Let’s talk about Accreditation in the Home Staging Industry. What does it mean and who is allowed to provide it to entities?

To answer that question, we need a little history lesson.

When the Home Staging industry began, it was birthed out of real estate as a way to make properties look and show better to prospective buyers.  Back when the industry began in 1972, there was no governing body established to regulate the industry.  Maybe it is because from 1972 to the early 2000’s, Staging was not really seen as a “viable” industry.  We were sort of considered the “ugly step-sister” of the Design Industry and as such were not seen as professional or necessary.  In the late 1990’s the first Home Staging Training Course was developed and taught by Stagedhomes.com. 

In 1999 the International Association of Home Staging Professionals^® (IAHSP^®) – the first – and to date – the largest – Home Staging Industry Association was founded based on the principles and guidelines found in other reputable associations such as the National Association of Realtors.  It was not until about the early-2000’s that Home Staging really was put on the map with talented business owners providing this service and sharing their talent and expertise with homeowners around the world.

Because of the way the industry began and grew, there is NO official governing entity telling Home Stagers how they have to set up a business. Unlike real estate where someone has to take a test and pass it in order to sell property, and have required education to keep their license active, Home Staging sort of slipped under the radar of any agency taking the service and controlling who could open up a business, who can call themselves a Home Stager, how they have to operate a business or mandating any sort of educational requirements.  Individuals can literally decide one day they are going to start a Staging business, and off they go.  We are required to have a business license and pay taxes on our income, but Home Stagers do not have the same requirements for education, association or performance standards  that other industries have.

If we were able to go back in time and adjust things, it would be great if there were an agency that had oversight on our industry to help establish educational ground rules for those entering the industry, and have a place where the public could go to resolve any disputes or ethics issues.  Since there is no regulatory or government agency that exists to do that for Home Staging, the industry has self-regulation practices – and it is the Home Staging Associations that have stepped up to fill the gap.

So let’s take a look at what “Accreditation Means” and who is eligible to provide Accreditations to individuals, Training Courses or Companies in the Home Staging Industry.

Accreditation:

noun

noun: accreditation; plural noun: accreditations

1. 1.

the action or process of officially recognizing someone as having a particular status or being qualified to perform a particular activity.

“the accreditation of professionals”

• official certification that a school or course has met standards set by external regulators.
• 2.

an acknowledgment of a person’s responsibility for or achievement of something.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

Q:  WHO is eligible to provide ACCREDITATIONS in the Home Staging Industry?

A:  In short – anyone who wants to do so, can.  Because there are no external regulators for the Home Staging Industry that are officially recognized by any legal institution or government, ANY entity can claim the ability to audit, evaluate, approve and recognize an individual, training course or company and provide an Accreditation.

Entities that claim otherwise, are sharing information that is false.  It may be their desire or opinion that our industry should function that way, but the reality is any group, association or company that claims they are the only ones able to accredit another entity, are not sharing accurate information.

There is NO agency in or outside the Home Staging Industry that has Accredited a Home Staging entity to Accredit other Home Staging entities to be Accredited! (say THAT 10 times fast!)

Home Staging Industry Associations are the closest thing we have to any sort of “regulatory agency” in the industry.  However, an association has no authority to prevent an individual from owning and operating a Staging business and has no authority in dictating what courses someone should or should not attend.  An Association CAN provide guidance to the industry and its members.  An association can provide guidelines for ethical standards, best business practices and resources to help members grow and thrive, and they can even remove a person from membership who is not representative of what that association stands for – but they cannot put anyone out of business.

Q:  WHY bother with getting Accredited?

A: Credibility.  Plain and simple.  The goal is that any course offered is evaluated based on its merit, content, complexity, and quality – it is evaluated based on a set of standards determined by the accrediting agency.  As we have already determined, anyone who wants to be an accrediting agency in the Home Staging industry CAN provide this stamp of approval.  Again there are no rules that an entity must follow in order to issue an accreditation, and the criteria is subjective.  One entity may opt to use a set of third party guides from some other industry, and another entity may opt to evaluate a course based on their expertise in the industry that qualifies them to know what courses deserve to be accredited or not.  The outcome is the course being evaluated is given a stamp of approval by the entity accrediting it.  That, in turn, lends credibility to that course and the course provider.

