Shell's Blog

RESA International Staging Conference Early Bird Fees End Nov 25th We WILL SELL OUT

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:50:22 -0600

"What Happens in Vegas May Stay in Vegas,
But What You Learn Goes Home with You!"

In celebration of our rapidly growing membership and industry,
the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) is holding its International Conference on
January 24 - 26, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada

We are very close to hitting our goal and selling out this conference. If we still have interest in attending I will do my best to get the Treasure Island Hotel to increase our number of attendees. The good news is that after Nov 25th the prices for RESA members only goes up $325.00. You don't have to be a RESA member to attend the conference.

Early Bird- Good until Nov 25^th

RESA members $299.00

Non-RESA members $375.00

After Nov 25^th

RESA members -$325.00

Non-RESA members $400.00

After Dec 15^th

RESA members -$350.00

Non-RESA members $420.00

Note: Registration fee includes admission to conference, (2) Continental Breakfasts, (1) Lunch, and the Awards Dinner. Hotel, gratuity, transportation and additional meals are your responsibility.

www.RESAConference.com

RESA Home Staging Industry Awards Voting until Nov 3

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:31:43 -0500

Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) is now accepting nominations (deadline for submission of nominees is November 3rd) for the RESA Staging Industry Awards in the following categories:

RESA Professional Stager of the Year
RESA Rookie Stager of the Year
RESA Staging Innovator of the Year
RESA Staging REALTOR® of the Year
RESA Product of the Year

Winners will hold their titles in their category for 2010.
The following provides the guidelines for submission to each of these categories. Please note: Nominations will be accepted from October 21, 2009 until November 3, 2009.

RESA Professional Stager of the Year The RESA Professional Stager of the Year is a professional home stager that has been in business more than two years and is demonstrating professionalism and excellence in staging.

Nomination Guidelines:

Both RESA members and non-members may nominate up to 5 home stagers for this category
Only RESA members may be nominated. If you're unclear as to whether or not the professional stager is a member of RESA, please use the following set of directions at the bottom of this document or ask the nominee
Last year's winners are eligible to be nominated in the same category
Last year's nominees are eligible
Self nominations are not allowed

Finalists:

Nominees who have had ethics disciplinary actions pending or taken in the last 2 years will be disqualified.
Nominees must be a RESA member in good standing
The top 5 nominees with the highest number of nominations will be the top 5 finalists.
Finalists will submit a summary (using the criteria listed below) that highlights why they should be voted RESA Professional Stager of the Year. Submissions can be up to 5 pages and submitted as a PDF.

Finalist will be judged on the following:
20 Points- Branding (website, logo, etc...) 20 Points- Education through marketing, workshops, blogs, etc...

30 Points- Before and after examples 20 Points- Support to other stagers 10 Points- Overall appeal of entry

Judging:

The top 5 finalists will be reviewed and voted on by a panel of REALTORS® and two celebrity judges.

RESA Rookie Stager of the Year
The RESA Rookie Stager of the Year is a professional home stager that has been in business less than two years and is demonstrating professionalism and excellence in staging.

Nomination Guidelines:

Self nominations are allowed. However, if self nominating, you may only nominate yourself once
Both RESA members and non-members may nominate up to 5 home stagers for this category
Only RESA members may be nominated for this category. If you're unclear as to whether or not the professional stager is a member of RESA, please use the following set of directions at the bottom of this document or ask the nominee
The top 5 nominees with the highest number of nominations will be the top 5 finalists
Must be in business less than 2 years as of January 2010

Finalists:

Nominees who have had ethics disciplinary actions pending or taken in the last 2 years will be disqualified
Nominees must be a RESA member in good standing
The top 5 nominees with the highest number of nominations will be the top 5 finalists
Finalists will submit a summary (using the criteria listed below) that highlights why they should be voted RESA Rookie Stager of the Year. Submissions can be up to 5 pages and submitted as a PDF

Finalist will be judged on the following:

30 Points- Branding (website, logo, etc...) 30 Points- Education through marketing, workshops, blogs, etc...

30 Points- Before and after examples 10 Points- Overall appeal of entry

Judging:

The top 5 finalists will be reviewed and voted on by a panel of REALTORS® and two celebrity judges.

RESA Staging Innovator of the Year
The Staging Innovator is a service provider who is providing innovative solutions to home stagers and/or the home staging industry.

Nomination Guidelines:

Must be a service provider to the home staging industry. Examples are: Furniture Rental Company, Home Staging Training Providers, Social Networking Sites, Marketing Tools and Resources for Stagers, etc.
Self nominations are not allowed
Nominees that are RESA members who have had ethics disciplinary actions pending or taken in the last 2 years will be disqualified
Both RESA members and non-members may nominate up to 3 choices for this category
Nominations must include a link to the company website
Last year's winners are eligible to be nominated in the same category
Last year's nominees are eligible

Finalists:

The top 3 nominees with the highest number of nominations will be the top 3 finalists
Finalists will be asked to submit a summary (using the criteria listed below) that highlights why they should be voted RESA Innovator of the Year. Submissions can be up to 2 pages and submitted as a PDF

Finalist will be judged on the following:

How the provider delivers excellent service to the home staging industry/home stagers
How they are contributing to the growth of the home staging industry

Judging:
The top 3 finalists will be reviewed and voted on by the RESA membership.

RESA Staging REALTOR® of the Year
The Staging REALTOR® of the Year will be a REALTOR® that collaborates with professional stagers and fully endorses the staging profession.

Nomination Guidelines:

Both RESA members and non-members may be nominated
Both RESA members and non-members may nominate up to 3 REALTORS® for this category
Last year's winners are eligible to be nominated in the same category
Last year's nominees are eligible
Nominee must be a REALTOR®

Finalists:

The top 4 nominees will be determined by RESA leadership
The top 4 nominees will be the finalists
Nominees that are RESA members who have had ethics disciplinary actions pending or taken in the last 2 years will be disqualified
Finalist will submit a summary (using the criteria listed below) that highlights why they should be voted RESA Staging REALTOR® of the Year. Submissions can be up to 2 pages and submitted as a PDF

Finalist will be judged on the following:

How they think staging has increased their overall business
How staging has improved their listing presentation
How they work with professional stagers
Why they think staging is important when selling real estate

Judging:
Judging will be voted on by the entire RESA membership

RESA Product of the Year
The Product of the Year is a product that professional stagers use in their day-to-day business.

