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It is hard to control the butterflies in your
tummy when you, as a seller, contract to
purchase your next house without a home sales
contingency and wonder when your house is
going to sell so that you can move on. That
is when Kristen Roberts at Long and
Foster Real Estate contacted Trish Kim to
have her clients’ house staged for sale. The
sellers, Rob and Shameen, were awesome in
de-cluttering, installing new hardwood floors
and painting according to Trish’s color
recommendations. The result? The home was
sold in 3 weeks! The sellers have moved on
to their new home enjoying the butterflies
flying in formation in their garden. Kristen
says: "I want to thank
you for doing such a great job staging the Rider's home. Their house went
under contract in less than 21days (I'm sure it would have sold sooner but
we had a couple of bad snowstorms). It is the only home that has gone
under contract in the last 3 months while other homes in that neighborhood
are languishing on the market. We believe staging made all the
difference." | ||||
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Car
Safety Always have your keys with you. Park in a well lit area. Don't get blocked in. Beware of dead-end streets. Keep your car in good running condition You spend a lot of time in your car. This, in itself, exposes you to a greater likelihood of running out of gas, a mechanical failure or an accident. Make sure you have a fully-charged cell phone, tools, blankets, flares, first aid kit and warm clothes in the trunk of your car. For driving safety, purchase a hands-free phone kit for your car. As you park your car, take in your surroundings and ask yourself: In an emergency, am I going to be able to run to my car and drive away? You won't be able to if you are blocked in. It is always smart to park on the street whenever possible. Consider a keyless entry system for your next car. Make sure all doors are locked when you are driving. Secure valuables out of sight. Keep A Cell Phone At Your Side Program your emergency numbers into speed dial. These numbers should include 911, emergency road service, your office, your buddy and your family numbers. Keep your cell phone fully charged. Carry your cell phone with you at all times, clip it on and make it part of your apparel. If you keep your cell phone in a purse or briefcase, it may not be available when you need it most. If you have an emergency situation and call 911, stay on the line and do not hang up. Visualize emergency situations. Rehearse in your own mind how you would react to a mugging or physical attack. Know when you will fight back, when you will run and when you will have an opportunity to call 911 for assistance. Your phone can be your best friend in a bad situation. Danger Is Not Always Easy To Identify These are signals that something isn't right:
On the day of the attack in March 1997, she showed the man 5 homes. Returning to a home they had previously viewed, he suddenly attacked her, stabbing her twice in the chest and once in the neck. He then left her for dead. Barely conscious, she managed to get to a phone and dial 911. Although close to death a number of times because of serious injuries, Joan survived and now champions real estate safety. "The nature of our business puts us in a very vulnerable situation," Malone told Blanche Evans in Realty Times, "The one thing I could say to people is if you have a bad feeling, don't second guess what it's telling you. Listen to your gut feeling and protect yourself." Safety experts agree that it is best to assume that your instincts are right and to take the necessary precautions. Do not be so anxious for a sale that you ignore your own intuition in the heat of the moment. Use these same instincts before you give out your phone number or address, and especially before getting in the car with a new client. Trust your instincts! Dress For Safety
Expensive jewelry can make you a target. We recommend that you save the flashy jewelry for formal occasions. Criminals will scout real estate representatives and homes for jewelry and items that are easy to sell. Thieves often work in teams. So don't flash the cash or wear diamonds when you are in the office or on the road. Always wear your cell phone. Get a holster or keep it in your hand at all times. Your greatest source of help is your cell phone. If you keep your phone in your purse or briefcase - you could be separated from it when you need it the most. If you are in immediate danger, run for safety first and when you have the opportunity, call 911. Dress for the weather. Your mom used to tell you this for good reason. If your car breaks down or you need to escape a dangerous situation on foot, you could find yourself exposed to the weather for an extended period of time. In the winter, bring a coat with you and keep a blanket in the trunk of your car. Wear shoes you can run in. Have A Distress Code Have a prearranged distress signal: "I'm at the Jones house and I need the red file right away." You may be in a situation where you think you might need help; you can use the phone, but the person you are with can overhear the conversation and you do not want to alarm him/her. This is where a prearranged distress code can help. For example, you are in your car with a client that is beginning to make you nervous - for one reason or another, you feel uneasy about the person. You do not want to be in an empty house with him/her. Call the office and tell someone where you are going and you can ask him/her to pull out the RED FILE. In this case, RED FILE is the prearranged distress code to have someone meet you at the site so you will not be alone. You can make up your own distress code, i.e. DOG FOOD (when you don't have a dog) or I'm going to MAYDAY Lane (and there is no Mayday Lane). The distress code should be used if you are uneasy, but do not feel you are in danger. If you are in immediate danger - stop the car and leave the area, or jump out of the car at the next stop. Do not hesitate to call 911. Authorities agree that most rapists and thieves are looking for easy targets. Be assertive and leave a dangerous situation early, but have a distress code for times you feel uneasy. Share and practice your distress code with: Your Office - Colleagues - Family & Friends Personal Marketing
Be careful how much personal information you give verbally as well. "Getting to know your client" does not need to include personal information about your children, where you live and who you live with. Be guarded with your personal information. Dress for safety. Look professional, but wear clothes that are comfortable and shoes you can run in. Avoid glamour shots, your personal safety is too important. We have seen cases of criminals actually circling photographs of their would-be victims in newspaper advertisements. These victims were targeted because of their appearance in the photograph. Be A Buddy - Find A Buddy
Know in advance who you are going to call when: your instincts tell you to get help, you're just a little nervous or when you need help at an open house. Claudia Perry-Vance, a 23-year veteran in the business, was the best of buddies for a co-worker in Columbus, Ohio. Her buddy was a 26-year-old female agent who fell victim to a man who called himself Jack Martin and said he was a nuclear physicist from Tennessee. He was, in fact, Thomas H. Chappell, a local commercial cleaning service operator and a convicted rapist. The salesperson met with Chappell several times at her office but didn't ask for identification. He told her that he wanted a high-end residential property and would pay cash for it. After developing a casual rapport with the salesperson, Chappell called her to come take a look at a property. Just before she left her office, she asked her buddy, Claudia, to come along. "The only reason I went with her was that she felt a little nervous" Perry-Vance was quoted in a Realtor Magazine article. Chappell met both women at the house. During the tour, Chappell was able to separate them and attacked the younger with a stun gun. She didn't lose consciousness and struggled with her attacker. "She let out the most horrible scream I've ever heard, "says Perry-Vance, who was in another room when the attack occurred. The scream sent Chappell running to his van, but the agents got his license number and called police. When he was caught, police found an MLS book in the van with the young salesperson's photo circled in ink. * This article was printed from StagedHomes.com with permission | ||
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Member of:
Sincerely,
Trish Kim
Accredited Staging Professional Master (ASPM™) email: info@stagedinterior.com
phone: 703-298-0201
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