“It’s not MY job” doesn’t get you the job, or my respect. Allow me to elaborate.
Not too long ago Preferred Staging was hired to stage a small vacant property. I did a consultation with the Realtor prior to the staging and made a few suggestions, some “stronger” than others. For example, the light fixture in the powder room was not only about 25 years old, but it was filthy and missing a few light bulbs. I strongly suggested a new, updated fixture – something from Home Depot or Lowes that wouldn’t cost more than $50 or so, and would have really made a huge difference.
There were also some odd and very old modern end tables that were to be disposed of. I was told that they would be removed prior to staging day, along with the old, yellowed and disintegrating roller shades on the windows.
Finally, the entire property needed to be thoroughly cleaned. The entire kitchen and master bath had been updated (so why couldn’t they have updated the powder room fixture, too?), and there was a lot of dust and dirt everywhere. It clearly states in our contract that the property must be cleaned before staging, which I pointed out to the Realtor.
Staging day arrives, and the Realtor is there to let us into the property. They were a nice person - even helped us with the first load from the van. But as the morning progressed I started to think otherwise about them.
The Realtor had arrived shortly before us to remove the yellowed roller shades and throw them away, and to move the nasty modern tables into a closet. But the property had not been cleaned. Well, a broom had been pushed around so the floors were OK, but there was a thick layer of dust on shelves, mirrors were grimy, windows were so filthy you couldn’t clearly see out of them, and there was a layer of dust on every surface. And the nasty powder room fixture was still there.
I mentioned to the realtor that it clearly states in the contract that the property should have been cleaned before staging, and that before we put our rugs and other accessories on the floors, books and items on the shelves, and accessories on the kitchen countertops, we would have to spend some time doing a quick cleaning and wiping down. What’s the point of staging with beautiful furniture and accessories if the rooms are a mess? Staging isn’t going to hide it. Any serious buyer is going to notice the dust everywhere and the fact that you can’t see out the windows.
I was firmly told not to clean a thing. It was NOT my job to do it. Well, this just ruffled my feathers to say the least. Not only was the contract not honored, but my company’s name was going to be associated with this property, and the fact that it was filthy and grimy would be attached to Preferred Staging. Guilt by association. Not only that, but I would have had a hard time putting my well maintained accessories on dust and dirt.
What blew my away was what the realtor said next. In essence, they said, "I've already gone above and beyond my job by removing and throwing away the roller blinds and moving those tables to the closet. I'm not getting paid for that, so you shouldn't do anything you're not going to be paid for, either."
Ahhh. So this Realtor had the work ethic of doing the minimal amount of work necessary. They were "just doing their job" as it is understood in its most basic form. If they were asked to do anything above and beyond listing the property and showing it, I'm sure they didn't do it, or complained about it as they did to me. Now I understood why this Realtor had only one other listing besides the one we were staging. (Yes, I do check out who calls me, don't you? If anything I want to know what they look like so I can recognize them when we first meet.) I'm sure their attitude and approach to real estate is why they aren't a "big dog", and furthermore, I lost all professional respect for them.
This Realtor is truly the only one of the hundreds of Realtors I've met that had this attitude.
Virtually all of the Realtors I work with go far beyond what is "required" of them. I've worked with Realtors who have helped me stage occupied homes by completely reorganizing the closets (clothes, linen and pantry) and ironing all the bedding. There are other realtors who I've seen work with a cleaning crew by doing the dishes and running the vacuum. Then there are those who stop by a house every day to pick up the mail and turn on the lights so that a vacant house doesn't look vacant.
It is these Realtors who are the most successful. Not only do they provide excellent customer service, but they're also making their jobs easier to market the house it top condition. These Realtors realize that this is not just a business transaction but a significant emotional and financial event in the lives of their clients.
And I love working with these Realtors and their clients.
All the Best,
Monica
Monica- "It's not my job" is one of those phrases that's like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. You are absolutely correct to require that a house be thoroughly cleaned prior to staging; to want to protect your inventory; and to realize that your job or not, your business reputation was at stake and therefore you do what you have to do. Thank goodness, like you, most of the Realtors I've met do not have the attitude your Realtor did.
That is to bad that the person feels that way..however, going beyond is what makes each one stand out. Great post, thanks for sharing
ok, it's one thing for that agent to say what they will and won't do - that's their business. But for them to even suggest that you shouldn't do what you wanted to do to complete your job is over the line.
I guess the agent wasn't all that motivated to get the home sold. I wonder how the owner would feel about that?
This is unfortunately typical of many agents I have met, A select few are willing to go the extra mile to get a home sold.
