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Realtors Who Stage…

realtor staging training

4 Secrets to Success for REALTORS® Who Are Also Home Stagers

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries from agents looking for "Realtor Staging Training". I get it, the market is hot and home staging works to get the price the seller is hoping for BUT…not all agents can be stagers. Why?  I’ve found in the over 10 years of training, there’s a formula to agents who have great success selling AND home staging themselves.

Living Room Before Staging

realtor staging training

After Staging by Sinatro Real Estate, Staging and Design

I’m going to give you my secrets but also share a true, success story (with before and after photos) from an HSR grad who does both Real Estate and staging very successfully!

1.  They Have the "Staging Sickness”

What is the "Staging Sickness”? The sickness is those folks who have been rearranging their rooms since they were children. That's it.  I've found that the best home stagers ALL have been rearranging their rooms since they were children.  Now if you think that everyone does that, you are VERY wrong.  Trust me, most people never rearranged their rooms as children (my two teenage boys have never done this!)  The point I'm trying to make is this...

Great home staging is an art form born out of an innate passion for design. You were either born with that passion or not.

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Michael Sinatro of Sinatro Real Estate, Staging and Design out of Hartford, CT has the "sickness". He's not your typical stager as a young, father and husband with a background in selling high-end furnishings and textiles to designers.  Michael decided to quit that job and become a real estate agent who also stages and helps with move-in design which is a unique business model.

Michael and his adorable family

2.  They Know Their Limitations

You cannot be all things to all people. Being a 6-figure agent and a 6-figure home stager are usually two separate jobs, so unless you have the “sickness” outsource the work to someone who does.

In Michaels case, he outsourced the job of being an agent on this project to an agent who was more knowledgeable about the area. He staged the home beautifully but understood that he could not deliver the best to his client on the selling side, and sourced that portion out. By knowing his limitations, he created trust and lifelong clients in the seller and agent he worked with.

Bedroom Before

realtor staging training

Bedroom After Sinatro Real Estate, Staging and Design

3. They Take Great Care of Their Relationships

I’ve heard some agents who stage say that other agents will not refer staging business their way because they don’t trust them not to steal their client. Trust is an issue and being trustworthy and recognizing that the agent is your most important client of all (for stagers) is essential to success.

The successful staging agents that I know are constantly referred staging business from other agents because they can A.) Trust them B.) Know they have extreme talent (the “sickness”) and C.) Know that they are qualified…which leads me to the fourth point...

Bathroom Before Staging

realtor staging training

Bathroom After Staging by Sinatro

4. They Invest in Their Credentials & Education

Real Estate Agents understand almost better than any other industry the need to constantly educate yourself on your industry. Home Staging Certification when done right should NEVER end! Why? The art of home staging is closely aligned with design and the real estate market which are two constantly changing, evolving industries.

Realtor staging training should involve not only the "how to" but also the business logistics to serving other agents with your staging business.​

When you decide to become a professional home stager you are committing yourself to lifelong learning as an entrepreneur

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What other traits have you seen allow agents who also stage to be successful?

I’m going to give you my secrets but also share a true, success story (with before and after photos) from an HSR grad who does both Real Estate and staging very successfully!

Perfect Business for New Moms

business for new moms

Having just come back from speaking at the Real Estate Staging Convention I have so many, amazing stories to tell about the people who take a leap of faith, follow their design passion (and talent), take our HSR Certification training and are now loving life!  I have tons of photos to share too but I wanted to get this story out which showed home staging to be the perfect business for a new mom.

One such story, I had to share right away was Asha Thune Clarks of Haven Space Designs an Austin, TX based home stager.  I love her story because it shows how she created the perfect business for new moms and so represents what I hear daily from people wondering if they can do this. 

Asha was a new mom when she started the HSR training four years ago and wanted a business that could work around her hours, allow her to contribute to the family finances and still make all the important events in her children’s lives.  That's when she found my training!

Here's Her Inspiring Story and Impressive Portfolio...

One of my very favorite childhood memories was walking into my bedroom and discovering that my mom had surprised me with a beautiful new bedspread. I can still feel the fabric and could pick that particular shade of pink out of a lineup any day. I could not have been more than four years old, but I vividly remember the beauty of my newly, lovingly designed room and how it made me feel: special, loved, and perfectly at peace (as much as a four-year-old recognizes peace).

Throughout the many years that followed, I looked at houses inside and out and loved how the built environment influenced the way I felt. My husband still finds my habit of asking him to slow down as we drive past warmly lit houses at night a bit creepy, but I just love how life happens inside a space that looks and feels beautiful.