Q:  So WHO issues Accreditations?

A:  When you read the definition above, an Accreditation is issued by an external regulator and in the Home Staging industry, there is no governing body dictating who CAN or CANNOT issue an accreditation or who has determined who is an approved external regulator.

Q:  Can an Association who is issuing Accreditations to educational course providers in the Home Staging Industry ALSO provide their own courses that compete with the entities who have paid to be accredited by that Association?

A:  In short – YES.  But SHOULD THEY?  In our opinion, No.   In our opinion if an Association offers courses that compete with the entities who have PAID to be accredited and promoted on the association site, it represents a conflict of interest because the association is now taking potential business away from the companies that paid the association for the review and accreditation, and approval.  The association is making money off their own courses they have self-accredited instead of remaining a completely neutral entity in the Home Staging industry.

Here are some FACTS to CONSIDER:

FACT:  Any Home Staging Industry Association CAN issue an Accreditation to an entity serving the industry – whether a training provider, an individual, or a course.

FACT:  There are no guidelines an entity must follow in order to provide an Accreditation outside of being recognized as a school that is qualified to issue an accreditation.  What is required is “officially recognizing someone as having a particular status or being qualified to perform a particular activity,” and in the Staging industry, that can be done by an Association, a Company, a Course, an individual – there are no set guidelines that must be followed.

FACT:  The evaluation for the Accreditation should be without bias.  An entity reviewing and approving courses needs to be unbiased and not influenced by the entity they are evaluating.

FACT:  Being PAID to evaluate a course could constitute a bias.  If another course is unwilling or unable to pay the FEE for evaluation, and the provider is only approving those who paid, this means there are courses that are not being approved simply because they do not want to pay a high fee to an entity that is not THE official accrediting source for the Home Staging Industry.  This does NOT mean that course that is not listed is not as qualified, as good or valid.  It ONLY means the course provider opted NOT to pay a large fee to be evaluated. The ability to Accredit is a self-proclaimed status.

FACT:  Evaluations of courses do help provide the public with information on what courses to evaluate and recourse for investing in education in one of the approved courses.  If a course is Accredited by an Association and someone who attends that course is unhappy with their course or learning, that person has recourse to go to the Association and ask for resolution help.  However if a course is not listed on an association site, it does NOT mean that course is not reputable or qualified.  It only means that course provider has not asked to be evaluated or has opted not to pay a large sum for this stamp of approval.

FACT:  IAHSP^® is an entity in the Industry that DOES provide Accreditations for Courses.  We have reviewed, approved and accredited courses in the US, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, Brazil, Israel, and Spain.  In IAHSP^®, the evaluation is conducted by individuals who have nearly two decades of experience IN the industry as educators, business owners and leaders.  Because they work IN the industry, they are qualified to recognize aspects of courses that are necessary for students to learn in order for them to be successful.

FACT:  IAHSP^® receives NO MONEY for evaluating and approving educational courses in the Home Staging industry.  The accreditation process provided by IAHSP is truly independent and without bias as no funds are being paid in order for an entity to receive an approved accreditation status.

FACT:  There are no rules prohibiting a cross-over in terms of being both in leadership in an Association and also a course developer or instructor.  Any entity or individual who states otherwise is offering up an OPINION – not a fact.

FACT:  Home Staging Courses can ACCREDIT the STUDENT.  The Accreditation recognizes the accomplishment and achievement of an individual who has attended a course.  Most courses in the industry offer a designation and a certification to graduates.  Those that offer an Accreditation as well are providing it to the graduate – giving them the highest level of credibility and status in the industry.

