Why do interior designers and home stagers need professional relationships with realtors? How can this relationship further your business and put dollars in your pocket? How do you build those relationships in the first place? Darla and Eric Reeves set out to answer these questions in this episode of Wingnut Social!
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut SocialEric is one of the few that can stage a home, sell it, and remodel it. Because of his degree in interior design, he can help buyers visualize the potential of the space when he’s showing it. He can help people see how to make a home of their own. He can also advise buyers of resale value and help them determine changes to make that stay within the budget of the neighborhood. When Eric started his business, it was geared toward home staging because there was nothing in his area. As a realtor, seeing how homes were presented, he knew his market needed the service.
Why interior designers should network with realtorsEric points out that realtors are a great resource to home buyers and sellers. New home buyers might need an electrician, plumber, contractor, etc. Most of the homes in Eric’s area are resales—not new construction—so remodeling is always a consideration. Most people who own a home at some point will need to sell or buy. The homeowner will likely ask you for interior design recommendations. That’s why a symbiotic relationship between designers and realtors is imperative.
What benefit does the realtor get? When you’re a great resource for your clients, it keeps you top of mind. When they go to buy or sell, you’re the person that comes to mind. Eric’s market is a lot of second homes and vacation homes. They tend to be empty or furnished with pieces that are outdated and old. They often need a designer’s touch to help them move.
How home stagers can sell their value to realtorsEric recommends that home stagers and interior designers need to build a good relationship with realtors—and know your numbers. You need to be familiar with the inventory on the market. You need to understand if the market is hot or barely moving. It’s all about perceived value. 95% of people start their home searches online. So you need to communicate to your client the value of a well-staged home.
You also need a professional online presence (website and social media). You need a packet of information that’s exceptional that you can provide outlining the services you offer. You also need to be able to communicate the value of your work (and how it can lead to more money for the homeowner and realtor).
Eric believes there’s a place for both normal and digital staging. If someone needs a quick turnaround at a low price point, digital staging may be the way to go. But Eric points out if he’s showing a home with staged photos online but walks into an empty house, it’s a letdown. People don’t have the vision to see what could be. But if you can learn to do both, do it. You don’t want to be the Blockbuster of the interior design industry.
Listen to the whole episode for some networking tips + tricks from Darla!
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
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PODCAST FAST TRACK
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How Brett + Giselle Sugerman Found Phenomenal Success on Instagram - Episode 239
Pivot Your Business with a Strategic Business Coach [Like Michele Williams] - Episode 238
Kathleen Jennison’s 7-Step Cheat Sheet for New Interior Designers - Episode 237
How to Balance your Marriage + Business + Self [with LMFT Amber Hawley] - Episode 236
Break Boundaries as a Female Founder with Casey Gromer - Episode 235
Convert Calls to Clients with Nikki Rausch [Throwback] - Episode 234
Wingnut REPLAY: Reach Your Soul Goals with Anna Tsui - Episode 233
Achieve Massive Business Growth with Monique Allen's Methods - Episode 232
Infuse More Joy in Your Life with Tanya Dalton - Episode 231
Learn to Rewire Your Brain Patterns with Adele Spraggon - Episode 230
Niche Until it Hurts: Erica Reiner’s Love for Eco-Friendly Design - Episode 229
Why You Should Use Case Studies to Boost Your Business - Episode 228
Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs to Charge What You’re Worth [Sarah Schneider] - Episode 227
How Using a UTM Will Transform your Marketing Metrics with Chris Mercer - Episode 226
An Unexpected Way Designers can Leverage Pinterest per Chandler Oldham - Episode 225
Rachel Gill’s Spectacular Success with Client-Facing Facebook Groups - Episode 223
Crappy Copywriting: How to Be More Marketable with Gregory Anne Cox - Episode 222
Conversational Commerce is the Way of the Future [According to Paul Ace] - Episode 221
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