While our goal is to give advice to sellers (and often to people who are staying in their house but just want some ideas), there are times when it’s a good idea to call in a staging professional. A pair of trained eyes can help sellers make the best decisions because professional stagers understand the importance of a cost/benefit analysis when making these decisions. They also know what’s important to the buying public, as well as those things that aren’t so important. So they help sellers focus their time, attention, and dollars to the areas that are most likely to sell the house.
If you decide you want or need to work with a stager, how do you go about finding the right one? First, as with any contractor, ask for referrals from friends and family who have either used a stager or know someone who has. Asking your Realtor or a Realtor you know and trust is another option. Of course you want to make certain you are comfortable with the recommended stager, so be sure to conduct a phone ‘interview’ to discuss both your needs and how the stager can help.
If you don’t have any personal recommendations, you can always Google ‘real estate staging’ followed by your town. You will probably find several links to people in your area. You may also find associations who have lists of professional stagers. Either way, you can follow the links to the stagers’ websites for further information.
When you are evaluating the websites, make certain they look and feel professional. This is like a storefront, so it should be inviting and leave you wanting to find out more. If there are ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, review them. But don’t be overly concerned if there aren’t any. If the photos aren’t taken by a professional, they may not be good enough to show on a website. Instead contact the stagers whose sites you like and ask lots of questions about their experience and the services they offer. And ask for references!
As you are conducting your telephone ‘interviews’, make certain you feel comfortable with their level of expertise, their professionalism – and their listening skills. Are they really listening to you as you describe your needs or have they already decided just what you need? All houses on the market are different. Professional stagers understand these differences and realize they must have lots of information before coming up with a plan to meet your needs.
And finally, make certain you like the stager you select. After all, you may be spending a great deal of time with him or her. You want to make certain the experience is a pleasant one.