For more information on approved Industry Accreditations, go to www.iahsp.com.  There is a list of industry credentials approved for membership in IAHSP^®. If you are a course provider and would like to be evaluated by IAHSP to see if your course is eligible for the IAHSP^® Accreditation, please email Jennie@iahsp.com You can also UPLOAD your course to the Hyve.pro portal on the http://www.iahsp.com site and earn money from your courses by getting them in front of industry members.

The International Association of Home Staging Professionals IAHSP^® is dedicated to advancing the education of the professional Home Stager and Realtor^® as they prepare homes for sale. IAHSP^® members strive to serve the public to the best of their ability built upon the principles, practices, and education of approved Home Staging courses and designations.

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Welcome our NEW Director of Ops – Joseph Haecker!

I’m joining the IAHSP Family!

I’ve joined IAHSP to lead operations, with the goal of growing the community and creating more opportunities for the global membership. But before we get too far into that, I simply wanted to re-introduce myself.

My name is Joseph Haecker. When I was a kid, my dream was to work for Disney as an animator. My parents poured a lot of resources into me and gave me all the tools to be as creative as possible. In high school, I convinced a bunch of friends and coworkers to help me with my portfolio, but ultimately just missed getting into the animation program I was aiming for by only two students.

I went on to hold several roles in a variety of companies and industries: utilities billing company, vending food market research, security officer, resident artist, and lighting designer. It was as a lighting designer that I paused for a moment and developed my first career. I worked inhouse for three companies and went on to consult for 28 other independent custom lighting manufacturers, specializing in hospitality, casino and high-end residential decorative light fixture design and manufacturing. If you’ve been to Vegas, there is a 99.999% chance you’ve seen or even posed with one of my designs.

In 2010, I had an “aha moment”, thinking that the future of design collaboration would be a social platform. A failed attempt later, and in 2014 I formed an amazing team and became CEO of Dezignwall. At Dezignwall, we created amazing features that to this day are still ahead of its time in the marketplace. But I also learned so many of the skills that I bring forward into my business approach, that I would never have explored had we not pursued Dezignwall.

There are many startup concepts that are amazing for all businesses, such as:

• Failing fast
• Learning to pivot
• Trusting your team
• Building to scale
• Solving one problem, really well
• Listening and learning from the data
• Solving your customers problem first
• Learning to take risks, and to learn from failure

Currently, I own 23 companies, hold license on a non-profit, host a podcast, and I’m very active in the startup, entrepreneur space in Denver and Las Vegas.

What I’ve learned through my journey is that community and ecosystems are so very important. If the ecosystem can teach, be inclusive, support new ideas, gather, and grow, then the entire community benefits.

This brings me to IAHSP.

In my new role as Operations for IAHSP, my job is to serve the community.

How will I do that?

Well, first off. I’m NOT a Home Stager. And I think that’s a good thing.

Not being a Home Stager, I don’t know what you know. Which means in order to do my job, I must be a good listener and get to know each of you better.

But I also think that “Home Staging” is just one of the many hats you wear. In the past handful of years that I’ve gotten to know the Home Staging industry, what I’ve found is that many of you run hybrid business models. Many of you are also Realtors, Decorators, Interior Designers, Color Specialists, Short-term Rental Owners, Retail Store Owners, General Contractors, and Instructors. Home Staging is in most cases, only part of your business model. But the common link is that you are all business owners. And most of you are also employers, with teams, vendors, and networks within each of your communities, globally.

So, my first initiative, in getting to know everyone, is to set up a podcast and invite you to share with me and the IAHSP community about you and your business. Let’s have a conversation about what makes you and your business unique, and what you specialize in. I want this invite to go out to everyone. I would like to meet the business owners in the IAHSP community that we rarely hear from. I want to feature you and your business. This is an open invite to be featured by IAHSP.

I think we will all learn that the IAHSP community is very diverse and wears a lot of hats that most people might not have realized.

Second, I believe in community. IAHSP has a unique opportunity through Chapters.

