Article

What do the words qualify, fit, prepare, ready, train, educate have in common? Webster’s definition says they mean to provide the necessary materials or supplies, provide a feature or ability, or to make ready. In the real estate arena, this is what you will get when you work with an Equipped CSP! 

Think how it can help your client. Summer, 2017, Washington, D.C.: There were many properties on the market and lots of upwardly mobile millennials looking for their special place. Millennials are today’s buyers; however there are things to consider when selling to this demographic. During the prestaging consultation, it is imperative updates to the property be addressed. 

Fact: Many D.C. properties are outdated. Millennials want move-in ready homes, so, staging recommendations need to include fresh paint and lighting, updated kitchens and bathrooms, and removing excess furnishings. Sellers may not understand what needs to be done, who to call, or what the costs involved will be, let alone have a pool of contractors they can trust. Working with an equipped real estate stager benefits you and your clients because we have specialized training, know what to look for, what buyers are looking for, and have the resources to get the work done while increasing the seller’s ROI.

I recently met with a client who was selling her deceased parent’s property; after my prestaging consultation she was impressed with my wealth of knowledge and that I took the time to explain in detail how the three-step staging process works. I also explained the services I could provide at preferred rates and she hired me immediately.  

A lot of preparation was needed before I could work my magic. We started with organizing the removal of the entire contents of her parent’s house—over fifty-five years of belongings. Wallpaper was removed, repairs made and the whole house was repainted; you can imagine it was a very stressful and emotional time for her. 

To show the true value of the property and ensure great photographs, it is important to have properties staged prior to marketing. Without showcasing, property does not show well in person or online. Buyers want turnkey properties, and 97% of them are looking online.

(Be sure to read the client testimonial for more.) 

Agents should also be mindful of the preparation time required to get a property fully ready for the public! In this case, we were under the gun because the agent booked the photographer the morning of staging day, and couldn't change it. To facilitate that deadline, my team and I had to work through the night until 5:00 a.m. to meet that commitment! It was exhausting, and definitely more stress than necessary when a simple phone call would have prevented it. So please, before marketing, agent tours, open houses, or photographs check with the stager to ensure all major repairs and showcasing are completed. 

After two days of preparation, my client’s beautiful family home in the prominent neighborhood of Hillcrest, Washington, D.C., received multiple offers! Potential buyers were very pleased with the property itself and with the staging. It was listed at $515,000 and sold for $545,000! That’s $30,000 over the asking price. My client, without a doubt in her mind, said to me and others that if it had not been staged it would never have sold for that price. Oh, by the way, the buyer of this property is a female millennial—one of the fastest growing buyer demographics!

I was inspired by the Diana Ross song, “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand. Make this world a better place if you can,” and I created my own version for agents and their clients to strongly consider when securing staging services: “Reach out and touch an equipped CSP stager’s hand, together we can make this real estate industry a better place. YES CSP can.” My client was so moved by seeing how staging plays a huge role in selling property that she has trained for her real estate license. Guess who her number one stager will be? Me! ! Yolanda T. Tillman is the owner of Tiera Interiors, LLC, in Washington, D.C. You can read more about her and her business at www.tierainteriors.com. 

As published in Volume 11 Issue 6 STAGING STANDARD 

About Yolanda

Hello and Welcome! My name is Yolanda Tillman, and I am a proud Certified Staging Professional servicing the Washington, D.C. metro area, and my hometown of Sumter, S.C. and CEO of Tiera Interiors, LLC a Washington, DC home based interior decorating and real estate staging company. Years ago, I started out with a college career majoring in Interior Design, and truly have a passion for great design/décor when it comes to assisting my clients. I furthered my educational achievements with a Master in Business Administration, which enabled me to understand how to operate a successful business and learned management and people skills which landed me in my new found passion in real estate staging. I work with homeowners and their families through the staging and showcasing process. In addition to getting the staged home sold, Tiera Interiors, LLC is there to assist clients with the interior decoration of their new home. I am also a member of the Real Estate Staging Association, and affiliate member of Women's Council of Realtors. My team and I will be happy to assist you in the staging of your property, so you no longer have to spend stressful time in not knowing if your home will be sold. Contact me today to discuss how I can help you maximize your property's equity while selling one of your greatest assets. "We go the extra mile with a smile".

