Home Staging Professionals Find New Business in Changing Market

Residential properties sell much faster after receiving a professional facelift, according to the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA). In a recent study, 89 vacant and unstaged homes were listed and spent an average of 166 days on the market — a time frame that narrowed to just 32 days once these homes were professionally staged and re-listed. That marks a 73 percent decrease in time spent on the market. RESA research also shows that when 359 homes were staged before being put on the market, they received a first offer within 26 days after the staging; and 69 homes received multiple offers. Homes staged before listing will sell 87 percent faster, based on RESA studies. The average cost of staging is 1 percent to 3 percent of the value of the home; but the return on investment can be as much as 8 percent to 10 percent, adds Audra Slinkey, president of Home Staging Resource. “It’s a small cost and work on the sell side, but it’s a win,” she says. “You improve upon a product and the demand and price goes up.” | Read More