I would like to invite as many of our IAHSP community members to consider leading a Chapter. Leading a chapter is a unique way to both give back to your local community, supporting fellow business owners, providing educational opportunities, connecting your community with brands, solutions and fun events that inspire and elevate people in your own neighborhoods. But being a Chapter Leader is also a great learning experience for you. As a Chapter Leader, you grow as a business owner, through unique connections, thought leadership and a person that cares for your neighbors and fellow business owners, and through our local IAHSP Chapter activity that we can connect with and help our neighbors grow and succeed.

So, I invite you to learn about all the benefits and the ways that IAHSP can support you as you make an impact in your local communities.

I have a ton of ideas on how we can grow the IAHSP community. But one of the last things I wanted to mention in this article is that I would like to serve you in ALL the hats that you wear. That is why, I would like to open up IAHSP to a larger community. Many of you are also Realtors, Interior Designers, and operate hybrid businesses that offer many services. I would like to open IAHSP to serve all your business needs. Though our core will be Home Staging, our education and conferences will cover the spectrum of business models and network that makes up the way we actually run our businesses. I can see a future where IAHSP Con & Expo is full of Realtors, Interior Designers, Short-term Rental Experts and a multitude of business types and needs being served.

How?

I would like to invite you to lead online and in-person education through our Hyve program. Where you can earn money through IAHSP, by leading a in-person, online and on-demand educational courses on a wide range of topics, including Real Estate, Remodel, Interior Design, and even employee training lessons. Hyve will be a community led education platform. Led by, and addressing the ever changing and expanding needs of the IAHSP Community.

I’ll close with this…

IAHSP has grown to be known as an association that is more of a family, than a traditional “association.”

Let’s come together as a community, to open ourselves up to our networks, recognizing that we do wear multiple hats, and that our needs include many other sources of support and a variety of educational opportunities. But let’s open our doors to the people of our network, fellow business owners and local communities, to provide education, resources and that community that IAHSP has developed over the past 23 years.

Let’s expand our family, locally.

Be Part of the Home Staging and Real Estate Industry Event of the Year!

IAHSP brings you the BEST Education, Speakers, Networking, Vendors, and Recognition – and you don’t want to miss out! Register NOW – only $590 for the ENTIRE EVENT including:

• Education Sessions
• Keynote Speaker Sessions
• Awards Dinner & Gala

Prices go up incrementally, so secure the BEST PRICING NOW by registering sooner than later! We have special pricing for TEAMS as well so if you have 3 or more team members we can offer you special discounted pricing for the 3rd+ team member you register.

Advance your Business Growth and Success – whether you are a NEW, GROWING or SEASONED Home Staging Pro – we have topics and education that pertains to YOU and where you are in your business journey.

Our Conference starts off with an EXPO on Friday evening where our attendees get to see our amazing VENDOR PARTNER SPONSORS who have traveled to New Orleans to share their products or services with YOU! We have music, dancing, food, and shopping! It is a great way to KICK OFF our event with a party!

Saturday and Sunday are EDUCATION DAYS with EXPERT SPEAKERS on various topics related to:

• Business Logistics
• Sales Strategies
• Marketing Strategies
• Scaling Your Business
• Adding to Your Team
• Warehousing
• Purchasing Wholesale
• Staging & Design Trends

Our conference is a TRUE CELEBRATION of the Industry – with our Annual Awards Gala Dinner! We issue the IAHSP Staging Industry Awards and our theme this year is the MARDI GRAS MASQUERADE BALL – and we will have fun recognizing all the top stagers in certain categories, and wrap up our conference with a party!

Check out some pics from our last conference!

IAHSP® EU Conference and Awards 2022

By Sasha Barker

The IAHSP® EU proudly brings to you the 3rd European Conference and the 2nd European Awards.

