The seven characteristics of my favourite agents
Since starting out as a property stylist in 2011 I’ve worked with, met and talked to a lot of agents.
I’ve had good experiences and bad.
I nearly wrote a post about the bad experiences, a more therapeutic exercise no doubt but not very helpful. Instead, I’ve applied the theory that by illustrating what good behaviour looks like I’ll get more of it. I’ve broken down why I love working with my favourite agents and what habits set them apart
Below are the seven habits.
1. See me as part of their team (not ‘just’ a supplier)
My favourite agents ring for a catch-up, ring to pick my brains, ring to say they’ve recommended me to a client, brief me before I meet the client, recommend me to other agents in their office, pop in on install day to see how I’m getting on (bringing coffee) and caramel slice (OK I made that bit up). They send me links to the photos and tell me when a house is under offer or unconditional. All actions that demonstrate that they see me as part of their team.
2. Are loyal
My favourite agents have seen me do amazing work and also not so amazing. This is often due to poor stock availability at busy times of year or clients who haven’t done what they were asked. Sometimes I’ve got the look/feel wrong and I need to rectify it. The best agents don’t go running off to another stager when this happens, they keep the faith. They don’t get seduced by other companies who slash their rates to get business or turn up at the real estate office with cupcakes. Loyalty breeds loyalty and I’d do anything to keep my agents happy (apart from buy them cupcakes, clearly!)
3. Brief me then leave me to do my thing
My favourite agents have a clear idea of where they think their clients need help and are able to communicate this so I don’t go into a project ‘blind’. They know that I will always do my best but are happy to leave me to do it. Paradoxically some of the agents that I best work with have a great eye and are able to walk in at the end of an install and say “can we try moving the console” or “maybe a plant in the corner” We know each other well enough that this feels like a genuine collaboration. Back to teamwork, I guess.
4. Support me in front of their client
Great agents can sell the concept of staging and me as the expert. They don’t discuss costs with a client without consulting me first. I’ve had many agents say to me “I told them you’d do it for $3k” to which I’d love to reply “that’s great! I told them you’d do it for 2%”. The best agents back me up if a client is being difficult.
5. Give me time
Great agents know that good home staging can take time and give me as much notice as possible. Generally speaking, if someone has lived in their house for 40 years they can’t be expected to be ready for photos by ‘next Tuesday’ and asking me to help them with such an immediate deadline is setting us all up for failure. The best agents play the long game and list a house when everyone is prepared and ready. I had an agent ring on behalf of a developer client recently. “The house is finished, we’d like the furniture in by early next week” to which I replied, “How long has it taken to build this house and how long have you known about this listing?!”
6. Understand the value that I bring
A good stager can help agents become more successful. They save an agent’s time by taking on the pre-sale presentation and the difficult client conversations. They provide agents with a finished product that makes them look better in the market and helps them sell quickly and for more money (and therefore more commission). A good stager is also a great source of referrals. My favourite agents understand the value that I bring.
7. Love real estate as much as I do
I could talk about real estate with my favourite agents all day. I love to hear about the listing they’ve just secured or what sold at auction. I commiserate when they tell me of the listing that got away. We have a lot in common. We are running our own businesses with all the effort, disappointment and reward that this entails. I love the relationships and human connections that can be built in this business just through talking about what we love.
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