Alliance offers smart options for selling and saving
By Brian C. Louwers
C & G Staff Writer
BERKLEY — A tough home sales market doesn’t mean you won’t get what you’re asking for the family home.
While Michigan’s real estate market continues to lag behind the rest of the country, leaving pages and pages of Internet listings and neighborhoods flooded with “For Sale” signs, home sales experts say it’s time to get creative if you want to net anywhere near your asking price. A unique business partnership is offering home sellers an opportunity to save a little money, and at the same time, to turn those savings into more money at closing.
Tracy Allen, of Berkley, is an interior designer who decided to put her skills to work by going into business for herself as a professional home stager. Her company, Address for Success, is partnering with Incentive Realty Corp., of Rochester Hills. By charging a commission that is lower than the average 6-7 percent typically charged in the industry, Incentive is helping to generate savings that can be used to offset the costs of staging the home prior to sale, a process that can, in the end, net a higher price for the seller.
“It’s a tough market right now. All the homeowners are competing against each other to get their home sold,” said Deborah Fix, broker and partner with Incentive Realty. “What we offer is a lower commission rate. We offer the same if not better full service. What I’m finding is what they are able to save on commission, they’re able to spend money elsewhere to facilitate a sale. To stage the house is one of those perks.”
Enter Allen. While staging is a relatively new concept in Michigan, the strategic advantages of offering potential buyers what they want to see — and just as importantly, eliminating what they don’t want to see — is starting to catch on.
“It’s a different type of interior design because you’re not designing for the homeowner. You’re designing with the buyer in mind,” Allen said. “I let them know that the house has to look perfect.”
Among the tips Allen suggests is to maximize visual space in the home by eliminating unnecessary clutter. Bold paint colors or dated furniture should be replaced with neutral tones and contemporary pieces. Personal effects such as family pictures, artwork, or shot glass collections should be boxed and put away. Allen also highly recommends leaving the house when it’s being shown.
For those serious about selling their home without lowering their asking price, Allen recommends hiring a professional stager who, at the fraction of the cost of a sweeping renovation, could help your home generate more interest, and ultimately, more money, by creating a clean canvas for the prospective buyer.
Allen said first impressions are critical, as buyers often make up their minds within seconds of entering a home or stepping onto a property.
“If your house doesn’t look up to par with all the other houses in the area, it’s not going to sell,” Allen said. “Lowering prices doesn’t always work. What I’m trying to do is educate people. I am really interested in helping people to sell their home.”
For more information about Address for Success, call (248) 227-1642 or visit www.addresssuccess.com/
For more information about Incentive Realty’s rates and services, call (248) 652-7000 or visit www.incentiverealty.com
You can reach Brian C. Louwers at brianlouwers@candgnews.com