This year, the conference will be held in Lisbon’s Pestana Palace Hotel on the 28^th and 29^th of May 2022. IAHSP® EU has lined up 7 top industry professionals to share their valuable insights over the course of the weekend. Attendees will have access to inspiring talks on success, time management, design principles and even warehouse logistics, just to name a few! This year’s speakers will be as follows:

• Birgit Anich (Warehouse and Logistics: Tips and Tricks to Maximise Operational Efficacies)

• June Carter (Time Management for Home Stagers)

• Annie Doherty (Design Principles)

• Barbara Heil-Sonneck (First Impressions Matter)

• Marta Monteiro (Vision for Success)

• Jennie Norris (Senior Staging Specialist Course and Certified IAHSP Course Trainer)

• Mariah Wayhudi (How to Save Time, Increase Sales and Generate Leads Using LinkedIn)

The full schedule (subject to change), which will include lunches and coffee breaks, can be found here. Everything you need to know about what is best for your staging business will be at your fingertips, and you’ll also be surrounded by like-minded individuals with a passion for Home Staging – the perfect opportunity to network and build connections.

There will be opportunities to meet our sponsors and discuss their products and services throughout the conference. We’re proud to announce this year’s main sponsor as quality furniture brand Kave Home. Our Gold Sponsors are StagedHomes & 221, and our Bronze Sponsor is data insight company Stageflow, whose support is hugely appreciated.

We are also honored to have Stagedhomes.com, Home Philosophy and Staged4More, who share the same vision with us in giving importance to home staging education, as our Educational Supporters.

On the evening of the 28^th, the 2^nd European Home Staging Awards will take place. This is a wonderful occasion for everybody to come together and celebrate our successes as Home Stagers from all over Europe.

We are looking forward to seeing you all there and are confident it will be a fun, fulfilling weekend. You can find more information about the conference, including this year’s speakers, and buy your tickets here.

IAHSP EU Conference and Awards 2022

By Sasha Barker

The IAHSP®’s European Home Staging Conference and Expo is just around the corner, and we are here to fill you in on those all-important details! You really won’t want to miss out on what is set to be a brilliant weekend for the Home Staging industry.

Beautiful Lisbon, Portugal

This year, the conference will be held in Lisbon’s Pestana Palace Hotel on the 28^th and 29^th of May 2022.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

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The IAHSP® Europe has lined up 7 top industry professionals to share their insights over the course of the weekend. Attendees will have access to inspiring talks on success, time management, design principles and even warehouse logistics, just to name a few! On the second day, there will be a specialist course on Senior Staging, reviewing Home Staging solutions for more mature adults.

Senior Staging Specialist Designation from IAHSP

The full schedule (subject to change), which will include lunches and coffee breaks, can be found here. Everything you need to know about what is best for your staging business will be at your fingertips, and you’ll also be surrounded by like minded individuals with a passion for Home Staging – the perfect opportunity to network and build connections. There will be opportunities to meet our sponsors and discuss their products and services throughout the conference.

On the evening of the 28^th, the 2^nd annual European Home Staging Awards will take place. This is a wonderful occasion for everybody to come together and celebrate our successes as Home Stagers from all over Europe. It is a black-tie event with a Gala Dinner, not to mention the afterparty where we can all let our hair down!

We are looking forward to seeing you all there and are confident it will be a fun, fulfilling weekend. You can find more information on our guest speakers and buy your tickets for the conference here.

IAHSP MAGAZINE – January 2022 Issue is OUT!

Our first issue for 2022 is OUT and ready for you to enjoy! The IAHSP Magazine is emailed to all current IAHSP members and is one of the many benefits of membership in the world’s largest Staging association.

Why Being The Low-Ball Leader Never Pays

https://www.whatsellsbest.com/source/lowball.php

by Jennie Norris, President & CEO, Stagedhomes.com, CEO, Sensational Home Staging – We Stage Colorado, Chairwoman, IAHSP

PRICING.

We need to talk about it in order to understand it for our industry, and yet so many stagers are afraid to talk openly about pricing and what their market supports. As such we have an industry under valuing their time, product and service. You don’t want to be the Low Ball Leader.

