Don’t you wish that there was an easy step-by-step guide to getting started as a home stager? I would love to say that this is it, but embarking on a new career is a BIG deal, and is one that should be given the attention that it deserves! That said, I can provide you with some tips for the first steps that you should take on your journey to becoming a home stager.
Do your research
Just like any career, you want to be sure that you know what you’re getting yourself into! Don’t be fooled into thinking that what you see on TV is the full picture. So how do you learn more about the industry?
Reach out to local home stagers – the best way to do this is to find out if there is a local RESA chapter nearby where you could attend a meeting. Home Stagers, like most entrepreneurs, work very hectic schedules, and given that they are working in the real estate industry, most of their work is very time-sensitive. While most love to help to educate others about what a career in home staging is all about, they may not always have the time to meet or chat with you. That said, if you do not have a local RESA chapter in your area, absolutely feel free to reach out to home stagers directly, keeping in mind that you are more likely to receive a response during a time of year when the real estate market is a little slower (this can vary by city, and in some areas, simply doesn’t exist).
What is the local demand for home staging services? Home staging has been a VERY lucrative and rewarding career choice for a lot of people, but keep in mind that some real estate markets will be much more advanced in their home staging awareness and adoption of this service into standard industry practice. A successful home staging business can be built anywhere, but if the home staging industry is less developed, some areas may take longer to build, and you will want to be prepared for this. In addition to speaking with home stagers, it would serve you well to talk to real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others in the real estate industry to help you to gauge the demand of your services.
Job Shadowing – this is a great opportunity to get to see what home staging is like, first-hand. I once had a staging assistant who had a great interest in potentially becoming a home stager herself, and welcomed the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the industry by working alongside me. After only two home staging projects, she quit. She said that she “just wanted to be a home stager”, and if I had any work that was more or less “just staging”, then she would be happy to help. What she failed to realize was that every aspect of work that was assigned to her, in fact, WAS home staging! She wanted a real look at the industry, and we gave it to her, but it turns out that she really only wanted to work in the TV version of what she thought home staging was. Job Shadowing a local stager is a great way to see exactly what a career in home staging looks like.
Join a Facebook Group – we happen to have created one geared at people just like you! Click here to join the group and ask any questions that you would like!
Strategy Session – Are you someone that would just prefer to talk it out? Click here to book a one-on-one with me, where you can ask me anything!
Budget for Your New Career
What costs should you expect when first starting your business? What will your on-going operating expenses be like? How will you pay your bills while you are building your business? Will you own your home staging inventory, or rent from a third-party furniture rental company?
There are a number of questions like this that you will want to explore BEFORE diving head-first into the deep end. We answer all of these questions and more in our Behind-the-Scenes webinar.
Get Professional Training
Just like any profession, proper certification and training is critical to success. The investment in a quality certification program is just like the one that you would make to become an accountant, a plumber, or any other skilled profession. While you may have a natural talent that will serve you very well in this industry, it’s your training that will make you an expert in your profession, one that your clients will be happy to pay for.
Create a business plan
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Once you have been trained as an expert in your field, it’s time to get yourself out there and start generating some business! To do this, you will need to select a business name, what type of business you will operate (sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, etc), and set out your company’s policies and objectives. All of this and more should be covered in a detailed business plan – do NOT skip this step! Remember:
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin Franklin
Read my book (warning…shameless plug)
Oh yeah…did I mention I’m writing a book all about the ins and outs of becoming a home stager, and what you can expect as you embark on this career? Well, it’s not ready just yet, but you can check out an excerpt from it here, and we hope to open pre-sales for the book VERY soon!
Still have questions about getting started as a home stager? Schedule a 1-on-1 chat with home staging expert, Shauna Lynn Simon – click here to select a time that is convenient to you.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re ready to take your passion for décor and turn it into a profitable staging business, sign up for our free home staging starter training. You’ll learn the insider secrets to building a successful staging career, from client acquisition to pricing strategies. Let’s take that passion and turn it into a career you’ll love!