When I was around ten, my mom started working for Any Baby Can, an amazing organization that helps families with children with special needs or chronic illnesses. I would tag along on many of her endeavors. One such trip brought us to a small house where we delivered Thanksgiving dinner. I will never forget driving up to the house and once inside, realizing that the dirt floors were not a temporary inconvenience during a remodel or construction; it was the way of life. My heart was changed so strongly that I found myself engaged in as much volunteer work during my high school years as I could find.

When I was accepted into the UT School of Social Work, it seemed fitting; however, I had this nagging voice that wouldn’t let me ignore the dream of creating interior spaces that look and feel beautiful. After all, I was the girl who introduced herself to her would-be college roommate not by saying what my hobbies and interests were but by telling her that our dorm room would be decorated in purple and to please be sure she coordinated her bedding accordingly. Miraculously, she is still one of my most treasured friends.

I completed my graduate degree in Social Work and years went by. I found myself enjoying my career at a local non-profit for several years, but the feeling of “what if I could do what I really love” never went away. When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, my husband encouraged me to take a leap of faith and make a change since we were about to embark on the biggest change of all. I wanted to be sure that whatever I did, I made it official; I started researching Professional Staging Certification programs. I found HSR and began the training.

I was a kid in a candy store going through the modules and learning more not just about how to stage and decorate but how to run my own business.

Before I even completed the training, I had my first client. I was in a total panic and made a couple frantic calls to Audra to get guidance on how to proceed as if I knew what I was doing. HSR gave me tools that helped me move confidently forward. I cannot believe that this journey started almost three years ago. My business has grown steadily, along with my family.

I specialize in Occupied Consultations and also work with design clients who want to improve their living spaces. I also now have a 10-month-old little boy. It is an amazing gift to live near my own mother who helps juggle – I mean watch- the little ones when I meet with clients. I get to plan my work around their needs and never have to miss out on special moments or events. As ridiculous as it sounds, I often find myself driving away from clients’ homes with a smile on my face.

I was recently asked the age-old “if you won the lottery, would you quit the next day” question. Without a doubt, my answer is “No!” I love what I do, I love the people I get to help, I love the realtors I work for who want the best for their clients, and I love that HSR helped turn my life-long daydream into my real-life job.

Woohoo, how cool is that?!

Thank you Asha for sharing your story and talent to encourage others!   This is an amazing industry because of people like you.
If you're reading this and thinking about becoming a home stager and creating your story...then watch my free video about how to become a home stager below...

Could Home Staging" be a Career for You?


Don’t miss this..!!

  • 7 Key Questions to Ask Yourself
  • What the Cost is to Starting this Business
  • Do You Have the Personality for This Industry?
  • How You Know If You Have the Design Talent?

Some More Recent Stories from Home Stagers...

Home Staging Companies Are “Rocking It”!

Every time I get an email with staging success stories, I file them in my “to blog” folder…needless to say, I have too many success stories to tell for Spring 2015! Home staging companies around the globe are literally performing miracles in homes and getting huge returns for their sellers. Since I have too many stories to tell, I’m going to feature some of my favorite photos and recent quotes from HSR members and home staging companies...

Jennifer of Jennifer Neal Homes joined HSR after her real estate agent convinced her that that what she was meant to do in life. She joined HSR and crash coursed all night going 12 hours straight with no sleep. After her first staging job, she attended the broker’s open house and received four more jobs that day! When you see her photos below, you’ll understand why…

Kitchen BEFORE Home Staging

Kitchen BEFORE Home Staging

Kitchen AFTER Home Staging Companies

Kitchen AFTER Home Staging

Susan Stucki signed up for the HSR training just 3 months ago and she sent me this email last week...

Hi Audra! I'm sitting in my office now trying to plan for 3 houses I have to stage in the next 10 days!  I have already staged 6 homes and 3 still have my props.  So you can imagine how fast my inventory has had to grow...and haven't even had time to make a portfolio.  Your training was fantastic!  I couldn't possibly be doing this without all the information I learned from your course.

Susan Stucki

Cori Smith

Hi Audra, I just wanted to say "Thank You" again!  It has only been 3 months and I am learning so much.  Business is good...well great, considering the short amount of time that it has been.  I just completed a vacant staging and two redesigns...

I have to tell you how much I love the training that HSR provides!  I am learning so much and the marketing training and resources are so incredibly helpful.  I can honestly say the HSR training is THE BEST INVESTMENT I have made to start my business!

I loved getting this email from a member who took our course and is now mentoring for our Staging Mentors program...