In general, staging pricing is tied to the price of homes in a region.  If an area has higher priced properties, stagers can charge more, and if the pricing is more modest, they charge less.  Our industry is hard to explain as it is not based on hourly or salary or even experience per se.  If the region has grown and staging is established, there is a benchmark of pricing that is accepted by the clients, and stagers need to be taught what that is. 

Some established stagers believe that a newbie should not/can not price their services at the same rate as an experienced stager. What this has done is as new stagers enter the market and are told they cannot charge as much as an experienced stager, the market is devalued and undercutting happens.  I have always taught the opposite.  New people entering are benefitting from a seasoned stager who established the market.  The seasoned stagers should not want a new person to charge less and drive the market down.  The public honestly does not always care about experience or even education when it comes to staging – it is pricing and results.  We all strive to add value and use our credentials to get business.

FACTORS IMPACTING PRICING: Pricing is a factor of many things – and ultimately, turning a profit of 25% or more is the goal.  We have costs and overhead to run our business, not just a project. A stager who has more overhead, has to charge more to cover their costs for their overall company, versus one who does not have a larger operation. The larger operation must do more volume to cover costs and find ways to be very efficient with their staging.  However, all stagers need to analyze their operating costs and factor that information in when pricing their projects. It is never just about that one project – it is always about the overall bigger picture of what the revenue is covering.

EFFICIENCY IS A FACTOR: A new stager usually takes way too long to stage – and they do not always factor all those hours into their time, nor should they be paid for all their time because they are slow and learning. However, a stager who is charging less could still be more profitable than a seasoned pro – it all depends on the type of operation they run.

WERE YOU TAUGHT HOW TO PRICE FOR YOUR MARKET? I wish I had one “right” answer but the price vs cost vs value discussion is one we all have and it irks me when I see stagers who have not been taught how to price their services, think, “I got paid $2000 to stage! I made all that money.” Yes – but that is NOT all profit! They rarely take a look at the costs to secure the business let alone the costs to run the project. Did they actually make a profit?

I once had a student in our ASP Masters course and as we broke down business models and talked about pricing, she shared she was getting $4500 per staging project. We were all very impressed. She had a little warehouse that cost her $1700 per month. She owned all her own things. So I was thinking, “Wow – she is doing pretty well.” UNTIL I asked, “How many stagings do you do per month?”  Drum roll please. . . . she told me, “I stage about 6 houses – PER YEAR!” Yes – per YEAR!  I mean – WHAT?  As I looked at THAT fact, it was clear, she was losing money and not making any profit.  I shared, if she could add in just 6 more per year – she would at least make some money.  She was sort of in shock when we analyzed the reality of her biz – but it was a good eye opener. 

Personally, I would not survive on 6 stagings per year. We do that in one week in our staging biz that serves Denver.  Now her pricing per staging was good – she did every room (not necessarily needed) and only had one client.  In my opinion, she should never have invested in a warehouse at that amount when she did not have the business to support it.  We didn’t even get to cover all the other expenses she had:  marketing, events, education, insurance, maintenance of her things, etc. She ended up selling her items and moving to a different state to live with her daughter (that was already sort of in the works anyway) and wanted to focus on consultations were there is much lower overhead and good potential for profit.

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IAHSP actually has a pricing course that has 7 different webinars, handouts, planning forms, etc.  For those struggling with where to price their services, it is worth looking into it – one of the handouts is the hourly price range each major city in the US supports for staging. There are 4-5 ways to price a project and help with coming up with guidelines for your country/region and deciding which model works the best for a staging company is subjective. 

Stagers who want to crank out proposals and use a more predictable framework will opt for % of list, $ per sq foot or $ per room.  Using actual costs is the 4th method – figuring out what rooms need staging, pricing out what goes in each area – is one half of the equation.  The labor is the other part.  If the % of list, price per sq ftg or price per room do not cover the labor and create a profit or price the stager out of their market, the actual pricing model has to be used. We use a hybrid method of pricing – a combo between #3 and #4 to price our vacant staging projects.

