New Office Look and Open House

So..... in my "other life" I would love to be an interior designer or professional stager :) There isnt really a huge calling for either of those professions in Marion so I think real estate sort of gives me the best of both worlds.  I get to do the real estate side of things, but it also gives me a chance to help sellers stage and showcase their house in the best light! I don't have any recent staging photos for you today, however I did want to share with you all what I did in the office the other day!

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Another ERA company gave us ALOT of ERA pamphlets, brochures, tools, etc that they no longer need.  So instead of storing it all away in our basement I decided to display it all in the office.  In the front window when you walk by the office I have all kinds of brochures displayed.  In the "sitting area" I put some ERA booklets out, explaining who we are as a company and the services we provide, etc.  A lot of people don't really know what an ERA franchise is and all the franchise offers to both buyers and sellers!
And lastly I set up a bookcase with Realtor information to give to clients, educational tools, etc.  Now, I know I shouldn't constitute all I did as an "interior design" or "staging" job..... BUUUTTTT I did enjoy being able to showcase all of our new information out in the office :)


Now I would like to share with you some photos from an open house that I held today for one my listings!

This is a booklet I have about my listing.  Includes all pertinent information that any one may need to know :)

YUM YUM YUM!!!!! This was the lunch spread I made :) A vegetable soup and salad.  Brownies for dessert.  The best way to get people to come to your open house is OFFER FOOD :)

A group photo of all the ERA agents at the office that came out to take a look at my listing and enjoy some lunch! I LOVE YOU LADIES!!!!!! I know I am being biased.... but I think I work with the best group of agents around :)




Thats all for now!

TIPS ON "DRESSING" YOUR HOME FOR SUCCESS

A Good Showing: Dressing Your House for Sales   Success

Have you ever heard the expression " Sometimes your first impression is your last"? Well its TRUE.... and most definitely true when you are trying to sell your house.

First consider "curb appeal" – the feeling customers get from the upkeep of the house and grounds, and how comfortable this makes them imagining themselves as a resident. You want to do everything you can to make them see your house as their house, both outside and in.

A new paint job is an investment that will more than pay for itself, and neat landscaping – trimmed shrubs, new flowers – puts your prospective buyers in just the right frame of mind. Inside, kitchens and bathrooms should be in sparkling condition – these rooms are known to be what makes up many home-seekers' minds. Removal of odors like pet smells and smoke will lessen distractions for customers you want focusing on your home's possibilities, and clearing of clutter is crucial.
The less belongings you have crowding your rooms and closets, the bigger the home will appear, and the easier it will be for potential buyers to envision placing their own possessions there. Put some things in storage if you need to, or hold a garage sale to help cut down on some of the build-up you were going to clear out for moving anyway.  Something that I know a lot of sellers have a hard time doing is taking down photos of their children.  But think of it this way: you are going to be packing them up anyway... just go ahead and get a jump start on bubble wrapping them up for their new home :)  Speaking from experience, I have shown multiple houses that sellers have a wide display of photos up in the living room, bedroom, etc.  It NEVER fails that as soon as a potential buyer walks into that room they go straight to look at those photos! And on their way they forgot to look at the new trim work you did or the new molding you installed.  Are you following what I am saying? When your house is on the market you need to showcase the HOUSE.. NOT your PERSONAL ITEMS.
 
Clean windows, fresh flowers, and other small details with big impact – they're what you want to remember. From major improvements which guarantee a return on your investment, to subtle touches that tip the scales in your favor, the features of a house that we often take for granted can be the ones that determine your homeselling success. (** information from ERA.com and personal experience**)


According to the National Association of Realtors®, curb appeal alone accounts for half of all home sales.

 Now, I know we cant all go and do THIS to our lawns.... but find pictures of GREAT lawns that inspire you and use that as your blueprints! You never know what you may come up with :)
Hope some of this information was useful!

Ideas for "Staging" your Kitchen

I recently was shooting a virtual tour of one of our company's listings and the seller had these things displayed in the kitchen.  I thought it was SUCH A GREAT IDEA.... gotta love it when sellers go the extra mile :) Of course, I incorporated these two photos in the virtual tour I did.  The sellers also put the lemonade and cookies out while the house was being showed.  Just goes to show you that you must get creative when "staging" your house for sell..... try incorporating these ideas in the sell of your home!
Take Care All :)

Welcome to my Blog

This is officially the first blog post of my LIFE! I have always enjoyed reading other people's blogs and have many times thought about creating my own.  I never really knew what I would talk about, to me my life seems rather simple.  However, I finally realized that I do have ideas and topics to share with people.... and that is about REAL ESTATE! As a Realtor, I am always learning and experiencing new things about the real estate world.  Not only is this a way to share information with other people, but it is truly a way for me to collect my thoughts and retain the things that I learn! In real estate, we are NEVER DONE LEARNING... so all in all this blog is really more for me than it is for any one else :) Anway, I hope my "soon to be followers" enjoy my topics of conversation!
Any suggestions as to what you all would like to know about?
Ill be back bloggin soon :)
Chelsi