Taking care of vacant properties usually requires a special level of committment especially in the winter. This winter I have had to deal with broken pipes and getting the home resotred, a gas leak and waiting for the gas company and plumbers among other things.
Ok, I see your point and I agree (within limits). I go above & beyond for EVERY CLIENT, EVERY LISTING, EVERY TIME! Because it is my name on the sign, because I want to sell the house, because that's just the kind of person that I am. I will help anyone WHO IS WILLING TO HELP THEMSELVES.
There is a difference between going the EXTRA MILE and RUNNING A MARATHON. It's up to each agent to negotiate a cooperative relationship with their clients.
This post reminds me of the scene in the movie with Annete Bening, American Beauty, where she is in her slip, vacuuming before an open house. How many times have we shown up to do an open house, only to find a filthy kitchen, or even people sleeping in the beds? Our job description is not limited...we all have to go the extra mile to get it done!
You're so right! And when I have the pleasure of working with an excellent agent, I really love it when I'm able to impress them too.
Good post and a good reminder for that agent that if you always do what you've always done you'll get what you've always gotten. How did it turn out though? Did you put your accessories in the dirty house? Did it sell yet? Would love to hear the rest of the story....
Well, I do hate that phrase "It's not my job."
But I also hate a dirty home, showing a dirty home and clients who do not correct the situation when I explain the financial implications of trying to sell a dirty home. It puts you in a tough position. They clean up a bit, it's a bit better, but still not clean. So we can nag them to death, clean it ourselves or leave it dirty. I don't like any of those choices.
In this case, I think the agent was really uncooperative with you and that is a shame.
At least you acknowledged that this agent was one bad apple and not every agent is like that. I've brought an arsenal of cleaning materials for vacant properties with out-of-town sellers. I hate cleaning (although it's always more fun cleaning someone else's house)! But I service my listings and I've gone above and beyond to get my listings looking as good as they can be.
Maybe that agent will be out of the business soon.
I thought the difficult market had eliminated most of those agents.
This time of year, going the extra mile als means agents listing vacant properties need to take care of snow removal for the safety of those visiting the property.
I have a little different take on this and perhaps you'll put me in the same category as the "it's not my job" agent.
I define my job as being a realtor. I advise clients, market properties, negotiate the best contract and take clients to closing. I can and do coordinate cleaning, staging, snow removal, repairs, etc. but I do not do them. That is not my job!
If I go to a house and see a bit of litter blowing around, newspaper on the porch, trash canister out at the curb, a stray weed in the flower box, etc., yes, I will take care of it. On the other hand, if the grass is a half-foot, yard is littered with trash and debris, weeds everywhere - not my job!
If I arrive to take pictures or for an open house and there are a couple of toys laying around, a few papers laying around, etc., again, I will take care of it. But to clean the whole house, that is out of the question!
I have one question about this situation. There was a contract. Who signed the contract? If it was the realtor, then she was responsible for making sure the house was cleaned - whether she cleaned it herself or hired it done. If it was the owner, it was their responsibility. Since the contract specifically said the house had to be cleaned before staging, why on earth would either you or the realtor do the cleaning? And why would you even consider going ahead with the staging. If I walked into a situation like this, I would also suggest that you not clean anything and not stage the property until it was cleaned.
Going over and beyond is helping, not enabling!
For me it all comes down to who wants to sell the house more? The agent or the seller.
Just my quarter's worthQ
Where was the homeowner in all of this? Although I do what I can (and would certainly not stop you from doing what you want) the agent may have had other appointments or commitments that day. Just trying to give them the benifiet of the doubt. I have done the pooper scooper before an open house, but there is only so much an agent can do.
When I complete a walk through, if the property needs to be cleaned I give my client the opportunity to do the work themselves, hire someone to do it or we will clean for additional cost. As you said Monica, it's our name and reputation on the line. As to the realtor, I would think they would be thrilled to have someone take over that aspect so that the house it easier to show and sell which is their job. And I would think they would want to hang on to such a valuable resource!
I can't imagine listing a property that is dirty - what's the point? I am an agent who has done it all and that's why my clients rave about my service. It's called EXCELLENCE.
Blog part 2? What is the ending????
Be it business or personal, going the extra mile is what sets you apart. We do what we do because we want to help people through a stressful time. Staging isn't a profession that will make you a millionaire but the first Chapter in your Success Story is your reputation.
So who FIRMLY told the listing agent not to clean the home? If it was the seller, than the listing agent is doing what he was told to do by his client, and not honoring the sellers instructions would be breaking his fiduciary duty to obey.
