This is a continuation of my blog Step by Step: The Staging Process for Realtors. In this installation, I will show you the best ways to FIND a stager.
1. Start right here - Activerain. This is a real estate network, is it not? Post a request for a stager referral, search the site for someone near you, or contact an active stager on the site and ask if they can put you in touch with some one.
2. Ask your receptionist. If there is a stager in the area, chances are he/she has stopped by the office to drop off business cards and/or brochures. Chances are, they are still sitting on her desk, waiting for someone to ask for them.
3. Ask other agents. Some may not be willing to share their secret weapon, but others may be more than happy to get more work for theirs. A referral from a happy Realtor is the best you can get - you just have to ask for it.
4. Keep your ears open. If others are talking about staging, join in the conversation and mention that you are thinking about using it for your listings. In this situation, it is your best opportunity to get a candid and honest response about how staging has worked for them. It may also give you a better idea of what stagers are worth looking into.
5. Search the internet. You will notice that this is not the first on the list. The first four options should give you a personal reference, and that is what you really want. While most professional stagers will have a website, you may not be able to find them (unless they have really great internet skills) without the url in front of you. Their sites, while informative, do not tell you whether you can work with them or not - I'll expand upon this in my next point. You can run a local search or try the next two methods:
Home stager training companies. New ones are cropping up every day and most offer a list of graduates* on their sites. Here are some places you can look, but be advised that this is not a complete list, nor should this be considered a personal endorsement, as I do not have experience with all of these companies and not all are created equally.
stagedhomes.com, stagingdiva.com, homestagingexpert.com, csptraining.com, midwestschoolofinteriorredesign.com, allaboutredesign.com
Home stager listing services. These are cropping up just as fast as the training companies themselves. These services, however are in no way complete and most are paid services and not used by all stagers.
homestagingresource.com, usahotproperty.com, interiorredesigndirectory.com, homestaging4profit.com
6. Now that you have a list of potential staging partners, now what? Meet with them individually. Take them out to lunch or coffee, ask them to give a presentation at your office, whatever, just spend some time with them BEFORE you set them up with a seller. While personal references are awesome, it does not give you any insight into whether you can work together. See if your personalities and personal/work ethics gel. Ask ALOT of questions. Find out what services they offer, ask to see photos if you haven't already, ask about the staging process, get an idea of fees, etc. You are part of a TEAM and you need to know the strategy to win the game.
You may find that one stager prefers vacant listings, while another only does occupied homes, leading you to work with more than one - and that is okay. You want to add some one to your team that works well with others and if they cannot work with other stagers...
The key to a successful staging project is communication between yourself, your seller and your stager. It is best if you know as much as possible up front, because these are things you will need to know when you introduce staging to your seller. Want to know how to do that? Stay tuned...
*Accreditation, certification, etc. is not required to work as a stager. To find out more, see Kate and Craig.
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