Distinctly Montana Magazine

M Y M O N TA N A H O M E S P E C I A L S E C T I O N 91 DAWN: ey list with inexperienced/part-time agents for a discounted commission, without considering what they're missing. REALLY, HOW IMPORTANT IS "STAGING" TO SELL- ING A HOME? DAWN: It's only important if you want to sell your home. If a home is empty, it feels a bit sterile and potential buyers can't really imagine what it would feel like to live there. If a home is over-furnished, it feels small and cluttered and potential buyers can't imagine what it would feel like with their own furniture. I'm a big fan of lightly staging. Just enough to inspire potential buyers to imagine living in the space with their own stuff. MARTHA: Very important! De-clutter personal photographs, knick-knacks. Simplify artwork, take items off your kitchen and bathroom counters and put in cabinets below. Put jackets and boots in closets instead of hooks in mud- room. Set your dining table as you would for a party or the holidays. a clean and clutter-free home allows buyers minds to expand and imagine themselves living there. POLLYANNA: Extremely important! Why do movie companies pay millions for costumes and sets, retailers for photo shoots, or stores for displays? It is all about STAGING! Stag- ing shows your rooms and space in their best light and helps a Buyer with scalability. It can be difficult for many Buyers to get a sense of space if the furniture is too big or small, missing, or just not the right application for the room where present. Staging is not always bringing someone else's furniture into the property either. A good stager will try to work with the items you have, give coaching on finishing touches, and when needed add the best piece of furniture to make your home pop in the eyes of the Buyer and elicit a positive feeling. Homes are bought on emotion, and staging shows the positive features of your property that Buyers seek. HOW CAN A SELLER KNOW WHEN THEIR HOME IS SELLING AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE? MARTHA: Although Seller's remorse can happen and people sell for many different reasons, a seasoned broker who's paying attention to a fluid market will commu- nicate with the Seller on whether they should raise the price to ensure the best possible price for the Seller. POLLYANNA: e sales price is determined when both a Buyer and Seller can come to a mutual agreement, and most times there is give and take on both sides. Of course, the Seller wants the highest number and the Buyer in turn wants the lowest, but best price is through mutual agreement on acceptable terms to everyone. Not always is the best arrangement solely dependent on price. In many instances the "terms" of the agreement can be as or more valuable than price. DAWN: When they work with a profes- sional that aggressively markets their home to the right audience, has experience and knows the market well. Sellers should closely review the market comps and trust that their Broker has done enough research and provided data to support the price. WHAT DO MANY, IF NOT MOST, SELLERS NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE HOME SALES PROCESS? DAWN: Right now, it depends on the price. But ultimately Sellers need to understand that the process can take time. I'm referring specifically to the luxury market. ere are few buyers in the luxury market, so mar- keting and selling a high-end property can take some time. We have to look for the buyers. And when we find them we have to be priced competitively to capture them. MARTHA: e emotions that they'll experi- ence when getting off price offers. Buyers do not have any contact with the seller and they should not take it personally. e economic downturn was not long ago and buyers are still making low ball offers to see where the seller will engage. POLLYANNA: ey do not understand that the home selling process is about the Buyer, and the Buyer finding the Sellers property desirable to them. Sellers can get caught-up in all their finishing touches and added features, when in many cases those details can be a negative in the Buyers eyes, or not something the Buyer would pay extra to have. e best compliment a Seller can receive is that someone wishes to purchase their home. These Questions Were Asked of Three Top Realtors "THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT SELLERS CAN DO TO ENHANCE THEIR PROSPECTS FOR SELLING THEIR HOME AT THE BEST PRICE POSSIBLE IS TO PURGE, PACK & PREPARE!" PollyAnna Snyder "SELLERS SHOULD CLOSELY REVIEW THE MARKET COMPS AND TRUST THAT THEIR BROKER HAS DONE ENOUGH RESEARCH AND PROVIDED DATA TO SUPPORT THE PRICE." Dawn Maddux "A SEASONED BROKER WHO'S PAYING ATTENTION TO A FLUID MARKET WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE SELLER ON WHETHER THEY SHOULD RAISE THE PRICE TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE FOR THE SELLER." Martha Johnson

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