Leigh Newport

Most home stagers are independent business owners. I would start by determining the top staging company in your area, and inquire as to whether they have openings. Most require accreditation of some kind, but not all.
You might try http://www.stagedhomes.com.

Good luck to you!

Leigh Newport
Staged by Design
Northern Virginia Home Staging and Interior Redesign - Sat Jun 20 2009, 06:25

Hello Melanie,

I am sorry that you had a negative experience with this particular Home Stager. As an Accredited Staging Professional, I can share my perspective, which I hope will help the situation. When a home owner contacts me for a consultation (where I share what the home owner needs to do to prepare their home), there is a fee, but there is no signed agreement prior to my giving my recommendations. Having said that, the home owner's are obviously told up front what the charges will be, as well as presented with a bill, in addition to my report before I leave.

In this situation, she told you that you would not be charged, and she should abide by her verbal agreement. However, she would be under no obligation to offer you further advice when you called, or return to your home to assess your progress, even if you did pay for the initial consultation, unless that was agreed upon in advance. For my business, I provide unlimited follow up via email and phone for my clients after their consultation, but I know that is not the norm. I do not return to the home to assess progress, but the home owners do send my photos, and I provide feedback from what I see.

Staging is not a regulated industry, which means that there is no official guidelines or licensing requirements that Stagers must abide by. However, most credible Stagers belong to trade associations or Staging associations that require them members to adhere to a code of ethics. I would review her credentials which should be readily available on her website, and contact the organization where she received her certification. (Staged Homes, Certified Staging Professionals, or the Real Estate Staging Association, etc. where any certified Stager can join, but in doing so, they also must adhere to standards) You can send your concerns to them, in addition to pursuing any legal options.

I hope this has been helpful. Please feel free to email me with any additional questions.

Leigh Newport
leigh@staged-by-design.com
Accredited Staging Professional serving Northern Virginia - Thu May 7 2009, 04:52

Hi-

I know you are looking for responses from Realtors, but I thought I'd share my experiences as well. As an ASP Home Stager, I often experience homes that have been on the market for many, many months. By the time that I have been asked to prepare an estimate to Stage the home, the sellers have exhausted their funds by paying double mortgages and the Realtors have paid for months of advertising. When faced with a few thousand dollars to Stage the listing, they more often than not end up simply lowering the cost by additional tens of thousands instead of investing in Staging. Had they made the investment from the beginning, the chances that the home would have sold earlier and for more money are so much greater. 95% of all Staged Homes sell in 33 days or less!

Even for Realtors to pay for the Staging and have it sell in less than two months would have been a return on investment as the home price wouldn't have been reduced for months, and their commission would have been higher.

Some agents are just hesitant to ask their clients to pay anything additional, even when it is a tool to make their home show better. Sellers and agents simply don't see it as an investment, which is tax deductible as either an advertising tool or improvement to their home.

I hope this helps!

Leigh Newport, ASP, IAHSP
Staged by Design - Thu Apr 16 2009, 04:48

Hello Marie,

I agree with Kristina regarding comparing your home to others out there on the market. As a Home Stager, I am focused on the home showing to it's potential, regardless of the homes age or character. As many older homes often have smaller room sizes, I would stand in the doorway of each room and take photos. If you see more furniture than the room, remove non-crucial pieces that highlight the focal points of the room.

If you are unsure of where to begin, the small investment in a consultation by an Accredited Staging Professional can maximize your homes potential. You can search for an ASP Stager in your area at www. StagedHomes.com

As a lover of old homes, I have long received updates of Historic Homes from this site, which is throughout the US: http://www.historicproperties.com/.

Best of luck to you in selling your home.

Leigh Newport
Staged by Design http://www.staged-by-design.com - Sun Feb 15 2009, 06:17

Hello Ashley,

I'm an ASP Home Stager based in Northern Virginia and I highly recommend the course offerings at http://www.StagedHomes.com. I am also a mentor for our local IAHSP chapter, and am contacted frequently and asked the exact same sort of questions from others looking to get into the business. I'd be happy to speak with you regarding my personal experience, what I've learned, and what I wish had known before getting started.

You can reach me at 571-291-0614.

Good luck!

Leigh Newport, ASP, IAHSP
Staged by Design
leigh@staged-by-design.com - Thu Feb 12 2009, 04:54