Once you have written a blog, for any amount of time, it's inevitable that you come to a point where you search for that one "right word" that clearly conveys exactly what you are trying to say. Finding the right words is critical to communicating a message... and ultimately establishing one's credibility. Your words are a reflection of you.

Recently I was reading a post here on Active Rain, in it Barb Schwarz of StagedHomes.com was cited as being the "inventor" of home staging. As I read it a few bells and whistles went off in my head. I thought that it was a mighty audacious statement to claim that Barb "invented" the process of proactively preparing a home for sale to maximize its appeal to potential buyers. This infers that prior to her 1972 "invention" no Realtor EVER advised nor did any home seller EVER do anything to prepare or improve their home's appeal specifically to entice a potential home buyer to buy it.  

Since this is the industry I work in and since I love words and constantly seek out the right one's to accurately communicate what I want to say... this got me to thinking.

First I looked at and looked up the word INVENT... wondering, what ACTUALLY does it mean? The American Heritage Dictionary's definition for "invent" is: "To produce or contrive (something previously unknown) by the use of ingenuity or imagination." 

So when applying the dictionary's description of the word, it is really easy to see why we say that Alexander Graham Bell INVENTED the telephone... because BEFORE Bell's invention there was NO such thing as a phone. Likewise, it is easy to say that Thomas Edison INVENTED the electric light bulb... because before Edison's light bulb there was NO such thing.

Speaking of electric...did anyone really INVENT electricity? Well actually NO. Ben Franklin DISCOVERED electricity... but he did not invent it, as it had been in existence forever, just not harnessed by man.

Which brings me back to staging.  Did Barb Schwarz "INVENT" staging? I guess I would have to say no. But if she did not INVENT staging what DID she do? Well, I think she "coined" a term. She named a process.  Barb brilliantly assigned a word to a process that savvy home-sellers had already been doing all along. "Staging" is the perfect word that clearly conveys exactly the process to that which was being done.  Barb found the the one 'right word' that easily captured and communicated a message.

Since Barb had the bright idea to call the process "staging", she has been a tireless champion for it... sharing the message of the benefits of what can be gained if home seller proactivly take steps to ready their home for it's sale.  Barb is now joined by the Pegs, the Marthas, the Loris and so many others here on Active Rain who continue perfecting the staging process and contribute what they have learned to benefit the seller and ultimately improve the entire home staging industry.

So the moral of my story is, choose your words carefully or you may look like a fool. Words do matter in the communication of a message... for if Barb Schwarz had not come up the term "staging" who knows what I would be blogging about today. Hmmm... which now makes me wonder, who came up with the word "blog"?

Word It Forward...

Me

 

POST SCRIPT 1: For whatever reason something I wrote here has hit a nerve with a few of you... and you have written me on the QT to express your concerns about this post with comments like "I don't think you wrote this blog to stir up any negativity, I'm just nervous that it will appear to others outside AR as such."  Well, I have some things to say about that... see my comment below.

POST SCRIPT 2: See re-edited version of this post on NBC - NEW YORK's website.

POST SCRIPT 3: My follow up to this blog (Part 2) can be seen here: My Personal COMMENT on a STAGER'S STORM in the Rain

 

 

83 Comments on Was Barb Schwarz the "INVENTOR" of Home Staging?

Craig ~ this is a very good explanation of what Barb did.  I've had this conversation with a couple stagers who were very sensitive (read annoyed) that Barb would make such a claim.  I my world, a million years ago I remember Barb coining the term and giving it meaning.  So "inventing" might be a stretch, but giving the profession "legs" and momentum is what she did.

kk 

04/14/2007 08:29 AM by Kristal Kraft ~ Denver Real Estate (The Berkshire Group Realtors)

Hey KK,

I like that... giving it "legs"!

I just might kick that one around!

Me

04/14/2007 08:33 AM by Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.)

You clever boy you! (Yes, I'm old enough to be your mom.) I am so proud of you for thinking this through to its logical conclusion. Or perhaps just stating the logical conclusion so succinctly is what makes me proud.

04/14/2007 08:33 AM by Yvonne Root Northern Arizona Home Stager (rooms b.y. root)

Craig, I enjoyed this a great deal! Thank you and well done. 

04/14/2007 09:00 AM by Jeff Turner (Real Estate Shows)

You are "right as rain."  Man did you hit the "nail on the head."  I am going to use the info in my next presentation so it will help realtors understand.  Thank you, and I am so happy to be a part of this group and benefit, not only from the knowledge you have, but the wisdom as well.  Kudos!  Carol

04/14/2007 10:29 AM by Carol Ellis (Luxury-Domain to Home Stage)

Hi Craig - No offense to Barb (or anyone else), however, i'm sure "staging" has been around for ever in some form or another.  Whenever someone had to sell their home, common sense probably told them to make it look presentable.

For all we know, it could go back as far as the cavemen.  Hey, I bet they even knew that a staged cave would "sell faster and for more money". (lol).

P.S. - Barb, good for you putting the word to the action.