Nomination Guidelines:

RESA members and non-members may nominate up to 3 products for this category
Self nominations are allowed. However, if self nominating, you may only nominate your product once
Last year's winners are eligible to be nominated in the same category
Last year's nominees are eligible

Finalists:

The top 3 nominees with the highest number of nominations will be the top 3 finalists
Nominees that are RESA members who have had ethics disciplinary actions pending or taken in the last 2 years will be disqualified
Finalist will submit a summary (using the criteria listed below) that highlights why they should be voted RESA Product of the Year. Submissions can be up to 2 pages and submitted as a PDF

Finalist will be judged on the following:

How well their product relates to a home stagers business
How easy the product is to use
Overall customer service of product provider

Judging:
Judging will be voted on by the entire RESA membership

Important Deadlines:
October 21st, 2009 to November 3rd, 2009- Nominations Accepted
November 4th, 2009 to November 6th 2009- Finalists Notified Via Email
November 18th, 2009- Submissions due from Finalists- Late submissions will be disqualified
November 30th, 2009- December 14th, 2009- Judging
January 25th, 2010 Winners Announced at the Awards Dinner and Ceremony at the RESA International Staging Conference

Directions on how to determine if the professional stager is a RESA member: Click here to do a search for the member by their last name. If their name comes up they are a member in good standing. If you are still unsure please ask the nominee.

Important Note: We have noticed people bypassing the security system and voting multiple times. Please note IP addreses are being tracked and multiple votes for same the person with the same IP address those multiple votes will be disqualifed. To further support the growth of the home staging industry, RESA will be recognizing leaders within the staging industry for their outstanding contributions and personal accomplishments.

Click here to begin the nomination process

RESA Conference Look which HGTV star is coming

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:40:08 -0500

RESA is gearing up for the very first International Home Staging Conference that includes ALL Stagers. The Convention is January 24-25th 2010 in Las Vegas Nevada.

We are very proud to announce that HGTV's Designed to SELL Real Estate Expert Bethany Souza will be joining us. Bethany will share how her experience with representing Las Vegas Boulevard hotel owners, land developers and coastal estate buyers in multimillion-dollar transactions helped her build a thriving business. Sign up today and come on out to meet Bethany.

Have you been a victim of copyright fraud? Do you have trademark questions?

Erik Pelton

Trademark and Copyright Law-
How it Affects Your Staging Business

Erik Pelton will speak and take questions on the value and importance of trademark and copyright protection for members, focusing specifically on brand names, logos, copyright protections for advertising materials, websites and photos; and intellectual property clauses in contracts with independent contractors.

Come learn and network with home stagers from all over North America. The conference is being held at the Treasure Island Hotel. We have an amazing menu planned and fabulous speakers. The conference kicks off with our networking mixer Sunday night January 24th.

The RESA Staging Industry Awards will be announced and handed out at the Awards Dinner on January 25th.

Early Bird- Good until Nov 15^th

RESA members -$299.00

Non-RESA members $375.00

After Nov 15^th

RESA members -$375.00

Non-RESA members $400.00

After Dec 15^th

RESA members -$400.00

Non-RESA members $450.00

Note: Registration fee includes admission to conference, (2) Continental Breakfasts, (1) Lunch, and the Awards Dinner. Hotel, gratuity, transportation and additional meals are your responsibility.

visit www.RESAConference.com to see all the speakers

National Staging Confefence Coming Soon We Need Some Input

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:16:11 -0500

Great news! We have secured the Treasure Island Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas Nevada January 24, 25, 26 2010 for our National Staging Conference.

We are sensitive to the economic situation of our membership and we would like to get some feedback on exactly how long you would like your convention to be. In addition we need to know if there is still enough interest in order to organize an event of this size and expense.

Please click here to answer a few questions that will help us determine where we go from here. You will not have to be a RESA member to attend. Thanks so much,

Feel free to post comments on the blog but please use the survey link to give your input on the actual conference.

RESA Convention Committee

RESA has pledged to support Earth Hour and we need your support

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:26:29 -0500

Climate change is one of the most serious problems facing our world today. On Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm, tens of millions of people throughout the world will turn out their lights to make a statement of concern about the future of our planet as part of Earth Hour, an event led by the World Wildlife Fund.

RESA has pledged to support Earth Hour and are inviting all our members to take part in this historic and inspiring event.

Earth Hour got its start just two years ago and is now the largest event of its kind in the world. Last year, more than 50 million people participated and the lights went out at the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the Coliseum in Rome, just to name a few. Even Google's homepage went black for the day! In Israel, President Shimon Peres personally turned off lights in Tel Aviv.

This year, Earth Hour will be even bigger-nearly 2,000 cities in over 80 countries have agreed to take part including Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville with more signing up every day. Around the world cities like Moscow, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai and Mexico City are among the many cities that will turn out their lights.

Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and free. It's also a wonderful opportunity for friends and families to gather together and think about the issues confronting our planet and the ways that we can work together to make a positive difference. Please join us in taking part in this inspiring event.

We want North America to turn out more lights than any other country in the world during this historic event so please pass this note along to anyone you think might want to take part. Let's all turn out and take action on March 28 at 8:30 pm. Click for more info

Staging Trends Magazine E Marketing Tool for Stagers

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:05:56 -0600

StagingTrends.com is the Staging Industries first e-Magazine brought to you by the Real Estate Staging Association in partnership with Commercial Net, Inc. a private label magazine publisher for HomeOwnerTrends.com.

HomeOwnerTrends.com has been re-labeled as Staging Trends e-Magazine and is the ONLY online magazine for the homeownership marketplace that you can re-brand to your company. We manage the magazine's core content and give you the ability to personalize it with your content through personal pages and other features. It is a mutually beneficial relationship that can help your business thrive.

You can use your Staging Trends Online Magazine to effectively "build your brand" with clients and prospects, differentiate yourself from your competitors, and reinforce the value of your company's services. After all, who else in your industry's local market do you know that has their own online magazine? If Martha Stewart can have her own online magazine, why can't professional stagers?

Staging Trends Online Magazine is unique. For less than the price of most online electronic newsletter services, we provide you with your online magazine PLUS an HTML e-Newsletter generator and content library, among many other features! Our client support services are also outstanding.

