Good questions that have been asked before becoming a Home Stager or taking Home Stager Training:
Is a license or certification needed to stage homes?
How is one Home Stager Training program better than another?
How do I find Home Staging clients?
Can a home be staged in just two hours?
Should Realtors® stage their own listings?
Will the Realtor® & Seller Manuals put Home Stagers out of business?
How "real" are Home Staging TV shows?
Are other services covered in the Home Staging Manual and Training?
How much does a Home Stager earn?
How can I learn what to do at a Home Staging appointment?
Is the Home Staging Manual or Home Stager Training guaranteed?
Q. Is a license or certification needed to Stage Homes?
A. No. Really. You don't need either. Home Staging is not a regulated industry. You need a license to practice real estate. To be a Home Stager you need a car and natural talent.
Truth is, anyone can buy a trademarked set of letters that they can then "award" you after you have spent money on their program. Buyer Beware: credentials are a marketing gimmick designed to make you feel that you are getting something important. Often, the argument is that because Realtors® have credentials they will "respect" Home Stagers who have credentials. I have not found this to be true (I can count on one hand the number of people who have asked if I have "credentials" from any of the countless organizations and individuals that offer them). Realtors® have a license and credentials because their industry IS regulated; most people know that Home Staging IS NOT regulated.
Once a year I may receive a call from a Realtor® who says, "I tried a 'certified' Home Stager and wasn’t impressed, but someone in my office recommended that I use you." The bottom line: Anyone can buy credentials and learn some tricks of the trade, but one cannot buy natural talent. You can have all the letters of the alphabet after your name, but if you can't assess a home's contents and envision rooms reconfigured in a better way, not one single letter will be able to keep you in business. If you are good at what you do, people will tell others about their positive experience with you. Earn your "credentials" by doing the actual work and by building a good reputation!
I have opted out of the letters game; feel free to create some on your own after researching the many, many… many… programs out there to first make sure someone hasn't purchased a trademark for them.
My lawyer adds, "The terms 'Home Staging' and 'Home Stager' are descriptive of home staging services and, by themselves, are generally not registrable with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for home staging services. If you are approached by someone claiming to have exclusive rights in these terms for home staging services based on ownership of a federal trademark registration, ask them to provide you with the registration number(s). You can verify the existence and content of trademark registrations on the Internet at http://tarr.uspto.gov." [back to top]
Q. How is one Home Stager Training program better than another?
A. While I do pass on the "letters game," I am a firm believer in the importance of knowing what to do once you're in a seller's home. When I started out in 1999, no one—including most Agents—knew what Home Staging was (at the time it was mostly just adding furniture to a vacant home). HGTV was a new cable network featuring room make-overs and gardening shows; Home Staging shows came out years later. When I started out no one knew what to expect, meaning, there were no expectations! That's no longer true. Buyers and their Agents have come to expect the "wow factor" from the homes they tour, so it's important that we Home Stagers know how to create it.
I've never had anyone ask if I learned Home Staging from this or that organization or trainer. If they're curious, they usually just ask if I studied interior design. Therefore, don't base your selection of a Home Stager Trainer on whether the organization is "recognized," because apparently none are, including my own!
If I were starting out I would want to know how many homes that a potential Home Staging trainer had physically staged in real-world situations. In other words, are the Home Staging trainers more into the training business or the staging business? (Note: Do yourself a BIG favor and "google" the training company that claims to hire you afterwards…it's an eye-opener.)
As for me, I am in the Home Staging business: typically three appointments a day, five days a week. I started offering to train others after getting countless calls and requests to "shadow" me. What makes my Home Stager Training different is that it is NOT a classroom setting. It's you and me at two full days of my appointments, learning in real-life situations, where the Home Staging is not being provided free. These are real homeowners in the throes of selling their most expensive asset, and I am a stranger entering their home who will soon be moving things around that, ten minutes before, seemed just fine where they were!
At the end of each day we review everything over dinner on The Country Club Plaza—my treat!—and discuss marketing, pricing, behind-the-scenes info, etc. Because it’s one-on-one, we can also concentrate on areas where YOU feel you need more support. Essentially, I'm downloading everything I know about this business into your brain.
My Home Stager Training program is intensive. When you have completed it you not only know how to stage a home in two hours, you also know what goes into building a successful service. For some people, the Home Staging Manual is enough. For others, I’ve found that we creative types often learn more effectively when we see, hear and experience, so "reality training" can be enormously beneficial! [back to top]
Q. How do I find Home Staging clients?
A. I prefer to work with real estate agents because, for one, they screen out the whack jobs for me. Seriously.
Both the Home Stager Training and Manual provide the information to help you become established in your community. That said, I can tell you where my Home Staging clients DON'T come from: The Yellow Pages, expensive magazine ads, other Home Staging Web sites listing Home Stagers in my area, etc. In each of my 12 years of business I can count on one hand the number of homes I've staged that resulted from a cold-call received by a seller. When Agents need to find someone to recommend to their sellers, they tend to ask other Agents in their office.
