Core Value Series: GRACEFUL

At Spade and Archer, our mantras surrounding our core value ‘Graceful’ are as follows:

We are honest without being brutal.

We are cool under pressure.

We adapt quickly.

We are humble.

Grace is our most difficult core value to achieve on a daily basis. Grace not only applies to moving furniture but also how we interact with people. We never know when our grace will be tested, and we must call upon this core value on a moment’s notice. Being graceful means not only providing others with the grace to make mistakes, but to also allow ourselves the grace to make those same mistakes.

So what does it mean to be Graceful? When everything is going right, it is very easy to be graceful, even for the most clumsy person. But when things go wrong, our grace is truly tested. Every day in the world of home staging our ability to be graceful is tested and every day we strive to meet our standard of grace. Whether an item is broken or a client is upset, we use grace to smooth out the rough edges. We do our best to be honest without being mean, delivering messages that both need to be heard and can be difficult to hear. When a client does get angry, we do our best to stay calm and collected. We try to understand that the anger is mostly likely due to being in a high pressure situation and more than likely not a direct result of our actions. We learn from the situation at hand and adapt quickly to meet the needs of the moment and we try to take it all in stride without being too full of ourselves.

We had an opportunity to sit down and chat with one of our most graceful clients, Ruth Price. Ruth has had the opportunity to change markets twice. Starting in Bend, Oregon, she then moved to Portland, Oregon and most recently to Phoenix, Arizona. As we all know building a business from scratch can test even the most graceful person and Ruth has handled it beautifully.

Ruth has been a fantastic client for well over 10 years. As a result of the countless lessons in grace we have learned from working with her over the years, we feel that maybe you would want a chance to meet such a lovely person. Take a listen to her episode of Behind the Yard Sign by clicking here.

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Core Value Series: ADEPT

What does it mean to be adept? At Spade and Archer our mantras surrounding our core value ‘Adept’ are as follows:

We are masters of our craft down to its core components.

We create beauty in all things we touch.

If we don't know we will figure it out.

We have impeccable taste.

We believe in providing quality service by honing in on what we are most adept at. For us here at Spade and Archer it is exceptional home staging made easy. For our friend Michael Kafoury with Urban Nest it is bringing to Portland quality real estate.

Michael Kafoury with Urban Nest Real Estate

Michael shares with us lessons that have helped define him as an adept real estate agent. He speaks to making the deal happen to client relationships.

One of the first lessons Michael learned in his three years as a real estate agent was “Don’t be an expert in something you're not an expert in.” When you don’t have the answer to a question sometimes the best answer is “I’ll get my guy on it and get back to you within 24 hours.” The follow through of getting back and always doing what you say you’re going to do is key. As Justin says, "We teach our clients the story they are going to tell about us.” Might as well make it a good one.

Michael has learned that when working with a new client you can tell them what to do based off of your experience and knowledge as an agent; but sometimes the clients need to learn on their own. Michael says, “Let people see what their decisions will lead to and kind of go from there.” Providing the clients the space to learn through the process is an important part of building trust in the relationship.

When asked which comes first the relationship or the deal Michael said the following,"You’re really doing a disservice to your client if you only take the relationship serious. There are things you can do right and things you can do wrong. And if they are doing things wrong and it's a detriment to them they can loose money, they can loose negotiation position, they could buy a house that has serious issues that is going to cost them tons of money and resale value and things in the future. There are so many factors to consider that can seriously hurt someone in the long term.” While giving the client space to learn also providing structure and guidelines to keep them from straying too far from the deal is important.

We are lucky to work with such an adept agent who brings an aptitude of knowledge with him. We can’t wait to see what Michael brings to the table as he gains more experience and pursues his passion of real estate.

To hear his entire episode on Behind the Yard Sign, click here.

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CORE VALUE SERIES: THOUGHTFUL

Thoughtfulness, a theme we hear a lot about this holiday season. Here at Spade and Archer ’thoughtfulness' is one of our core values that we embody year round. From our staff to our clients we each bring this simple word to life through beautiful small actions. Being thoughtful not only allows us to show others how much we care but determines what kind of person we will become. Just as Aaron Bloom who turned a thank you note in $30 million.

Aaron bloom of Windermere

While finding his passion in life and exploring different career avenues Aaron Bloom remained thoughtful as to what kind of person he wanted to become. His journey brought him through 22 different jobs, all of which helped him grow in different ways.