04/14/2007 11:17 AM by Maureen Graziano (Third Eye Home Staging)

Craig, your thought process is so cool.  I like what comes out of it when you're done. =)

04/14/2007 11:56 AM by Palmetto Bay | Redland Real Estate | Maggie Dokic (EWM Realtors)

My first exposure to "staging" was about five years ago when my husband and I started to think about selling the home we had lived in for 27 years..  I thought it might be a good idea to get out and look at homes for sale in our neighborhood..check out prices,, condition, etc..so I would hopefully get some vague idea about what we might need to do to our old place before we put it on the market..  Most of the homes looked "normal".. Well lived in,, cleaned up a bit perhaps, but "normal".. BUT there were a few homes that had a difference,, AND these homes were all listed with the same agent !.. She told me about staging.. And boy the light went ON !! .. WOW..  ( Guess who we hired to list our house !? ) 

I have to say that I have never liked the way we use the word "staging".. I've always thought it makes what we do seem like an artificial process..  stiff and unaproachable..  But the term is now the lexicon, so that's that.. 

Anne

 

04/14/2007 12:22 PM by Anne Vigneri H S E (Casa Vero)

I believe it! Also did you know Al Gore invented the Internet!

04/14/2007 01:20 PM by Danny Smith (DISCOVER TEXAS HOMES)

CRAIG's POST SCRIPT COMMENT:

To be honest I thought that THIS post was very POSITIVE. There are those stagers, both inside and outside of Rain, that have a very bitter taste in their mouths (for whatever reason) fof Barb Schwartz. I think Barb should be acknowledged for her creativity, contribution and commitment to staging. I also hoped that since these words were written by me, they WOULD help to neutralize some of the animosity (even Krystal Kraft spoke of in her comment above) that people have toward Barb and her foundation training organization.

I mean let's give credit where credit is due. No more. No less.  I am not going to hide from the fact that she has contributed what she has.  If people have a problem with that fact, that is their problem. But if I can help people see and appreciate a different understanding, a more neutral understanding... I really don't see how that will hurt.

If people outside of Active Rain "SPIN" something more or less into what I wrote and want to make it a controversy... really how can I stop that? But then I would imagine who they are BEING  in life and how the they are ACTING in life attracts controversy.

But on another note... you might notice when I write I often try to blend 2 seemingly unrelated ideas threaded into one blog. (I have actually referred to it as my Seinfeld approach to blogging.)  In this case, one thread delt with the importance of selecting the "right word" ... and the other thread delt with the creation of staging and Barb Schwarz's involvement. I wanted to write something, that stagers could relate to and THINK carefully about when they choose the words they used to describe what they do... from a marketing context. So if you go back and read the blog above, you will notice these 2 separate threads were woven in it.

I know that to get a point across to an audience... one needs to start reader at a point they know and move them to a new place. The BASIC concept of "staging" and the origin of this ONE WORD is ideal for demonstrating how to pick the right word. Like I said... Barb's word "staging" is masterfully on target. But on the flip side the word "invented" falls short.

When I write I hope I am able to turn things and make people see something they did not see because I have looked at it from a different perspective. If a few stagers are confronted by the fact that I am going to look at something from a different perspective yet in the long run makes greater sense to more stagers... then how does that hurt?

I think people do pay attention to what I write because I do take the time to craft my words carefully in a way that makes them expand the way they think. At least that is what I hope.

Me

PS: A good headline always HOOKS ‘em. I think one of the BEST I have ever read was this one from this past week. :: Does my house look fat in this price range? ::  I liked it so much I HAD to complement the author in a comment.

04/14/2007 01:49 PM by Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.)

As always Craig, you're brilliant ... love the Seinfeld approach to blogging ! 

Now what about the confusion that existed over the simple use of the word "staging" (or derivatives)?  There was a time when some non-ASP "stagers" had the fear of god (herself) instilled in them should they ever dare to merely say the word let alone use it in print, web or other form ...

Any thoughts on this?

can of worms

04/14/2007 02:27 PM by Sandi Gerrard, CRSS (Feel at Home * redesign * staging * training)

Nice job Craig. I wrestle with the term "home stage" but use it in my domain name and in the descriptions because it names the process that is most recognizable right now. I would like it to change, evolve, transform into a more professional term but that is going to take some time. Your efforts to distinguish the act from the actor is appreciated. 

Guru worship is as old as insecurity is...they go hand in hand.

STAGE it forward! 

04/14/2007 02:33 PM by Sheron Cardin - how2homestage.com RESA (California Moods Inc)

Craig-

I must admit that when I read your title, my first reaction was "Boy, aren't we feeling a mite controversial today."  Then, I read your post and found it really was not as controversial as I had assumed.  I feel it was well thought out and that you reached the LOGICAL conclusion.  You are right on target and I think this is a good example of why you should not take some claims at face value.

When I decided to become a Stager, it was not because I thought it was this forward thinking trend in real estate, it was because my family had done this each and every time one of our homes had been on the market - beginning with my mother back in 1969. (Does that mean she was the forerunner?....) It had always worked for us and I wondered why everyone didn't do it. Barb certainly had a stroke of genious when she pushed in the direction of service industry. She absolutely should get credit there.

