36% of Boomers, now around 70,000,000, will move or plan to move when they become Empty Nesters. Carol and Rufino Ramirez are no different and will make that move this year, putting their longtime family home on the market while they split time between their lake home and searching for a condo in the city. Lucky for me, I get to help them.
When they called me, it was clear that they were dealing with a myriad of emotional and important decisions. “With one of our kids living in Florida, another one moving to Colorado, and a home we’ve loved and built decades of beautiful memories in, our decision hasn’t been easy, but it’s coming together now, and we’re excited about our future,” said Carol. I was flattered when Rufino continued, “Finding the best real estate professional to help us sell our home is the easy part, since we’ve known you for many years, and your client reviews, market knowledge and reputation are excellent.”
Since the Ramirez home has been meticulously maintained and some updates were recently made, I was anxious to get started to list their home before the peak Spring season. First on my “TO DO” list is always the photography, so I was thrilled to schedule one of my favorites, Chrissy B., an Elite certified VHT Studios’ photographer. Chrissy is a natural and highly experienced architectural photographer. I’m always confident she’ll do the job right. Her eye for capturing the best angles and flow of a home is second to none. We work well as a team because she understands my high standards. Chrissy always brings her “A-Game” to make sure the photographs match my needs and clients’ expectations.
Once I received the finished photography back, I wanted to present more than the beauty of the home today; I wanted to present the future home’s potential, too. To attract and expand the greatest number of prospective homebuyers, I thought further about my marketing plans. That’s where my photography and visual marketing partner, VHT Studios, came in again.
Here’s the kitchen “before and after” that changes the look of the table area.
The family room exudes comfort and coziness, but some buyers are looking for a lighter look, so we chose VHT Studios’ Virtual Redecorate to transform shelves, wall décor and upholstered furniture for a different perspective of this warm and inviting space.
Moving upstairs, we transformed the teen / young twenties’ room into a young child’s room and play space.
Frequently requested from homebuyers today is an office, reading or crafts room, so we “changed it up” in yet another way.
As I expanded the home’s potential using Virtual Staging, I realized that the possibilities are endless, and it’s a fun way to appeal to a broader group of buyers. I’m confident the “before and after” choices I made will capture more attention and interest to move the Ramirez home faster. And I’ve already heard of homebuyers moving in and redecorating their new homes using the virtually staged listing as their style guide.
On the flip side, Carol and Rufino are now thinking about staying in their home and doing more redecorating.
Just kidding on the statement above, but they were very impressed by the impact and inspiration the virtually staged photographs conjured. Only days after updating the listing with virtual staging, we’re in negotiations with an interested buyer.
Cris Grayson has been a full-time real estate professional in Glen Ellyn, Illinois for over 20 years and ranks in the top 10% of Baird & Warner agents companywide. She specializes in first-time homebuyers and is a certified relocation specialist. Her philosophy is that she never sells a home she wouldn’t want to relist in two years and strengths include keen negotiating, strong communication skills and an extensive knowledge of Chicago’s western suburbs.
