Have you always had a flair for interior design?
Do friends and family constantly ask you for home décor advice?
If you’re nodding along, you might have what it takes to turn your passion for home décor into a lucrative career in home staging. The best part? With the right guidance, you can build a thriving staging business that blends creativity with entrepreneurship.
Here’s how to make it happen:
1. Understand the Difference Between Decorating and Staging
Before diving in, it’s important to know that while decorating and staging share some common ground, they serve different purposes. Interior decorating is all about designing a space that reflects the homeowner’s personal style. Home staging, on the other hand, is about creating a neutral, universally appealing space that helps prospective buyers visualize themselves in the home. Your job as a stager is to create emotional connections between the house and the buyer.
If this sounds like a challenge you’re excited to tackle, you’re already on the right track!
2. Leverage Your Natural Skills
Your love for décor likely means you already have a strong eye for color, texture, and layout. These are the creative building blocks for staging. However, there’s more to it than simply making a room look pretty. Successful staging requires understanding how to highlight a home’s best features, how to downplay its flaws, and how to make spaces feel bigger and brighter than they actually are.
If you’re new to this, don’t worry. Many of these skills can be honed with the right training and experience. And guess what? You likely already have a good instinct for what works in a room. The next step is refining that skill into a powerful business tool.
3. Build Your Portfolio
To attract clients and build credibility, you’ll need a strong portfolio showcasing your work. One of the best ways to start is by working on a variety of spaces—either your own or those of paying clients—and documenting the transformation with high-quality before-and-after photos.
Your portfolio will be the foundation of your marketing efforts, so make sure it clearly demonstrates your ability to stage different types of homes and cater to various buyer demographics. Whether it’s staging a small condo or a large family home, your portfolio should highlight how your staging improves the look, feel, and marketability of the space.
4. Get Certified and Stand Out
Although home staging is not a regulated industry, certification can help you stand out in a crowded market. A home staging certification program provides you with industry-standard knowledge, tools, and business strategies that you won’t find by simply browsing Pinterest or watching HGTV.
Certification also shows potential clients that you’re serious about your business, and it gives you credibility when approaching real estate agents for partnerships. If you want to set yourself apart from hobbyists, getting certified is a smart move.
5. Learn the Business Side of Staging
Your creativity may have sparked your interest in home staging, but to turn it into a thriving business, you’ll need to understand the entrepreneurial side of things. That includes learning how to price your services, manage contracts, market your business, and build strong relationships with real estate agents.
In addition to your passion for décor, your ability to solve problems and deliver excellent customer service will be key to your success. Homeowners and agents alike will appreciate a stager who is professional, organized, and easy to work with. A certification course can teach you the business fundamentals you need to avoid common pitfalls.
6. Market Yourself to Real Estate Agents
Most of your staging business will come from referrals through real estate agents, so building relationships with them is crucial. Offer your services with confidence and showcase the value of staging for helping homes sell faster and for more money. As you grow, leverage testimonials and referrals to build trust with other agents and clients.
Real estate agents need reliable stagers who understand the market and know how to make homes stand out. Once they see the impact of your work, they’ll be more likely to refer you to their clients and other agents. And don’t forget to leverage social media! Share your portfolio, staging tips, and home transformations on platforms like Instagram and Facebook to increase your visibility.
7. Keep Learning and Growing
Home staging is an ever-evolving industry, and it’s important to stay on top of the latest design trends and staging techniques. Attend webinars, read industry blogs, and consider joining the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), the home staging trade association, to stay connected with the latest developments.
The more you invest in learning and growing your skills, the more successful your staging business will become.
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!
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