What to look for in Your Home Stager

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job,
wait until you use an amateur!” – Red Adair

These are great words of advice and can be applied to any professional you hire, not just your Home Stager. But how do you find the right stager for your property?

A Home Stager is someone who makes your home more marketable, they provide guidance in getting your home ready for sale. Staging is visual marketing for what is probably your greatest asset and a good stager is well worth the investment. It isn’t just about making the place look pretty they should consider the buyer demographic and target the staging so it shows the home to its greatest potential.
Where do you begin your search?

1. Talk with your Real Estate Agent – they should know the best stagers around and worked with them before.
2. Do an online search – every serious business has an online presence and you should be able to find websites of local staging companies.
3. Check out the website – and also make sure they are affiliated to one of the recognized staging organizations. The largest one is RESA, the Real Estate Staging Association. Membership of a staging organization shows a level of professionalism and dedication.
4. Check the recognized Home Staging Training Programs, if anyone has gone through training at any of the larger programs they will be listed on the website for that program.
5. Trust your own eyes – check the before and after photos in their portfolio. Do you like what you see?
6. Check out their Social Media Blogs, Facebook is a great place to start, look to see how active they are and what their content is, is it up to date and do they offer advice freely on current trends etc.
7. Ask to see their business license – while not all areas require a license all professionals know that having one shows a commitment to their craft.
8. Once you have found a stager you like the sound of, give them a call – do they sound like someone who you can work with? You need to feel comfortable with them.
9. Most stagers offer occupied (where you stay in the home) staging – with this they will use what you have, maybe bring in a few key pieces of their own and dress your space ready for potential buyers. They will also offer Vacant Staging – this is where the house is empty and the company will bring in their own furniture and decor pieces.

A professional company will have systems in place and follow a protocol for each type of staging, they should explain the process to you when you call. Remember they are there to help you achieve your sale.

Proper Pricing (from the Real Estate Agent) + Proper Presentation (from your Staging Professional) = Successful Sale