04/14/2007 02:34 PM by Kimberly Wester - NW Indiana Stager (Details Staging and Redesign)

 

Boy are you right!! I had been staging for years and about 5 years ago I got an  email from Barb herself telling me I could not use the word stage or staging unless I took her course.  I was terrified at first but a friend told me just to ignore it until I got letter from an attorney so I did and nothing happend. 

I dont know about everyone else but I would not be happy that I paid a lot of money to take a course from someone that claimed to have invented something and found out that was not true    http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0132107821/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-0337264-6805758#reader-link

if you look at her book on amazon.com in the first chapter towards the bottom she says in her own words she got into real estate 11 yrs earlier, the book was published in 96 so that puts her at starting real estate in the 80's. On her website she says invented staging in the 70's. Which is it? Seems like the "invention" date is dated!

It seems like she jumped on the chance to promote the industry and made it known, I give her kuddos for that! or at least her PR firm. She is brilliant and took it to another level but seems like she was not very honest about it.

 

 

04/14/2007 03:12 PM by Kelly

Kelly - the thing that we can trust is that the Truth will always come out eventually, wherever it is hiding. It is posts like this that get people thinking. The spirit of AR is to recognize, rise above, and release. I love it here!

04/14/2007 04:50 PM by Sheron Cardin - how2homestage.com RESA (California Moods Inc)

Craig, Yes this needs to be addressed and you are by far the best in my opinion to broach this subject.

As far as anyone being worried that the public seeing this, and being informed about this issue, it is already known. The first day I started looking for information on this process of staging , I noticed the issues right away.

Craig  you did a wonderful job on this blog and comment. I applaud you!

Leslie

 

04/14/2007 04:57 PM by Asheville Stagers- Leslie Godbold (Asheville Stagers - "We do more than make pretty places!")

Sheron... thanks.

"Kelly" puts me in an odd spot. Do I delete what she says (which is censoring) or do I let it ride?

I did NOT intend nor want to turn this post into a BARB BASH... but who am I to shut down Kelly's experience... which in the end she did as you say "release" a bit.

Me

04/14/2007 04:59 PM by Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.)

Craig - I don't think anyone is going to comment on your post without giving it a great deal of thought first. Let it ride I say...see where it goes and how far we have all come on the subject.

04/14/2007 05:07 PM by Sheron Cardin - how2homestage.com RESA (California Moods Inc)

In 1987, we needed to sell our house in CA fast and for as much money as possible so I got a book from the library and followed the instructions with phenomenal results.  Sure wish I had had the foresight to remember the name and author of the book....it was a man and the term "stage" was never mentioned.  I used the same techniques again in 2000 to sell my house in VA.  It wasn't until 2001 that I found out that I had actually "staged" those homes.  

Barb Schwarz does deserve credit for coming up with a term that, in the future, will be as commonplace as "appraisals".  However, I do look forward to a time when the emphasis will be solely on the benefits of home staging and not the origins.

Great blog, Craig!  Thanks for making us put on our thinking caps....yet again! 

04/14/2007 06:18 PM by Judy Kincaid, Tampa Home Stager (Destined To Sell)

Craig, I'm always saying to my kids - Use your words.  I think I'm going to add to that Consider your words carefully or Try to find the right words to express yourself.  I think in the long run just using words isn't enough.  I know this only addresses half of your original post.

Property Merchandise it Forward

<oh yea! there's the other half> 

04/14/2007 06:47 PM by Maureen Henry - Rockland Home Staging (www.rocklandhomestaging.com)

Wow I am at a loss for words which is unlike me!  : )

Kelly, I have read the book that you are talking about and I highlighted that section because I found it so strange- the dates were off!

Those of you who know me, know my position on Barb- she is a brilliant MARKETER.... but did she "invent" staging. Can she claim that she is the "inventor" of staging?? My attorney says no.

After leaving SHC I got a letter from her attorney claiming that what I was doing with my business violated IAHSP (Barb's club) and my ASP designation was taken away. (hmm, something fishy is going on since Barb never saw my business plan and since I mirror Jennie Norris' business model that they encourage stagers to use- personal vendetta anyone??)

My Attorney did some research and she does not own the trademark for staging in general- ONLY the trademark for staging as used for videos. In fact, she applied for the right to own staging in general but the US Patent Office denied her claim since it is too broad. Well since I am not making videos on staging I guess I did nothing wrong by building a successful business. Barb disagreed taking away my right to belong to her sorority.

As for who invented staging- According to Michael Corbett best selling author of the book "Ready, Set, Sold" Val Arnold a designer whose work was published in Architectural Digest in the 60's and 70's was "renowned for making huge profits when he sold a home he owned. I met him.. and asked him what the secret was. He said' Staging! Darling, I learned many years ago, never sell a home empty, and never let it look like you are still asleep in the other room!'"

So, what has Barb done for this industry? She coined a catch phrase and profited from giving a name to what we do everyday. She also has profited from giving a designation to people who pay for her classes. Is this wrong- no! She is a talented marketer. But whether or not she invented it... at least she did not call it FLUFFING! kh

 

  

04/14/2007 06:48 PM by Kate Hart (Hart & Associates Staging and Design)

You'll have to hear it again...great post!

04/14/2007 07:50 PM by 2 Hounds Design: Toronto Decorator + Stager Dane Caldwell (2 Hounds Design + Home Staging)

I definitely would not delete Kelly's post.

