An ancient Greek philosopher said that the only constant is change. In real estate, this means a changing marketplace and changing demographics.
One of the most prevalent changes over the past ten years is the increased use of technology, increased Internet marketing, virtual tours, and instant access to thousands of homes for sale via Realtor.ca.
In fact, Genworth Financial Canada reported in February 2008 that 60% of first-time Ontario home buyers would search for a home on Realtor.ca. For most people, the Internet has proven to be a quick, convenient time saver, similar to shopping online.
A related but not surprising fact is that the majority of home buyers reported that they drove by a house they viewed online. With a plethora of instant choices available, what do buyers base their decision on?
First impressions are everything - that is the way homes look in photographs and curb appeal. Homes must now look better than ever online and in print to compete. An experienced Home Staging professional is trained to capitalize on these trends and the all-important first impression.
And with more Realtors in the market than ever before, a Realtor's survival depends on offering a distinct competitive advantage; offering free Home Staging is an excellent tool for this.
Changing demographics also play an important role in the changing real estate market place. The 2006 National Association of Realtors' Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers pinpoints the median age of a home seller at 46, while 25% of buyers are in the 18 to 24 age category - almost half the age!
Younger buyers have acutely different tastes and higher expectations than older sellers. While the home may have been 'good enough' for sellers all those years, it just doesn't cut it for the new generation of prospective buyers.
Home Staging bridges this gap for Realtors. The savvy Realtor knows they must maximize interest during the first week on the market before interest wanes; ideally, staging is completed before the first buyer goes through the front door.