Your Home's First Impression Could Be Worth Thousands More

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The difference between a house that sits on the market and one that sells quickly often comes down to first impressions. In our conversation with Jolynne Mora, founder of Elements Home Staging LLC, we uncover the strategic art behind preparing homes to captivate potential buyers from the moment they scroll through online listings.

Jolynne shares her journey from stay-at-home mom to certified home stager, revealing how she's built a successful business transforming occupied homes into market-ready properties. "I turn grandma's house into a grand masterpiece," she explains, highlighting her specialty in working with homeowners who are still living in their properties during the selling process. Her approach isn't about criticizing current decor but reimagining spaces to appeal to the broadest range of potential buyers.

We dive deep into why staging matters, with Jolynne drawing a crucial distinction: "Buyers aren't purchasing your home – they're buying a lifestyle." This perspective explains why living rooms, kitchens, primary bedrooms, and dining rooms deserve the most attention during staging. These spaces allow potential buyers to envision morning coffees, family dinners, and quiet evenings in what could become their new home. Jolynne also cautions against virtual staging, comparing it to online dating where the in-person experience often disappoints after seeing enhanced photos online.

The results speak volumes – Jolynne's staged homes consistently sell faster and often above asking price. For anyone considering selling their home, this episode provides invaluable insights into how strategic staging transforms not just how your property looks, but how potential buyers feel when they step through the door. Ready to maximize your home's selling potential? Listen now and discover how the right staging approach could add thousands to your final sale price.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, welcome back everyone to the Business Talk,
the show, where we dive into thebusinesses and industries that
keep our world moving forward.
I'm your host, Didier, and intoday's episode I'm speaking
with JoLynn Mora.
She owns a company calledElements Home Staging LLC and I
think, listeners, you're goingto really learn a lot when it

(00:20):
comes to interior decorating andstaging in your home.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
So with that, being said, how doing joe lynn?
Hi, I'm doing good.
How are you?

Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'm doing awesome.
Thanks for asking so, listeners.
In each episode, our guestsshare practical tips and
valuable advice that can helpyou navigate life and stay ahead
in your own journey.
So so, if you're enjoying thiscontent, make sure you like this
video, subscribe to the channel, stick around at, you know,
towards.
Stick around during thisepisode because Jolynn's going

(00:52):
to have a couple stories to kindof share with us, and we all
love stories, don't we listeners?
And it's all right, jolynn,awesome.
So, with that being said, we'regoing to kind of go into and
learn about a little bit aboutthe background, as well as
staging and strategy, somestories, virtual staging.

(01:14):
So, with that being said, let'sgo ahead and dive into what led
you into the world of homestaging.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Well, if you would have asked me 20 years ago that
I would be sitting here with youtoday doing this, I would have
had no idea.
Isn't that what everybody sayswhen they start their journey?
So actually, I just celebratedmy three year anniversary in May
.
Well congratulations, thank you,and honestly, I really what got

(01:44):
me started?
I had worked in severalfurnishing stores over the years
.
I was a stay-at-home mom from2003 until my kids hit middle
school and by the time you know,one's already graduated in
college, and this last one, mysecond one, graduated this year,
and so a couple of years ago,in 2022, is when I opened my

(02:08):
business and I just needed andwanted something for myself.
You know what's life going tobe like after they leave the
home, or you know on their ownjourney Right.
So I had owned previously abusiness.
I had owned previously abusiness and while I was working
in one specific store, slightlyafter the pandemic and the kids

(02:28):
went back into school, I justwas working pocket money, you
know something, and just to keepmyself up.
You know, as a human, you knowto do something Anyway, and I

(02:58):
love helping people pick outdecor for their home.
And so around that time I had aconversation with a longtime
family friend who's an interiordesigner.
Like what can I do?
And she's like, go getcertified under the interior
design program at Seminole StateCollege for the residential
staging certification and you'regoing to love it.
So I did that, graduated in Mayand haven't looked back.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
Awesome.
That's such a that's such agreat story.
So you know, and I know, a lotof our listeners are wanting to
be entrepreneurs or businessowners as well, and they all
have a story, too, whichresonates, and your story should
resonate with them as well.
So why is staging home stagingso important in the home selling
process?
So why is staging?

Speaker 2 (03:45):
home staging so important in the home selling
process?
Very good question.
So I would say first, there'sseveral.
There's many reasons why it'simportant.
Because, one, we're talkingabout a marketing strategy.
So when I became a residentialstaging specialist, aka home

(04:06):
stager, I also became a visualmarketing specialist.
Why?
Because we're visuallymarketing homes.
And there's several reasons.
The ones that I like are firstimpressions are everything right
.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
Good point.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
We don't always get a second opportunity, not without
a thoughtful you know.
Let me revisit that.
And where do buyers look first?
Online.
So buyers scroll first, theyscroll fast, and online photos
are your very first opportunityto introduce your home and

(04:43):
that's that very firstimpression to introduce your
home, and that's that very firstimpression.
And so, whether the homes arestaged or not staged, it's what
turns a scroll into a save or abye-bye or a scheduled showing,
and so it gets that foot traffic, it helps buyers see potential
and, um, it creates an emotionalappeal.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
So I like that, you know, and when you're, when
you're talking about online,let's, let's go into virtual
staging.
How is that?
How has that evolved over theyears?