KNOW YOUR BOTTOM LINE: I believe every stager needs to take a look at their actual costs – and then for expediency can use one of the other models for pricing as long as they know they are turning a profit.  We can all framework our own set of pricing that works for us – and it is hard not to compare to others.  We do not own their companies so we have no way of knowing if they are making money or not.  We do know if something is greatly undervalued such as $500 for staging a 3 room condo for 90 days. Because entities like NAR put out pricing averages for Staging that are not based in reality, the buying public believes our pricing should be that low and it is up to US to educate them.

TEACHING THE VALUE OF STAGING – what the hourly rate should be to calculate the lump sum pricing for the client – SHOULD be shared with ALL stagers so they don’t have to guess.  If stagers are using a consistent number, the decisions to use one or another won’t be about price and who is cheaper – but be about quality, availability, relatability, responsiveness, etc.  Price will always be a factor as people do not want to overpay, but stagers should be within acceptable range of one another in a market where they understand their value when it is an apples-to-apples comparison.

TIME IS MONEY: I know we run a tight ship and can get staging done quickly and efficiently. This means I am more profitable than a stager who takes all day to stage a property when we can get it done in 1-2 hours. Time is the great equalizer. And if I can make MORE than another stager because we are faster, that is a good thing.  If I can get it done in 2 hours and can charge as much as someone who takes 8 hours, and win, I just made 6 hours of profit that was not needed. It also provides me with a buffer to negotiate if a client comes back to me and asks for an adjustment. I want to win the business, not at any cost, however I am willing to negotiate within reason. Sometimes that might be doing a little less, taking out a room, or making a little less profit. I NEVER go in knowing I am going to lose money. I know what my walk away price is: The price where I am essentially paying the client for the privilege of Staging their property. I refuse to start off at a loss. There are times things go awry on a staging, and we do end up costing ourselves more than planned, however that cannot be the norm.

Stagers need to be focused on making as much as possible, not just enough to cover their expenses.  There are clients where I know I can pad the proposal, and then times where I know I have to be tighter. If you are reading this and are not sure what your rates should be, ask a colleague. If they are not forthcoming, take a look at sister industries and other affiliates who are part of the overall process of buying and selling a property. A stager can take a look at the hourly rate for interior designers in their region, and then fall in below that number as designers are usually seen as expensive.  They can also take a look at what other pros involved in the sales/buying process for a property charge: what does an appraiser charge, and what a real estate photographer charge, etc. In other words, look at the others involved in the sale of a property and make sure for the service we are providing in the real estate industry, we are on par.

PRICING PSYCHOLOGY: The psychological factor of pricing is also important.  $1950 sounds and looks a lot less than $2010 and they are only $60 apart.  If I am adding up our pricing and we bump up just over $2000 or $3000 – I will see if I can get it down to just under the next thousand level.  I stay away from round numbers – never add up to something with “00” as psychologically it sounds too perfect, like you didn’t really add up anything for their property quote.  Look at $1987 versus $2000. If you got a quote and saw one or the other, which one seems like a better price? Visually 1987 looks a lot less because it has a “19” in the front. Once you bump up over that next threshold, the client’s see it as a lot more.

THE ETHICS OF PRICING: Having open discussions about pricing and agreeing from an ethics standpoint that a stager will not knowingly come in and undercut a market is key.  Having recourse for stagers who deliberately do this is key.  There are stagers in every market – who stage “for fun,” who don’t actually care about making money – and they will charge less, drive a market down, and do not care they are leaving LOTS of money on the table. A Stager who is NOT money motivated will ruin it for the pros that are out there.  The good news is eventually, running at a loss year over year, will become a problem for that stager as the IRS does not like seeing a loss for more than 3-5 years.