Stagers to this day are getting threats about using the word stage, not too often and not by Barb, but by a handful of her graduates, whom I think just don't know that there is no Trademark in Canada for Stage and a limited US Trademark on instructional videos. A US Trademark does not mean you are trademarked in Canada. Two different countries.

As I mentioned there is a US trademark on the word Stage, but it is only trademarked for use with video tapes. Therefore none of us can do a video that teaches homeowners to Stage their home. That's it. We are free to use the word otherwise. Even create a video teaching people how to merchandise their home.

This is not in any way a bash, just facts with no ill will intended.

Dane

 

04/14/2007 08:07 PM by 2 Hounds Design: Toronto Decorator + Stager Dane Caldwell (2 Hounds Design + Home Staging)

Craig, great fodder as always.

If Barb Swartz 'invented' staging then I did too. By that I mean that I was doing it before I knew there was a word for it and before I knew I could get people to pay me to do it for them.   I think many of us fellow stagers could say the same :)

04/14/2007 09:43 PM by Jessica Hughes (Ambiance Staging)

hmmm lets see...

Stage: to plan, organize, or carry out (an activity), especially for dramatic or public effect. (From The Random House Unabridged Dictionary, as quoted on Dictionary.com)

 

04/14/2007 10:14 PM by Renton, Fairwood, Maple Valley, REALTOR ~ Design Professional ~ Julianna Hind (Keller Williams Realty - Southeast Sound)

This issue was brought to my attention in December about 2 months after I left staged homes. I have been asked to blog about it and chosen not to blog about it in the past. However in light of today's posts I will.

Not sure who Kelly is, but I can tell you that the letter or email you got was probably from me, as it was my job to send them out. I can say at first when I was told to send them, I did absolutely back Barb as I thought she was correct. In fact, I was like the staging police. Over time and reading and re-reading her trade mark agreement and the TARR server I realized this was not the case.  I would no longer send them out. I don't know why we were told to send them, maybe she got bad legal advice, I just can't speculate and I do not have any anwers as to the dates being off. I can only offer you my apologies as I have with other leaders in the industry. I simply did not know and since I found out I have done my best to make my apologies to the owners of the training companies that I was told to send the cease letters to. I am glad they were not deterred from continuing to stage.

On a positive note I have had the chance to meet so many wonderful people through my association to Staged Homes. I can't even count the number of ex-employees that I have remained friends with and are now doing wonderful things on their own. Kate has the largest and most successful staging business in her area and has given opportunities to stagers in 3-4 states that they would never have had. Being stripped of her designation for breaking rules that did not exist well lets just say nakie looks good on you. When I found out about the date issue I decided to get nakie with Kate and resigned from IAHSP and from being an ASP. There are so many other ex-employees that are doing amazing things just too many to list. I think they are nakie also, maybe we should have a nakie designation. Sorry just trying to add humor to a difficult subject. I have had the opportunity to listen to stagers for over 4 yrs and hear their wants and needs so I have started RESA- Real Estate Staging Association. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to support the staging industry and have an association that welcomes all stagers.  (Shameless plug, I know...)

I think it is important for people to be informed on any decisions they make in life. Conduct your research before you commit to anything and make informed decisions. I can't even pick out paint color for my kitchen without asking the world about it, so why should choosing your training be any different. Let's not focus on who invented or did not invent, who has which Trade Mark etc. Many people knew what Kelly knew and she chose to let the proverbial cat out of the freezer. 

I know many of us are practicing the Secret as I am, so I am grateful for each of you, for Active Rain and all of my experiences in my life. The bottom line is that staging is here and it is here to stay!

Oh, the second bottom line, Al Gore HOT yes or no??  YES YES YES. Nothing better then a well put together man that speaks well, and looks hot!! If you have not seen his documentary, check it out. http://www.climatecrisis.net/

04/14/2007 10:56 PM by Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association)

Wow... I woke up this AM (quite early in fact) thinking about this post, the energy that it attracts and swirls around it, and then Shell's comment about reading the book "The Secret".

This is a book I too am reading and reading and reading.

As I read Bob Proctor's words from the book, "Everything that's coming into your life you are attracting into your life." it makes me ask of myself...

  • - Who am I being that I attract all this that swirls around my blog?
  • - What do I want?
  • - Who do I have to BE to make it different?

Me

 

 

 

 



 

04/15/2007 05:43 AM by Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.)

Al Gore hot??????????????????????? (not so much).  Hey, to each their own.

04/15/2007 08:16 AM by Maureen Graziano (Third Eye Home Staging)

Very interesting post, Craig. From our perspective, we consider those terms "home staging" and "curb appeal" to be the new buzz-words for an art form that has been used for almost 5,000 years!  I credit her with choosing those words and marketing them, but not with the invention of it. But yes, everything is about perspective.  (I happen to think you've attracted a very interesting discussion with different perspectives)---a good thing!

04/15/2007 09:50 AM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)

Great blog, everyone!

Shell,

I, too, got one of those emails a few years back.  It's actually what 'scared' me enough to go into interior design and model merchandising.  However, the 'stager' in me wouldn't die, so it all came back full circle.  I am thankful for the 'detour' that taught me what you can't learn in a class or from a book.

