Sometimes people think of professional home stagers as having a little magic in our bag of tricks, because of the way we can transform a property (vacant or occupied) to make it look irresistable to potential buyers.
If you add great customer service to the mix, home stagers can practically be magicians when needed!
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On Wednesday last week, I received a call from one of our favorite repeat clients ~ they asked if I could look at a vacant new construction home right away and provide a quote for staging it. Even though I had a full schedule, I made time to pick up the key and view the home. That evening I emailed them my staging proposal and the next morning they accepted it. I was thrilled -- the house is gorgeous and I knew it would be a pleasure to stage it. But ... they wanted the staging completed two days from then! (Yikes, it's 4,100 sq ft and it's going to take a ton of inventory!)
No problem .... I lined up my staging team and my transport team and selected all of the main furniture pieces, then stayed up late pulling all the right art and accessories, lamps, etc. and filled up my SUV with several loads. Even though I had to de-stage another house on Friday I made sure that we took care of our repeat client no matter what. It goes without saying that when you're in a service business, you do whatever is necessary.
Saturday morning we were at the property offloading more of the smaller items and waiting for the "truck" with all of the larger pieces to arrive. Suddenly, several big flatbed trucks pulled up -- loaded with 85 trees they'll be planting on the property that day! The landscape crew was very busy outside, while we were busy offloading and directing the movers. In the midst of all of this hub of activity, my client (owner of the property) showed up unexpectedly to show the house to his wife, followed shortly afterward by the listing broker, who was there to take notes for the online listing.
After a long day, we'd finished staging this home ... and since it was dark, I went back on Sunday to take my photos. The end result was a happy client, a grateful listing agent, and hopefully some good will created by our being able to respond so quickly. Professional home stagers across North America provide this same level of service every week to their clients. We love what we do and we can't wait to repeat this scenario again soon -- so bring on the challenges and we'll be there to create whatever magic is needed!
Here are some photos of our favorite rooms in this lovely home ...
~ Photos by Room Solutions Staging ~
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Room Solutions Staging in Portland OR staged this home to appeal to the target buyers. We work with sellers, real estate professionals, banks, investors & builders to showcase listings for a faster sale. Our menu of home staging services is designed to offer flexibility to our clients and cost-effective solutions to overcome any challenges. Read what our clients are saying about our home staging services and call us @ 503-246-1800 for a free home staging proposal anywhere in the greater Portland metro area.
Staging That Sells Portland Homes!
Room Solutions Staging was selected to do the design work for multiple episodes of HGTV's popular show "My First Place"
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The home is stuninng and so is your staging. I am sure you were happy to be destaging a project the night before with a huge home like this to fill. Repeat clients are such a compiment and I go the extra mile for them too! Great Job Maureen!!
Great post, Maureen. Yes, what sets a consumate professional like yourself apart is outstanding customer service and your willingness to figure out how to make it happen!
Girl, you are magic! That's so much work, I don't know how you pulled it off. It's back breaking, great team. Gorgeous furniture, work and home!
Maureen, I hope you had the next day off to recouperate! What a huge home, and what a lot of inventory. You certainly sprinkled magic dust on this home; it looks lovely.
Hi Cathy ~ I'm with you -- repeat clients are worth their weight in gold. We hope they continue to call on us for their staging needs!
Hi Kathy ~ Well thank you my friend for lending your expert staging advice and assistance on this huge home!! Couldn't have done it without your help :-)
Hi Cindy ~ Yes it was a TON of work but the end result was very satisfying ... you know the feeling I'm talkin' about!
Hi Sally ~ I wish I'd had the next day off ... but had another vacant home to stage. Fortunately the next one was a lot smaller!! Thanks for your nice compliment.
It looks SMASHING and the service aspect is so important!! It is amazing how much can be accomplished when you need to pull it out of the hat!! GREAT job!!
You did a terrific job and especially on short notice.
Hi Kathy ~ I think in times like these, loads of caffeine helps ~ Thanks for commenting.
Hi Bob & Carolin ~ Thanks for your nice feedback, much appreciated.
Maureen -
Great service. Great job. Great photos. Great post. Service is what we all do.
Hi Maureen -- I think you make magic with everything you touch -- I LOVE your work and photos!
Customer Service is the "Key" to success! Another great success story by you and your team! What is that picture on the wall in the last photo (next to the window)?
You prove how you value your clients and your business Maureen, this is a great testimony to your professionalism and service! Looks fabulous!
You are the Queen!
It's lovely, Maureen. You worked your "magic" like you do on all your home staging projects. Love the photos as well!!