Additionally, the adage, “You get what you pay for,” rings true and their quality will suffer, they will be forced to take a look at their poor business strategy and whoever is bankrolling their operation and allowing them to just do whatever they want and lose money, will wise up – after all that person does not want to lose thousands year after year.  If that cheap stager exists in your market, go after the higher-end listings as the cheapo cannot stage them to the standard of expectation of a client – and so they will not go after that biz.  The investors or agents who don’t care about quality, will hire the cheapo, and when the clients start seeing the lack of results and find themselves having to supplement stagings with their own things or not getting the results they expected, they will start to seek out a true pro.

• Edify the industry.
• Encourage others to price according to their value and their market.
• Focus on how you can be most efficient to reduce overhead.
• And be strategic with who you target for business.

When real estate prices are climbing and everyone involved in the sale is making more (Realtors, Lenders, Title companies, photographers, appraisers, etc.) why shouldn’t Stagers? If we truly are tied to the value we bring to the process of listing and selling a property, we should be making MORE as the markets grow stronger. Not less.

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If you are an interior designer, decorator, professional organizer or feng shui practitioner looking to add Staging to your business, watch this 1 hour complimentary webinar that shares what it takes to add Staging to your business. Having an “eye” is not enough. The business goals are totally different, process is different and factors such as front-loading furnishings is a necessity not found in these sister industries.

World Wide Staging Service Week – Help us Fundraise for our 2021 Projects – Donate to Go Fund Me – all donations are 100% tax deductible.

Helping Those in Need with Creativity and Passion

Please help us by donating to the IAHSP Foundation that funds Worldwide Staging Service Week. The IAHSP Foundation is a 501(c)(3), your donation is 100% tax deductible. Any amount is appreciated.

In the past, we have done fundraising at our conference, and this year we are getting a jump start so projects that are taking place in September (prior to our conference) will have needed funds. WWSSW – Worldwide Staging Service Week – is all about giving back to the communities in which we work and helping those less fortunate or in need.

Since 2005, WWSSW projects have helped many entities and families in need. From Ronald McDonald Houses to Salvation Army Homeless Shelters to battered women’s shelters to foster care facilities, individuals in need, pet shelters, senior centers, VA centers, fire stations, immigrant families, and more – our talented association members around the world give of their time, creativity and passion to help others.

Please click on the link below to donate and SHARE with others. Thank you in advance for your support!

https://gofund.me/2b418a50

Are YOU Ready to SOAR – Seek Opportunities and RISE? Join us in Denver Sept 24-26

THE Home Staging Industry Event of the YEAR is coming to you LIVE in Denver – Sept 24-26, 2021.

The IAHSP Family Reunion Conference & EXPO brings TOP Educators, Expert KEYNOTE Speakers, Topics that will INSPIRE, MOTIVATE, EDUCATE and CHALLENGE you to RISE above your competition and bring in MORE business!

SEEK OPPORTUNITIES AND RISE!

We chose our conference theme carefully based on what we all experienced last year with not being able to travel, to see our colleagues and friends in person, to shift to stay viable, and more.

SPACE IS LIMITED! Do not wait to register. We have to share numbers with the host hotel – and plan for food, space and hotel rooms. You can pay 50% now and 50% later – just get registered! Go to www.IAHSPConEXPO.com and get EXCITED about what you will LEARN and who you will MEET at this year’s conference!

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HEADQUARTER HOTEL: The Gaylord Rockies

Make your reservation now – don’t wait as the hotel block with our special rate goes away August 23rd! You can reserve your room – and then if you need to change things, you can with no penalty (based on hotel terms) when canceled within the time permitted by the hotel.

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THANK YOU TO OUR CONFERENCE SPONSORS! These wonderful companies will be at our conference to meet YOU – and you can learn about the products and services and SHOP while at the conference!

Home Stager’s Guide to the Home Staging Industry

Check out this GUIDE for people who want to be Home Stagers and have a successful business. It includes all the important information you need to know to make the right choices when considering establishing a staging business and working in the home staging industry.