One of the huge bonuses to the staging business model is that you have an Association in your area that is filled with your "A" target market.  That's right, it's your local Realtor Association.  You can become an active part of your local Realtor Association by joining as an Affiliate Member.  How do you find your local Realtor Association?  Simply go to www.google.com and search your city and "Realtor Association" to find your local association.

Here are my top five ways to make the most from your Affiliate membership with Realtor Associations or any Association for that matter:

1. Make Sure Their Affiliate Directory is Both Online and In Print - First search under the "Affiliate" or "Find a Member" link to locate the Affiliate Directory online.  Most of the local association websites have the Affiliate directory available for you to search.

2. Make Sure There  Is a "Home Staging" Category - If there isn't a home staging category, it's probably because you're the first professional home stager interested in becoming an Affiliate member.  All you need to do is contact the association and ask if they can create a category for you.  Then your next question should be...

3. Ask If You Can Speak At An Event - Associations are always holding various events and looking for good speakers and topics to address the needs of their members.  It makes sense that if you are the only Affiliate Home Stager member of your Association that you should get dibs on this.

4. Ask How Best to Market Your Services to Their Members - Each local association has a marketing plan and opportunities for their Affiliate members to connect with their Realtor Members, all you need to do is find out your options.  Many times simply by reviewing their website and Affiliate link area you can discover ways in which they help you get the word out to their members about your business.

5. Build Your List - Many local associations will have a list of their members in print or download, so you can access important contact information of your prospects.  Many times when you're doing your Intentional Marketing campaign you'll run into an agents website that does not give you their email address.  No problem!  Go to your local association and it will usually be listed there!

Other Associations to connect and get involved in are:

​

• Women's Council of Realtors - CLICK HERE for a Directory of Local Chapters in your area

• Local Chamber of Commerce - Great networking for those who live in smaller areas!

• BNI.com - Largest referral organization in the world.  Might be very strongly connected in your local area!

• For a large list of every real estate association under the sun, go to:  http://www.coursedates.com/associations.asp

I can't say enough about the importance of networking and just being where you clients are on a regular basis!  Connect with another local stager to attend these local realtor events together and just be yourself!