Kathy
Maureen -- what can I say that hasn't already been said? Beautiful work and photos AND throw in the excellent customer service you provided and you've got a real winning mix. Congratulations!
Hi Jim ~ That's a great comment, too!!
Hi Karen D. ~ We all work a little magic for a living, don't we? That's the fun part!
Hi Randy ~ You got it. That last print is from the movie Casablanca .... hard to tell in this photo, though.
Hi Karen O. ~ Well I guess you could say that without my clients I wouldn't be here so I'd better treat them well!! :-)
Hi Julea ~ LOL I'd rather say you're the Queen ...
Hi Kathy ~ Thank you very much!
Hi Nancy ~ It's what we all do every day .... necessary ingredients to keep our clients happy.
It's always tricky when there is so much happening on our schedules and repeat clients call us with a last minute request. Making it happen is what our service is all about. Good job fitting all this in a short time frame and coming out with such impressive results. See you later today!
Hi David ~ Thanks. I can taste that good Mexican food already -- see you there for lunch!
Great Job! I love how you pulled the ottomon for the sectional over to complete the conversational seating, then still used a coffee table to complete it.....great idea!
Hi Julie / Amy ~ Yes we wanted another seating option there, and the large leather ottoman did the trick nicely. Thanks for your feedback!
That is definitely magic. Good job.
What a beautiful home! Another job well done! This is exactly why that customer is a "repeat" customer!
You made just the right selections for this house - love the sectional contrasting with all that woodwork! Julie
Hi Tony ~ Thanks, glad you think so!
Hi Sharon ~ Hopefully they'll have more projects for us in the future too....thanks for your comment.
Hi Julie ~ I was glad we had the lighter sectional to balance all that darker wood too. Selecting just the right pieces is one of the most fun parts of the job, isn't it?
With great style and fantastic customer service, you waived your wand and abracadabra - stunning results. Congratulations!
hi Patti ~ I've always wanted a magic wand! I might have to try to find one to help me on future projects :-)
Looks fantastic, I can't imagine filling a house that large on 2 days notice. My repeat customers always want a price break along with the quick turnaround!
Wow, Maureen it looks fantastic! In my area home staging is fairly new and new home stagers are appearing all the time...but I imagine you have to be in the business for a while to get to the point where you have inventory to stage a large home on short notice....I'm curious, do you own your inventory? Congrats on the Feature!
Looks STUNNING! And to pull that off in 2 days is truely miraculous!
Maureen, don't you know that you're supposed to be able to do it all in 30 minutes? I mean, haven't you seen all those HGTV shows where it only takes 30 minutes to completely redesign a house? :)
btw, you did a fantastic job!
Yeah coffee and another feature for you Maureen. Certainly very deserved. Wish I could be there to help you out. The house looks fantastic but that means another quick sale and more work. That's why you're so busy. Your magic wand certainly works.
Hi Leanne ~ Most repeat clients want it all LOL!
Hi Pam ~ Thanks for your feedback -- I hope you find some great stagers in your area to work with. It takes a sizable investment to set up a successful staging business, yes. We rent some of the larger pieces as needed depending on the style of the home.
Hi Valerie ~ The short time frame was challenging but it was also fun!
Hi Roger ~ 30 minutes is what the public perceives as reality - but we know better! Last summer I did multiple episodes for an HGTV show and know all too well things are not always what they appear to be :-)
Hi Ginger ~ Good to see you back in the A/Rain! Your help would be most welcome anytime you feel like coming up north!!
Maureen,
Beautiful work, no wonder you have repeat customers., wishing youcontinued success.
Those rooms look gorgeous! I agree, staging makes the difference. I did a listing presentation just yesterday with an expired that wants to relist. They had someone help them and I think that will make the difference this time. Great post!
Hi Ron & Alexandra ~ Thank you so much! Hope that your year is going well!
Hi Kim ~ So glad to hear that you have clients who believe in the power of staging. Good luck with your listing!
Wow you really know your stuff when it comes to staging. The rooms look fantastic! I feel your pain about rush jobs though. I was asked recently to shoot a home with no power, none at all. Can you photograph a 4,300 sqft home with no electricity?
Well I'm about to. So I know keeping the customer happy is first, but sometimes what they ask for is hard to handle. I think we all need to know when to say "No". Taking on something that is on the edge of a failure is not what I like to agree to.
BTW, the photos of the home - did you take them? They are really good.
Vincent
Maureen, As Always, Your staging and customer service is simply- Magical! Great Job!
