Styled, Staged & Sold

Bringing you the latest home design and staging trends. From REALTOR® Magazine.

Should Real Estate Pros and Stagers Join Forces?

By Erica Christoffer

In an effort to form a more perfect union between real estate practitioners, home stagers, and sellers, Matt Stigliano with RE/MAX Access in San Antonio is proposing a new business model. In his ActiveRain blog post, he suggests that practitioners and stagers pair up and charge a joint commission rate to offer their combined services to a seller.

This partnership, Stigliano says, would alleviate seller apprehension about paying for staging costs upfront. The commission would be higher, but it could be approached as a “no money down” option to have a team of professionals working to sell the home.

“The commission is a risk-based pay structure,” Stigliano says. “Maybe with a commission, the stagers would be willing to take that risk.”

The stager would be present at the listing presentation to share their ideas for the home. Instead of staging being a one-time service, having a commission may motivate a staging pro to come back and check on the home – even modify their initial decor ideas until the house is sold.

“It would create a team between the agent, stager, and seller,” Stigliano said. “Sellers like the idea [of staging], and they know it helps – maybe this is the trick to getting them over the cost hump.”

Stigliano has yet to try this business model himself, but says he would if he found a stager who is willing.

“It’s frustrating to me because I have homes I would love to have staged, but the sellers don’t have the cash,” says Stigliano.

In less than 24 hours, Stigliano had nearly 100 comments on his blog post, with opinions varying greatly on the topic. Even if his idea doesn’t come to fruition, Stigliano says it’s worth getting people talking and thinking of ideas outside the box.

<br /> <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1921216/" mce_href="https://www.nar.realtor/http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1921216/">Would you team up with a stager and charge a joint commission rate?</a><span style="font-size:9px;" mce_style="font-size:9px;">(<a href="https://www.nar.realtor/http://www.polldaddy.com" mce_href="https://www.nar.realtor/http://www.polldaddy.com">online surveys</a>)</span><br />

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