Desperate Home Sellers Turn to Home Staging for a Competitive Edge

The housing bubble has popped. Never before have home prices fallen so broadly on a national level. There are more homes for sale and fewer buyers which means less money in the average seller's pocket. How can homeowners desperate to sell their home increase their chance of a quick and profitable sale in the current real estate market?

Most importantly, the home must stand out from the crowd and be a welcoming island in the sea of homes for sale. Without a doubt, having a home professionally staged is the single best way to outshine the competition. Home Staging (House Staging, Real Estate Staging) is the art of decorating a home to sell quickly and for top dollar.

People shop with logic and buy on emotion. If prospective buyers don't fall in love within minutes of walking into a house and have that same emotional connection all the way through, they'll be off to the next appointment. This is especially true in a buyer's market when they feel no pressure to make an immediate offer.

New home builders offer model homes for viewing, because they know how important it is to help potential buyers imagine themselves living in the house. Staging allows individual homeowners to employ that same proven concept.

There are several points you should keep in mind when hiring a Home Stager, including the home stager's knowledge of real estate and the local market in particular. Most importantly, however, you should be aware that the Home Staging industry is unregulated. There are no official home staging credentials, so you should not assume any Home Stager is an expert simply because he or she is "accredited" or "certified". It is always important to ask questions of anyone you are considering hiring.

Real estate agents or neighbors are excellent sources for referrals or individuals can locate a Home Stager in their area by visiting the Staging Diva Home Staging Directory at http://www.stagingdiva.com/homestagingdivadirectory.html

In the current real estate climate with so much inventory and competition, achieving the best possible sales result has become even more difficult, and many sellers are simply hoping that their home sells at any price or that they can avoid the significant price cuts recommended by their agents.

But in order to sell, a home must be marketed wisely. Statistics show that staging homes results in faster sales and higher prices than homes that are put on the market "as is". A small investment in staging can make a significant difference in the outcome of a sale.

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. Visit http://www.stagingdiva.com