The easiest way to sell an apartment is to have a buyer walk in and immediately fall in love. Good agents will know they're halfway to the finish line when their client starts discussing where they would put their prized sofa and television. Most of the heavy lifting is done if a buyer feels at home, and this is where they can see themselves.
Nothing is more powerful than walking into a beautifully furnished home. And nothing is worse than walking into an empty home and explaining "how things could look ."
Once a buyer is required to start using their imagination, you're screwed. I don't care how many homes you've lived in or places you've seen; people don't have an imagination that can compete with reality. The experience of seeing a beautifully finished home is worth its weight in GOLD. Empty apartments take longer to sell and will sell for less money. Nothing is more distracting from a good experience than walking into an empty primary bedroom and measuring by eye whether you can fit a king-sized bed. That's a buzzkill.
In 2007, I launched a new development at 141 5th Avenue. I needed to sell 38 homes from one model apartment in a construction site, so I staged this model unit to feel like an occupied home. When the client walked through the front door, it felt like they were walking into a beautiful, lived-in home. Thanks to our developer clients, Chris and Nick at Savanna, they were on board for us to deliver staging 2.0.
I had that day's paper sitting on the kitchen counter every morning.
The radio was on.
The smell of fresh bread was still lingering from breakfast.
The primary bathroom's steam shower was slightly steamed.
Nancy Ruddy strategically staged every inch of the apartment with curated furniture and accessories.
The refrigerator, medicine cabinets, and every closet were filled with the most beautiful food, cosmetics, and clothing.
It was as if the owner had just left for work and they had left their beautiful apartment.
No imagination needed.
Twenty or so projects later, we've worked with some of the greatest interior designers in the world to help us set the stage for making the most powerful first impression: Nancy Ruddy, Nate Berkus, and Paris Forino to mention a few. And more times than I can count, the best model homes sell to buyers with the furniture in place and the stage set.
Side Bar:
In 1983, my best friend Rael and I caught breakdancing fever after watching the movie Flashdance and binge-watching Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. Like many kids around the world, we were obsessed with this new art form and we became breakdancers! That year, we hit the breakdancing jackpot when we met some of the original members of The Rock Steady Crew while on tour in Johannesburg.
They agreed to give us some lessons, and our lives were forever changed.
These guys were the GOATss of breakdancing. (Imagine learning how to play basketball from Jordan.) Our parents' living rooms and backyards were covered with cardboard boxes while we spent hours working on backspins, popping, locking, and mastering our floorwork. One of my happiest memories (to this day) was the day I finally executed and perfected the "Windmill," and "Rael finally executed and perfected the "Headspin." With these two moves in our arsenal and routine, we were unbeatable.
We took to the streets of Hillbrow and were ultimately discovered and hired to perform at the opening of soccer games in Soweto Stadium and exhibitions around the country. We were welcomed with open arms into all the clubs of Johannesburg. The irony wasn't lost on us; two young white kids in South Africa digging deep into the hip-hop culture that was born out of the inner city streets of The South Bronx. We fell in love with the artistry of Mr. Freeze and looped the music of Run DMC, NWA, and Ice T on our gargantuan boombox. I called Rael this morning and told him that it's time that Kidd Fizz and Kidd Popp make a comeback to compete in the next Olympic games in 2028 in LA.
If Germany's Isabell Werth can win her 14th Olympic medal at 55 for dressage, anything is possible.
Let’s do this
-Shaun