10 Years Strong - What I Know For Sure

2026 marks a decade of transforming homes, supporting Realtors, and helping sellers maximize their return.

Like any journey, there have been some highs and lows but ultimately I’m grateful for the trust, partnerships and beautiful spaces that made these 10 years possible.

What I know after 10 years:

  1. Every occupied listing needs a pre-listing consult.

  2. Stagers are pre-listing marketing experts (who can also decorate).

  3. Sellers deserve the truth about their home’s condition.

  4. It’s never a good idea to list a vacant home.

  5. Today’s sellers appreciate Realtors who provide a FULL game plan (both before and after listing).

  6. Sellers never regret prepping their home.

  7. The staging process is an essential part of the home’s overall marketing strategy.

  8. Sellers never regret investing in styling their home for photos and showings.

  9. Not all Realtors fully understand the value of our role. Let’s change that :)

  10. Staging is here to stay.

2026 GOALS:

  1. Continue to help Realtors and their Sellers achieve their collective goal - a quick and profitable sale

  2. Add more Realtors to our Partners list - www.flairstyleco.com/partners

  3. Continue to expand our reach into the Bruce Peninsula

  4. Heather and I will continue to train Janice and Sarah so that they can confidently take on more styling projects (and we need a new team photo !!)

  5. Launch and expand on our ‘Homes Show Better Here’ campaign (stay tuned!)

 
 

Re-framing our Role as Stagers

When someone asks what I do and I simply say ‘I stage homes’ or ‘I’m a home stager’ the first thing that will likely come to their mind will be that I decorate homes. Most will know that staging is linked to the real estate industry but that’s pretty much … end of story.

Now, imagine if the response was this instead:

  1. I help Realtors turn homes into market-ready listings.

  2. I help Realtors position homes for the market so they show their full value from the first showing.

  3. I work with Realtors to strategically prepare homes so they stand out online and in person.

  4. I help Realtors prepare listings so buyers see the value immediately.

This so much better represents the scope and value we bring to effectively position a home (with the ultimate goal of locking in the perfect buyer — quickly and profitably).

Staging is not a ‘single decorating event’, but rather, a strategic process that unfolds via a 3-step process:

  • the pre-listing consult

  • the initial walkthrough/assessment of the home (the end result is a detailed, pre-listing game plan so to speak and, arguably, the most important step). Every occupied property needs a consult.

  • the prep work

  • represents the execution of the game plan by the sellers. This can be a small or large amount of work depending on the condition of the home.

  • the styling/showcasing

  • occurs once all of the prep work has been done to elevate the home’s look and feel for photos and showings.

Realtors who have leaned into properly preparing homes before listing confidently guide their sellers and ultimately achieve better results.

When staging is positioned as preparation and strategy (as opposed to decorating), everything changes.

Let’s SELL !!
julie.b@flairstyleco.com
Grey County, Southern Georgian Bay and The Bruce Peninsula, ON

What I've Learned About Staging This Year (#1)

Now entering my 10th year of staging provides me with some unique insight … the ability to look back over time to analyze many things staging-related - who embraces the process and why, who doesn’t and why, etc.

One very glaring observation has been the lack of pre-listing consults happening:

  • in any market condition

  • with all local Realtors (Grey County, Southern Georgian Bay and the Bruce Peninsula)

  • with even my go-to Realtors (eek)

I’m not going to lie … when I peruse Realtor.ca and observe the (really not good) state of many listings, I’m stunned. I always ask myself ‘how on Earth did that happen?’ - meaning, what events led up to the seller being okay with presenting their home that way? the Realtor being okay with presenting the home that way? And, I’m not talking about lower-end listings … it happens at ALL price points.

Presentation is everything in real estate.

So, why are pre-listing consultations NOT happening to make sure EVERY listing is consistently professional and polished?

Without surveying Realtors and sellers (which I would love to do!), one of the conclusions I’ve come to is that there’s a misconception that consults are just a nuisance - they take time and money, they delay the listing, they create an obligation to stage, they put more pressure on the seller at an already difficult time and create conversations Realtors just don’t want to have. The general concensus still seems to be ‘list now and we’ll figure things out later”. Here’s the truth:

“Pre-listing consults are, hands-down, the best investment any Realtor or Seller could make (and with very minimal cost). They provide genuine, expert help in the form of a comprehensive game plan which outlines what needs to be done to prep the home before listing. Completely pressure-free. No upsell. Just honest, neutral, professional guidance aimed at providing the best chance of selling.