Leslie
Absolutely beautiful job! The house looks fabulous and so is your customer service. It's a winning combination
Hi Vincent ~ Since lighting is so important when photographing a home, I'd find it very challenging if there was no electricity! Thank you for your nice compliment about my photos -- I did take them myself, and am still learning how to use my new camera. Your endorsement is very much appreciated!
Hi Leslie ~ That's very nice of you to say, thanks.
Hi Diane ~ It does seem that clients expect good service AND good staging .... and I would too if I was selling my home.
Maureen, you certainly did create magic. The house is wonderful, and your staging is perfect for it -- I'm ready to move in!
I like it. When customers are willing to pay for the service and be loyal you bend over backwards to make them happy.
Ah, so now you know how we feel when people expect us to drop everything and look after them! LOL. You did a great job staging that home,
Ty
A magician you are! Beautiful job. That is the beauty of having all your own inventory. With rental companies, that lead time would have been very difficult to make happen!
Way to go Marueen! Nothing like having a magic team to *wave in* and stage with two days notice!! Good work! Your photos look super!
Excellent job with the time you were given.
Great story and great message to those who are still trying to get what home stagers really do!
Very impressive customer service & fabulous results. You rock!!
Quality work and fantastic service -- I can't imagine you doing anything different than this Maureen! That's why your customers will keep raving about you and keep you hopping! There's nothing better than a delighted client!
Hi Lottie ~ I'd like to move right in, too! I see your office is in San Carlos -- I went to Notre Dame in Belmont (a long time ago!)
Hi Gene ~ I agree, you treat your clients like royalty and they'll remember you!
hi Ty ~ Thanks for your comment -- appreciate it.
Hi Kim ~ We have a great rental partner for some of the larger pieces who gives fabulous customer service too.
Hi Kathleen ~ It's a small but effective hardworking team -- can't do it without them.
Hi Lyn ~ Thanks for your feedback. (did your dog win the contest?)
Hi Sharon ~ Thanks, it was a whirlwind that felt like we really did our best.
Hi Margaret ~ I'm sure your clients feel the same about your work and great service, too!
Maureen,
That is a gorgeous home! And you did such a great job as always, thank you for providing a glimpse into what and how home stagers work.
Maureen: Not only are you a gift professional ... but obviously a very smart businesswoman. Making and keeping existing clients happy is a top priority ... a message you made loud and clear by your actions. Brilliant! ... on all accounts!
Gene
Maureen ~ It sound like extreme makeover. The house looks fabulous! I have the chair you have in the office in my office at work.
Hi Kulli ~ Most of us are good at reacting quickly to a clients' requests. Fortunately I'm a person who thrives on stress!
Hi Gene ~ You said it ... "making and keeping existing clients is top priority." Thanks very much for your kind remarks -- it's always nice to hear from you.
Hi Monique ~ That is a very versatile chair, isn't it? Thanks for reblogging my post!
Aloha Maureen,
Awesome work as usual! Customer service is huge and your willingness to go the extra mile with a smile is a testament to your obvious success as a stager! Thanks for the inspiration.
Peace,
Hi Maureen,
What a beautiful staging job. I agree with others who have titled you the "Queen". That was a huge job to take on with such short notice. You are wise to be on good terms with other area vendors so that you can pull a team together and accomplish something like this in fine form! I also know that you took on the lion's share of work, staying up late to put together the accessory package that gave this project its SOUL!
The pics look great and I get the feeling you and you and your new camera are fast becoming best friends!
Regards -
Hi Maureen,
What a beautiful staging job. I agree with others who have titled you the "Queen". That was a huge job to take on with such short notice. You are wise to be on good terms with other area vendors so that you can pull a team together and accomplish something like this in fine form! I also know that you took on the lion's share of work, staying up late to put together the accessory package that gave this project its SOUL!
The pics look great and I get the feeling you and you and your new camera are fast becoming best friends!
Regards -
hi Kimo ~ I like your saying "go the extra mile with a smile" -- that's a winner!
Hi Janis ~ Thanks so much for your feedback, it means a lot to me since I consider you to be one of the Northwest's best stagers!! Good to see you back here again!
You ladies and gentlemen have the magic I just don't have. Good Luck to you as you help to sell homes. Margaret C.
Hi Margaret ~ We all have our own unique talents, and I'm so glad that I found mine. I'm sure that you do a wonderful job helping your clients buy and sell homes -- I hope that you have a wildly successful 2010!
Hello Maureen,
What an lovely home! You did a fabulous job as always.
Rita
hi Rita ~ Many thanks for your nice compliment.