Al Gore hot?  Can't agree there, but using green design in one's house can only help it sell in the near future!

Craig,

I haven't read the 'Secret', but I completely agree with you and applaude you for starting this discussion.  There are a lot of 'burned' people out there, for many reasons, and having 'been one' myself, you get what you put out there, and what you surround yourself with.  Geez, we all need therapy after this, don't we!?

Staging in the Central Florida area (and other areas too) is an uphill battle as it is.  My wish is for all of us-nationally- to work together, help each other, and realize that it's much happier at the top when you have friends to be there with.

A thought for the day:  The next time you get that negative client who sucks the life out of you and leaves you feeling:  angry, tired, used, frustrated, think about this....

What did YOU put out there that drew them to you?

04/15/2007 01:09 PM by Cassandra Branson - Mango Tree Interiors (Mango Tree Interiors - Design Consultation & Home Staging)

We are all intelligent people.  We should not be silenced by Barb or any any others.  I was raised to challenge and question everything that didn't or doesn't sit well with me. 

In fact, when I took the ASP class last October, I told them they must be wrong caus there was no way Stage, or staged was trademaked.  I am no attorney, but I am also not dumb.  I am smart enough to know that a general term such as stage could not be trademarked in the way they were trying to explain.  Staging as a term has been used in the theatre for decades, common sense told me Barb didn't have a trade mark on it.  I laughed in class when they told me that.  In fact I challenged the instructor, but the poor thing couldn't really defend the topic so I left her alone.  She was only acting on Barb's instructions.

In any event, Barb is an incredibly talented, and motivating speaker and I give her the utmost respect for doing what she has.  As a woman, I applaud her.  I only hope that each and every one of us reaches half of the success that she has.  Barb has unquestionably helped to give this profession the attention is has now and that is what is important.  She has helped to path the way for us. Call it staging, call it fluffing, call it home merchandising it doesn't matter much to me:-)  

Gee - If I get one of those letters from Barb's attorney I will frame the darn thing....LOL

Great, thought-provoking thread Craig.  Tks for keeping us thinking

04/15/2007 02:13 PM by Denise_ Virginia Home Staging (Interior Concept Designs)

oh please oh please don't ever call it "fluffing" .... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluffing 

04/15/2007 02:24 PM by Sandi Gerrard, CRSS (Feel at Home * redesign * staging * training)

LOL !!! Oh my oh my....I literally laughed out loud after reading that.  WHO KNEW!! 

04/15/2007 02:49 PM by Denise_ Virginia Home Staging (Interior Concept Designs)

Wow! That was definitely too much information.  Leave it to Wikipedia (lol).

04/15/2007 02:57 PM by Maureen Graziano (Third Eye Home Staging)

Craig,

 Great blog.  You, much like Babs Schwarz are very good at shaking things up and getting yourself noticed.  While I must admit I did take Barb's course, I completely understand where the mindset of other stagers are:  If a concept already exists, of course one person cannot claim to "invent" it.  However, Barb's claim to coming up with and coining the word Staging, as far as I know, is undisputable.  One thing Barb has done for us all is create an industry were one did not previously exist.  Knowing Barb personally, I can say that no one has put as much effort and $$$ into promoting the Staging concept.  Perhaps we should thank her for that.

 I agree with some of the other Stagers out there that the term Staging does not have the most positive conontation and even aludes to "fake".  I therefore, am proposing a new term "REFINING" (My companies name: Refined Design).  Don't even think about it people-I'm registering "REFINING" as a TM and no one else can use it~just kidding.

 

Your friend in Staging/Refining

 Jodi

04/15/2007 03:20 PM by Jodi Poliseno, Your Columbus Home Stager (Refined Design Home Staging and Real Estate Presentation)

I appologize Cassandra, I truly did not know at the time. I was just doing my job. I am also glad you kept your pace.

You know Denise I am not sure why there is still the TM agreement that is signed before you take the class.  I know it used to say that you would honor the mark with the TM after Stage etc.  So I just dont have any answers on that one. You would have to break it out and really read it. To be honest it could be changed by now I have not read it in while.

But again, I think we all agree that we may not be here doing what we do if it were not for Barb!! In fact I know I have heard that from someone else also!!

OH and for drawing in difficult people, I dont always agree that we did  or do something to draw them in. Sometimes we do, but sometimes we dont.  Like when you are treated horribly on project, school or work, it may  not mean that YOU are doing something to create it. Many times it is that you are needing to learn something from those people. Ask yourself OK, Self what exactly is it that I am supposed to learn here? I guarentee the sooner you come to grips with what you are to learn the sooner you will get out of the bad situation and move on.

04/15/2007 03:29 PM by Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association)

Since the Law of Attraction has been brought up here...let me say that growth IS the purpose of the Law.

04/15/2007 03:44 PM by Sheron Cardin - how2homestage.com RESA (California Moods Inc)

Craig - I think I may have been the one that said that Barbara invented staging. I guess I meant that she was the one that started using it towards the sale of homes. PLUS, I had just finished my book where I was told by my publisher to say so, just in case things got ugly! lol 

04/15/2007 05:09 PM by Teri B. Clark (http://www.teribclark.com)

I think we all agree that Barb should get her due credit.  I also stand with Denise to say that we are not dumb and if we all just took the time to think about some of the things we were told in our ASP classes, we would not only see through them, but have no reason to fear using common sense.