Since home staging as a career has gained additional exposure over the last several years, there are now more options than ever for home staging training. With so many options available, it can be difficult to choose which one is the “best” one to take. The answer to this question will depend greatly on what your goals and expectations are. There are several factors to consider in selecting the course that is right for you:
–How long do you hope to work in this new career for?
§Will they be there for you through the various stages of your business? What sort of support will they provide?
§If you plan to be in and out of the business in a short time-frame, will they help you with the exit-strategy?
§If you plan to make this your career for the next couple of decades, will they keep you up-to-date and current as trends and techniques change and evolve?
–Are you interested in expanding your services beyond home staging (i.e. home organizing, colour consultations, redesign services, and more)?
oIf yes, you’ll want to review what additional training they will provide you to ensure that you are properly equipped to provide these to your clients. Many courses offer advanced options in the areas of design, through continuing education, and others incorporate it into the home stager training course.
–Do you have any experience running a business?
oIf not, what sort of training will they provide you for managing the business, including registration, day-to-day operations, outlining your services and pricing, marketing, expansion, and more?
oAre they teamed up with resources that will help you to build and grow your business? Any reputable home staging program will have affiliates that they work with to provide you with valuable information, supplies, and discounts.
–How much time will the course take?
oThe answer you’re looking for for this question might not be what you think! The longer that the course takes to complete, the more comprehensive it likely is. Whether it’s an in-class or online training program, you’ll want to identify the time commitment before registering, to ensure that you are ready to make the commitment that it needs.
–What does the course content cover?
oWhat value will you get for your investment into your training? Review the type of information that you will learn, from home staging techniques, to design theory, to creating your systems and processes, and running the day-to-day business.
oWill they offer you templates and cheat sheets for starting your business, or will you be creating these yourself from scratch?
–What direction do you wish to take the business?
oDo you plan to own your own home staging inventory, or rent it? Do they teach you the differences, and help you to decide which is best for you?
oIs there a particular niche that you hope to specialize in? If so, what training do they provide in that area?
oDo you hope to add staffing to your business, or keep it a solo operation? How will they help with whichever direction you choose?
oSome courses will charge you a membership fee in order to keep your designation title, whereas others will charge you a fee to maintain your access to your training material. Be sure to clearly understand these fees upfront before investing, and ensure that you are prepared to pay them over the coming years.
–Who will be your training instructor, and what is their experience with home staging?
oAre they currently operating a home staging business, or have they operated one in the past?
oIf they are not currently operating a home staging business, when was the last time that they worked hands-on with clients?
You’ll notice that price was not mentioned as a factor here, but in truth it should be mentioned. The reason that it was not outlined as a deciding factor is that most reputable training programs will be comparable in price, and therefore this shouldn’t be a deciding factor. If a program is listed significantly lower than the others that you have researched, the chances are that the training provided will be sub-par (you’ve heard the saying that “you get what you pay for”, right?).
At the end of the day, choose the one that best fits your needs and your expectations. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and contact them directly to ask your questions. Heading down any new career path is a big decision, and one that you want to make carefully and purposefully.
Want to learn more about what it means to be a home stager, what you need to know to get started, what startup costs you should expect, and how the certification process works? Check out our upcoming Behind-the-Scenes Home Staging Career Training – register here.
Have questions about becoming a Home Stager, or just starting out and need an extra boost in your business? Join our Facebook group, To Be a Home Stager – our very own Shauna Lynn Simon is live online every Thursday afternoon, answering your most pressing questions!
If you work in interior design, you have probably noticed that a number of industry professionals have added home staging to their list of services in the last few years. Home staging can be a great complimentary service to a creative-based service portfolio, but how do you know if it’s right for you? What some may love about home staging, others might see as a deal-breaker and a reason to stick with strictly design.
I have met a number of home stagers over the years that began in the field of design, only to realize that their true passion was for home staging. That said, don’t be misled – while these two industries share a number of similar traits, there are just as many fundamental differences:
Let’s do a comparison:
As a Designer:
You work with a client’s overall style to create your design plan, based on their specific likes and dislikes.
As a Home Stager:
You work with a home’s overall style to create your staging plan, based on the neighbourhood, house characteristics, and buyer demographics. Your aim is to appeal to the largest variety of buyers possible.
