"Its Not MY Job" - Part 2 is the continuation of the story started in "Its Not MY Job" Doesn't Get You the Job, or My Respect".
More of the story- the owner of the property had passed away (yes, I wrote a previous blog where another house was staged under similar circumstances), and if I remember correctly, a lawyer representing family that lived out of state was executor of the estate and found the Realtor. The Realtor was smart to realize that odd shaped rooms with interior elements that were out of date would need staging (e.g., full length mirrors along walls, etc.). It was the estate that paid for the staging services and furniture rental.
What I couldn't understand was if the estate was willing to pay for an upgraded kitchen and master bath, why not a new lighting fixture in the powder room and for a cleaning service? I wasn't expecting the Realtor to actually clean, but to at least get a cleaning service in there. I specifically mentioned having the property cleaned prior to staging when I initially saw the property, and was told that since work wasn't done yet in the kitchen and bath, it wouldn't be worth having the property cleaned. Well, of course - that makes perfect sense. But was that forgotten when the work was done?
I also don't believe that the Realtor was acting as the general contractor in having the work done in the kitchen and bath. It never came up in conversation, such as, "I have to call the plumber...", or "The tile guy told me he'd be back on Monday...".
Upon seeing the condition of the property on staging day, I was suddenly put in an situation where decisions on how to move forward had to be made immediately. I had a team of stagers unloading accessories, and a truck full of rental furniture on the way. There was to be an open house in a few days, so putting a complete stop on the staging seemed a drastic measure. I politelyreminded the Realtor that the property was to have been cleaned, and that pushing a broom around really wasn't enough, and that we would need to do some spot cleaning and wiping down of things before putting in the furniture and accessories. And that's when I got the "it's not my job and its not your job either and don't do it because you're not going to get paid for it just like I'm not getting paid for extra work" response.
Remember - the reponse was in regards to them removing 6 nasty blinds and throwing them away, and pushing 2 triangular shaped end tables into a closet.
Maybe I hit a nerve. Maybe the Realtor was having a bad day, or was getting a lot of pressure from the estate. Or maybe they just didn't want to be there that day.
Regardless, after the Realtor left, we did wipe down some surfaces like kitchen counter tops and built in shelves. We also cleaned the grimy mirrors, as they were so bad there was a smudged reflection in them. The "after" photos would have looked horrible. Unfortunately we couldn't do anything about the windows, which was really too bad as the view was of a lovely park. And here's the kicker - my photos were to be used for the listing photos!
It didn't take us very long - all we did was some simple surface cleaning - but the wood floors remained dusty and dirty, and there was a layer of "ick" all over the place.
Well, the Realtor was thrilledwith the results. And the presentation of the property was impressive enough to at least one other Realtor from Sotheby's who gave me a call for a bid on one of their properties a few weeks later. I'm sorry to say, though, that after 3 months the property had not yet sold and we were asked to destage. I didn't follow the property after that, so I don't know when it sold. I'm sure it did - it was in a desirable neighborhood - but I don't know when.
All the Best,
Monica
I do believe that the agent would not ask the lawyer to spend any more money or that the lawyer refused to spend any more. You certainly went above and beyond the call of duty.
Tom - You're probably right. But like I said in my first post, the entire appearance of the property would have been associated with Preferred Staging, so doing some cleaning was as much for my own benefit as the client's.
My bid to the attorney would have included cleaning and staging. It's clear than who is responsible for what.
That's what I do with my Estates.
Virginia, just so I understand better, when you present a bid, you would have included the cost to pay a cleaning service, which you would have arranged for? If so, then that makes a lot of sense and would certainly avoid issues like this. I haven't done that in the past as a lot of Realtors have a cleaning service that they use or recommend on a regular basis. Many times when I offer the name of a service, I'm told they already use someone else. Same thing with GC's and painters. I have worked with a few and recommend them when possible.
We do very similar to Virginia. The 2 services that we refer call us when the home is finally cleaned and ready to go. We can set it up or they can work through the REA. Estates tend to sit for awhile, so having a cleaning service in your back pocket is great. Also, if you do a consult on a prop that does need extensive cleaning, it is always best to call a few days before the staging to insure the it is cleaned. We always dust, vacumm, and shine any room that we do anyway........ just because our name is on it. Only takes about 10 minutes per room and you KNOW that it is clean ;))
Lori - You and Virginia have offered some great advice regarding the cleaning services. I've never pushed it before because, as I mentioned above, most agents and/or homeowners already have someone that they regularly use. But I think I'm going to start to include it in my bids. It will certainly avoid (actually, eliminate) issues in the future.