The Next Generation in Online Marketing Has Arrived

Staging Trends Online Magazine is a progressive online publication created for the homeownership marketplace. The magazine offers homeowners timely, informative, and entertaining content related to the homeownership experience. Homeowners can use Staging Trends Online Magazine for a variety of reasons, including:

Understanding more about how their homes work
Gaining insight on products and services used in the home
Learning tips and techniques to create a better homeownership environment;
Learning various home maintenance tips to create a safer home
Gathering information from local experts in various home service industries

Staging Trends offers a wide variety of content for consumers that covers nearly every aspect of the home-ownership lifestyle.

Article sections include:

Real Estate Staging
Home School
Home Life

Kitchen & Bath
Outdoors
Home Tech

Do-It-Yourself
Realty Insight
Home Tips

Home Décor
Green Living
Food & Entertaining
Lawn & Garden

Other features include:

Interactive calculators
Dictionaries
Product reviews

Home maintenance tips
Homeowner-related news
Multimedia videos

Online resources guide
Arcade and other "distractions"

STAGING TRENDS ONLINE MAGAZINE - MAKE IT YOURS

STAGINGTRENDS.com/YourCompanyName

Fully Managed Content. We aggregate, assemble, and publish the online magazine, and you personalize it with your content.
Personalize It. Using our integrated editing features, you can insert your own text, images, video, and widget applications in 6 designated personal pages.
Progressive Updates. New content is added on a regular basis so that your readers always have something fresh to enjoy.
More Bang for the Buck. You receive an online magazine and HTML newsletter.
Superior Support. We've got plenty of easy-to-use online support tools, and we provide email and phone-based support, too!

PERKS

Sell Ad space on your own magazine and not only have your magazine pay for itself, you can EARN a passive income from local vendors.
RESA members have the ability to write articles for the Real Estate Staging section of the magazine which is distributed to over 65,000 readers each month through HomeOwnerTrends.com.
10 FREE Guest Accounts. Gift these to your best clients or use it as a value added service to seal the deal with a new client. Guest accounts can be branded to your clients company.
RESA members that have a Staging Trends account will receive a free listing in "Staging Magazine", the new Industry Specific Magazine coming in the next 60 days. Staging Magazine also posted an annoucement on Acitve Rain click here to see that post
You will also get a FREE website and ad directly listing on StagingMagazine.com
RESA Members can purchase the Staging Trends e-Magazine account for only $289.00 per year. NON-Members pay $360.00 per year. That is a $71.00 SAVINGS!!

Visit

www.StagingTrends.com to see the online magazine.

Ready to sign up? Click here

This service is for ALL stagers, at this time RESA members get the discount. If other orgnaizations are interested in the discount being extended to their membership please call 888-201-8687 and speak to Shell.

MIRRORMATE FRAMES -RESA 2009 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:54:22 -0600

MirrorMate Wins over North America's Real Estate Staging Trade Association

Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) announced that MirrorMate® frames is the winner of the "RESA 2009 Product of the Year Award."Next to paint, one of the most inexpensive, high-impact changes a homeowner can make to update a bathroom is adding a MirrorMate® frame to the bare, plate glass mirror found in so many suburban homes. It can give the entire bathroom an updated, finished look with character, style and ease - at a price that is affordable.

Professional Real Estate Stagers take on huge goals to get a property prepared for sale in a short period of time and they do it on a budget. MirrorMate frames are the perfect product for Professional Stagers to use to spruce up a dated bathroom. MirrorMate custom cuts each frame to any mirror size so it seamlessly fits any mirror in any space. Just like a frame for a piece of art, it features mitered edges that give the mirror an authentically framed look. "This product is creative, affordable and simply brilliant. We love MirrorMate and are more than pleased to bestow the honor of the RESA 2009 Product of the Year", said Shell Brodnax, RESA's President/CEO.

"A MirrorMate frame is an easy do-it-yourself project for any homeowner, stager or designer looking to add character to a bland bathroom or update the look of an older room," explained Lisa Huntting, president of MirrorMate.LLC "For those looking to sell their home, it can also give that wow factor home buyers are looking for.

"We are thrilled to receive this recognition from RESA and look forward to continuing our work with the professional real state staging industry," said Huntting.

The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) is the trade association for Professional Real Estate Stagers. The organization provides business support services for professional stagers in addition to providing vital information on the benefits of staging to Realtors and home sellers. For more information about Real Estate Staging, the RESA Endorsement Program, or to find a professional stager call 800-201-8687 and speak with Shell Brodnax, or visit the RESA Web site at www.RealEstateStagingAssociation.com

About MirrorMate

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, MirrorMate, LLC was founded by Lisa Huntting, who invented the product as a design solution for the four bare mirrors in her own home. As the original and industry leader, MirrorMate^® frames are patented in the U.S. with additional patents pending in the U.S. and Canada. For product and company information, as well as a demonstration video, please visit www.mirrormate.com, the company's retail Internet site.

RESA 2009 Staging Industry Award Winners Announed

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:19:57 -0600

RESA congratulates and recognizes each person for their contributions to our industry. Our Industry Awards are a wonderful way to give back to the Staging Industry as a whole and to recognize some amazing people.

RESA also is proud to honor some of our leadership that particulary stood out this year. We offer a very sincere thank you. Without our leadership and membership RESA would not be possible. Thank you for your time, energy, ideas, committment and passion.

This year we did our Rookie Stager and Professional Stager of the Year awards a little differently. We had a panel of some AMAZING Realtors and leaders in the Real Estate Indsutry voting. We also extend a HUGE thank you for taking time out of your schedules to tend to this very important task. These women were WONDERFUL!!! I many of them were attending the Women's Council of Realtors State Event in Calfifornia and took our information with them in order to be able to participate. That's COMMITTMENT!!

Please visit RESA to see all of the winners and our amazing judges!

Shell Brodnax is on the radio TODAY CALL IN and Ask a Question at 12:00pm MST, 11:00AM PST, 1:00PM Central, 2:00PM EST

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:21:57 -0600

Be sure to listen to "Stagers in the House" live on KFNN 1510 AM and KFNN.com, airing today at 12noon during the ‘Talk Real Estate' hour! So listen, call in, and learn more!