Speaker 2 (05:18):
well, you know, technology has evolved and so
has virtual staging, and so Ikind of struggle with virtual
staging.
I totally understand why it'sdone and again, you know, as
I've mentioned to you before, Idon't ever want to crash
anybody's dreams or hopes.
I consider it to to be more ofa negative aspect on home

(05:44):
staging because one it's like aonline dating.
So it's online dating, thehouse looks great in pictures,
but then when you go to visit itit's a great big disappointment
.
Things aren't what they seem,and I've talked to buyers about
this many times, just runninginto people here or there and

(06:07):
they're like we visited a houseand it just it was not what we
expected it, and we were sodisappointed.
And I talked to realtorsthey'll call me JoLynn.
I staged a virtually staged ahome and it's not selling.
Can you come and help us?
And so the other aspect is thescale and the proportions, for

(06:31):
virtual staging doesn't reallygive an accurate description of
how you can really fit thatspace.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
Very good, very well stated.
Fit that space?
Very good, very well stated.
You know, when we're talkingabout home staging, what are
some of the most important roomswhen it comes to home staging
that you kind of want to sharewith our listeners.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
So some of the most important rooms and I think NAR
just brought out their snapshot,their 2025 snapshot, and they
have, you know, a graph of scaleand they did a poll to realtors
and the top room is your livingroom, followed by the kitchen,
the primary bedroom and thedining room, and those are all

(07:19):
really our four main livingareas.
And so obviously, you know,this is another reason and it
kind of flows through everyquestion is you're trying to
create the appeal and you'retrying to create an emotional
connection with those buyers.
So what do you do when you walkinto Pottery Barn or
Williams-Sonoma or Ashley's orwhatever, you're bringing in all

(07:43):
that energy, you're bringing inall of that texture and feeling
and like, oh my God, I can seemyself sitting on this couch and
you know, I can see myself inthis decor and I can see myself
in a certain lifestyle.
And so when they see the livingroom in the kitchen, kitchen
where they can cook their familymeals and sit at the dining

(08:05):
room, they're buying a lifestyle.
They're not buying the seller'shome.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
I like that Buying a lifestyle and not buying a
seller's home.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
Well, if we think about it, that's really why
builders have model homes,because they know we're what we
buy with our emotion when we gointo the mall or the or some
model home.
What are we doing?
We're shopping with emotion.
What is our lifestyle.
How do we want to look, how dowe want to feel when it comes to

(08:39):
a long day at home?
How do we want to live our life?
And you know, sunday nightfootball, reading, a reading
with the kids and playingplay-doh.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Or having a cup of coffee on the patio right Yep.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
Or a romantic evening with your spouse.
I mean it's all about thelifestyle.

Speaker 1 (09:00):
So I know we were talking about this earlier,
prior to the episode.
What about some stories youwould like to share?

Speaker 2 (09:07):
So well, I think that some stories.
But first of all, I actuallyspecialize in occupied staging.
So I've worked with a lot ofpeople and worked with a lot of
homes that are lived in.
So I make them those lived inhomes list ready.
I turn grandma's house into agrand masterpiece, so to say,

(09:33):
and I don't necessarily say yourdecor is wrong when I go in
there because it's not, this iswhat you like as a seller.
But now we're moving, we'removing forward, we're leaving.
So I think what we need toremember like that, let's say

(09:53):
they can.
The house is in DeLand andWintergarden.
I've had a lot of successfulstories.
They sell faster.
They've sold for above asking,whether that's 500 or 5,000 or
more above that asking price.
Those are the important thingsto consider when home staging.
How long are they on the market?

(10:15):
And so I love people and I'vehad some pretty interesting,
lovely families that I get towork with and enjoy as I go
through this process with them.
But yeah, those stories arealways amazing, beautiful,
beautiful families over asking,and I cannot tell you how

(10:38):
pleased I am after with theresults.

Speaker 1 (10:41):
Well, you know you provide a great service.
So, with that being said, youknow that's, that's part of what
you do.
You know what I mean.
So what staging trends are youseeing, because every industry
has trends right that are cominginto play.
What kind of trends are?
What say you regarding yourbusiness in this market today?

Speaker 2 (11:02):
So I.
So, when it comes to trends,staging trends I I'm I'm going
to say like maybe there's moredesign trends.
Like I said, each stager hastheir own design style, their
own color palette and how theystage in their own business.
I try to keep things neutral,classy, with a pop of color, and

(11:26):
Decorize.
If you're interested ininterior design, which is
basically a slightly differentthan staging, because you know
you're putting personality inwith design, you're taking it
out with staging.
You're using the same process,though in order to style the
home, but the current designtrends are terracottas coming

(11:49):
back out, your warm brown tones,your wood textures, kind of
like modern, organic in a way.

Speaker 1 (11:57):
Modern organic.
That's awesome.
I've never heard that before.
So, with that being said, Imean you've provided so much
information and I can tell thatyou're very passionate about
what you do, and sharing thisinformation with our listeners
is priceless, of course.
Could you provide our listenersa way to get ahold of you,

(12:20):
maybe your phone number and yourwebsite?
As we wrap up and, by the way,subscribe listeners if you like
this, please comment in thecomments below as well as
subscribe to the channel andgive us a thumbs up as well.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
So you can find me on Instagram and Facebook Elements
Home Staging on Facebook.
Elementshomestaging onInstagram.
You can find me, jolynn Mora,on LinkedIn.
Wwwelementshomestagingcom is mywebsite and, of course,

(12:58):
407-832-1028 is my phone number.
Call me well, jolene.

Speaker 1 (13:05):
It's been such an honor to have you.
Thank you for taking time outof your busy schedule to share
with our listeners your passionwhen it comes to home staging,
and hopefully we can have youback on the show in the near
future.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you for having me.
I so appreciate the opportunityand this was an awesome time.
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (13:22):
You're very welcome.
Thank you for tuning in toFirst Media Consulting Podcast.
If you enjoyed the podcast,subscribe today To nominate a
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