Staging is a hot topic for home buyers, as evidenced by the popularity of TV shows like “Designed to Sell,” “Buy Me” and “Flip This House.” But a recent report from an industry leader reveals that buyers are routinely misled by staged homes.
The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (http://www.naeba.org/) has just released the report “How to not get tricked by staging — and potentially save $5,645 when you buy your home.” The report outlines some of the common staging practices and how they might influence a buyer to purchase the wrong home, or a home that might be hiding serious defects.
The report includes examples of staging and cautionary tales from real estate agents working directly with buyers. The report is available as a free download at the association web site: http://www.naeba.org/staging
“The whole intent of staging is to get the buyer emotionally involved with the home. Our member agents want home buyers to see things logically, to ‘see past’ the staging,” said Jon Boyd President of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (http://www.naeba.org).
“When we surveyed our brokers and agents, 82% of the respondents stated that buyers were likely to get distracted from important issues when viewing a staged home. The most prevalent staging trick reported in the survey was sellers using small furniture to make a room look bigger than it actually is. In addition, a majority of our members have seen staging cover up real problems, such as rugs hiding damaged floors and designer curtains covering rotted window sills. Since staging doesn’t increase the intrinsic value of a home, buyers need to be very careful. Remember, you are not buying the pretty furnishings, you are buying the house,” he continued.
The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents was founded in 1995 to help consumers become educated home buyers. NAEBA is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to be the “champions of real estate buyers’ rights and representation.” NAEBA offers industry standard certifications, ongoing education, client referral services, technology and information sharing. The NAEBA Code of Ethics pledges undivided loyalty to real estate buyers only. More information about NAEBA can be found at http://www.naeba.org.
Originally posted at http://www.wlextv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6942935
As a Realtor and Master Accredited Staging Professional for several years, I can honestly say that I am ethical and direct clients to repair or replace damaged items BEFORE staging. And I specialize in showing room function with proper furniture.
There are most certainly so-called “stagers” out there who are doing a poor job, so sellers and Realtors should hire experienced, established trained professionals with a proven track record of staging properties that sell.