Today we have Shell Brodnax, President/CEO of RESA, Real Estate Staging Association reflecting on how the Staging Industry has grown and helped Realtors make more sales and more money in a very sluggish economy. We will also discuss the plans for an even more successful 2009! Call in and give us your feedback on how successful staging is working in your market. 1-800-293-5366

Click here and listen on line http://www.kfnn.com/ListenLive.asp

12:00pm MST, 11:00AM PST, 1:00PM Central, 2:00PM EST

"Stager in the House" on Talk Real Estate, KFNN 1510AM offers the real estate community an inside look at the current housing market and the importance of ‘presentation marketing' - focusing on the trends and value of home staging to help you work through your listings and inventory. New general-credit continuing education opportunities for Realtors will also be discussed, including a Certified Staging Professional (CSP) Realtor Elite program and the new Green Build Science course for Realtors

---------

Suzette Smith, CSP, ASP, RESA, LGLS CT

Castagio Staging & Training

suzette@castagio.com

480-239-8561

RESA Staging Industry Award Nominees Announced

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:09:35 -0600

The Nominees for RESA Rookie Stager of the Year are:


Wanda Richards Shows Great Home Staging Vinton, VA	Ryan Dressel Staged Right Design Roseville, CA	Donna Schoby Ready! Set! Stage! Fayetteville, AR	Kristy Bowen-Morrison Capital Home Staging & Design Kanata, Ontario Canada

The Nominees for RESA Professional Stager of the Year are:

Melissa Marro
First Impressions
Home Staging &
Interior ReDesign
Charleston SC

DesAnn Collins
Design By DesAnn
Solon, OH

Cindy Lin
Staged4more
Home Staging & Redesigns
SF Bay Area

Michelle Minch
Moving Mountains
Design Home Staging
Pasadena, CA

The Nominees for RESA Staging Realtor of the Year are:


Matt Poole Charleston Pier Partners Charleston SC	Susan Peters RE/MAX Mutual Realty Seattle, WA	Tim Thompson MKB Realtors Roanoke, VA	Michele Reneau Carolina One Mt. Pleasant, SC

The Nominees for RESA Staging Innovator of the Year are:

Melissa Marro
First Impressions
Home Staging &
Interior ReDesign
Charleston SC

DesAnn Collins
Design By DesAnn
Solon, OH

Cindy Lin
Staged4more
Home Staging & Redesigns
SF Bay Area

Sandy Dixon
Interior Arrangements
Executive Director IRIS
Evergreen, CO

Lori Kim Polk
Artful Journey
Sacramento, CA

Terrylynn Fisher and Kym Hough
of StagersLIST.com
SF Bay Area

The Nominees will be reviewed by a panel of Industry Professionals and the winners will be announced at the end of January 2009.

Industry Awards-2008 Winners

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2008 RESA Staging Industry Awards

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:29:05 -0600

RESA would like to recognize Staging Professionals for their outstanding contributions and personal accomplishments to our industry.

Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) is now accepting nominations for our yearly awards in the following categories:

RESA Professional Stager of the Year

RESA Rookie Stager of the Year

RESA Staging Innovator of the Year

RESA Staging Realtor of the Year

All nominations must be received no later than December 20th, 2008. Finalists will be notified by December 22, 2007.

1. Professional Stager of the Year: The Professional Stager of the Year has demonstrated outstanding skills in the following areas: Staging Design Skills, Business Skills and Ethics. The professional Stager of the Year must also be supportive to other Stagers and be shown to consistently educate the public about Staging through marketing, workshops or blogs. Nominations must include reasons why this Professional Stager should be recognized. Final Nominees will submit a marketing piece that covers all areas of requirements for winning.

2. RESA Rookie Stager of the Year- The Rookie Stager of the Year has demonstrated outstanding skills in the following areas: Staging Design Skills, Business Skills and Ethics. Nominations must include reasons why this Professional Stager should be recognized. The Rookie Stager of the Year must also be supportive to other Stagers and be shown to consistently educate the public about Staging through marketing, workshops or blogs. The nominee must have been in the staging industry less than 2 years. Nominees will submit a marketing piece that covers all areas of requirements for winning.

3. RESA Staging Innovator of the Year: The Staging Innovator is a professional who is taking proactive actions to further the industry and bring legitimacy to the profession. Nominees will submit a marketing piece that covers all areas of requirements for winning.

4. RESA Staging Realtor of the Year: The Staging Realtor of the Year will be a Realtor collaborates with Professional Stagers and fully endorses the staging profession. Nominees will submit a marketing piece that covers all areas of requirements for winning.

Please click here to nominate someone

Rules:

Nomination requirements are detailed below.
Both RESA members and Non-Members may be nominated.
Nominations are anonymous and you may nominate yourself.
The top 4 nominees will be the finalists.
Finalists will submit a marketing piece that will cover all aspects of qualifications and requirements of the contest.
Last year’s winners are not eligible to be nominated in the same category
Last years NOMINEES ARE ELIGIBLE. Nominees must not have any ethics violations
Nominees must not have any ethics violations.

Judging:

RESA Professional Stager and RESA Rookie Stager of the Year will be chosen by a Panel of 7 Realtors
RESA Staging Realtor of the Year will be chosen by a panel of 7 professional stagers
RESA Innovator of the Year will be chosen by a mixed panel of stagers and Realtors

Need help understanding my Lenders language before I stick a fork in his eye

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:53:58 -0600

I need some help with understanding some lending issues. Hopefully someone can give me some straight answers.

First lets just say the guy working my loan has made me so angry I could SPIT. He talks a million miles a minute and doesnt explain things to me so I can "get it".

We are in Escrow about to close any day. We are not locked in at a rate yet. This is what he said last week, " . I went ahead and locked the loan as well with the rate float-down option so if rates do improve you can move down as mush as .25%, and I will have the exact dollar amount needed for this on Monday. Now on the lock, what has been locked is the rate sheet from today not an actual rate, so that we can move around with the float."

Now during this time we were discussing the float down program. We pay $1100.00 and we can lower the rate withing 5 days by .25, then when I asked him what the rate was he gives me:

So, here is where we are right now.

6.0% is a cost of 1.625%

6.125% is a cost of 1.5%

6.25% is actually priced worse then 6.125%??? It happens.

6.375% is a cost of 1.125%

he states that we are not locked into a rate but a rate sheet and this is the rate sheet, which makes me think that our rate could be anyplace between 6.0 and 6.375. Dont know why he is telling me what the cost is??? is that the % of the loan amount we need to do the float program?

