Something most Home Owners and Realtors may not be aware of, is that currently there is not an independent or national oversight organization such as NAR for Realtors, that certifies or licenses Home Stagers, and no government oversight or licensing in most areas. There ARE member based organizations which enforce a strict Code of Ethics for its members and communities such as the Real Estate Staging Association. That being said, here are few questions that will help you to choose the RIGHT Home Stager for you.
1. Find a Stager with the most experience in actually Staging homes: There are many training, “certifying” and “accrediting” companies which, within just a few days, or a couple weeks, can turn anyone who takes their course into a “certified” or “accredited” home stager. Since there is not currently any government oversight, ANYONE can “become a stager” almost overnight. Don’t hire “just any” home stager; Experience and professionalism trumps “certification”.
2. Does the Stager have a printed portfolio or website with before and after photography? If they don’t have a current staging portfolio, they may have never done a staging job, or very few.
3. If they have a website, you need to get past the first page.
In other words; make sure that their portfolio contains photos that are of their own work. The first page may be filled with amazing photos of excellent Interior Design or architecture, so you need to ensure that you "get past" the first page and go to either the Portfolio or Gallery page to ensure that what is being presented is not stock photography purchased over the Internet, supplied by the “certifying” training course or “shared” before and after photos in a centralized web-site. Does their website have current information on recently staged properties or successes in today’s market and economy?
With so many people entering the Home Staging Industry, it's important to be educated about who you entrust your most valuable asset. For more tips and questions to ask your Home Stager; click here.
February 17, 2010
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