A web app developed by a Des Moines agent gives those who aren’t good at staging — or those who don’t like having that conversation with their clients — a way to offer advice without coming across as pushy.
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Stagerie is a software for helping agents stage listings.
Platforms: Browser, mobile-responsive
Ideal for: Agents and staging professionals
Top selling points:
- Staging “inspection” report
- Doesn’t put added pressure on seller
- For agents who aren’t good at staging
- Connected network of staging professionals
Top concerns:
Agents are admitting they aren’t good at staging.
What you should know
The easiest way to describe Stagerie is as an inspection report for the aesthetic appeal of your listing. It’s also a great way to stage if your market remains impacted by social distancing guidelines, or if your seller isn’t thrilled to have people in the house. It can benefit on the safety front as well.
It works like this: The seller or listing agent uses their smartphone to capture and upload enough photos to give the eventual staging professional an idea of what they’re dealing with. They label each photo and room before confirming and uploading. In a few days, a report is sent back with a list of staging to-dos.
Even if you’re not good at the art of staging, you still need to be good at letting a seller know their house isn’t quite “market ready” because they’ll be staring at a multipage report pointing out all the examples of their bad taste.
However, this isn’t a byproduct of Stagerie. That’s a tough talk in traditional scenarios, too.
The value in Stagerie is that it acts as a third-party, arm’s-length opinion — a credible source offering unbiased insight on how to better position a property.
The digital separation helps remove the stager as a confidant of the agent, which could help the seller’s acceptance of the suggestions.
Each specific item to be added is linked to an online store where it can be ordered, if desired. The staging report also includes suggestions for minor maintenance and material touches.
All stagers hired by Stagerie are put through a qualification process, requiring them to create a sample staging report for developer Nora Crosthwaite’s home.
Agents can sponsor an account for their sellers; one report is $180. Costs for multiple credits are reduced on a volume basis.
Crosthwaite is an agent in Des Moines, Iowa, for RE/MAX Concepts in West Des Moines. What makes her rare is that she openly admits to not being good at staging and not liking the process much.
That’s why she created a web-based process to improve how she served her clients. And that folks, is exactly what all this crazy proptech we talk about all the time is supposed to do.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe
Craig C. Rowe started in commercial real estate at the dawn of the dot-com boom, helping an array of commercial real estate companies fortify their online presence and analyze internal software decisions. He now helps agents with technology decisions and marketing through reviewing software and tech for Inman.
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