The bottom line: I personally won't be providing leads to you as other Home Stager Training companies claim, because my appointment requests simply don't result from cold-calls. If the "hiring" aspect of a Home Stager Training program appeals to you, do yourself a favor and "google" the company; big eye-opener!. [back to top]
Q. Can a home really be staged in just two hours?
A. This is a key issue that truly separates me from the pack. I've popularized the two-hour staging concept in the Kansas City / Johnson County area and, I suspect, everywhere else it's being practiced. Yes, most homes can be staged in two hours or less. The "how" and "why" of it is discussed at length in the Home Staging Manual, and you see it in action at the Home Stager Training appointments.
Staging a home in two hours is one of the keys to my full schedule. You may be asking yourself, "How do you earn a living if you are not charging an arm and a leg for a long appointment?" My answer is that a successful Home Staging service is defined by more than a hefty fee (IF you can get it!). Personally, I prefer to have a full schedule and be in demand than to wait nervously for my phone to ring with the occasional big-fee inquiry. [back to top]
Q. Why train "the competition"?
A. Now that real estate agents know the value of Home Staging there is more demand for it that I alone cannot possibly meet. This is a Quality Control issue. If a Realtor® tries a Home Stager and is not impressed, s/he may never give another Home Stager a try. Ideally, everyone should have a positive experience when they hire a Home Stager. It benefits us all by building a solid reputation for the profession. The better we are, the more valuable we become, which supports the fee that we charge for the hard work and talent we provide, resulting in homes sold for better prices, ultimately affecting MY city, neighborhood, and home value.
The other reason I'm training the competition is that I grew weary of saying "No" to people when they called asking for a job, or to "shadow" me. Someone once said, "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." That's really how I see this whole training thing. [back to top]
Q. Is it a good idea for real estate agents to home stage their own listings?
A. Agents across the world have provided a form of Home Staging since the beginning of the industry. What's changed is the formality of it. For many homes, it's not enough to suggest a little de-cluttering and a little cleaning. Buyers' expectations are much higher. The Internet photos of a home have become critical to determining if the home gets included on the To-See list. It's not enough for a home to meet the general "search" requirements. The flat images must work hard to entice buyers!
While some Agents are talented and can provide a basic form of Home Staging for their clients, "wearing both hats" can damage both credibility and the Seller-Agent relationship. (Imagine trying to tell your best friend or sister-in-law that her mauve and turquoise decor needs to disappear if she wants her home to sell!) I've seen (and admired) the Agents who roll up their sleeves and do everything from clean a home, spend money for landscaping, send a husband and son over to help paint or move stuff out, then lose the listing in the end because the seller sees the Agent as "personal servant" rather than the "expert in the field" and won't heed good advice.
A Home Stager's role is often to play Not-So-Bad Cop to the Agent's role as Good Cop. Having a neutral, professional, third party make the changes preserves a positive Seller-Agent relationship. The work gets done and there has been no bloodshed! [back to top]
Q. Will the Realtor® and Seller Manuals put Home Stagers out of business?
A. Absolutely not. Talented Agents who can also finesse the appearance of criticizing a home will rarely if ever call a Home Stager anyway. The Realtor® Manual enhances current skills, just as the Seller's Manual enhances current skills of a talented seller.
The Realtor® Manual also contains invaluable negotiating angles unique to their service. Veteran and new Agents alike will benefit greatly from the coaching techniques included, honed from successfully guiding over 4,500 sellers to take action that will help their home sell.
As for the Seller's Manual, it is NOT a guide to assist FSBOs (For Sale By Owner). I am a firm supporter of real estate agents and the service they provide! I have found that some sellers simply want to do everything themselves. The Seller's Manual is written in such a way that Agents would feel comfortable handing it over to their sellers to read. (Plus, there are parts of the world where Home Stagers are not available, so what's a seller to do but stage her own home!)
