Daily Inspiration: Meet Karen Durbin and Evie Scofield

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Durbin and Evie Scofield.

Hi Karen and Evie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Karen and Evie met when their daughters were in preschool and formed a quick friendship with a shared love for art, creative ventures, home decor, and Colorado real estate. When a close friend who owned a home staging business asked them to work for her, they were able to combine their passion for art and decor with their interest in real estate and quickly decided that home staging was for them. A dream of owning their own business and being partners started to form. When the staging company’s owner closed shop and moved her career in a new direction, Wildflowers Home Staging quit being a dream and became a reality. Karen and Evie are proud owners and entrepreneurs of this woman-owned business and have found a place where they can help others, stay involved in real estate, and live in a world full of pillows and art.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We opened our doors in the middle of a global pandemic. We had to be constantly mailable in how we did things to adhere to ever-changing Covid restrictions. Business was good at first and we were pleasantly surprised at being out of the red within the first two months. But then the natural winter real estate slowdown was exacerbated by the pandemic and business just about stopped. There were times we both wanted to quit, but we made sure we never both wanted to quit on the same day. Going into business with a close friend can be a little scary. We always remind ourselves what a gift it is to be able to work with your best friend but that we must still treat each other with the same professionalism and courtesy that we treat our clients. We love being an integral part of the real estate village — the agents, photographers, homeowners and buyers. Every day brings us a new challenge — new home with its own personality — and we get to hang out with our bestie and help that hone find its voice.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Home staging is an interesting blend of pragmatic real estate decisions mixed with artistic thinking. Vacant homes are a blank canvas and the goal of home staging is to warm up that empty box and make it appeal to the highest number of buyers. We take into consideration the home’s style and character, the neighborhood, and the target buyer as we choose furniture, art, and decor. Owner-occupied homes are full of the sellers’ memories and their own design tastes. We work closely with the agent and the homeowner to create a neutral and soothing design while still using mostly their own possessions. We often create custom pieces of art or decor to fit a certain home. We walk a fine line between what appeals to buyers and agents and still makes homeowners comfortable. The artistic process can be challenging but it’s so rewarding to see a home go for top dollar with happy buyers and sellers.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The real estate industry is a roller coaster with slow seasons and crazy busy seasons. In the slow times, staging sells homes faster and often for more. In the busy times, staging brings in the serious buyers and can still increase profit. The Colorado market is showing no signs of slowing down but we predict it will begin to stabilize. We are seeing more and more agents who believe in the value of home staging, and we love being a part of their team and riding this roller coaster with them.

Contact Info:

• Email: Karen@wildflowershomestaging.com
• Website: www.wildflowershomestaging.com
• Instagram: Wildflowers_home_staging
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/wildflowershomestaging/

Image Credits
Karen Durbin Evie Scofield