How not to...how to stage and market a home

[JordanLotoski]

Throughout the years I have seen some pretty bad photos and presentation of homes. Thought id post a thread on the difference of a well staged, professionally photographed home vs a non staged camera phone shot home.

I have left the address and the agents name out of this, as this is just to show bad staging in general....Keep this in mind, most agents charge the same rates....so why not get more for your money?

Kitchen...them
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/254/C3567998_801_18.jpg

Kitchen...me
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/139/C3570699_201_18.jpg

Great room...them
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/254/C3567998_B01_19.jpg

Great room....me
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/139/C3570699_601_17.jpg

Bonus room...them
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/254/C3567998_E01_17.jpg

Bonus room...me
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/139/C3570699_901_98.jpg

Home office....them (this is my favorite)
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/254/C3567998_F01_21.jpg

Home office....me
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/206/C3562574_C01_50.jpg

[Hallowed_point]

There is no way that someone could honestly bill for that as staging! But, I've also seen more then a few hack realtors here.

[K3RMiTdot]

Do you do everything yourself, or do you have somebody to help you out?

LOL at that computer room...
The Jordan Touch looks great though!

[GTS4tw]

Holy crap! Its like you upgraded their windows, door, fireplaces, and counter tops! I want you staging my house.

[JordanLotoski]

Originally posted by GTS4tw
Holy crap! Its like you upgraded their windows, door, fireplaces, and counter tops! I want you staging my house.

They are different homes.

I offer staging advice to all my clients and help where needed...I have been on shopping trips with a few clients that needed help....whatever it takes to achieve top dollar!!

[spike98]

Originally posted by JordanLotoski


They are different homes.

I offer staging advice to all my clients and help where needed...I have been on shopping trips with a few clients that needed help....whatever it takes to achieve top dollar!!

I get what you are saying and agree 100% but an apples to apples comparison would have been more effective at conveying your point.

[guessboi]

Jordan and I went shopping at Ikea a few years back. :D

[GTS4tw]

Originally posted by JordanLotoski


They are different homes.

I offer staging advice to all my clients and help where needed...I have been on shopping trips with a few clients that needed help....whatever it takes to achieve top dollar!!

Yeah I was just kidding, your pics look 10x better, are those houses listed for the same price? I was just thinking it seemed odd to compare million dollar houses to starter homes. Still terrible staging even for the type of house it is though, but I imagine they are paying a whole lot less.

[ercchry]

he also cleans baseboards :rofl:

[sputnik]

Looks like one house would probably sell for twice as much as the other house!

Amazing!

[D. Dub]

Anyone else think the "better" staged home looks stark, clinical, and anything but homey?

[NoMoreG35]

Originally posted by spike98


I get what you are saying and agree 100% but an apples to apples comparison would have been more effective at conveying your point.

Exactly. The "them house" and "me house" should be the same asking price houses.
But the computer room was still :rofl:

[ercchry]

i dont even think they are all from the same house, the "office" looks like that place in mount royal that was up for $1.6mm... then the "bonus room" looks to be a new subdivision house :whipped:

those damn tricky realtors :rofl:

dont you have a place you staged that had previously sold? or a place that someone couldnt sell and you came in and redid the photos... like maybe a silly ridge home in cranston with one bedroom?

[Hallowed_point]

Originally posted by D. Dub
Anyone else think the "better" staged home looks stark, clinical, and anything but homey?

Yep, it looks a little too hospital/psych ward for my liking as well. A little character never hurts imo

[FullFledgedYYC]

This is a massively biased comparison... and you know that.

[JfuckinC]

while your comparisons are terrible, I disagree with d.dub/hallowed. all your places look great :drool: they would catch my eye on MLS for sure...

[Sugarphreak]

...

[403ep3]

Originally posted by NoMoreG35


Exactly. The "them house" and "me house" should be the same asking price houses.
But the computer room was still :rofl:

I agree.

The computer room was the only one that was :rolleyes:

[Phihalo]

I do agree that these are not 100% apples to apples comparison, however, I also see what Jordan is trying to prove - if you are paying someone to do it, they should be doing a decent job on making the pictures appealing

Looks like wide angle and/or tilt-shift lens are a must for selling homes then ;)

[project240]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC
This is a massively biased comparison... and you know that.

My thoughts exactly. Why not show pictures of a house previous listed (with their photos) vs your listing/photos as I'm sure you have or have had a previously listed house...

But completely agree that pictures make a huge difference... Getting potential buyers to the property is the hardest part.

[Disoblige]

I think there was a thread a while ago where Jordan had posted pictures of a previous realtor's pics, and then his pictures of the same property.

All I remember was that it was a night and day difference, mainly because the previous realtor was simply terrible.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by Disoblige
I think there was a thread a while ago where Jordan had posted pictures of a previous realtor's pics, and then his pictures of the same property.

