Great Home Stagers Picture What They Preach
Without a doubt, the end result of a home's staging should be a great visual impression, and that is why home staging looked upon as an image industry. But as a relatively new industry, home stagers have much to learn from their counterparts in other, more-established industries such as advertising, interior design and landscaping. Professionals in these fields know that to sell and grow their own businesses, they must first present a good visual image of themselves. This impression starts with the logos, business cards, and Web sites they use to market their products and services.
Be leary of staging hypocrites. If home stagers are going to pitch the need and importance of investing money to prepare properties for the market, then the stager needs to invest money to do the same for their staging services. To have credibility, a home stager needs to invest in their business image — but it takes more than just spending money. A stager's work, which can typically be viewed on their Web site, must demonstrate staging knowledge and the skill to apply basic design principals. Basic design principals are universal and govern all visual creativity, including the skill and ability to properly stage a home.
Picture what they preach. Another area, where real estate stagers need to practice what they preach, is in the portfolios they use to sell their ability. First and foremost, the work they show MUST ONLY be theirs — and it better look good. If stagers are going to advise sellers and Realtors on the importance of using good photography to capture and present a home, a stager should take the same advice to heart and produce visually appealing photographs to showcase their own work. A stager's portfolio is a key, yet often overlooked tool that communicates quality, skill and ability.
Sellers looking to hire a stager can use a stager's online portfolio to prescreen and review a stager's talent and ability. The best portfolios address the following three points.
• Versatility and proficiency. Every market is different, and examples of the work a stager shows should represent the types of homes being sold in the markets they serve. But the more depth and diversity a stager can show the better. The most compelling portfolios will show staging work that was done in both big and small homes, vacant and occupied homes, low- to high-end homes, and the ability to work with a variety of design styles.
• Same viewpoint. Proof of a stager's skill and ability is often shown in before-and-after photographs. But quite often the before photo is taken from a totally different position in a room than the after photo. The best sales testament that shows a stager's ability and talent come from having the photos taken from the EXACT same angle.
• Quality photos. While it may not be possible to take the perfect picture, the rooms must be well photographed. Stagers that invest the time and money to take quality photos visually communicate their commitment to their profession. Just as a home that is for sale is being judged by how it looks, sellers can use the stager's portfolio to judge skill and ability. The best home stagers will picture what they preach.
Stage It Forward ... Craig Schiller, founder of Real Estaging
Comments
I particularly like your advice about the stager knowing the market. I spent the past four days driving through many parts of Texas. Even though there were many similiarities from town to town, I was noticing the differences between the styles of homes, gardens, and decorations. Even in one city, different sections can have their own concerns.
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