As a Designer:
Projects can take several months to complete.
As a Home Stager:
Most projects are completed in less than a month from consult to completion, and in some cases they can be completed in just one week! Be warned – this instant gratification can be addicting.
As a Designer:
More is better!
As a Home Stager:
Less is more!
As a Designer:
The elements used to create a room are often a large part of the central focus of that room, including all furnishings and statement pieces, as well as the accessories and artwork throughout.
As a Home Stager:
Ideally, in home staging, you want to eliminate anything that could be considered a distraction in order to place the focus on the appealing selling features of the house. For this reason, statement pieces are often avoided in favour of more neutral selections.
As a Designer:
The goal of a project is to provide an attractive and functional space.
As a Home Stager:
The goal is to sell the house – therefore you are merchandising the home in order to effectively market it. While function should play a role, some comfort of living is often sacrificed to create the best overall look and feel.
As a Designer:
Personal elements help to create a comfortable home for the owners.
As a Home Stager:
Personal items are removed in order to eliminate this potential distraction. Buyers want to envision themselves in the space, and an overly personalized space can make this challenging.
Where Home Staging and Design overlap:
Proper furniture placement is critical to a successful plan. In home staging, standard placement rules apply as they would in design – in fact, in home staging, you’re often outlining for buyers the ideal position of items throughout the space.
Room flow is especially important when selling a home. Just as it can affect the comfort of a room for living, improper flow can easily turn off buyers without them even realizing it! The flow of a space can affect buyers on a sub-conscious level, and prevent them from placing an offer on the property.
Current trends are applied to both design and home staging plans. In home staging, these trends should be applied in the decorating aspect, and avoided in more permanent elements and fixtures.
A well thought out and cohesive plan will always create a warm and inviting space.
While there are many stylists that will cross over both industries, and enjoy the challenges that each brings, there are others that prefer to work in their creative niche and comfort zone. The diversity of offering both services can help to keep your designs fresh and fluid! Home Staging is a great complimentary service for design professionals, putting their natural talent to work with a quick turn-around and outcome. Let’s face it – eventually, design clients will sell their house, and that allows designers to easily turn these same clients into home staging clients. Whatever you choose, if you are passionate about what you do, you’ll find your way.
Interested in learning more about home staging? Check out Talent vs Training to see what your certification program should provide, and why formal training is critical to success in the home staging world, regardless of a design background.
Have questions about becoming a Home Stager, or just starting out and need an extra boost in your business? Join our Facebook group, To Be a Home Stager – our very own Shauna Lynn Simon is live online every Thursday afternoon, answering your most pressing questions!
So you have a creative eye, you love re-arranging your furniture, you’ve watched EVERY home renovation reality show, and you’re ready to launch into the world of home staging! Where do you start?
Since home staging is not a regulated industry, technically you can wake up tomorrow and decide to be a home stager and *poof* – you’re a home stager! But is that enough to sustain a career?
Talent is certainly key to a successful career in this industry, but it’s not enough to establish you as an expert, and it doesn’t mean that you can make it into a successful and thriving business. Training will help you with understanding the home staging processes, how to manage your clients, as well as some “techniques” for showcasing and merchandising a space. Home staging and home decorating are quite different, and understanding buyers and buyer perceptions, as well as how to effectively prepare a home to best showcase it will come through your training.
That said, not all training programs are created equal, so do your research and select the one that provides you with the most comprehensive information, as well as fits your learning style.
How to merchandise a home to make it a sellable product that your buyers will want to buy
How to “sell” – sell the house, sell potential clients on your services, and sell your home sellers on your recommendations (what good is it if you know what they need to do, if you can’t convince them to make the changes necessary?)
Home styling trends and styling tricks
Post-training support to help you to successfully launch your business
Current and up-to-date information regarding industry standards, trends, and expectations
Talent gets you started – it’s what drives you to turn a passion into a career, but it’s the training that will help you to properly hone your skills. Your certification also tells your clients that you are serious about home staging as a career – you are an expert in your field! The investment in the proper education provides credibility to you, and will be recognized by your peers as well as your prospective clients.