I don't place on any of my marketing materials that Staging is a federally registered TM as I was told to. Why, because I refuse to mislead people by perpetuating a myth.  We all worry about our credibility and as I believe that eventually every thing comes to light, I don't want to have any fingers pointed at me when it does.

Let's face it.  If those letters had any weight and there was an actual TM or whatever, people like Sheron Cardin, Debra Gould and Audra Slinkey would have been run out of business a long time ago.

I think Barb is awesome and she has been nothing but nice to me.  She is the best motivator I have ever met, absolutely.  She pushed an entire industry into the spotlight and for that she is the bomb.  However she is a mortal being just as we all are.  We make bad decisions and fail others - it is just how we are made.  The industry she worked so hard to establish will live on after her as it should.

04/15/2007 05:12 PM by Kimberly Wester - NW Indiana Stager (Details Staging and Redesign)

Oh, yeah.  Shell?  Al Gore?  I must have missed something...

04/15/2007 05:15 PM by Kimberly Wester - NW Indiana Stager (Details Staging and Redesign)

Ah Craig - I am away from AR for a bit and the debate becomes interesting.  Being new to staging, I wondered about the significance and usefullness of getting a designation.  Being an experienced business person, and a frugal one at that, I honestly did not want to shell out the dough to take a class.  I am a fan of creating something from nothing, beauty from disorder (maybe that's why I love this business) and chose to go it alone.

So far so good. . .until yesterday. I have a close friend who is a newly licensed Realtor and she has been taking training classes through her brokerage firm which is a large national franchise.  During a lovely party yesterday over a glass of fine merlot, she asked if I had a staging "accredidation." After swallowing, I asked what prompted her question.  It seems that this large brokerage firm is encouraging their agents to align themselves with "accredited" professionals!  Any thoughts?

04/15/2007 05:36 PM by Lori Gilmore - One Savvy Move Home Staging (One Savvy Move)

LORI...

The fact that a company feels it NEEDS to align themselves with certified/accredited "Pros"... that is just GREAT marketing on the part of the certified/accredited "Pros"...

While you might not like it... you got to respect it. Once you respect it, you can plan your strategy to sell yourself and your PROFESSIONAL services.

Me

04/15/2007 05:43 PM by Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.)

Craig- You are right. . .respect it. . .don't like it. . .consider it a challenge. . .and I LOVE a challenge!

04/15/2007 05:45 PM by Lori Gilmore - One Savvy Move Home Staging (One Savvy Move)

Wow...I've heard bits and pieces of the Barb S. thing but it never made any sense to me as I  am not a stager but just a REALTOR. I never knew there was staging designations or accreditions.  Very interesting post Craig.

04/15/2007 07:01 PM by Monika McGillicuddy~NH Real Estate Broker (Prudential Verani Realty)

Al Gore is hot. So is Bill Clinton, whew I feel flush, he is so well spoken!!

04/15/2007 07:12 PM by Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association)

http://activerain.com/groups/HotorNot 

 

OK So i dont hijack this blog, I started a hot or not group, Just needing some fun. I got it started. Have Fun

04/15/2007 08:21 PM by Shell Brodnax- President/CEO- RESA (Real Estate Staging Association)

SHELL... no problem. The levity WAS needed!

Me

:)

04/15/2007 08:25 PM by Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.)

Thank you for airing this. I am so glad to hear the voices of so many thoughtful, engaged, and strong staging comrades. It has been helpful to hear the conversation spin, maybe even therapeutic. All told, Barb's amazing energy for staging has raised all the boats in the harbor. 

04/15/2007 09:32 PM by Paula Springer (Key Elements Inc. Home Staging & Color Consulting)

Craig, I name you now "the cook."  Which movie was that, the NY Scorcese film? or I know, it was the movie where they had "the butcher."  Anyways, you are now known as "the cook" because you are STIRRING THE POT!  ( :

I think whether we as stagers, in the world of AR (ASPs and nonASPs) alike, agree or disagree about whether Barb is the "inventor" of staging, we do have to acknowledge that she is really helping us, and our industry.  I will disclose that I am bias, for I have had training from her and received nothing but awesome support and I have a great deal of respect for her. 

Regardless of whether she has the right to TM the term, I do know that Staging is her life's mission. To spread the word and to educate consumers and Realtors alike about the benefits of staging. She has been tirelessly promoting and marketing the staging industry, and had it not been for that one person, staging would not have the momentum it does today. 

04/15/2007 11:20 PM by Marcyne Touchton (Domaine Staging)

Thank God for Edison -- because I would hate blogging in the dark!

