Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC unveiled its exclusive Staging Inspiration Guide at the brand’s annual Owner’s Retreat conference in Aspen, Colo., this week. The 14-page resource, created by Max Wilker, style director at Meredith Corporation, will be provided exclusively to BHGRE® sales professionals and includes a wide variety of tips and suggestions for every room in the home, featuring products from the Better Homes & Gardens product collection, available at Walmart®.
According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2019 Profile of Home Staging, 83 percent of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Additionally, when staging a home, 22 percent of sellers’ agents reported an increase of 1 percent – 5 percent of the dollar value offered by buyers, in comparison to similar homes. That could equate to as much as an additional $14,000 based on the national median sales price for existing homes.
NAR reports that while 40 percent of buyers’ agents cited that home staging influenced most buyers’ view of the home, only about one-quarter of sellers’ agents use staging to help sell a home, indicating an opportunity for sellers to use staging to stand out from the competition.
The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Staging Inspiration Guide is designed to help sellers get more money for their home using exclusive content.
Wilker, who has worked closely with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate franchisees for the last 11 years, identified three top home style trends—Farmhouse Chic, Updated Classic and Modern Upgrade—and how each can help potential buyers feel comfortable in their potential new home.
The BHGRE Staging Inspiration Guide includes:
- A variety of staging suggestions, including:
- Concentrating on entry foyers to make a great first impression
- Showcasing well-trafficked family/living rooms
- Tapping into the trend of outdoor living with effective use of fire pits, water features and outdoor furniture
- Insights on color, including color tips that reference specific Sherwin Williams® paint colors
- Pointers for working with sellers to identify ways to accent and elevate the look of their home before putting it on the market
- Affordable staging opportunities as featured furniture items and home decor products are part of the Better Homes & Gardens collection, available only at Walmart
BHGRE-affiliated agents will have access to live and web-based training that will provide them with information on how to implement the guide content to help sellers get the best price for their homes.
“BHGRE’s partnership with Meredith Corporation and the Better Homes & Gardens media brand uniquely positions us to provide valuable insights and inspiration before, during and after the home-buying and -selling process,” says Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. “The Staging Inspiration Guide is not only designed to save agents and sellers valuable money and time; it has been created to transform any style of home into a showcase with the goal of maximizing sales prices. Only BHGRE can provide this type of valuable content featuring branded furniture and accessories created exclusively with the design philosophies of the Better Homes & Gardens media brand. It’s another industry first by BHGRE and a real competitive advantage for our affiliated agents.”
“Home staging is migrating from a nice-to-have into a form of competitive property marketing advantage,” says Wilker. “But staging does not have to be expensive. BHGRE-affiliated agents can stylishly, effortlessly stage any home with our Better Homes & Gardens collection available at Walmart. The unique approach outlined in this guide embraces the latest design and color trends and infuses them with design, furniture and home accessory tips to make any property fresh and current. BHGRE agents now have an exclusive tool to bring their brand to life in the design and staging of the property in a way no other agents can.”
For more information, please visit www.bhgre.com.
