Here at Foxy, we spent the last few weeks of December 2020 reflecting on the year we had… the Good, the Bad and the ‘Unknown’.

To ensure we continually improve our service, we sent out a quick Feedback Survey to all the agents we have worked with throughout the year, to ascertain our strengths and identify areas of improvement.

There was one question in particular we were eager to find the answer to:

What is the most important aspect of a home stager’s service?

Respondents had the option to choose from the following answers, but they could only choose one:

  • Quality
  • Price
  • Consistency & Reliability
  • Speed
  • Communication
  • Flexibility

Concurrently with this survey, we also asked the same question in a private Facebook Group for Australian Home Stagers (i.e. what is the most important aspect of a home stagers service, from a staging company’s point of view?), curious to compare the results.

The difference was both interesting and enlightening.

60% of Home Stagers think that Consistency & Reliability is the most important aspect of the service they offer and 22% of agents agree with them.

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What was also interesting was that only 2.5% of Stylists thought Speed was the most important aspect. In contrast, it was the second most popular choice by agents, sitting at 26.1% .

The most important aspect of a home stager’s service from an Agent’s point of view is Communication.

More important than price, more important than flexibility, even more important than the quality of the styling.

But the most interesting result was in the different view agents and home stagers have of Communication and the importance it plays in our service.

Compared to the 30% of agents who believe Communication is the most important aspect, only 5% of Stylists agreed.

Before we go ahead and make any bold assumptions or conclusions, we think it’s important to mention that this particular question in the Agents’ Survey was asked of the agents who have worked with us at Foxy Home Staging.

Therefore, some of these answers might be specifically in response to what we currently work hard on doing well or what the agents appreciated most about our service in the last year; not home staging in general.

Let’s talk about Communication

In our experience, keeping both the agent and the client up to date has proven to be the most appreciated part of our service, making the entire process easier for both parties.

Seeing the results of this survey truly emphasized the importance of regular communication and how greatly it is not only appreciated, but also required by the agents we work with.

Therefore, we decided to review our current Communication Strategy and implement a clear, revised system to share with our team. As the Foxy Team continues to grow, having specific procedures in place is more important than ever.

We have deconstructed our entire process and identified the most common and best stages of contact with the clients and agents.

Communication with the client:

  • • Email Quote – This is usually the first or second point of contact with the client, which sets the tone for the entire relationship ahead. We always make sure to thank them for the opportunity to quote and try to bring up topics of conversations from the consult (if applicable and relevant), to create a common ground and friendly foundation.

  • • Confirmation to go ahead – Usually, this confirmation comes in form of an email reply or a phone call from the client.

  • • Invoice + T&C’s – This is where the most important information gets exchanged. We email the client all the necessary paperwork (Invoice and Terms & Conditions), agree to an installation date (based on the date of photography) and once the T&C’s are signed, the property address gets put into the calendar.

  • • Pre-Install – This is when we organise the access to the property (key collection from the owner or the agency).

  • • Post-Install – We send the client an email advising them the install has been completed, attach some photos, thank them for the opportunity and wish them good luck with the sale. At this stage, we also like to encourage them to reach out if they have any concerns or questions, which creates a safe space and a friendly environment, reassuring them we care and are accessible.

  • • Before the End of Hire Period – If the end of the hire period is near and we still haven’t heard from the client (or the agent), we first check the Real Estate listing. If there is no ‘Under Offer’ sign or a similar update, we contact the client (by email or a phone call), checking-in on the progress of the sale. We like to ask them if they think they might need an extension on the hire period (mostly just to let them know it is an option). Based on this conversation we establish what the next best step is.

  • • Pre-Collection – Organising access to the property (key collection from the owner or the agency), advising the client about the times and dates of collection of our furniture.

  • • Client Feedback – One day a week (usually Friday), we email the clients whose properties we collected that week, congratulating them on the sale and asking if they are willing to provide us with some feedback based on the good outcome we had (incl. links to Google & Facebook reviews).

Communication with the agent:

  • • Post-Confirmation – After we get the ‘go-ahead’ from the client, we email or call the agent (depending whether they are new or returning; if new – we call) and let them know that we are happy to be working with them on the successful sale. This establishes trust, as we both aim for the same goal.

  • • Pre-Install – We arrange collection of the keys (if applicable), or simply just let them know the time and date of our styling.

  • • Post-Install – A quick message to let them know the installation has been completed. Some agents like to receive Before & After pictures, in which case we encourage them to share these on their social media.

  • • Before the End of Hire Period – if the end of the hire period is near and we still haven’t heard from the agent (or the client), we first check the Real Estate listing. If there is no ‘Under Offer’ sign or a similar update, we contact the agent (by email or a phone call), checking-in on the progress of the sale.

  • • Pre-Collection – Organising access to the property (key collection from the owner or the agency), advising the agent about the times and dates of collection of our furniture.

Important to note: The line of communication is different for every relationship and we usually decide the most appropriate combination on a case-by-case basis, which is determined by the agent’s personal preference.

“I got into the habit of asking the agent at the very beginning, whether or not they’re happy for me to communicate with the clients directly… some say yes, some prefer to be more involved. This is established at the onset of our relationship, at our very first job together” – Phoebe | Chief Stylist

Thank you for reading!

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Did you find the difference in survey responses surprising? Let us know on our social media or in the comments below.

We hope you all had a great start to the New Year and we can’t wait to see what 2021 will bring.

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