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Staging with Stems
Open the door to the real estate market |
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Written by Michelle Brisebois
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It’s no secret that home sellers are struggling to get their property off the real estate market. In the highly competitive sector, sellers are turning to home stagers – people considered to be the Green Berets in the real estate industry – for help. These professionals are a cross between an interior decorator and a marketer with a dash of family counsellor thrown in for good measure.
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The real estate and home staging markets hold many opportunities for florists.
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For florists, home staging could be the ideal service to offer customers. A home stager might also be a great partner to join up with. Here’s a look at how to make that happen.
Why home staging?
Home staging is the process of preparing a private residence prior to going up for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal is to sell the home quickly and for the most money possible. The key to a successful home sale is to ensure that the property appeals to as many potential home buyers as possible. “Buying a new home is a huge investment and it often gets quite emotional for the buyer,” says Tracie Giesbrecht, a sales representative with Royal Le Page in Niagara, Ont. “Buyers need to be able to picture themselves living in the home and if it’s cluttered with too much of the current homeowner’s personality then it’s more difficult for the buyer to picture it as theirs.”
For most people selling their home, time is scarce and dumping a lot of money into a place they’re about to leave isn’t a priority. This is where a home stager becomes vital. A home staging professional comes into the home, clears out the clutter and adds life to the home with neutral accessories and of course, flowers. It’s all about seducing the potential buyers into picturing themselves living there and loving it. The question is, what staging strategies give the most bang for the buck and how can florists participate in the process?
The role of a home stager
Home stagers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have formal training and others possess experience as interior or graphic designers. All of them wear many different hats and can find themselves called upon to tackle a variety of challenges. “I have faced down floral patterned balloon curtains and forest green walls. I’ve conquered 40 year old wallpaper and clutter that was almost beyond hope. I have stared purple and blue shag carpet in the face and destroyed fake brick walls! I’ve weeded through overgrown gardens and tackled curb appeal that would scare away the paper boy!” says Stacey Haluka, owner of Staging Spaces in St. Catharines, Ont., on her website. It’s quite a robust role. For florists looking to offer a home staging service as part of their business, there are a number of courses offered both online and through colleges that will give you the training you need. For florists who’d rather not spend their time ripping up old shag carpet but wish to target the home staging sector, the most efficient strategy would likely be to engage in some business to business marketing strategies and partner with professional home staging services and real estate agents. A team approach allows everyone to stick to their knitting and do what they do best.
How florists can get involved
Good home staging starts with de-cluttering, freshening and removing most personal traces of the current owners. Family pictures and knick-knacks are packed up and put in storage. In their place go more generic accessories such as mirrors, attractive throw pillows and floral arrangements. Here is where a good florist can really add value. Staging is about drawing attention to positive aspects of the home and away from negative ones. A beautiful wreath makes the front door look attractive and welcoming. It sets a positive tone even before a potential buyer sets a foot in the house. It also makes the pictures taken for the real estate paper and home listings look better and this is a key touch point. “In fact 76 per cent of people research homes on the internet, which is why it is important to have great photographs, and out of that, 75 per cent will then drive by the home to get a feel for what the house looks like,” says Haluka.
Kitchens are often referred to as the heart of the home and many home buyers agree with this sentiment. A home stager and florist could identify the perfect accessories and floral accents to really celebrate this space. For those florists who have a robust accessory program; home staging is a natural fit here too. Attend local home shows as a visitor or exhibitor and network with home stagers in your area to find out what their workhorse accessories are. Let them know what items you carry so they’ll have your products top of mind when they’re viewing a space. In some cases the homeowner will purchase the accessories chosen for the staging, “I have had a few clients decide not to move because they love the new look of their house so much after it’s staged,” confirms Haluka. “Some clients will ask me to decorate the new house too.” A rental program has possibilities too. “It would be wonderful to be able to rent accessories for home staging purposes,” says Haluka.
For those customers who are planning to stage their home themselves, you, as a florist can help them with this process. Make sure they understand that their home is now a product to be marketed. Overdone formal arrangements will appear a bit contrived so typically the most effective approach is to keep the arrangements less structured and welcoming. Open houses are a great opportunity to leverage floral accents and provide exposure for your work to a wide audience. “Generally I use ‘spring bouquets’ with a variety floral species and colours. Gerbera daisies are one of my favourites as they come in a variety of colours. Orchids are also a wise choice and are very classy. Indoor flowering plants are a great choice as well, such as Cyclamen, African Violets, Azaleas and Begonias. A Christmas cactus is beautiful in the winter months. I usually avoid anything with a strong scent like lilacs or roses as it may offend some people with allergies,” advises Haluka.
This challenging real estate market holds many opportunities for savvy businesses and florists can team up with this sector to spread the word about their flowers. This partnership will help you promote your product to a number of clients, including your home staging partner (he or she is bound to need flowers at some point in either their private or professional lives), the home seller, the people touring the home and the new home owners. Finding these opportunities are about seeing the glass as half full. As Abraham Lincoln said, “we can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
Home staging by numbers
How effective is home staging and how many people will your flowers reach? Here’s a look at the numbers:
According to Maritz Research, 58 per cent of buyers made the decision to buy a home after seeing 10 properties. Sellers are also willing to invest in their home to make the sale as 79 per cent of sellers say they are willing to spend up to $5,000 to get their house ready for the market.
In a staged home, your flowers could reach a wide audience. Statistics Canada reports that in 2001, 42 per cent of Canada’s population aged five and older had moved in the previous five years. If there are 1,000 homes in your immediate market area then approximately 210 of them will likely change hands in the next five years (assuming two people per household). If 79 per cent of these are willing to pay $5,000 to get their home ready to sell, that’s $830,000 over five years of market potential for the home staging sector in that small area (your mileage may vary depending on market dynamics).
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