If anyone can explain this in simple terms I would be forever grateful.

FREE Publication for Real Estate Professionals- The Consumer's Guide to Real Estate Staging

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:06:20 -0500

Are you a real estate professional that needs help explaining staging to your clients? Do you have a listing that wont sell? Do you have clients that will not even clean up for viewings? Do you deal with Pet smells, cooking odors, dirty bathroom, kitchens and entire houses?

Then you need the Consumer's Guide to Real Estate Staging. This guide can be used with your clients to explain what they need to do to prepare their property for sale. It also gives specific tips on choosing a professional stager to help with the process.

Home owners are unable to "see" what really needs to be done to prepare a home for sale. Working with a professional stager will ease that process and get you the desired results.

If you are a Real Estate Agent, Lender, Builder, Stager or a homeowner or anyone else you may download your FREE Guide here.

Please feel free to use it with your clients to help explain the benefits of staging. You can also watch a short 2 min video on the benefits of staging. This is a great video with lots of information and it features some of our members work.

Home Staging Awareness Month is here... look what we are doing

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:35:14 -0500

It's November 1st and Home Staging Awareness Month is officially here!!

The Stage it Forward Round Tables are also here!! First and foremost we all owe a big THANK YOU to Stage it Forward's Founder Craig Schiller!!! Without Craig's vision this would not be possible.

The Round Tables will focus on the Staging Industry, creating standards, ethics and the wants and needs of the Professional Stager. You ALL can have a voice in creating standards and choosing the direction you want your industry to take.

You do not have to be a member of RESA to attend nor do you have to hold any particular designation. If you are interested in attending a meeting please clik on the Event Calendar to find a location near you.

If you have any questions please contact Karen Dembsky, Linda or Gary Barnett, our favorite British Import Juliet Johnson, Kim Wester and finally Maureen Bray whom without Maureen nothing I write would make much sense. Thank you to the entire SIF Committee for putting this together. The SIF Round Tables are a tremendous undertaking and each and every person has contributed time, money, passion, blood sweat and tears to make this happen for all the stagers in North America.

To show you just how big this is pleae take a peak at all the media outlets that picked up our press release.

Business Wire View Release	Yahoo! Finance View Release	MarketWatch View Release
Forbes View Release	Columbus Dispatch View Release	Denton Record-Chronicle View Release
EuroInvestor UK View Release	Financial Post View Release	FinanzNachrichten.de View Release
Morningstar View Release	Quote.com View Release	Sacramento Bee Online View Release
San Antonio Express-News View Release	SecuritySales.com View Release	The Dallas Morning News View Release

Search Engine Results

Google News View Results	MSN Live View Results	AOL Search View Results
AOL News View Results	Yahoo! View Results	Yahoo News View Results
MSN News View Results	Ask.com News View Results	Google Web View Results
Ask.com View Results	AlltheWeb.com View Results

Our National Co- Sponsors of Home Staging Awareness Month

a HUGE Thank you!!!

The Interior Redesign Industry Specialists (IRIS)

www.WeRedesign.com

Thank you to Sandy Dixon and the entire IRIS Board

American Society of Home Staging and Redesigners (ASHSR)

www.ASHSR.com

A Big thank you to Audra Slinky

A BIG THANK YOU to our meeting sponsors:

IKEA, CORT Furniture Rental,Bekins, PODS, Brook Furniture Rental, 1-800-GOT-JUNK , Pack Rats, Keller Williams, Arch's, The Plant Atrium, Design it on Consignment, Aarons, Staged 4 more, Staging for You, The Energized Seller, Furniture Medic, Lazarus-Shouse Homes, Home Matters, LLC., The Dewy Color System, Rental Furniture and Sales, Welcome Home Furniture Rental, Pineappple Interiors, First Impressions Home Staging and Redesign, RESA, IRIS and ASHSR.

Without YOU this would not be possible!!

Home Staging Awareness Month- Stage It Forward Round Tables Sign Up Today!

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:57:41 -0500

November is Home Staging Awareness Month

Professional Home Stagers Gather to Discuss Industry News and Promote Home Staging

The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) the Trade Association for Professional Home Stagers has announced that November is Home Staging Awareness Month.

RESA along with IRIS and ASHSR is proud to announce that we are National Co-Sponsors of Home Staging Awareness Month.

During Home Staging Awareness Month the popular "Stage it Forward" (SIF) Round Table Meetings will be taking place all over North America.

Keeping with the tradition of SIF and RESA ALL Stagers are welcome to attend a meeting. You do not have to be a member of RESA or any other organization to attend nor do you have to hold any particular designation.

Some of the topics of discussion will be:

Creating Standards
Ethics
Regulations or Legislation and how it effects your business
Continuing Education
Competitors vs. Colleagues
Competing with Rental Furniture Companies

And much more! The Round Tables are FREE and all of the information gathered will be made available to everyone involved. The feedback will be used to continue to create the industry that YOU want.

To sign up please click here and find a location near you. If you don't see one in your area check back soon we have more locations to post including Atlanta, Ontario Canada and Portland.

Got an IRS Audit? I did!

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:47:23 -0500

I was notifed about 8 weeks ago of my impending audit and I set my date to go in. I will share what happend and some tips to help others avoid some of the collecting of data issues I had to face.

Keep your receipts!!! this is where I lacked. SO I had to get my bank statements in order to prove my expences. TIP: Collect your receipts as you go. Keep a file for personal and business. Write on the receipt what you used it for if its not obvious.
Don't loose receipts. There is a new program call Neat Receipts. I bought it a few months ago and you can scan everything in. I am keeping neat receipts and the actuall receipts, just in case.
Keep good milage logs if you claim milage. Here is a free template
Contributions, donations- IF you donate items to goodwill or a similar organization there are actually some IRS guidelines for this. A bag of clothes is worth only $20.00 no matter what you donate, washing machine is only worth $100 and a dryer is only worth $100. If you are ditching any staging inventory you are better off listing it on www.StagersList.com then donating it. I donated over well over 3400.00 in goods and only got credit for less than 1000.00.
Gifts for clients are limited to $25.00. I had lots of "leave behinds" that I used as I am sure most of you do. If you buy in BULK and then make them as you go then you are ok. If you give gifts of more than $25.00 then not so much. I was fine on this.
You can check out http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/ for tips directly from the IRS.

