The Secret to Selling Your “Cookie-Cutter” Condo in Toronto

January 8, 2015

Toronto’s condo market has been consistently growing over the last number of years. It is a tough competition for buyers and sellers alike. With its high inventory and available units around the city, selling a “cookie cutter” condo won’t cut it! 

When it’s time to sell your Toronto condo, hiring a professional home stager is your best bet to differentiate your condo from its competition. If you want your unit to outshine the competition, get your price and sell it quickly, a home stager will know exactly how to transform it based upon its price, location, and target buyers.

Your realtor will conduct a competitive market analysis of Toronto condos comparable to your unit. He’ll consider condos most recently sold to determine the correct price. Once that is set, the question becomes who your target buyers are?

Based upon the price and an assessment of the typical “buyer profile” in your condo building, your home stager will have a sense of what appeal he has to create to attract your target demographic. Price and location are important considerations, for your stager, this is the starting point for establishing the connection with your potential buyers.

When your home stager visits your Toronto condo on the first consultation, he or she will take note of what elements of your home need to be highlighted to establish an emotional connection with the targeted buyers. Likewise, he or she will share recommendations for improving or updating certain features that are relevant to those particular prospects.

Paint color, furniture, lighting, accessories, window treatments, appliances, flooring, cabinetry, and countertops should all work together to influence a purchase.  Buyers don’t often have the time to make home improvements especially when they must find a home quickly because of a job transfer or change in familial responsibility, for example. If they are going to pay your asking price, they don’t expect to be renovating before moving.

If your condo is vacant, most home buyers will not be able to visualize the arrangement of their furniture in your home. To avoid any ambiguity, your stager will select the appropriate rental furnishings and proper layout to give the buyers a better perception of how to arrange their furnishings. On the other hand, if you are using your current furnishings, your stager will arrange them to create spacious rooms, highlight any architectural features, and present a good traffic flow. Your online photos will stand out and will clearly demonstrate that you are not selling a cookie-cutter condo in Toronto.

Upon first seeing your condo, buyers should not sense that you are selling an expensive “vanilla box.” According to real estate mogul, Barbara Corcoran, “A buyer’s first impression is worth 5%-7% of the home’s value”.

Don’t let your home show as one of those dull, unappealing and expensive “vanilla box.” Instead, make your home outshine its competition. Have your condo professionally staged, so you sell it quickly and for the right price.

Red Barrinuevo | Your Toronto Home Stager

Is a Canadian Certified Staging Professional. His professional affiliations include the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) and the CSP. He is the recipient of numerous home staging and home redesign awards and was picked as RESA’s Top Professional Stager of Canada for 2016. He has worked with hundreds of Real Estate Brokers, Investors, Real Estate Agents, and has helped homeowners showcase their homes at its best when it is time to sell.