With their kids off to college, my clients were ready to find their forever home—something newly built or fully renovated. Unimpressed by local options, we toured new constructions they admired, and I tracked down one of the builders. A successful meeting between my clients and the builder led to the construction of a new home, so the pressure was on!

Their existing 5BR, 3.2BA home was in one of Montclair’s most desirable neighborhoods. A prior renovation had expanded the kitchen, added a family room, and upgraded the primary suite with a dressing room and bath. More recently, they had renovated the main second-floor bathroom. Though the lot was smaller, it featured a beautifully landscaped yard and was close to the Upper Montclair business district.

Years of life had filled the home with a mix of cherished art and heirloom furniture—but also with hand-me-downs from relatives, which had muddled its style. While no major updates were needed, the home needed a refresh to feel current and compelling.

We focused on smart cosmetic improvements: repainting key rooms, updating fixtures, and thoughtfully staging the home. We decluttered, edited their art and furniture, and curated each space to highlight the home’s architecture and spacious interior—especially important given the smaller lot.

Since my clients were building a new home, they wanted certainty in their sale price. Rather than underpricing to drive competition, we priced closer to their goal while staying aligned with comps. The result? Multiple offers, well over asking, with favorable terms—including a generous inspection credit and two months of free lease-back.

Clients often ask, “How much do you think it’s worth?” But before I answer, I always ask, “How much do you want?” Most respond with a conservative number or something they’ve heard from a neighbor. Not this time—my client’s goal price was bold, far above local comps. In fact, the only comparable sale was a significantly larger, fully renovated home.

Because I specialize in luxury properties, I know what high-end buyers expect. My clients had purchased their home as a flip a decade ago, and while the bones were strong and the architecture striking, finishes had aged and daily life had taken a toll. Still, they had made smart improvements: a finished, waterproofed basement with a wine cellar, California closets, updated mechanicals, refreshed landscaping, and a renovated carriage house.

To elevate the home to true luxury status, we leaned into its architectural strengths and executed a strategic refresh—new paint, re-sanded floors, updated lighting, and full staging. All completed in just 10 days.

For pricing, we resisted the trend of deeply underpricing to drive bidding wars. Instead, we listed the home just 10% under target—enough to spark interest but still support our goal. After two packed open houses, we received three competitive offers. The winning bid exceeded our expectations—and my client’s ambitious number.

The seller contacted me after their Tudor mansion had sat on the market for 4–5 months with only six showings, during a time when large homes were in high demand. I knew the issue wasn’t the house itself, but how it was being presented.

This grand 7-bedroom, 4.2-bath estate just outside downtown Montclair was stunning, with a parterre garden and impeccable updates. But its dark, dramatic Tudor style, combined with a $2M+ price tag and high taxes, limited its appeal. The decor, though high quality, reflected a very specific taste that narrowed the buyer pool even further.

After touring the property, I recommended taking it off the market to rework the presentation.

Over three weeks, we refreshed the décor with lighter paint, updated lighting, and modern furnishings—all designed to highlight the craftsmanship while softening the Tudor feel. The goal was to appeal not just to Tudor lovers, but to buyers seeking light, open spaces.

We then relaunched the home with strategic pricing and marketing. After one broker opened and three public open, we received four offers in two weeks and accepted one over asking.

After purchasing the home in 2017 for $601K and spending seven years in the suburbs, my sellers were ready to return to city life after their child’s graduation. When I toured the home with them in March, I asked what price they were hoping to achieve. Their answer was ambitious—about $100K above recent comps for similar homes.

The house had great bones: a renovated (but now slightly dated) kitchen, spacious living areas, a sunroom, generous bedrooms, a massive third-floor primary suite with a walk-in closet, a finished basement, deep backyard, and oversized garage. However, since their purchase, the home had seen little updating beyond some paint—and no air conditioning. Meanwhile, their attention had shifted toward their second home.

With spring selling season already underway, we had to move quickly. We focused on showing buyers not just a well-maintained house, but one with meaningful, modern updates. Top priority: air conditioning. We knew that buyers place a premium on turnkey systems—and that uncertainty around mechanical upgrades often translates to value deductions. So, the sellers installed three split AC units in key rooms.

The plan was to update dated fixtures (lighting and fans), brighten rooms with fresh coats of lighter shades of paint. And..AC! The sellers installed 3 spilt AC units in key rooms. We also had the yard refreshed and staged the house to perfection. The house felt “new(er)”– that really spoke to buyers, as they felt there were no major projects that had to be completed.  We held two open houses and had multiple offers accepting an offer that was well above what my client had dreamed.

This special 3-bedroom 1.5 bath house had been a fantastic purchase in 2016 – a sleeper on the market, my client snatched it up before the public open for a very reasonable price. Located on a street that terminated at Brookdale Park, It had gracious architecture and good mechanicals, CAC and spacious rooms but was purchased in the 1980s by the previous owner who made few aesthetic updates. My client had vision and planned a phenomenal renovation with an interior designer that I connected her to.

7 years on, now experienced in home ownership, my client started to look for greener (larger) pastures and to be closer to family. During her time in Bloomfield, the market had changed considerably. Bloomfield, especially the Brookdale section, which was always popular with first time homeowners, now the neighborhood attracted downsizers who were looking to simplify their home ownership demands. This latter audience were a more discerning clientele and had generous budgets.

We already knew the house would be popular with families, but we also wanted to position the house to attract the sophisticated downsizers and professionals. Staging was our only tool, but we used it expertly to speak to many audiences. We chose furniture that was elevated but accessible and took advantage of the spacious rooms.

Our strategy was successful – in one weekend we held 2 open houses with almost 200 people cycling through the house we had many offers and we achieved a phenomenal price for a 3BR 1.5Bth home.

The Garrabrant home came to us with great potential – sellers with impeccable style, incredible natural light, and a beautiful exterior. But even impressive properties need strategic staging to unlock maximum market value, and our clients needed the strongest possible sale to make their dream home a reality. Here's how we transformed this charming cape into a buyer magnet.

Our approach enhanced what was already working while making strategic updates to maximize buyer appeal. We refreshed key areas with carefully selected paint, thoughtfully curated the sellers' art and book collections, optimized natural light through furniture placement, updated select lighting fixtures, and introduced new pieces to create optimal flow. The result: When buyers walked through your front door, they saw a home that's been loved, maintained, and perfectly prepared for their next chapter.