Want Higher Resale On Your Home? Invest In Good Design, Says Rena Kliot

As a society, we love good design. We fawn over it, prop up the designers we love, fill our homes and lives with it, use it to express our points of view, and invest in it all in the names of clever function and elevated aesthetics. 

Good design is more than an aesthetic indulgence, though, and from an real estate perspective it can play a pivotal role when buying or selling property. Rena Kliot, the founder of Pulse International Realty of New York and Miami, is 18 years in the real estate game and is a leader in real estate trends, including the role of design in sales. 

Kliot has shared her expertise on the intersection of design and real estate alongside people like respected sustainable architect, Kobi Karp, at places like design world mainstay, the Design Center of the Americas, where she has shared ideas that a home purchase is (sometimes) more about the design of the home itself than anything else. 

“A top level designer will always add to the bottom line, even if its simply based on the added value of having it already done. The workmanship, design, labor and products, fixtures, art and furniture alone all have to be accounted for,” she says, “But that’s just from a dollars and cents standpoint and then there is also the time and effort saved which has tremendous value for some buyers.”

Design has become such an important part of the real estate business that her agency offers in-house design services. Her team takes a home and tailors it to a client’s every specification and necessity, providing them with a turnkey home to which they can show up with just their clothes.

“We also collaborate a great deal with galleries and I will shop with my clients seeking out the perfect piece of art to adorn their new walls, creating an even more personal approach to real estate sales,” says Kliot. 

This service exists for multiple reasons. For her clients purchasing vacation homes or pied-a-terres, they are able to close on the property and begin to use it immediately. For investors, it can mean buying a home and having it fully finished and furnished to prepare for a renter, making the lag time between purchase and rental almost none, and the return on investment practically immediate—with a premium, at that.

“I work with a very discerning client base whom all lead very busy lives,” says Kliot, “For many of them, if they can walk into something they love that is ready, and was done by a designer they are familiar with and respect, that all has added value. From a resale standpoint, good design allows for the best way to display a home to onlookers offering them an opportunity to visualize. People take note of light, space and quality so it’s important to be cognizant of those elements.”

So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to selling a home, Kliot believes design—beyond that of just staging—can be a key element a sale. 

Kliot goes on to explain that light and neutrality are two of the most important things to consider when selling a home, especially when showing a home that is fully designed. “I think it’s important that it somehow conveys an appeal to both male and female for starters as we don’t know whom the buyer or decision maker will be, so it needs to be appealing enough for almost anyone to see themselves in it,” she says.

Additionally, when selling a property she recommends minimizing clutter and at the very least, covering the walls in a fresh coat of paint. She advises against upgrading kitchens and bathrooms because many buyers will upgrade those areas after purchasing. “It really is a case by case situation. It is sometimes challenging to sell something that is dated hence it will require some upgrading,” she says. 

If you are going for an all-out high-design investment into your home, Kliot has some favorite designers that can bring that elusive added value to a property.

“Some of the designers I personally love are Roman and Williams. They create stories in spaces that are inviting and sexy and they work magic in spaces both large and small. Via Bizzuno does extraordinary lighting fixtures, and I’m also drawn to Holly Hunt. Brown Davis does magnificent custom staircases and accent walls that are works of art,” she says.

“Poltrona Frau is Italian chic and just contemporary enough while maintaining an inviting warmth in their furniture design. Thomas Pheasant’s designs offer a classic, yet slightly more traditional, upscale feel and his mirror designs are unique and can double as artwork.”

Among other names Kliot cites design world mega stars like Jean Louis Denoit, Philippe Starck, Rockwell group, Kelly Hoppen and Ryan Korban.

“For many people a home is the largest investment of their lives, why not enjoy it fully,” adds Kliot. “Good design allows for the best use of space in a place that should serve as your sanctuary. One should always be longing to go home.”