04/16/2007 01:39 AM by Renton, Fairwood, Maple Valley, REALTOR ~ Design Professional ~ Julianna Hind (Keller Williams Realty - Southeast Sound)

Good morning all - Since I joined AR, about 2 months ago, this has been one of the best posts.  It is great to get the discussion going and bring things to the "light".  I do not know Ms. Schwarz, however, it sounds like she is definitely a pioneer in this field.  When I read about her sending threatenting letters to people about using the term "staging", I thought that was unfortunate.  I'm sure Ms. Schwarz does not need to do this.  From what I read here, she sounds like a brilliant marketer and business woman.  She should be secure in the fact that she is a leader in this growing industry.  Another point, Barb Schwarz should be quite flattered, after all, isn't imitation the highest compliment?  I'm sure that however many people get into staging, there is enough business out there for everyone.  So hats off to Barb, and all the other industry leaders and beginners, like myself.

On another note, Julianna, I too, would hate to blog in the dark.  Thank God for Edison!

Shell - Al Gore????  I think it's just the global warming getting to you. (lol).

04/16/2007 06:43 AM by Maureen Graziano (Third Eye Home Staging)

I attended a seminar given by Barb about 20 years ago.  Back then, I don't remember her using the term "staging".  You were simply trying to make the property look as good as possible so that it would sell faster at a higher price.

Give anybody enough time and they will "invent" a new industry.

04/16/2007 07:12 AM by Steven Shewell, The Mortgage Maverick (Primary Residential Mortgage, Inc.)

I couldn't agree more Craig. Well said.

04/16/2007 10:53 AM by

Just to clear the air...lots of lightbulb inventing ideas!  Wouldn't Thomas Edison be pleased with the 21st Century of Active Brains!

 Having personally been trained by the infamous Barb Schwarz, who, incidentally is the "creator or home staging", is one sharp visionary. 

Where was I, certainly not thinking, I guess you could say, the light bulb never came on.   Well, it took two people to change my light bulb, now I am an Accredited Home Staging Professional Master.  Thanks to the creator of home staging, Barb Schwarz.

My back ground.  29 years of real estate CRS, Broker and so on.

 Carol Erks ASPMaster

04/16/2007 09:19 PM by Carol Erks ASPM ASP (Staging My Home)

I find this to be thought provoking and am happy to see that our industry continues to evolve with the addition of increasingly professional stagers!

04/16/2007 09:37 PM by Jo Potvin-Home Staging Cincinnati - Design To Market (Design To Market LLC)

 Stagers, Realtors and Commentators:

 Yes,  don't we have fun! I found what so many of you are Creator friendly...so here it is

Home Staging "The Winning Way to Sell Your House For More Money". by Barb Schwarz, copyright 2006 by Barb Schwarz and Mary Seefafer Sears.  All rights reserved.  Go to page 10:  Barb Schwarz, Creator of Home Staging. 

 I am old fashioned and grew up with Mr. Webster. and The New Lexicon-Webster's Dictionary of the English Language describes INVENT as follows:  to devise,(a new device, method etc.), to think up, to invent  a story, L. invenire (inventus, to come upon). I am thinking this would cross reference of an Inventor. So whats' in your dictionary?

I just love the banter within the blog site.

Carol Erks ASPMaster  StagingMyHome.com

04/17/2007 12:09 AM by Carol Erks ASPM ASP (Staging My Home)

LOL... As Shell can attest we (my partner and I) know way too much about this one... and the proverbial can of worms that it has been since the beginning.  Have no fear, as much as it was tried (and denied) staging is not a trademarkarkable word....

As far as being the creator, once again... nada.  However, to give credit where its due, even though there was already an industry (baby as it was) Barb did put it on the map, and may have even given it its name.  Nobody can deny SHC's involvement in doing this.  Especially on the web.  However, if you know Barb (and a few of us truly do all too well) like any great sales man or woman, give her a chance and she will claim to have invented the wheel.

On this same note... for those of you that really want to learn.  Shell is probably one of the most well informed people on this subject, and staging in general.  There are only a handful of people that can rival her, only because they helped author several of the many programs out there.  (but thats another subject for another day)

 L and L

04/17/2007 12:37 AM by LH2 Staging Inc (LH2 Staging Inc, Minnesota Expert Home Stagers)

Oh no, now I have to battle with her on who actually invented the wheel?  Will this ever end?

In all seriousness - I do give the women credit for putting it on the map. Period end of sentence.

04/17/2007 07:06 AM by Kathy Nielsen, Atlanta Home Stager (Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC)

Wow... while this was NOT the intent of my initial post... somehow this post did cause issues swirl to the surface. And in all this there lies a lesson for ANYONE who writes a blog.

So first let's talk about MY PERSONAL PURPOSE for writing that post.

The great thing about Active Rain is it a place for me to write my "first draft" and see what "works" with what I wrote. Comments then give me a clue to how well I communicated my message and if I need to alter/tweak before putting it up on my "Pretty" blog. Case in point... I KNOW that post missed some of the mark. I needed to go back and do some editing.

This post was about USING WORDS, CHOOSING WORDS, and ASSIGNING WORDS to the thoughts, ideas. theories, plans, programs, methodologies, concepts, wishes etc... etc etc we write of in life. I don't care if you are writing a note to you kid's teacher at school or a book that makes the New York Times Best Seller's List.