Technically, since the estate signed the contract, they should have been responsible for having the proerty cleaned. However, I never had direct contact with the estate - everything passed through the Realtor, including the contract and the invoices. I also had to email the Realtor to remind the estate about the next month's payment.
Since the Realtor never mentioned that they were functioning as the GC for the work to be done, I'm guessing that the estate hired a GC on their own to do the updates/upgrades. If that was the case, I would not have expected the Realtor to bring in the cleaning crew, nor (as I've now mentioned about 3 times) did I expect the Realtor to actually do the cleaning themselves.
However, the fact that the property should have been cleaned was mentioned at least twice to the Realtor, and I would have thought that since they were in contact with the estate regarding the staging, this would have been mentioned. Perhpas I was assuming too much.
But please don't lose site of the real purpose of the blog, which is in the title - the comment and attitude of the Realtor. The state of the property was what triggered the comment, and the lack of concern over the presentation, and the virtual unwillingness to do anything about it is what I had a hard time with.
Monica, I guess there are those that care and those that don't. I have a Realtor that would have made sure that the house was cleaned if not painted before it went on the market. She knows clean is key. I've learned from your post that I'd better ask those key questions so that I can include the cost of cleaning in my bid. Thanks.
Monica, What a shame this was to read! A beautiful staging job in a dirty home doesn't seem to have been able to make an impression but the Realtor was thrilled....You went above and WAY beyond in your efforts.
I have known stagers that have done as the others suggested, put together a "team" meaning to have an electrician, a plumber, cleaners and any other people they may need who they know are reliable and fair. If you get some of these people by referral at least you can recommend someone they can use and it would be a big help.
Whether the home sold or not, it sounds like you did a wonderful job!
Monica, these are 2 great posts! Thank you! I haven't had any issues with extremely dirty homes to date but will make sure the Realtor &/or seller is aware that cleaning is a must should I encounter this same situation. It is unfortunate that some professionals have such a poor attitude - whether it is in our job description or not it still needs to get done. You are correct when you say that the dirtyness reflects on you & your company - I would've reacted/proceeded in much the same fashion you did.
Happy Staging!
Monica,
It's a shame the realtor didn't make you aware that the house had not been cleaned then you could have had your cleaning service through beforehand. You went above and beyond! Vivian
Like everything else in this business (and most others, for that matter) this is a typical "Live and Learn" lesson. We adapted well to an imperfect situation, and for the next time, we will apply our new knowledge of how things can go awry and come closer to getting it more perfect.
Monica,
You gave it your all. I have a list of issues that come up and I am learning all the time. I guess this is a business that serves people and we are to SERVE. Wrong! You went above and beyond. You should feel good about that. Maybe it would serve us all well to have a line for the signer to intial for all of the important things that need to be completed before Staging begins... I don't know about you, but when a home doesn't get sold while Staged, I am concerned for the owner, agent and my business. Everything we do is a reflection of us. We are successful as long as we are aware of this. I hope the realtor is learning from your post and comments. If not, maybe they have moved on to working on success at another profession!
Deb
Janice - After all of the responses, I've learned a great deal, too. (One of the many benefits of AR!) A call a few days prior to the staging to touch base with the realtor or home owner to make sure everything is in order is now on the "to do" list.
Carole has an excellent idea, and it's one I've been tossing around in the back of my head for a while, but now see how to pull it together and present it, and that's a list of "preferred vendors" that I can present at the time of the initial house visit.
Thanks for your kind words, Kelly. I don't know what was going on with the realtor that day, or how his relationship was with the lawyer/estate, but the attitude that came out at the mention of having a clean property was just unprofessional. Regardless of what they believed or felt, they could have taken 2 seconds to rethink, and get their intentions across in a more professional and polite manner.
Lynn and Vivian - I always appreciate everything you have to say!
And I think Deb has a great idea - like with many contracts, initials are required to show that the terms are understood. I got a ton of those Post-It paper arrows at the NVAR trade show - perfect place to put them to use!