How to Become a Home Stager

You’ve seen gorgeous images of impeccably decorated homes in magazines, on TV and on social media. They inspire envy, or maybe just inspire — and they are all staged.

Home staging is a marketing strategy with a dash of psychology. Good staging is “a form of visual merchandising that draws on some of the fundamentals of interior design,” says Gordon Roberts, a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty.

Staging involves adding and rearranging furniture and accessories, doing whatever is necessary to dress up a house to make it more attractive to potential buyers. Home staging, if done right, creates a relaxing and inviting atmosphere, while highlighting its best features.

The photo above shows a vacant condo for sale, but it’s staged with a few strategically placed props to look more lived in. Home staging companies own a plethora of furniture and other goods that they can use.

You’ve probably been busy staging your own home this week by rearranging furniture, cleaning and de-cluttering to get ready for your Thanksgiving guests. Am I right???

So… do you have a passion for decorating and sprucing up homes so that they look their very best? You might want to consider a career as a home stager!

Home stagers can make a good living in the real estate sector. A professional stager prepares a home for sale by making it more appealing for listing photos and walk-throughs. They may rearrange or replace the furniture, art, accessories, and decor of a home to create the best first impression possible for potential buyers.

A staged home reduces clutter, removes personal items of the seller, and likely involves putting in newer furniture than what the seller owns. Homes can also be virtually staged, which is a more convenient and less labor-intensive option than traditional staging. A professional virtual staging company employs photo editors to virtually decorate rooms.

You probably won’t find a college program in home staging. However, a degree in interior design can be helpful. Some home stagers major in fine art, business, or real estate. You can obtain credentials from various organizations such as the Home Staging Institute.

If you’re interested in becoming a home stager, there are several steps you can take to develop the necessary skills. Here are some of the staging skills you will need to have:

Interior decorating. A great home stager will understand how to decorate a space in a flattering way, so they should look at a room with an interior designer’s eye.

Passion for real estate. Home staging is mainly a real estate profession, so people working in this field should have a natural passion for real estate. Browse real estate listings to see different home styles and attend open houses to see what other home stagers are doing.

Organizational skills. Home stagers need to possess excellent organizational skills, both related to their own working schedules, but also in organizing a space.

Cleanliness. As a home stager, you will have to do a lot of de-cluttering. A staged home needs to appear clean and neat.

Practical skills. The home staging industry relies on courses, certification, and training programs to educate new home stagers and provide continuing education for those who are more experienced in the field.

Once you have the necessary skills and training, you can join a home staging company. After you have enough experience, you can even start your own home staging business!

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