All 3 Manuals—Seller, Realtor® and Stager—provide a room-by-room approach to preparing a home for sale. They include the "whys" and the "hows" for doing the many different things that are necessary to get a home ready to sell. [click here to see a Table of Contents for the 3 Manuals]
Finally, even the Agents who home stage their own listings will occasionally need to call for "back-up." The Realtor® as Stager Manual very clearly spells out when that might be a good idea! (Frankly, the coaching information alone is worth the price of the Realtor® as Stager Manual!) [back to top]
Q. How "real" are Home Staging TV shows?
A. One way they're not: Budget! (Always missing from the "total money spent" are the contractors' fees!) I've found that most sellers are not able or willing to spend money on a home they're leaving. A Home Stager needs to know how to help sellers spend as little money as possible for maximum impact, as well as how to determine whether spending a chunk of money will be worth the investment.
I do appreciate how the shows have educated sellers on the importance of presenting a good product to the market. When a little budget money is available, both my Home Stager Training and Home Staging Manual describe how to use it wisely.
Regarding the Interior Redesign shows: Personally, after watching some of the redesigns I’m left wondering about how the rest of the house is now filled with "problem rooms" after being ransacked to create the one fabulous room. With Home Staging, ALL of the rooms must look as good as possible! [back to top]
Q. Do the Home Stager Manual and Home Staging Training cover Interior Redesign and other services for people not moving?
A. Both explore many ways to grow your home staging business in related areas, including interior redesign. [back to top]
Q. Does the Home Staging Manual include sample reports, consultation checklists, price lists, contracts and other business forms?
A. The Home Staging Manual includes an actual consultation report done for a client. It also includes the detailed thought process you need to determine what should go on a report. Not every home should be treated the same. An older home competing with other older homes often requires a different approach compared to a home competing with nearby new construction. The Manual teaches you how to prudently use a seller's limited budget. The Manual also includes a list of items for creating your own report, with guidelines for making it as detailed or generic as you prefer. There's also an argument for NOT providing a standardized report!
While the Manual provides guidelines for creating your business forms and marketing pieces, the Literature Package includes a dozen actual samples of invoices and other business forms, marketing samples, price lists, a business plan…all sent via E-mail (Microsoft Word and Publisher). They can be used as templates or guidelines for creating pieces that you need. They show you how to determine the services you will offer, how to phrase your services, how to price them, and the pitfalls to avoid. [back to top]
Q. How much does a Home Stager earn?
A. This is one of those crystal ball questions that cannot be answered until you read my Home Staging Manual or take my Home Stager Training program. Both help you first define your Home Staging service(s) then determine your fee(s). Many variables can go into your income potential including the different services you will offer, how many hours you want to work, and your specific market. As with all new business ventures, it is recommended that you have financial back-up as you are building your Home Staging business. [back to top]
Q. How can I learn what to do at a Home Staging appointment?
A. This question addresses confidence in your God-given talent. If you have an eye for balance and beauty—and you can be diplomatic, I’ve created a systematic approach that can be easily learned in both the Home Stager Training and the Home Staging Manual. I address consistent problem areas—room by room, feature by feature, person by person—and how to work with them. Even though each home—and seller—is different, I approach them all the same in order to enjoy the creative process, achieve the best results, and share the positive experience of Home Staging with as many sellers as possible! [back to top]
Q. Is the Home Staging Manual or Home Stager Training program guaranteed?
A. With my Home Staging Manuals and Home Stager Training program, I guarantee that you will receive detailed, inside information that can help you build a Home Staging service. What you DO with that information is up to you! Due to the proprietary nature of the information being provided, there is NO money-back guarantee. Essentially, I cannot retrieve the information from your memory! The Home Staging Manuals are priced in such a way that there is little to lose if you decide Home Staging is not the right path for you. Read what others have said after reading the Home Staging Manual and completing the Home Stager Training. [back to top]
Q. What if I have questions after reading the Home Staging Manual or taking the Home Stager Training program?
A. For people who purchase my Home Staging Manual or take my Home Stager Training program I am available via E-mail to answer questions as you are building your Home Staging business. I want you to succeed, so keep in touch if I can assist you! [back to top]
Articles reposted on other Web sites include:
http://akarismaticlife.blogspot.com/2007/01/dozen-quick-fixes-or-short-cuts-for.html
https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=13477&post=72743&uid=183016230165#post72743
http://www.sheraldevaughn.com/stagingyourhome.htm
http://frankdl.featuredblog.com/?p=11
http://www.theheritagehometeam.com/whats-hot-and-whats-not-in-selling-your-home/
http://leslie-reecenichols.blogspot.com/
http://mykcagent.blogspot.com/
http://www.mytwinbees.com/2010/11/real-estate-photos/
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=494822056414
http://robellermanteam.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html
http://robellermanteam.blogspot.com/
http://robellermanteam.blogspot.com/2011/08/pet-peeves-of-home-stager.html