The Hot Seat: Kate Roe

Welcome to The Hot Seat, where we talk to folks who work in Brooklyn real estate, development, architecture, and the like. In this installment, we chat with Kate Roe, a former Douglas Elliman broker who now stages apartments.

Brownstoner: What neighborhood do you currently live in, and how’d you end up there?
Kate Roe: I just moved to Astoria after 11 years in three different neighborhoods in Brooklyn (Park Slope, Ditmas Park and Greenpoint). Love is what brought me back (I spent seven years here in my 20s).

BS: How’d you get started in real estate and then move on to staging?
KR: I got started in real estate after turning into a bit of a real estate junky as a seller/buyer when my co-op was on the market. I staged it for sale, it got a lot of attention, and I had a lot of people urging me to get into the industry. A couple years into being a real estate agent I started to stage my own listings and those of colleagues more and more. From peoples’ reactions I discerned I had something special I could offer as a stager, while at the same time I realized that while I enjoyed working with people, being a sales agent was not for me. The transition became obvious and through word of mouth I’m keeping very busy. You can’t really beat that.

BS: Can you talk about your current projects in Brooklyn, and specifically on a memorable project you’ve had?
KR: I just finished a 2 bedroom co-op in Brooklyn Heights which was a great success. It had been on the market for a year with no luck and the week I staged it they got two offers and they’re going into contract on one of them. It’s the kind of thing that sounds too good to be anything but luck, but it’s not the first time for me. Once I staged my own listing in Carroll Gardens after several months on the market with only a couple low offers, and got a great offer the night I was finished AND she wanted to buy all the furniture! It can be hard to quantify the effects of staging to sellers and developers, but there are many stories like that to tell. Something else enjoyable about the process is when I’m able to use locally-produced furnishings and art from friends I’ve met along the way. They give me great deals on unique items that make a development really stand out and I’m happy to be able to support them. One of my latest developments in Park Slope (226 15th Street) has wonderful pieces from Fat Dog Fabrication, Gauge nyc, Brooklynmade and TopStar Gallery; all Brooklyn-based shops.

BS: What kind of inspiration do you look for? Are you usually given guidelines or given free range?
KR: Staging to me is never, ever about filling an empty space. In fact the old adage that something is better than nothing is completely false. If you present furniture and a design that looks like an afterthought or nothing special or in contrast with the style of the building, it doesn’t make a buyer comfortable. You want the quality of the building to be read in the design of the apartment, and you want it to inspire and make sense. You want it to feel special. I would say every stager has their signature, and you can see it even if different jobs require different styles of design. One always has to pull their inspiration from the space and what would complement it, as well as what would excite the targeted buyer. The only guidelines I’m usually given is if a room is to be done as an office vs. kid’s room, etc. Otherwise I’m free to make the most of the budget I’m given. If I’m getting close to the end of a project and I’m sitting down more often to just look around it means I’m doing well. I always want to create a space where people just want to sit and stay.

BS: And, finally, your favorites: What’s your top Brooklyn neighborhood; fave new development; and property on the market?
KR: Favorite neighborhood is tough! I tend to fall for each neighborhood again on every new job. I’m a bit keen on Greenwood Heights today. I like all the listings that come up in the Ansonia buildings in Park Slope. 25 Carroll was probably my most recent fave development. It looks like 192 Water in Dumbo will be my cup of tea as well – though a significantly more expensive brew.