Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon are known as superbrokers when it comes to the luxury real estate market in New York City. With $1.5 billion in residential sales under their belts, the two have gained recognition for their innovative marketing tactics and for starring on HGTV's "Selling New York."
One of their most valuable tactics for selling a property quickly and at its estimated market value is staging, which involves arranging furniture in a home to help potential buyers envision what it might look like if they were to move in. Working with a professional stager, Postilio and Conlon make the once-empty properties come alive by either using temporary furniture or arranging the owner's existing furniture in a more aesthetically appealing way.
"We put the pieces together in order to give [potential buyers] an idea of how glamorous it could be to live here," Conlon told Business Insider.
We visited the two at one of their latest properties (which has yet to go on the market) to find out about the art of staging and the effect it can have on market value.
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Just one block away from Midtown Manhattan's "Billionaire's Row," this three-bedroom apartment has a distinct interior style. Both Conlon and Postilio immediately knew they were going to have to stage this apartment, which is expected to list for around $4 million.
"In this case, because [the apartment has] such specific decor — heavy dark wood and stone floors — we want to accentuate these special design features rather than just have someone walk in and go, 'Wow this [decor] is too much,'" Postilio said.
The two were careful to note the differences between staging and interior design. "Too much of a design element can turn off buyers. [With staging] you want to neutralize the space in a way that suggests how one might live there," Conlon said.
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