During his time working at Nordstrom Aaron pushed the boundaries of “What is service really like?” When the situation was appropriate he would gather permission to load up his car with clothes and drive them to the hotel of the potential client. Aaron states, “That was the first time in my life it was ever infused into me, that service is selling. And that if you always lead with service the sales come naturally, you don’t even have to ask for them.” With each act of service Aaron portrayed thoughtfulness as to what kind of person he was becoming.

This service oriented mindset carried over to his real estate career. Through working with Windermere he learned lessons that aligned with his core values. While having coffee with a developer, just to grow his knowledge, he put into action a game changing lesson... “Learn how to stop talking.” This lesson allowed him to learn and grow as a person. After a thoughtful conversation Aaron followed up with a hand written thank you note. This thoughtfulness led him to be remembered, considered and later chosen on his first development project.

To this day Aaron approaches life by being thoughtful and grateful to those around him. "If I can’t be 100% honest, open, genuine and vulnerable I don't want to do it.” He has learned the importance of his core values and how they determine the trajectory of his future. Luckily for Spade and Archer our values align with Aaron’s and we have had the pleasure to work beside an extremely genuine, organic, thoughtful friend. And for that we could not be more thankful.

To hear his entire episode on Behind the Yard Sign, click here.

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Meet our Seattle Designer, Megan

Hello! I’m Megan, one of Spade and Archer’s Designers. I work together with our dedicated team during the home staging process in preparation for homes to go live on Seattle’s thriving real estate market.

After completing my BFA in Photography at the University of Connecticut, I relocated to Seattle where I continue to follow my interests in the arts and all things aesthetic. I got my first exposure to home staging while working with Seattle real estate agents and photographers, quickly gaining interest in the fast-paced and creative environment.

 As a Designer, some of my responsibilities include assessing a home’s layout and determining the best composition of Spade and Archer’s unique collection of furniture and accessories to stage properties for tours, open houses, and real estate photography.

 I’ve always had a love for design and its diverse applications. As someone with a passion for puzzles and problem solving, the process of creating a warm and inviting home environment is endlessly captivating as there is no singular solution. However, the home staging process is simultaneously satisfying as there is always a conclusion in the end.

When I am not out staging Seattle’s next home for sale, I enjoy rock climbing at Snoqualmie Pass, art walks in Pioneer Square, and live music wherever I can get it!

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Meet our Seattle Designer, Haley

Hi there! My name is Haley and I’m a Junior Designer at Spade and Archer Design Agency. I have always had an interest in design, but in school I felt like it wasn’t something that I could succeed at, so instead I pursued a degree in Psychology. After I graduated from Oregon State University, I worked for the OSU Extension Service remotely doing website design. However, it wasn’t something that kept my passion burning, so I decided to explore my options related to interior design. That is when I found out about home staging. One day I applied for a warehouse position at Spade and Archer and after a couple interviews, I got the job! I wasn’t necessarily working in design yet, as I was doing more of the heavy lifting, but I was so happy to be one step closer. 

A few months into the new job at Spade and Archer, we had a crazy day where one of the designers was suddenly no longer able to be apart of the team, so Dan, the Creative Director at the Seattle location and Justin, the founder and CEO, asked if I was up to playing the part of designer. They knew I was interested in design and I happily told them I would do my very best. It also helped that my fellow warehouse crew members graciously supported me as I tried to learn on the job. I’m not going to say it was easy to play this new role, and I’m still learning more as I go, but I have really enjoyed the journey so far.

At the warehouse, my job starts with picking out furniture to use in our home staging project for the day. Then I move on to picking out linens and pillows so I can get an idea of what colors I would like to use in each room. Then it’s on to art and accessories! Then it is time to load up and travel to the project for the day. At the stage my job is kind of like putting a puzzle together. We usually have most of the pieces, they all just need to work together to make something beautiful. It is so fun to see what comes together in the end. 

Seattle home staging is so unique because there are such an array of houses, condos, and apartments that we work in. I’ve been in historical buildings in Pioneer Square, new high rises, and even a houseboat! Each day brings something new.
The best part of it all is working with such fabulous people! The Seattle crew really welcomed me as a part of the team, and I count them all as friends. We like to play music and crack jokes while we work, and even on tough days we are still able to smile and laugh. Working in the home staging industry doesn’t always make for easy days, but seeing the staged home that our team worked really hard on is always a great reward.

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