My mom always told me, "Everybody comes from somewhere. And the way they're behaving today may be a reflection of that. You never know what people are going through." And so, at the risk of playing devil's advocate, my first reaction upon reading your post is that this agent was very, very, very tired of trying to help the seller help him or herself. And they'd had enough. And they didn't want another professional to get sucked into that black hole -- but they couldn't share any of this with you without disparaging the client.
Of course I could be completely wrong. If I am, then I completely agree with you. -- Tanya in Montreal
Somehow I am having a hard time understanding the selling agents refusal to clean the property. Obviously they are motivated to sell the house & are willing to spend money on professional staging services, yet, they don't want to make the effort or spend a few extra $ to clean the house??? That just doesn't make sense! Unless the sellers are paying for the staging, in that case, the agents should not have any reservations about cleaning the place... that should cost less than the staging services. Don't they want the home to look it's best & sell fast?
Somehow I just assumed, given the attitude expressed, that the agent was NOT paying for the staging. If they were, I'd be shocked. The attitude and paying don't seem to go together.
I agree with fact that if we arrive at a staging job and the house is not clean that we will do all in our power to see that it gets cleaned before we start staging. I will talk to my client (realtor or seller) and ask them how they would like me to handle it - do they want to do the cleaning and we'll come back or should we start cleaning and bill for the extra time? On the spot I'm all about finding solutions because I know that bottom line, there is a time deadline and this house needs to be ready for showings asap.
On a flip side, our contracts specifically state that our properties have to be cleaned prior to staging. We bring it up both with the agents and with the sellers so there aren't any surprises.
As an interesting aside, I did a consult two weeks ago for a client who had a LOT of stuff to do in her condo before the agent walk through in 5 days. The day before the walk through she called me and said she wanted to hire me to help her - not to stage because apparently she had done "everything" - but she needed someone to scrub her toilets and vacuum her rugs. In this scenario I did not feel bad about saying that "was not my job" but I did give her three cleaning service referrals!
Monica - I have not used a professional staging company yet, but I love your attitude and your "professionalism"! Right now, I'm in the group of agents that "does it all" for absentee owners. I just listed a home in a very nice neighborhood. First thing I did was hire a cleaning company to come in and do a thorough clean, then I staged the home with some "extra stuff" from my garage. ((That made my husband very happy!!)) When I emailed the homeowner the pics of the house cleaned and staged, she was absolutely thrilled! I believe going above and beyond not only helps get the client's home sold, it will absolutely get you great referral business.
WOW! Thank you, everyone, for all of the great feedback!
Betty - I agree with you 100%. Picking up some stray newspapers or plucking a weed is one thing. But I certainly would not expect the Realtor to be actually cleaning the house or mowing the lawn. That certainly is NOT your job - but is the job of cleaning services and landscapers.
OK - the rest of the story is now a blog - "Not MY Job" - Part 2.
Monica, It sounds to me like the line from Hamlet "doth protest to much". It sounds like the agent tried and could not get the seller to spend any more money, or the agent did not have the nerve to ask them to spend more. I think the agents reaction to you was a cover up of not doing their job.
Monica,
Was the property bank-owned?
Short sale? - I have to say that sellers usually do not pay for these types of services, and if agent is desperately need an offer, she would probably lower the price first before calling a staging company. Or call a yard service to clean the property. I would.
Regular sale?
Monica,
I hope you're just making this up. Your example is not making any sense to me. I'm sorry. An agent who is being criticized for not doing beyond what is required... My question to you is: Do you recommend other services like house cleaning service to your real estate agents clients? Have you tried to give her another day to get the house cleaned?
Charita - No, it's true.
I guess there are 2 things going on here. The first is that it is in our contract that the property be cleaned before staging, and the contract wasn't honored. This was discussed on site at the initial meeting, but since the upgrades hadn't been completed yet, having the property cleaned immediately didn't make sense. I do have a cleaning service that I recommend, and I do believe I offered to supply the name and phone number if needed.
The second thing was the attitude of the Realtor that surprised me. Of course I wasn't expecting them to actually take bucket and sponge in hand and clean themselves. But they were complaining that they went "above and beyond" by simply removing some old roller blinds - they came right off of the hooks - and moving 2 small end tables from one room to a closet down the hall. Those actions took them no more than 10 minutes total. And to tell me that I should not go "above and beyond" either, as I'm not going to be paid for it just like they're not getting paid for the 10 minutes of "work" they just did was, I belive, uncalled for.
We didn't have an extra day to allow for a cleaning crew. The property was to be listed the next day with an open house that weekend. I had a team of stagers on site and furniture on the way. A decision had to be made on the spot.