WORDS have power to convey (or wronglfully convey) a message. CHOOSE them carefully. THAT is why even in my own post I saw that the words I choose in the post did not fully convey the message I WANTED to communicate. So when I rewrote it and posted it on my "Pretty Blog" I added this: 

"Anyway... getting back to words, the use of the words "invent" and "staging" demonstrate how the use of the one right word can help to effectively communicate a message. So while Barb's word "staging" is masterfully on target, on the flip side, the word "invent" falls short."

I chose BARB SCHWARZ to write about because she is a recognized FACE IN THIS industry. Whether you personally have good, bad or indifferent feelings for her... it is a fact she is recognizable figure in the industry that I write about. From a writers perspective, it helps to develop a point an convey a message if you KNOW your audience can RELATE to that which you write.

As more and more people read my words... it sets me up to be a target. I know it, I expect it, I don't LIKE it...  but that is the way that it is. PERIOD. So my words need to be CAREFULLY selected. As do Barb's or ANYONE ELSE who writes PUBLICLY! Period. In this industry or any other. Period. As a writer you put your words out there to BE scrutinized. PERIOD. And if you don't like the fact that people MAY just challenge what you say. Then DON'T write blogs, DON'Tt write articles, DON'T give interviews, DON'T do videos, DON'T write books. LIVE in a friggin bubble.

But PLEASE reader, viewer, listener know that JUST because it is printed, televised, spoken DOESN'T make it God's Truth. Don't be that ignorant or nieve.

If you are THAT nieve... then here. Craig Schiller created the World.  Now wait 2 days and print this comment out.  Then you have the printed PROOF that it is so. Because you read it here and it is printed out! Really! What ever happened to the saying... "Question Authority" ?

As for all the controversy that surrounds Barb Schwarz.

I am sorry it is such. But there is obviously something VERY REAL between these people and Barb. AS there is something REAL between those people that LIKE Barb and Barb. 

It is a well know fact that people LOVE bad news MORE then good news. But, the BAD will TRUMP the good. And the BAD will grow and spread FASTER than the good. And the bad will be harder to clean up.

Once the BAD is out there it will stick to the hearts of those who feel it and they will judge, criticize, condemn Barb no matter what she does. She could create a scout troop for orphans that walks old ladies and puppys across street corners... and she will be a target. The hurt to me seems way too real. Way too deep. Who am I or who are you to say it is not so for those that are hurting?

Me

04/17/2007 07:20 AM by Craig Schiller (REAL ESTAGING, a nationally recognized leader in Staging.)

Hi Craig - First off, I don't know Barb.  Obviously she is a successful business woman, so good for her.  I am in total agreement with you about the power of the written word (the spoken word as well).  Words are very powerful. 

What you say about blogging and writing for the public is so true.  No matter what you write, once it is put out there for people to see, you are wide open to criticism.  Everyone will interpret your intentions in different ways.  You could write, "it's a beautiful sunny day", but someone out there may read something negative in that comment.  Writing, like beauty, is in the eye/mind of the beholder.  I too, think that some people here on AR or other forums will never write anything for the the fear of offending their audience and getting negative feedback.  That is a shame.  Some great writers/thinkers will be silenced because they are paralyzed by what other people may think of them. 

Today in this PC world, I think people get offended way to easily.  With everyone being so sensitive people have to think and think again before they speak/write.  Some of the greatest writers ever, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, etc., would be blackballed today and be labeled racists.  People would not get that they wrote for their time. etc. 

I love to write.  I know however that some people won't get it or may misinterpret my intention.  Just like with anything else, you can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself.  When you are true to yourself, I believe that will come across in your writing and everyday interactions with everyone you meet.

 

04/17/2007 07:40 AM by Maureen Graziano (Third Eye Home Staging)

Sure Barb invented staging.  Al Gore invented the internet.... 

04/17/2007 09:39 AM by Chris Tesch College Station, Texas Real Estate (RE/MAX Bryan College Station)

Fun post, especially its aftermath...

Thanks.

04/17/2007 09:52 AM by Real Estate Flyers (Guru Real Estate Flyers)

Craig, you are a wise man.  Uncannily smart as well.  There are those that know, and those that think they know.  (the whole Barb saga) The truth is... it doesn't really matter.  Every staging businesses success depends on mostly one person.  The person running it. 

04/17/2007 10:15 AM by LH2 Staging Inc (LH2 Staging Inc, Minnesota Expert Home Stagers)

It never ceases to amaze me the visceral response any mention of Barb or ASP gets!

 

debra

04/17/2007 10:40 AM by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva (Six Elements Inc.)

Didn't Al Gore INVENT the Internet??

Barb may not  have invented Staging, but she took the initiative to Register the words Staged® and Staging® for her business.

04/17/2007 10:55 AM by Donna Harris, ASP (Re/Max HiNet)

Well, Barb did put "staging" in spotlight first. Cudos to her! Just a perfect example how you can take something so simple and obvious and make it better!

04/17/2007 11:01 AM by Edite Liepina - Lawrence (ERA Tradewind Real Estate)

I commented on your other post and want to add it here as well. Hope you don't mind.

What is a good leader? My favorite teacher of all time, Betty Jean House, said to all her students and I quote; "You will all become greater than I, the student always becomes more than the teacher". She continued with "for you will use what I have given you and evolve it making it your own, using it in places I have never known".

Stage It Forward!

 </