A home stager is an expert in enhancing the aesthetic appeal and functionality of a property, in order to facilitate a faster and more profitable sale. Stagers are also sometimes called property stagers, real estate stagers or home fluffers and are a vital component of many successful real estate transactions.
Many people are interested in hiring a professional stager to help them to sell their home, while others are intrigued by the possibility of changing their careers to become property stagers themselves. There is no doubt that home staging is here to stay and will influence the way houses and apartments are bought and sold for a very long time. Commercial property stagers do the exact same job as residential stagers, except they specialize on enhancing properties in the commercial real estate sector.
This resource section examines the world of the professional stager and how these design experts can be the most valuable member of any real estate marketing team.
Selecting a Home Stager
In today’s real estate market, you simply can not afford to just list your property and hope that it will sell. There is just too much competition and real estate agents may even turn down a listing that they feel will become more of a burden than a windfall.
Home staging is proven to provide many tangible benefits, including less time on the market and a higher sale price, when compared to unstaged homes. Real estate agents will tell you that the intangible benefit of an easy sale is one of the best boons.
In order to hire the right home stager, you need to research your options carefully and decide whether you will allow someone to do everything for you, whether you will hire a property staging consultant to guide you, but allow you to actually do the work that is needed, or simply do everything on your own. This is the classic question of DIY sweat-equity versus a complete service, or somewhere in the middle. Regardless of the decision you make, property staging is an important consideration to include in your marketing plans and all staging should be completed before the property is even listed, to maximize results.
Becoming a Property Stager
A home staging career is a popular option for creative and hard working people who are interested in real estate, interior design, landscaping and art. Home staging is a completely unregulated industry, meaning that there are no formal requirements for choosing this career path and no governmental licensure involved.
Of course, getting an education in home staging is crucial for anyone hoping to build a viable and successful business. Luckily, there are many quality home staging courses and schools popping up all over the country and the world. A certified stager is a real estate professional who has been accredited by a particular home staging training program.
People with a background in real estate, interior design or decorating can easily and effortlessly make the transition to a staging career, even without formalized training. Interior decorators are well suited to a staging career, while interior designers might be overqualified.
Staging can be a nice stand-alone business or a profitable add-on service to another business model, such as real estate sales, furniture rental, interior design or decorating services. Many professionals in these fields are adding house fluffing to their list of available services, since they see the opportunities for continued growth and profit in this fast-paced and interesting industry.
Do you know how to be a successful home stager? I provide expert advice from someone who has accomplished this difficult task themselves.
Home Stager Experiences
In a competitive market such as mine (New York City), there are few properties which are not staged before being listed by the very best real estate agents. Staging is a necessity, rather than a luxury when there are so many houses for sale and each must struggle to stand out among its competition.
Not integrating home staging into a property marketing plan is like admitting defeat before the battle even begins. Your competition’s staged homes will disappear off the market, while yours lingers for weeks, months and maybe more than a year.
Do not take chances with the sale of your most precious investment. Remember that home staging is tax deductible and can be competed for a lot less money than you might think. I work with families everyday who spend less than $1000 total to get their house in top form for sale and some who even spend as little as $500. This is a tiny price to pay to optimize the appeal of your home to the largest number of potential buyers. You can thank me once you have received several excellent offers on your property.
I hope this next article answers the common question which I hear all the time: What is a home stager?
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