Welcome to my 1st blog! I hope you will enjoy reading my personal take on how I grew up under a time period where there was no name for the word “Staging” as we know it today.

As a young girl growing up in Sumter, South Carolina, I have reflections of what we know as the word “Staging” today, really occurred during my era as society calls it the “baby boomer” period (1960s) and even before. According to one definition of the word “Evolution” its the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to more complex form.  In the south, homeowners including my late grandmother, family members, and their friends really took special pride in the up keeping of their homes. When the old couch would wear out especially on the arms, it was replaced with a draping of whatever they had whether it was a spotless white ironed starched cotton sheet (there were not many colored sheets back then) tucked over, or material that was sown on a Saturday afternoon in time for guests to come over after church for Sunday dinner. All of the furnishings were always polished, and the clean smell of the various types of cleaning products that the traveling salesman would come door to door selling products to those who could not make it to the stores. Vinegar, and baking soda was very popular, along with hand made soaps (this could classify as a form of “greening”) Each room of the homes were always neat and clean (beds were made up, clothes were hung) no unpleasant odor and everything was in its rightful place.  Walls in the homes were only one basic color which was “white”. Now today, there are so many paint colors in the homes which stagers offer as one of their services to clients known as a “color consultation”.

Home chores on Saturdays were given to the children to do before going out to play.  I can recall that what we know as “curb appeal” today also occurred many, many years ago. The man of the household would cut grass, trim bushes, and watered their grass on a weekly basis. Everyone on the whole street homes were simply beautiful and they even had special prizes given to the home that displayed the best pictured yard with flowers, and was displayed on the front cover of the town newspaper.  My, my, my we have come a long way, and now in today’s society it is known as “staging”.  So, our work as home stagers is cut out for us in helping today’s homeowners to bring their homes up to par and getting it market ready for selling.  Its fitting to say as described earlier in this blog, that this process has evolved from what was known as a gradual development over the centuries to more complex form. We now have statistics attached to what potential buyers are looking for in a staged home versus un-staged, we now have an array of articles and definitions of what staging means, to replacing furnishings, and advising the homeowners to make repairs and upgrades which should have been up kept from day 1 when they moved into their home. WOW! where has the pride in the home gone?

Well, based on my experience, and upbringing I am so proud to have achieved my Certified Staging Professionals (CSP) training under our very own Christine Rae. This classy lady, is the Founder and President of the Certified Staging Professionals (CSP) International Business Training Academy, and is highly known throughout North America, Canada and beyond as the world’s leading authority on staging from her global experience, as well as through her work in developing standards, examinations, professionalism and trend forecasting.

Lastly, you want to know how the homes are viewed today in my hometown, well I am happy to say that after all these years, the homes are still well kept and lawns are well manicured. Therefore, I shall now take what my personal evolution of today’s “staging” and help as many homeowners and buyers to take pride in their homes for years to come. Thank You, and Happy Staging!

About Yolanda

Hello and Welcome! My name is Yolanda Tillman, and I am a proud Certified Staging Professional servicing the Washington, D.C. metro area, and my hometown of Sumter, S.C. and CEO of Tiera Interiors, LLC a Washington, DC home based interior decorating and real estate staging company. Years ago, I started out with a college career majoring in Interior Design, and truly have a passion for great design/décor when it comes to assisting my clients. I furthered my educational achievements with a Master in Business Administration, which enabled me to understand how to operate a successful business and learned management and people skills which landed me in my new found passion in real estate staging. I work with homeowners and their families through the staging and showcasing process. In addition to getting the staged home sold, Tiera Interiors, LLC is there to assist clients with the interior decoration of their new home. I am also a member of the Real Estate Staging Association, and affiliate member of Women's Council of Realtors. My team and I will be happy to assist you in the staging of your property, so you no longer have to spend stressful time in not knowing if your home will be sold. Contact me today to discuss how I can help you maximize your property's equity while selling one of your greatest assets. "We go the extra mile with a smile".