All I remember was that it was a night and day difference, mainly because the previous realtor was simply terrible.

ha! and it was the house i was talking about... previous realtor couldnt sell it... jordan got the listing and reshot it

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/351980/just-listed-47-cranleigh-manor-se-ridge-home/

EDIT: actually, not that house... the one beside it. same story though. but this house was actually marketable... jordan sold it for asking i think? 2-4 weeks, cash offer... cant remember the exact details

[anarchy]

Originally posted by ercchry


ha! and it was the house i was talking about... previous realtor couldnt sell it... jordan got the listing and reshot it

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/351980/just-listed-47-cranleigh-manor-se-ridge-home/

EDIT: actually, not that house... the one beside it. same story though. but this house was actually marketable... jordan sold it for asking i think? 2-4 weeks, cash offer... cant remember the exact details

Agreed with everyone - super biased post. But the thread ercchry just shared is exactly how you make the point you're trying to make. Awesome job with the new photos, it definitely makes a difference :thumbsup:

[403ep3]

+1 ercchry post

Now that one proves your point :hitit:

[max_boost]

Angles and lighting!

[S-FLY]

One of my biggest pet peeves is specifically a certain realtor uses HDR photos in every listing which makes the photos look terrible and more difficult to get an idea of what's in the picture.

[D'z Nutz]

You should've seen the dumb shit photos the dumb shit realtor that tried selling my parents' house used! The idiot came in and took pictures of the place while they were packing so there were stacked moving boxes in half the photos, not to mention the mess. The rest of the photos were either underexposed, jittery from shaky hands, or had reflections of the flash in them. In one photo, he even got his thumb in the top corner of the pic.

I didn't know about them until hampstor told me. Fuck was I pissed when I saw them. I ended up redoing them myself and the idiot still didn't use them.

[Cash Money Hoes]

I will sell this house today. I will sell this house today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS06JvtlAc8

Ah... to be a REALTOR...

[flipstah]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC
This is a massively biased comparison... and you know that.

:werd:

I was about to post how those two different pictures couldn't be the same house! And I was right!

[Cos]

.

[JordanLotoski]

OK here is a better comparasion...you guys are so picky...geezz

This house was listed a while back with another agent....here is the before and after (I took the listing a week after the agents mandate expired)

This thread isnt about look at how good I do it, its more of how badly its being done and why you should all be cautious when selecvting a realtor....Make sure you getting the best bang for you buck

Before...Losted 92 days on market
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/DotNet/Pub/EmailView.aspx?r=906842738&s=ALB&t=ALB

After...staged to target the right demographic (ages 25-40) Sold after 13 days on market
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/DotNet/Pub/EmailView.aspx?r=410151376&s=ALB&t=ALB

Before
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/22/C3425174_701_17.jpg

after
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/255/C3464831_601_17.jpg

before
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/22/C3425174_E01_16.jpg

after
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/255/C3464831_H01_16.jpg

before
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/22/C3425174_201_18.jpg

after
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/255/C3464831_801_18.jpg

before
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/22/C3425174_F01_98.jpg

after
http://abmls.mlxchange.com/ALBImages/255/C3464831_C01_98.jpg

[max_boost]

Wow. Doesn't even look like the same place!

[roopi]

Good comparison right there. Doesn't even look like the same house in most of the pictures. I notice the sofa is different in the first picture. Rented furniture?

[Ntense_SpecV]

Jesus, that before bathroom photo is terrible.

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by max_boost
Wow. Doesn't even look like the same place!

"Make up does wonders" - max_boost

[CD007]

Looks to me like it's just better photography and not so much the staging.

[roopi]

Originally posted by CD007
Looks to me like it's just better photography and not so much the staging.

Photography is much better but if you look at all the differences in the pictures the staging does make a huge difference.

[HiTempguy1]

IMO, for staging houses, rule number one is TURN EVERY SINGLE LIGHT ON IN THE HOUSE.

And if you are using fluorescent bulbs, get rid of them if you can for incandescents (ebay is your friend there).

And the 2nd rule is that if it is colder than room temp outside (ie below 20*C) make sure to have the house a bit warmer. Makes it seem nice and cozy when you walk into someplace that is warmer than outside.

Finally, air your house out. All people smell differently and it can be very offputting to walk into a stranger's house and think it smells bad.

(I may have been involved in some staging one too many times).

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR


"Make up does wonders" - max_boost
lol wow

[asp integra]

Originally posted by max_boost
Wow. Doesn't even look like the same place!



Originally posted by roopi
Good comparison right there. Doesn't even look like the same house in most of the pictures. I notice the sofa is different in the first picture. Rented furniture?

Ditto, now this is a great comparison, massive difference!

[badatusrnames]

Give yourself a pat on the back.

Oh wait, I think you just did...

[Alterac]

Hahah.


I had to re-take my own pictures of my last place too.

Sometimes it pays to have a tripod, a better camera, and some patience.

[austic]

The second set of photos was much better at getting your point across. Looks good, know who I will be calling when I upgrade next year :thumbsup:

[NoMoreG35]

Originally posted by austic
The second set of photos was much better at getting your point across. Looks good, know who I will be calling when I upgrade next year :thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

[Str1der]

I suggest this thread be moved to the photographers corner as an example of how not to illustrate before and after photography with a straight face.

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by Str1der
I suggest this thread be moved to the photographers corner as an example of how not to illustrate before and after photography with a straight face.

+1

:rofl:

[JordanLotoski]

Originally posted by Str1der
I suggest this thread be moved to the photographers corner as an example of how not to illustrate before and after photography with a straight face.

Just to clarify, the in the first post I made on this thread was not a "before and After" it was a "Them and Me" The 2 homes compared were both located in the same community, both estate homes, both within a few hundred grand of each other (other then the office picture...that was actually from a 100 year old home downtown)

My point was more to show value for your dollar. I can take that poorly staged home and turn it into something way more saleable and easy to market.