In general what happens in an audit is they just ask you general questions. Where do you live, work etc. My IRS Auditor was very nice, lets just call him "IRS Dude". I am pretty sure I was the "funest" audit he has ever done. I was my typical friendly commical self and we both laughed alot. He was generally interested in the staging industry.

I did ask him about staging being tax deductible. Here is the scoop. If a home owner invests $10,000.00 in staging (just usng round numbers) then that will only reduce the amount of capitol gains. in addition the 10 grand is NOT written off, only 15% is a "tax benefit" so 1500.00. I think this can be tricky and a bit miss leading to advertise staging is tax deductible if you dont fully explain it so check it out on your own before you do.

So here I am at the end of my IRS Audit with a boo boo face after getting the final report that I owed a tiny bit MORE. BUMMER!! All in all it went pretty well considering when you walk in to an audit they have a dollar figure that they want back from you already. Mine was about 6 grand and I didnt owe anything near that amount. My pay back was due to the goodwill donations. Sell it!!! You can get much more if you sell then if you donate. Again, it was not a bad experience and I didnt owe that much more so it all ended well. Again, plug for www.stagerslist.com

IRS Dude took this photo:

Is your state represented in the SIF Round Tables?

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:14:27 -0500

It is not too late to step up to facilitate a Round Table Meeting in your area. The process is very simple and it gives your area a chance to be heard by giving your feedback on critical industry issues.

Currently these are the states that do not have any round tables:

Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Okalahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Vermont, Maine, CT, (many of the New England states may be attending NJ)

We still have a few RT's to post on the schedule but not in these states. If you are interested in getting a round table in your state please email Shell@ShellBrodnax.com I will send you a packet via email wtih the instrutions.

Stage it Forward Round Tables- 19 on the calendar so far

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:08:42 -0500

The Stage it Forward Round Tables are taking place during the month of November with is Home Staging Awareness Month Below are the first round tables that you can now start to register for. More are being added to the RESA calender each week so check back often to find one in your area. This is an exciting month for professional stagers from all over North America to take part in this ground breaking event and lend your voice and your opinions in moving our industry forward. Saturday, Nov 1, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Houston, TX- SIF RT	CORT		1:00 PM

Monday, Nov 3, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Austin, TX SIF RT	Design It With Consignment		10:00 AM

	Lafayette, LA SIF RT	CORT Furniture Rental		11:00 AM

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	East Coast Staging Expo	Aarons Furniture Rental		9:00 AM

	SF East Bay Walnut Creek, CA Round Table	Brook Furniture Rental		11:30 AM


Friday, Nov 7, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Orange, San Bernadino&Riverside, CA SIF RT	Staging For You, Inc.		11:00 AM

	Northwest WA- SIF RT	Trumpeter Public House		2:30 PM

Saturday, Nov 8, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Minneapolis MN- SIF RT	Bonfire		11:00 AM

Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time

	Philly-Western Suburbs, PA- SIF RT	Cort Furniture Rental		11:00 AM

Thursday, Nov 13, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time

	Greater Detroit, MI SIF RT	Ikea		10:00 AM

	Indianapolis, IN-SIF RT	Home Matters		10:30 AM

Friday, Nov 14, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Denver, CO- SIF RT	Pineapple Interiors		9:30 AM

	Seattle, WA SIF RT	Keller Williams Realty		10:00 AM

	SIF RT- Los Angeles CA	Brook Furniture Rental		11:30 AM

	Sacramento, CA SIF RT	Welcome Home Furniture		1:00 PM

Saturday, Nov 15, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Tampa Bay, FL - SIF RT	CORT		10:00 AM


Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Dallas Ft Worth TX Round Table	CORT Furniture Rental Conference Center		9:30 AM

	Greater Phoenix, AZ SIF RT	Cort Furniture Rental		11:00 AM

Wednesday, Nov 19, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	North Coast Ohio- SIF RT	CORT		9:30 AM

	Chicago IL, Round Table	Brook Furniture Rental		11:00 AM


Saturday, Nov 22, 2008
	Event	Location	Date/Time
	Charleston, SC- SIF RT	First Impressions Home Office		2:00 PM

Check www.RealEstateStagingAssociation.com and clik on the event calendar and go to Nov to see other dates that are not posted here yet.

Positive Steps in the Staging Industry Regarding Ethics & Professionalism

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:33:00 -0500

There have been some recent blogs on ethics and issues in the industry and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to blog about what RESA did to adopt an Ethics and Grievance Policy in addition to a better business bureau program for professional stagers.

Staging Excellence Alliance: During our first year the "consumer" started contacting RESA to ask questions about their stager. Questions regarding common polices and wanting to "check out" their stager. We also took that opportunity to develop the Staging Excellence Alliance (SEA Program) this is a better business bureau program for the professional stager. The program provides a one page business report on the stager; how long in business, owners name, website and their record within the program. The stager uses a "dedicated member" logo that shows they are part of this voluntary program and they can link to a report. They also get a customer satisfaction survey so they can get customer feedback. The program also has a dispute resolution procedure. This is a great service for the professional stager. We are proud to report that the program is going well and the consumer is calling to check out stagers. The program is currently free for RESA members. Click for more info

Regarding Ethics/Grievances: The board and the Executive Committee looked at other organizations policies and reviewed the types of issues that were taking place and we "imagined" what other potential issues could occur. We discussed, emailed, and tossed around many ideas; concepts and solutions for about a month and the policies were created.

This is what the board and EC came up with:

In the event that a RESA member is brought forth to the Ethics Committee for violation of the RESA Code of Ethics the following procedure will be followed:

A 20 volunteer Ethics Committee will be created from the RESA Membership. The volunteers may or may not be called upon during the year to serve in an advisory capacity regarding Ethics and Grievances.

Ethics Committee Requirements:

Must be a RESA Member

Must not have any previous Ethics Complaints
Must sign a Confidentiality Agreement
Panel will be anonymous to the Petitioner and Respondent and shall remain anonymous and keep confidentially about all proceedings both during and after resolution
Ethics Committee Pool members will be allowed to use Ethics Committee Member in marketing of their business

Complaint Process:

Should a RESA member wish to file a grievance with the Ethics Committee they will file a formal complaint on the official Petitioner complaint form. The complaint form will be submitted to the Ethics Chairperson. The Ethics Chairperson will review the complaint and determine if the complaint falls within the guidelines of issues that RESA will review. Should the Ethics Chairperson determine that the grievance is not an issue that should be heard by the Ethics Committee said Ethics Chairperson will notify the complainant within 5 business days, either via phone, email or US Mail. NO record of the complaint will be kept on file.

