There is one sure way to get attention in the marketplace. Do something that no one else is doing and you have a story to relate. The media will pick up your story and you can further the reach of the story through online blogging.
This idea is open to all Realtors and Home Staging companies in North America. I will provide the template to you so you can organize your own version of the event in your area.
Last year I was able to be featured on CBC Radio One ( a major radio station in our area), get TV coverage and several newspapers and the Habitat newsletter to cover the story.
It drew attention to all the participants and with the advantage of repeating the event yearly, you gain good public exposure in your area for a very worthwhile cause.
So what is the idea? How can you participate and be noticed in your marketplace?
Last year I organized an Art for Humanity Open House Tour for a Saturday in Barrie with 3 Realty companies providing the homes that were listed for sale and Staged by my company.
I also had the local Georgian College Fine Arts Program provide me with graduating students that would place their artwork in the homes. Each student was given a house in which to place their artwork as their own gallery. The students each donated one piece of artwork to be auctioned off to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.
The day of the tour the Realtor was there to show the house. The artist was there for the public to meet and greet. A representative from Habitat for Humanity was there to take donations, let people know how to volunteer with Habitat and to supervise the bids on the artwork.
I have branded the event so that you don't have to think of anything- all the work has been done for you.
Just send your info to me to be inserted into the flyer and it will be sent back to you ready for print ads, online etc. There is a very small fee for this service as the idea is to raise money and awareness for Habitat. I did co-op advertising with the Realtors in the pull out Real Estate section to keep the cost of print advertising low.
What is your next step?
Realtors - Organize an open house tour with 4 -5 houses on the tour. You need permission from your client for the possiblilty that a TV crew or print media may be there to promote the event.
Home Stagers - Approach Realty offices to participate in the open house tour. I worked with 3 Realty firms to have enough houses to participate in the tour. Everything went very smoothly with all the participants.
Approach your local Habitat for Humanity to arrange reps for the tour day.
Approach your local college or any other organization that you think will be a good fit for this event.
The end result - one house sold from the tour, the Realtors were happy as they were featured in a new and attention getting way, Habitat was very pleased with all the exposure, the College Fine Arts Director and students were ecstatic with the opportunity to showcase their work and get experience in the real world and I gained the exposure in the marketplace I was looking for to grow my business.
If you would like to find out more, send an email to michelle@advantagestaging.ca with your questions and I will be glad to help you get your event organized.
Michelle - Great post! I used to live in the Peterborough area before I moved to Florida. How are things in cottage country?
Hi John, I love the Peterborough area. My parents moved to Burleigh Falls in 1983. I still go to the area to vacation. I know that sounds odd to you as I live in Barrie, what people in Toronto call cottage country, but I still travel two hours away to cottage in another town! :)
I hope you consider trying this idea in your new area. It seemed like it would be a whole lot of work and I wondered at first how it would all pull together in time, but it really was easy and no hitches at all.
Michelle: This sounds like such a great idea, thanks for sharing it with us! How do you approach the idea withRealtors and with Habitat here in Utah? I would love to do this! www.debrasdesigningdetails.com
Michelle - Thanks for sharing this creative and fantastic idea! I'll check with some of the RE's I work with and the local art school and see what I can come up with. I might be emailing you about it.....
That is a fabulous idea. Thank for your willingness to share it. Having someone complete the groundwork helps so much. I have several projects on the fire right now, but bookmarked this so I can keep it on the back burner for a few months. Can't wait to explore the possibilities!
What a great idea Michelle! I've bookmarked this as well and will look into it more when I'm done with my big senior presentation.
Michelle, I remember you mentioning this when we met last year, and wondered but somehow never asked the question... I am so glad you wrote this blog, it is a fabulous idea and it sounds like it was beautifully executed. I already volunteer at Habitat and may be calling on you for help with your idea. Will you be doing the Habitat build day at the CSP convention in Toronto this year?
Michelle,
Sounds like an excellent idea. I was wondering, did you stage all 4-5 homes on the tour? Thanks for sharing this great tip!
Sincerely,
Holly
Hi Debra, The first group you approach is Habitat to make sure they are on board with you. You can have them contact the Habitat in the logo above if they need to check it out with someone who has done it before.Really, all they have to do is provide reps for the day of the tour and write about it afterward in their newsletter. Contact your art supplier (college?) in your area and get them on board. The director of the students will visit each home as they know the students work the best and will determine which student's work will be best placed in each home. You need homes with large wall space typically.
Then visit 3 Realtor offices to let them know the date you have picked and how it works for them. From there they will call you when they have a client that is interested. Then start staging and get them all done before your big day.
Then alert every media outlet you can think of. Get tons of press, radio and TV if you can manage it. Do not leave this to the last minute like I did. I have amazing powers of persuasion so I managed to get a TV crew to show up with one day notice but that took some string pulling!
Hi Melissa, If anyone can make this a spectacular spectacular event it is you. Let me know how you do with it. I will tell you one thing, the amount of presence it gave me in town was phenomenal.
Hi Sheila, Just email when you are ready. The template is done and waiting to be used and I will send an outline which you and everyone else will improve upon and email me back with the ideas so that I can incorporate them as well. :)
Hi Annie, I do this in between my senior presentations. Try to pick a time in the year that is your slower time as it takes a lot to stage that many houses that quickly and still keep your other business going.
Hi Joanne, I hope you find a way to do this event as I know you will add some wonderful twist to it! I mentioned to Angela and Christine that I would be happy to talk about it at the convention this year but I think they have gone on to other things with the green ideas more so.
Hi Holly, yes I did stage all the five houses myself. It was exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Once I did the seond one it all went tickety boo with no hitches what so ever. It sounds like it would be a lot of pressure but everyone was so pumped about it, it was a lot of fun and gave me something to talk about for a whole year. Great ice breaker at Realtor presentations.
To all those interested in organzing an event in their area please email or call to talk some more. It is definitely a very worthwhile endevour. You meet some very influential people along the way.
This is a wonderful idea Michelle. It never ceases to amaze me that the more you give the more you get back.
Hi Karen, I don't know who was more thrilled with this idea.. the students and their art director couldn't believe they were getting their own gallery to show their work and the press for their portfolio was outstanding.
Habitat couldn't believe I rallied this many people in short amount of time to draw attention to their build last year.
The Realtors loved the out of the box thinking to get traffic through their listings.
sounds great
I wonder if some of the home owners though would feel like they are being used for displaying the art work and not so much to get the sale done. we were looking for an idea like this so I may have to think it over some more.
good idea wondering if it would work in my market