Preferred Staging's approach to staging encompasses the presentation of the entire property, not just the furniture and accessories. The fact that there was dust & grime on virtually every surface would, I believe, have been assoicated with Preferred Staging. Furthermore, it made no sense to me to place items on shelves and counter tops when they had a thck layer of dust on them.
Furthermore, as I say in the follow up blog to this one, my "after" pictures were to be used as the listing photos, so all the more reason that the property looked good. This is a free service we offer Realtors.
There is not enough info here to really comment. It's not the agents job to clean. Who was supposed to do it? She/he shouldn't told you not to do the cleaning either.
Most agents, in this market, work their buts off without pay until the closing table.
Cleaning is not there job. Supply the list of cleaning companies is.
Virginia, I didn't expect the Realtor to do the cleaning. But it is in the contract to have a cleaned property before staging, and that didn't happen, which then made our job more difficult. And being told not to do any cleaning - even wiping down of surfaces - made absolutely no sense to me. It would be in the best interet of the client to have even a semi-clean property, and would have made the realtor's job easier, too, in showing a property that has been maintained.
You're absolutely right in that most agents work their butts off without pay until the closing, and I see that all the time. This was just one bad apple.
But what the blog is really about is the response and attitude of the realtor - "it's not MY job, and it's not YOUR job either, so don't do it."
I am also a bit perplexed with this. First of all... who was paying for the staging? When you did the intitial consult, who was doing all the upgrades and preparing the house for sale? Was it discussed at the initial who would be responsible for the cleaning? Rarely do we ever have an REA go through all that themselves, and if she did, then I really don't blame her for the response. True, something should have been done about the cleaning, as it does reflect upon you as a stager, and it does reflect upon the REA somewhat, but it really is not their job. It is our job as stagers to insure that the property is prepared and ready for sale. There must have been some sort of communication problem with the cleaning part. Good to always offer a list of a couple good house cleaners at every staging where you are working with a new REA on your team. Looking forward to reading the update.
Well I can understand your point, but .... what if the agent is just sick & tired of asking the seller to do her part & they don't do it? I know there are plenty of times where I just throw up my hands because sellers don't see the filth right in front of them!
It may not be my job, but on more than one occassion I've had to do some pretty major cleaing up before I could hold an open house- including moving dirty laundry and cleaning catboxes! Whatever it takes, that's my motto!
I've vacuumed a listing before after new carpet was installed. They were out of town owners and it took me 20 minutes. I also swept the cobwebs and the leaves from the decks so it wouldn't be tracked in. If you have a contract with someone and they said that the home would be clean for you, they should have taken care of it!
We like most stagers have had to do some last musinte picking up or sweeping the floors, but past that we have a hard and fast rule... If you have not done the things we asked to be done,,,, We don't stage it. The important thing that we have found is to make sure everyone is on board with that stance and not to assume that they know very basic things like dust the shelves, cleaning the carpet, etc.. You have to tell them what you expect. Having said that, we have only had one home out of the hundreds we have staged that we reschudled the staging. Most of the time if the home is not ready, the home owner will reschedule the staging themselves.
I'm interested to read your follow-up post - going there now!
I always go "above and beyond" both in staging and real estate but there is really only so much we can do. Having a rock-solid contract covering all contigencies and following up is key. Could this have been prevented with a phone call or a visit to the house a couple days prior to make sure it was ready for staging? That may have eliminated that "on the spot" last-minute rush to clean things up. Looking forward to your next post!
We end up doing light cleaning sometimes...a little dust on the shelves is no biggy but if it is really bad, they need to do it themselves prior as you stated in your contract or have paid someone to do it. It is a reflection on our services and dirt is not a positive selling feature!
The complaint "thats not my job" suggests the agent at the very least needed an attitude adjustment. While it may not be the job of an agent to actually clean the property the facilitation of the that cleaning is clearly within the job of an agent. Perhaps, as others have suggested, this was a difficult seller even so the attitude expressed to you was uncalled for.
As a realtor, just about everything is our job. Just a couple of months ago I helped a couple buy a new property and then re-listed their old home. While at the old home for a showing, I noticed some mail that was sitting by the front door. I picked it up, put it in the car, and dropped it off by their new front door on my way home. My client was so impressed that she had her mom list her property with me too. Going the extra mile is ALWAYS the best policy.
These are all wonderful comments! I've really learned a lot from all the excellent feedback - on both cleaning a property and the attitude of the realtor.
I firmly believe in going that extra mile, and not just for my own company but for the client as well. The goal of what I do is to help people sell their houses, and if doing something above and beyond - especially if it's easy to do and a no-brainer - is going to make a difference, then we do it. When a house sells quickly, then its a win-win-win-win- for the home owner, the buyer, the realtor, and us.