I’m a firm believer that you should never stop learning. Unless you already have a ton of experience running a business in the real estate industry, and you’re right at home working with and managing various types of clients, during one of the most stressful times of their lives, you’ll want to review your options for professional training!
Have questions about becoming a Home Stager, or just starting out and need an extra boost in your business? Join our Facebook group, To Be a Home Stager – our very own Shauna Lynn Simon is live online every Thursday afternoon, answering your most pressing questions!
A glimpse at Shauna Lynn’s upcoming book! The following is an excerpt from the only home staging book of it’s kind – learn the truth about the home staging industry!
Expected release date: Winter 2017
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Most home staging courses will sell you on the big picture, selling you on the opportunity to put your creative style to great use by transforming homes and producing magical masterpieces, but the truth is that there is a lot more to it than that. While I list the following as the “cons” of the business, the truth is that they can actually be the best part of the business; they’re simply not the part that gets most new home stagers excited. I can remember the first time I booked multiple consultations on the same day – I had truly arrived! My business was really picking up, and I was getting more and more comfortable with each client meeting. I still wasn’t doing a great deal of larger projects, but I was enjoying watching these houses transformed, and I knew that I was providing a valuable service to these homeowners. I was establishing myself as an expert in my field, and homeowners and agents were taking my recommendations as intransigent. I was enjoying meeting the homeowners, learning their stories, and assisting them with preparing their homes, regardless of the scale that I was doing this on.
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The Cons (Things you may not be expecting as a home stager)
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Consultations are your bread and butter
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We all want the dramatic transformations, but every large staging job starts with a single consultation. Your main bookings when first starting out are generally owner-occupied home staging consultations. This means that the homeowners live in the house, and will continue to live there for the duration of the listing until the house sells, and it is your responsibility to advise them of the areas that they should address in order to increase the value and sell-ability of their home. In these cases, it is generally not practical to remove all of their current furnishings and accent pieces to replace them with the pieces of your choice. Ideally, it is best to work with what they have where you can, and replace only what is necessary. This means that walking into every consultation your end sale may only be the price charged for that consultation (depending on your location, this can range from approximately $150 to $400). In a consultation, you are simply advising the homeowner on what they should do, but you are generally not actually implementing the recommendations on their behalf. You may offer this additional service, but most will choose to simply do this work themselves.
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In cases such as these, it’s easy to feel like you’re not a part of the process the way that you had hoped to be. You’ll need to ensure that you provide the homeowners with clear direction for your vision, and some will interpret this information better than others. In most cases, you likely will not have a return visit prior to the formal listing of the house, so your opportunity to review the changes made will be through the online listing photos only. As your business grows, you may find that you are selling more and more additional services that will allow you to return to assist with the final preparations, but if it is not cost-effective for the client, they will choose to simply go it alone.
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Not every house is clean
This was actually incredibly shocking to me, though it seems like such an obvious expectation in this business. I had been in some not-so-clean houses growing up, but nothing prepared me for what I would see. I’m not talking about the houses that have too much clutter and piles of stuff everywhere, I’m talking about absolute filth. Socks are a part of my company’s dress code and must be worn for every client meeting. While my stagers may not always understand and appreciate this, they certainly do when they find themselves standing in a pile of dirt, beside the dirty diapers left on the floor, and whatever the dog has left behind. The most amazing part to me is that all-too-often the homeowners in these cases really don’t realize that this is not an acceptable standard of clean to their potential buyers. This requires a firm but sensitive hand, to help them to understand the importance of cleaning, what that standard of clean is, and how to get their home to a higher level of clean. An effective stager is one that is respected by their clients, while they proceed to tell them everything that is wrong with their house. If you can leave the home on your terms without having the clients toss you out, and still manage to get your point across as to what is needed to be done, you can consider your efforts a success. In my bartending days, I was known for getting the highest tip average from the guests that I cut off. It is not a skill that everyone can master, but those that do will find the most success.
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…to read more, you will have to wait for the release of the book! Stay tuned for details!
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Have questions about becoming a Home Stager, or just starting out and need an extra boost in your business? Join our Facebook group, To Be a Home Stager – our very own Shauna Lynn Simon is live online every Thursday afternoon, answering your most pressing questions!