There are no downsides for either the Seller or Realtor. Bottom line, a pre-listing consult should occur:

  • on EVERY LISTING

  • at ANY PRICE POINT

  • EVERY TIME

Let’s talk!

Julie Brown, CSP
email: julie.b@flairstyleco.com
519 270 482

Realtors: Let’s Talk About Staging (and who pays for it)

I hear it all the time: “I’d love to stage my listings, but I don’t want to pay for it.”

Here’s the good news — you’re not supposed to.

Staging isn’t a Realtor expense. It’s an investment the seller makes to get the home prepped and market-ready … no different than painting, cleaning, or landscaping.

Statistics indicate that it’s reasonable for sellers to invest between 1-3% of the listing pricing to ready the home. For a $1M property, investing $10,000 to prep it may include the cost for interior work (carpet cleaning, misc fixits, window cleaning), exterior work (cleaning the eaves, fascia, windows, paint touch-ups), exterior landscaping (mulch, weeding).

Staging is also considered part of this 1-3% prep investment.

🏡 Staging is Marketing

To market and sell a home, you need to create a story that buyers can connect with. Staging helps tell that story. It highlights the home’s best features, makes rooms look bigger and brighter and, most importantly, helps buyers connect emotionally (which is what translates to SOLD).

💸 So Who Pays for It?

Typically, the seller covers staging.

BUT, if the budget is tight or there are other factors at play, here are some options to make it work:

  • Split the total cost - Realtor splits the full cost with sellers

  • Realtor pays up front - Realtor pays the up-front cost and recoups the staging cost from the seller once the home has sold

  • Seller pays up front - Seller pays the up-front cost and the Realtor reimburses the staging cost once the home has sold

  • Realtor pays a fixed amount only OR pays to stage key rooms only - Realtor pays up to a certain amount towards the staging fee with the seller paying the remainder (ie. pays up to $500 towards staging). Another option is for the Realtor to cover the cost to stage only the most important areas (living room, kitchen, primary bedroom, dining room).

🤝 Why It’s a Win for You

Keep in mind that, regardless of who pays, what really matters is the home’s presentation. Staged homes attract more buyers, show better in photos, and often sell faster (and for more money!) — which benefits both you and your clients.

Staging doesn’t just help the home sell — it helps you stand out and builds your reputation as a Realtor who goes the extra mile to present beautiful listings.

Need more information?
I’d be happy to help you and your sellers!

julie.b@flairstyleco.com or 519 270 4482

Home Staging in the Bruce Peninsula

 
 

Flair has expanded its service area to help support Realtors in the Bruce Peninsula region !! This includes all key centres north and west of Owen Sound …

  • Georgian Bluffs, Kemble

  • Wiarton

  • Sauble, Oliphant, Red Bay

  • Lion’s Head, Miller Lake

  • Tobermory

We are a full-service home staging company able to assist with all pre-listing assistance:

  1. Onsite Consultations

  2. Occupied Staging

  3. Vacant Staging

  4. Model Homes

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you SELL !!

Showcasing a Model Home

In September of 2023, we had the pleasure of being hired by Northridge Homes to showcase one of their newly-built designs in their Annex Georgian Bay development (just north of Owen Sound, ON).

The builder opted to purchase the inventory for this project with the intention of using it in future model homes. For us, this meant sourcing, purchasing and placing all items for this home including furniture, accessories, artwork, lighting and all soft goods (pillows, bedding, etc).

It was a labour of love spread out over a period of 5-6 weeks which gave us the time needed to bring all of the pieces together. Article furniture was sourced and delivered by Melanie and her team at Monarkey Furniture Rentals.

Special thanks to Dave & Calvin Rai at Northridge.
Realtor: Matthew Lidbetter @ Sotheby’s.
Photographer: Alan Shisko @ First Showing

Since 2016, Flair Style Co. has been providing home styling services for Realtors, sellers and builders in the Southern Georgian Bay, Grey County and Bruce Peninsula areas of Ontario. For more information on how our services can assist you with a quick and profitable property sale, contact us - we look forward to hearing from you!