from redesign staging can range between $17k and $29k. NAR statistics show that a vacant or cluttered home takes 2.5 to 3 times longer to sell. Sellers get one first shot on the market and the majority of showings occur in the first 14 days. If no offer is accepted in the first 21 days, it'll likely be on market two months or longer! The additional monthly carrying expenses of having the home on the market plus any price reductions would have more than covered even minimal investment in staging. Use profit models to show sellers how to make more money with staging! Homes Designed To Sell has profit models for vacant and occupied homes on its web site for free.

If the home doesn't look, feel, or smell better and have an equal or lower price to the competing homes on the market, rest assured, any offers, when they do come, are likely to be very low because buyers perceive a lack of pride by the current owners in the property. Sellers need to be aware that the buyer's perception is their reality!