Your front row view of the Home Staging Industry – check out our interview with Shauna Lynn Simon from Beyond The Stage Homes, and see what advice she has for new or soon-to-be home stagers.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges that you face as a home stager?
A: It’s hard to pinpoint one as the biggest, there are many challenges to be faced in this industry every day, but I would say that the biggest probably relates to the education of others as to what Home Staging is (and what it isn’t). We spend a great deal of time educating homeowners, real estate agents, and suppliers not only to what our process and services include, but what it is that we are working to achieve. What we do is take style, function, and flow of each room into consideration to create a unique staging plan. We don’t just furnish a room, we bring it to life and create a memorable experience for the buyer.
Q: Is home staging just another form of decorating?
A: You certainly need to have an eye for home styling, however home staging and home decorating are very different. In decorating, you take the homeowners’ tastes and style into consideration, you personalize the space, and you ensure that you make practical decisions for the lifestyle of the people that are living in the home. In home staging, you are not only depersonalizing the space, but you are creating a design that will appeal to how the buyer will utilize each space. There is an element of behavioral profiling that goes into each home staging project. You need to identify whom your potential buyers are, and the lifestyle that they may live, and ensure that you create a plan to provide them with the solutions that they will need for their everyday life. In addition, you are responsible for identifying and addressing all possible distractions that buyers might find in order to assist the homeowners to eliminate these prior to listing. Realistically I would say that decorating probably accounts for only about 15% of what we do day-to-day.
Another important distinction between home staging and decorating is in creating the proper flow of a space – while it is certainly something that is taken into consideration in decorating, this is critically important in home staging as buyers will be walking through the home, and a room that is not properly laid out can disrupt their flow, and in turn, their experience.
Q: What is the #1 misconception that new stagers have in your mind?
A: I think that many new stagers think that if you’re good at, and enjoy decorating, then you can easily become a home stager, and the business will come flooding in as soon as you are open for business. This is a business, and like any business, it requires proper training, management, marketing, and relationships in order to be successful. On top of that, Real Estate can be a ruthless industry, and takes a strong person to be successful. If you enjoy decorating, that’s great, but further to my previous point, there is much more that goes into home staging than decorating, and if that’s your main motivation for getting into this industry, then you might find yourself disappointed. Being a home stager means being an entrepreneur and a small business owner, and everything that comes with that responsibility.
Q: Is home staging a low-cost investment start-up?
A: I go into further detail about this in my book, outlining the specific costs that can be expected when you start a home staging business, but it is certainly NOT a low-cost start-up. Even if you choose not to own a single accessory or piece artwork or furniture (which you will find pretty much impossible), you will still have your course costs, plus business registration and insurance, just like any other business. You’ll then need to spend money on marketing, lawyers, computers and mobile devices, software programs, website development, mileage, wear and tear on your vehicle, office supplies, etc. Before you have ever stepped foot in the door of a client’s home you can safely expect to spend around $8000-$9000, and in your first year, an additional $3000+.
Q: Advice for new stagers and those thinking of becoming a stager
A: These are actually two different answers, so I will try to address each point:
– For new stagers, look for guidance from other stagers. There are a number of great resources available now and opportunities to connect with stagers across the globe! Keep in mind that different regions will have different markets, so you may need to adjust some ideas to suit your particular geographical area, but these can be very helpful. Keep in mind as well that most of these groups are private, to allow for free discussion of questions and concerns brought forth by fellow stagers, so you will need to have a registered business and website before you can join in. Some courses also offer networking opportunities with their other stagers, and of course, there is also the Real Estate Staging Association, which offers many benefits to stagers, including the opportunity to talk with and work with home stagers in your region. Bottom line is, ask questions wherever you can, it’s amazing what you can learn from others that have lived it.