Hi Audra, - BTW - I have been going gang-busters since I took your class. I actually partnered up with one of your former students, Tiffany Bryant! We've got excellent reviews all over the internet, and have become a Redfin Preferred Staging Company. We have a warehouse full of decor and stage full time! We staged over 50 homes last year! Thank you for the comprehensive training program and giving us the credentials to follow our passion!Linda Shepherd of Buyers Desire Staging

I have to really brag about Linda and Tiffany (above) because their home staging companies, home staging statistics out of Marlborough, MA were incredible!  On average, their homes sold for 12% more than the unstaged homes in their area which is ABOVE industry average.

Yep, home staging companies are rocking it so much that some are even turning away business...

Hi Audra, Business is great! In fact, I’ve made the choice to slow down a little right now. I'm determined I am not ready to hire assistants just yet so I am learning to pace myself a bit and become more selective in the projects I take on. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to be making these choices. Starting a home staging business has truly changed my life!

Lori Livers - A Houston, TX Home Staging Company

The "success" emails keep pouring in from lots of home staging companies...

Lisa DeFrancesco

Hi Audra, things are going great - Spring is finally here in New England and the real estate market is quite healthy. I've been very busy the last few weeks with photography appointments and staging consultations. The consultations have been going great - sellers are very receptive and I'm really enjoying working with them to get the offers pouring in! I have progressed quite a bit since joining HSR - with each new client I feel like I'm learning something new and expanding my skills and offerings. I can't begin to tell you how valuable HSR has been to my business - I am always referring back to the member library every time I need to come up with a new form or some current stats or if I need ideas for a marketing piece - so thank you, thank you, thank you!

Real Estate Staging Convention 2017

I'm super excited to be a featured speaker at this year's Real Estate Staging Convention.  

Staging is hot, hot, hot right now and this convention which puts together all these amazing stagers in one place...promises to be unforgettable!  I will be blogging more about this event as it gets closer but you can get the BEST PRICE by signing up now:

This year I'm speaking on a topic very near to my heart and that is on COLOR....

"6-Steps to Picking the Best Color Schemes for Clients"

Do you love color? Do you offer color consultations but struggle with knowing where to start when it comes to specifying the RIGHT paint colors for your clients? You are not alone. Having a process for picking the right paint colors is the first step in building credibility with clients!

In this information packed class, you will learn how to:

  • How adding a "Color Consultation" service will grow your design business exponentially!
  • Audra's top paint colors for staging in action
  • Color trends to follow, ones to avoid and how to incorporate them into your designs
  • 7 mistakes Color Consultants make and how to avoid them
  • How to hone in and identify your client's goals
  • How to recognize color problems by understanding color rules
  • How to communicate and market your color services easily and affordably

I hope to see you at the January, 2017 RESA Convention but if you can't make it, make sure to join me on our next free webinar event:

I’m so excited to be a featured speaker at this year’s RESA Convention alongside other fantastic speakers like the incredibly talented Sabrina Soto!  Staging is so hot right now, so I hope you will do your best to make this incredible event.

Home Stagers Story – Pursuing Her Dream

Is It Time to Choose Yourself?

I love this email I just got from Sharon Rapp, of Rapizazz a Charlotte, NC home stager

 

When I decided to quit my job working for a Fortune 100 company, I knew this could be the opportunity for me to pursue my life-long dream to have my own business. I always loved decorating homes and had successfully staged several homes to sell. I knew it was something I would love to do but didn’t know where to start…

 

I think Sharon is very common of a lot of people who work in “Corporate America”.  Statistically, most people know they are not doing what they really love…yet are fearful of stepping out on their own as an entrepreneur.  I get that because I was the same way until I got laid-off.  When I got laid-off, I was crushed…you see I thought if I did a good job, I would always have one…but in Corporate America, that’s just not true.  Getting laid-off was the best thing for me because it changed the way I felt about business.  I realized that no matter what, you have to produce.  You can either produce for yourself (be an entrepreneur) and reap the full benefits of your hard work, OR produce for someone else (be an employee).  I say “choose yourself” which is what Sharon did!

 

I found HSR’s training program and was pleasantly surprised to find that the training included the A-to-Z’s of starting up a home staging and redesign business. What a windfall of a find! I especially loved the marketing training to “Bling Your Brand”. Audra is so insightful!

 

It’s not easy to choose yourself and not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, so you should always do your research and do some serious soul searching.  Finally, this is what Sharon had to say about where she is now…

 

home-staging-charlotte

Thanks Sharon!

Here’s a few more recent testimonials from HSR members who have chosen themselves…

East-Northport-home-stager

jersey shore home staging

charleston-home-staging