“Who wants to bid on this bottle of sloshy liquid?” asked Karen Flores of Cornerstone Bank as Nine Boss of Century Title & Escrow teasingly hid the mystery item behind her.
The bidding went back and forth until someone finally won and claimed the 2007 bottle of Napa Valley Chardonnay.
The setting was the monthly meeting this past Wednesday of the Women’s Council of Realtors, which took place on the elegant Delta Queen and included a delicious buffet lunch. The event was a bottle auction that raised money for the council to educate incoming officers.
Other items placed on the block included bottled tea and a gift certificate to a popular restaurant, and a bag with a bottle of wine and a massage gift certificate.
Super Sponsor Arrow Exterminators donated the latter, which should do wonders to relieve the stress that can be a part of working in real estate.
Jeanne Bird, the one in charge of Realtor services at the pest exterminator, told agents about a deal that could give them extra pull with clients who want to list a home: Arrow Exterminators does complementary pre-listing inspections for Realtors. “Our guys love crawl spaces,” she said before enumerating the benefits of finding pest and moisture problems before a potential buyer does.
Vice-president of membership Jennifer Grayson announced the council’s need for a president-elect – someone who could benefit from the money raised for education at the luncheon. The council will be electing officers for 2013 in the coming months. “The WCR is a great place to learn about leadership. We want you to succeed,” she said.
Grayson also announced the council is selling sponsorships for its Fashion Show, which will take place October 5 at Loose Cannon beginning at 6:30 p.m. Six are available.
The main attraction of the meeting was the demonstration by Theresa Maddox, owner of Secrets 2 Staging, of the benefits of home staging. While talking, Maddox donned purposefully gaudy clothes and accessories to visually demonstrate the effect an unstaged home has on a buyer.
“You walk in, and their giant Raggedy Ann doll is on the couch, and they’re talking about how precious their things are to them,” said Maddox as she tied a multi-colored scarf over her bright red blazer.
Maddox, a certified home stager, said professional home staging allows homebuyers to visualize a house as their own and guides sellers in preparing their house to display its best features. She offers services that range from doing a basic room-by-room consultation to staging empty houses.
As with all meetings, the pledge to the American flag was given, a brief inspirational word was offered, courtesy of Elaine Boyd Osby, and things were given away, to the delight of the recipients.
Run by women for women, the WCR can pack more into 90 minutes than the average organization.
The Chattanooga chapter of the council has scheduled its next meeting for October 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Delta Queen. Guests are welcome. There is a fee for lunch, but not for the networking or the fun.