Members making complaints should have exhausted every avenue to resolve the dispute on their own. Grievances should not be taken lightly and great thought and care should be taken before filing a grievance.

The Ethics Chairperson and National VP will take turns facilitating the Grievance process and they will be called the Ethics Facilitator.

Valid Complaints:

Should the Ethics Chairperson determine this is an issue that should be heard by the Ethics Committee for resolution, the Ethics Facilitator will pull 3 members from the Ethics Committee to hear the complaint brought forth. The Ethics Committee will be organized in a list in random order. The Ethics Facilitator will pull the first 3 members on the list from the Ethics Committee pool. If one of the volunteers in that rotation knows one of the individuals they will be disqualified from hearing this issue and be put back in the pool in the next available slot.

The Ethics Facilitator will notify the RESA Member that the grievance has been filed against (the respondent) and they will also receive a copy of the original complaint. They will be asked to return a written statement regarding the grievance on the official grievance response form. The Respondent will have 5 business days to respond and return their response to the Ethics Facilitator.

Upon receipt of the response, both the Petitioner and the Respondent statements will be emailed to each of the 3 Ethics Committee Volunteers that have been called to duty. The Ethics Committee Volunteers will review the complaint and response, should they have any questions, they will send those questions to the Ethics Facilitator, and those questions will be presented to the Petitioner or Respondent, they will be answered and returned to the Ethics Committee for review. Process continues until all questions have been answered. The Ethics Committee will have a conference call to discuss the situation and determine a resolution.

The Ethics Committee will provide a written report to the Ethics Facilitator with advice to each party on how to handle the issue differently in the future. This will be considered a verbal warning and verbal warnings will not be considered for expulsion from RESA Membership unless they become habitual. Habitual will be considered 3 warnings on the same subject. Upon the 3^rd warning on the same subject matter an automatic written warning will be issued. Other actions may be necessary and are described below.

Returning the results to the Petitioner and Respondent

The Ethics Facilitator will return the Ethics Committees findings to both the Petitioner and Respondent. The Ethics Committee shall remain anonymous in order to preserve the integrity of the process.

Warning Definitions

Verbal Warning- General Advice on how to handle differently in the future or advised by the Ethics Committee not to repeat said behavior in the future.

Written Warning-The Ethics Committee may deem a grievance so severe they do have the ability to issue a written warning upon unanimous vote by all 3 members of the Ethics Committee reviewing the grievance. A written warning consists of instruction on said behavior and stipulates prohibited behavior in the future.

Expulsion from Membership-After 3 written warnings regardless of the subject matter the member will be expelled from RESA Membership for the term of 1 yr. If the member returns to RESA and receives 3 more written warnings they will be expelled from RESA for life.

Automatic Expulsion-If the Ethics Committee feels the situation calls for immediate expulsion they will take the situation to the National Board with a recommendation for expulsion. The National Board will vote and determine if the situation warrants immediate expulsion. Majority vote determines the outcome.

Tracking Violations

Violations will be tracked in the Notes Section of the Member Profile on the RESA Site. This section is not available for view by the public or members and only viewable by admin staff.

Complaint and response forms are provided.

RESA takes issues seriously and believe that this process is the correct way to form standards of behavior. We are following examples from NAR and WCR. Since this policy was created, approved by the board, EC and voted into affect from the membership NO complaints have been filed.

A National Staging Convention Coming Soon

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:54:14 -0500

RESA is listening to all of you. We are having an overwelming amount of requests to host an all inclusive convention so we need to get some specific feedback from you in order to make that happen.

If you would take this short survey to give us some feedback on exactly what you want then we will compile the results and then we will be able to make some decisions. As with traditional RESA philosophy all are welcome to give their input on the survey and to attend the convention. Thank you so much for the feedback!!

Click Here to take survey

SIF Round Table Reminder

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:10:32 -0500

Just a reminder that if you are interested in facilitating a SIF Round Table you need to email Shell@ShellBrodnax.com to get a facilitator packet sent to you. Then you must fill out the RT Application and return it to me so we can activate your Round Table. There is alot we need to do to help you get set up and we can't do it unless we get the information back from you.

The meetings will focus on the Staging Industry, creating standards, ethics and the wants and needs of the Professional Stager. You ALL can have a voice in creating standards and choosing the direction you want your industry to take. We will have several national topics that will be mandatory to discuss, then you will have the opportunity to discuss some of your own local issues. All of your results will be documented in a simple documentation report that we supply to you.

Keeping with the tradition of SIF and RESA ALL Stagers are welcome to attend or facilitate/moderate a meeting. You do not have to be a member of RESA to attend or facilitate the meeting nor do you have to hold any particular designation.

This time around we have IKEA, CORT Furniture, PODS, Brook Furniture, Bekins and 1-800-GOT-JUNK on board to either host the locations or sponsor the events.

We also have a marketing and PR campaign prepared in order to bring maximum exposure to the Home Staging Industry. If you have any questions please contact Karen Dembsky at 770 595-8809 or Shell Brodnax at 888-201-8687

New- Professional Stagers Opt In for Industry News and Special Offers

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:00:04 -0500

Active Rain Stagers: RESA is often contacted by Industry Vendors that would like to update professional stagers with Industry News or Industry Offers. Since there is no "central registry" for professional stagers Industry Vendors are having a hard time reaching you.

If you would like to receive occassional information on Industry News, Events and Special Offers please opt in to this email list. This is a free service being offered through RESA for the entire staging community. You do not have to be a member of RESA or have any specific designation, training or background.

We often get feedback that some stagers receive information about news, events and offers and others don't and have felt left out. So we are simply hoping to create an avenue for you to be kept aware of what is happening in the industry and so no one gets left out. RESA Members should still opt in to this as there may be offers that are not specific to RESA membership.

Happy Staging!

Pro Stagers Opt In List, Industry News Industry Offers

Industry Leaders Join Forces to Promote Home Staging Awareness Month and SIF-Round Tables

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:02:32 -0500

The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) Is thrilled to announce that IRIS (Interior Redesign Industry Specialists) and ASHSR (American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners) are National Co-Sponsors of Home Staging Awareness Month and the SIF Round Tables.

