Feb 24, 2014 Common Deal Killing Mistakes As an agent, you have an obligation to stop your clients from making simple mistakes that may sabotage a sale. The most common staging mistakes are as follows: COLLECTION OVERLOAD. The home needs to look orderly and neutral. Even a desirable collection can come across as a pile of space consuming clutter. Let your seller know that while the collection is admirable, a potential buyer will most likely prefer a more neutral home. ECHO CHAMBER STAGING. It seems bad staging ideas amplified more than good ones. That bold wallpaper or bright colored paint may seem like a good idea at the time, but a prospective buyer may feel otherwise. They may keep echoing in a buyers mind and over shadow the pleasant aspects of the home. Tactfully suggest to your seller that while the wallpaper is lovely, a buyer may prefer a more subtle pattern or color. FAILURE TO EDIT. Help your clients edit, edit, edit and the edit some more. Tell your client to look at it pre-packing. If your client seems reluctant to follow your suggestions, ask them to call in a few friends to offer their suggestions. That plain-spoken friend can get the point across in a much less subtle way.