Showcasing a home may seem like common sense, especially in the current market. But many sales associates and their clients don’t understand the advantages, says Priscilla Stowe, co-owner of Style Sisters in Sarasota. Her firm, which she started last year with business partner, Susan Maggio, specializes in helping real estate professionals and homeowners get properties buyer-ready—whether they decide to totally revamp the property or just spruce it up.
Here are some of the reasons showcasing is beneficial and some strategies to help your clients present pristine properties:
Reduce the Listing Period
Peter Erdmann, a sales associate at Illustrated Properties in West Palm Beach, usually pays for extra work done on a home, including provision of new furnishings. Showcasing is particularly advantageous in developments where homes have similar floor plans and few differences in their accessories. Don’t overlook the outside of the house, either, she adds. “Curb appeal is huge. I’m not the one who will prune the shrubs, but I’ll give the client a list of pressure washers and landscapers,” she says.
Create Warmth
The home’s inner entryway makes a huge impression, Erdmann says. He once tried to sell a 1925 Mediterranean style home that had a stark-white floor and white walls in the entry. “It detracted from the warmth and charm,” he says. He did a few simple things—he brought in palm trees in nice pots and put down an attractive oriental carpet, as well as a console table to enlarge and open the area.
Heidi Russell Rafferty is a Georgia-based freelance writer.