During Home Staging Awareness Month the popular "Stage it Forward" (SIF) Round Table Meetings will be taking place all over North America. SIF originated from a powerful internet blogging community that is hosted by Real Estate Blogging website we all know and love called Active Rain. (www.ActiveRain.com)

This time around we have IKEA, CORT Furniture, PODS, Brook Furniture and 1-800-GOT-JUNK on board to either host the locations or sponsor the events.

If you are interested in facilitating/moderating a meeting please email your name, phone number, email and location to Shell@ShellBrodnax.com Never facilitated a meeting? No worries you will receive a facilitators packet with instructions and we have a great team to support you through the entire process. We also have a marketing and PR campaign prepared in order to bring maximum exposure to the Home Staging Industry. If you have any questions please contact Karen Dembsky at 770 595-8809 or Shell Brodnax at 888-201-8687

For more information home staging, to join a Round Table, find a professional stager or sponsor a future event please contact one of these organizations RESA-The Real Estate Staging Association visit www.RealEstateStagingAssociation.com or call 888-201-8687 speak to Shell Brodnax , IRIS- Interior Redesign Industry Specialists www.WeReDesign.com or call 877-674-8667 speak to Sandy Dixon and ASHSR-American Society of Home Stagers and Redesigners www.ASHSR.com or call 888-563-9271 and speak to Audra Slinkey.

SIF and RESA Join Forces- Roundtables and Staging Awareness Month in NOV

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:05:01 -0500

Well you asked for it and you got it!! SIF and RESA are joining forces to host the SIF Round-table meetings throughout North America. RESA has created "Staging Awareness Month" during the month of November and we are holding the SIF/RESA Round-tables during this month to bring more attention to our industry. We have a PR and Media blitz planned for optimum exposure.

This time around we have IKEA, CORT Furniture, PODS, Brook Furniture and 1-800-GOT-JUNK on board to either host the locations or sponsor the events.

Keeping with the tradition of SIF and RESA ALL Stagers are welcome to attend or facilitate a meeting. You do not have to be a member of RESA to attend or facilitate the meeting nor do you have to hold any particular designation.

If you are interested in facilitating a meeting please email your name, phone number, email and location to Shell@ShellBrodnax.comNever facilitated a meeting? No worries you will receive a facilitators packet with instructions and we have a great team to support you through the entire process.

If you know of someone that would like to sponsor an event please let us know.

The SIF Round-table Committee

Gary Barnett, Yvonne Root, Kim Wester, Karen Dembsky, Juliet Johnson, Maureen Bray, Shell Brodnax and Craig Schiller

Pitch in to build your industry

Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:30:19 -0500

Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) has been a huge success in our first 1 ½ yrs and we are accomplishing a lot. But we still have lots to do. I know that growing this industry and keeping it focused in the right direction is very important to all of you. Now you can take part in that direction by joining your trade association and pitching in.

RESA is looking for leadership in the following areas. Please take a minute to see if you are in one of these areas and if you may be qualified and interested in one of our positions. I am more than happy to talk to each person individually to fully explain the benefits of taking a leadership position but it a nutshell its "credibility, exposure and growing your business through networking volunteerism. Being in a leadership posistion looks great on your 'resume', and gives you a much greater credibility when you are talking to clients, potential clients and the press.

We are looking for Regional Vice Presidents/Executive Committee Members in the following Areas. (6 positions)

RVP Region 1, KY, MS, TN, WV, VA
RVP Region 2, IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
RVP Region 4, NE, ND, SD
RVP Region 5 AZ, CO, MT, UT, WY
RVP Region 6, CT, ME, MA, RI, VT, NH
RVP Region 7, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA

The Regional Vice Presidents will support the State Presidents and Local chapters in their regions. RVPs are there to promote the staging industry through RESA while giving support to the members in their regions. Helping to grow chapters, mentor and keep themselves aware of happenings in the staging industry in order to help facilitate its growth.

Regional Vice Presidents will also serve as the Executive Committee. EC Members will also serve to help form policies to help the association grow. The EC will vote throughout the year on policies procedures, issues, changes etc. They will be involved with forming policies and standards according to what the members needs are in their areas. Regional VP's must live in one of the States in their Region. Additional responsibilities may be added as the organization grows. RVPs should communicate with their state presidents each month.

Long Term Goals: To have Workshops, Conventions.
Qualifications: Previous experience in a leadership role, Management or Trade Organizations. Must have the ability to resolve conflict with proactive solutions. Previous public speaking experience and abilities a must. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail a must.

We are looking for state presidents in the following areas:

State Presidents , AL, AK , AR, AZ, CO, CT, DE, HI, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO MI, MS, MT, NE, ND, NH, NJ, NY NM, OR, OH, OK, PA , RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI , WV, WY,

State Presidents help the local chapters get going. Any questions the local chapter presidents have they ask the State President. They help grow the membership in local chapters. State Presidents will also promote RESA in their own communities. State Presidents are there to promote the staging industry through RESA while giving support to the members in their regions. Helping to grow chapters, mentor and keep themselves aware of happenings in the staging industry in order to help facilitate its growth. Additional responsibilities may be added as the organization grows. State Presidents will communicate with their RVP each month.

Long Term Goals: To have State President host State Orientations, Workshops, Conventions.
Qualifications: Previous experience in a leadership role, Management or Trade Organizations. Must have the ability to resolve conflict with proactive solutions. Previous public speaking and marketing experience and abilities a must. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail a must.

Local Chapters-
Local chapters can be anyplace. We are looking for professional stagers that are serious about growing their business and bringing legitimacy to staging in their local real estate community. RESA chapters are NOT for only stagers. 50% of your meetings will be dedicated to hosting events that have speakers that will be of interest to the entire real estate community. Realtors, lenders, title reps, appraisers, home inspectors etc. will all attend. RESA Chapters are about providing a networking and educational resource for the entire real estate community in addition to providing support and education to stagers.

Since we are in the middle of the year anyone coming on now will continue into the 2009 term.

If you are interested in learning more about a leadership position in your area please feel free to email Shell Brodnax Shell@ShellBrodnax.com or give Shell a ring 888-201-8687.

Thank you for taking the time to consider.

Happy Staging!