– For those thinking of a career, start by reading my book! Then, if you are still interested, the next step would be to research and determine the best course for your needs (I caution that selecting based on price might mean missing out on important tools that you’ll need down the road, so be sure to determine what your needs are). You’ll then want to research your own local market – is it a well-recognized part of the home selling process, or is it still an uphill battle gaining recognition and respect? I recommend doing this BEFORE you register for your course, so that you know what you are getting yourself into and can be prepared to build your business accordingly. Next, create your business plan. Remember, this is a business, and even if your first business plan doesn’t have all of the answers, it is an important stepping stone to get your business running. You can update your business plan as often as you like, so as you learn more about the industry, your clientele, and your market, you can adjust your plan accordingly.
Q: What does a typical day look like?
A: Well, I can’t given away everything from my book, but the short answer to this is that there is no such thing as a “typical” day in the world of home staging. That said, most days tend to include a lot of driving, phone calls, emails, and overall communication with clients and real estate agents, in addition to the numerous home staging consultations, preparing estimates and bids, keeping up with social media, and of course, selecting, packing, delivering, and placing the fun stuff, like artwork, accessories, and other furnishings.
Q: How many hours do you work in a week?
A: Pretty much all of the ones that I am awake for, but that’s not to say that you would have to! There are certainly some long days, but there can also be a great deal of flexibility, as long as you are willing to work around your clients’ schedules. Make no mistake though, this is a career that is intended to be a full-time one, and so I do not recommend it if you are looking for something as a part-time hobby.
Q: What inspired your upcoming book?
A: Questions like these, to be honest. If I had a dime for every time someone told me how “fun” they thought my job was, I would be retired! The truth is, I love what I do, and I really do think it is a lot of fun, but there are numerous not-so-fun aspects of it that many don’t see. Sadly I have seen too many new stagers perish in this industry because either it did not live up to their expectations of what they had hoped that it would be, or simply because they entered the staging world unprepared. Either way, my book will help you to make an informed decision about this industry, and whether or not it is right for you, hopefully before you have invested in the courses and business start-up.
Q: When do you anticipate that your new book will hit the shelves?
A: We are aiming for Fall of 2017, but we’ll be giving lots of notice when we have a specific release date.
Shauna Lynn Simon is a Real Estate Staging Professional. She founded her company, Beyond The Stage Homes, in the Spring of 2008 and has been working closely with homeowners and Real Estate Agents ever since. In September of 2015, she founded SLS Academy, and has continued her passion for guiding aspiring home stagers.
Have questions about becoming a Home Stager, or just starting out and need an extra boost in your business? Join our Facebook group, To Be a Home Stager – our very own Shauna Lynn Simon is live online every Thursday afternoon, answering your most pressing questions!
This was actually incredibly shocking to me, though it seems like such an obvious expectation in this business. I had been in some not-so-clean houses growing up, but nothing prepared me for what I would see. I’m not talking about the houses that have too much clutter and piles of stuff everywhere, I’m talking about absolute filth. Socks are a part of my company’s dress code and must be worn for every client meeting. While my stagers may not always understand and appreciate this, they certainly do when they find themselves standing in a pile of dirt, beside the dirty diapers left on the floor, and whatever the dog has left behind. The most amazing part to me is that all-too-often the homeowners in these cases really don’t realize that this is not an acceptable standard of clean to their potential buyers. This requires a firm but sensitive hand, to help them to understand the importance of cleaning, what that standard of clean is, and how to get their home to a higher level of clean. An effective stager is one that is respected by their clients, while they proceed to tell them everything that is wrong with their house. If you can leave the home on your terms without having the clients toss you out, and still manage to get your point across as to what is needed to be done, you can consider your efforts a success. In my bartending days, I was known for getting the highest tip average from the guests that I cut off. It is not a skill that everyone can master, but those that do will find the most success.
A: I go into further detail about this in my book, outlining the specific costs that can be expected when you start a home staging business, but it is certainly NOT a low-cost start-up. Even if you choose not to own a single accessory or piece artwork or furniture (which you will find pretty much impossible), you will still have your course costs, plus business registration and insurance, just like any other business. You’ll then need to spend money on marketing, lawyers, computers and mobile devices, software programs, website development, mileage, wear and tear on your vehicle, office supplies, etc. Before you have ever stepped foot in the door of a client’s home you can safely expect to spend around $8000-$9000, and in your first year, an additional $3000+.