REAL ESTATE

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Helping Hands
Tactics to make a house more saleable used to range from a fresh coat of paint and flowers in the foyer to a loaf of homemade bread baking in the oven. In the current competitive market with increased inventory, sellers and their agents are looking for new and creative ways to make their listings more appealing. This may range from offering the agent who comes in with the buyer a two-year lease on a brand new BMW to inviting prospects over for "Friday Movie Night" in the expansive home theater, popcorn included. One open house off Further Lane was a veritable high-end cocktail party with a full bar, catered hors d'oeuvres and a scented candle gift for each guest. Like the pretty country girl who arrives in the big city, homes for sale simply have to try harder to stand out.

Staging a house is becoming vastly more popular in the Hamptons, already a major initiative in the city. Barbara Feldman of BF Designs reports her staging business has taken a quantum leap in just the past few weeks. Her services range from furnishing empty spec houses to rearranging existing homes, doing everything from choosing paint colors and hanging curtains to hiring a cleaning crew. One difference from her interior design business is that Feldman works very fast and creates a style for broad appeal. For a monthly rental fee, she will pull from her furniture warehouse whatever is needed. "The staging has to not only make the house look good," Feldman says, "but set it apart, make it memorable. The days of an all-white empty house are over." She says one Sag Harbor house that sat on the market for months with no action got an offer the first day it was shown furnished.

Another current sales tool is not new but focuses on the ancient Eastern art of Feng Shui (Donald Trump is a believer) to maximize the positive energy and balance of a home.