"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." - John Steinbeck
Backstage with Debra
The spring real estate market is in full swing and my phone is ringing daily with new staging, color consultation and redesign projects.
A recent home staging client's agent wanted her to put in all new furniture but I knew the cottage-vibe would appeal to local buyers. She took my advice and we used what she already had in new ways. The house sold in less than a week with 4 offers at $70,000 over asking. As a special thanks the owner-artist gave me a lovely encaustic painting for my home!
Last week I did a redesign consultation for a client whose home I staged last year. It was great to see her new home and find ways for her to enjoy it more as her toddlers grow.
A recent town house color consultation reminded me how much I love working with color. Since the client has no plans to move, we went bolder than I normally do. The new 6-color palette allows each room to flow easily to the next.
I recently wrote about the unmotivating gap we can fall into when we fail to recognize our own success, and the importance of finding "wins." If you missed it in my blog, check it out and see the comments from fellow stagers.
In this month's newsletter I share 3 home staging portfolio tips using an example of a bedroom transformation by Staging Diva Grad Daryl Rosenbaum.
You'll discover two events you can attend with me in the weeks ahead, get access to a home staging consultation video by Barbara Corcoran, and more.
Please email me about any topics you'd like me to cover in Staging Diva Dispatch or the Home Staging Business Report in the coming months.
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Voice of Possibility™ Group Inc.
What This Home Stager Did Right: 3 Photo Tips
Your home staging portfolio is your chance to shine and demonstrate your talents to potential clients who need to feel comfortable with your abilities. Your online portfolio will also attract media coverage because reporters are always looking for sources to interview.
I was really impressed with this before and after bedroom transformation by Staging Diva Graduate Daryl Rosenbaum of North Carolina. Can you spot what she did right?
Photos: Daryl Rosenbaum of Design Results (NC)
Here are 3 tips to improve your own home staging portfolio:
1. Shoot the before and after photos from the same location and angle so it's easy to see the transformation at a glance. Architectural features like the ones shown above make it very obvious that we're looking at the same room.
2. When promoting home staging or interior redesign services, ensure your photos demonstrate more than de-cluttering ability. The above example demonstrates all 3 talents.
3. Don't clutter up your photos with too many decorating details. Simple is better in staging and in your photography. Daryl strikes the perfect balance here with careful attention to detail.
Daryl shares this experience as a new home stager:
"Since I first entertained the idea of becoming a re-designer (and interior designer) my confidence was so low. I knew you were for real because I corresponded with Donna Dazzo and yes— she is the real deal too. You are both amazing.
Anyhow I didn't think I could possibly do it with a toddler and all. I worked for an influential designer in college, worked at Ethan Allen for years and yet was terrified of going out on my own. I had no business savvy.
I took your Staging Diva Training Program and finally figured it out. Business, business, business. I needed to know how to present a consultation, a quote, an invoice, keep track of receipts etc. You gave me a lot of confidence— even personally back and forth on the Staging Diva Network.
Now I am in the 2nd, sometimes 1st position on Houzz in my town for interior designers, have a major account with the property management division of a huge real estate company and an affiliation with the biggest real estate company in my niche in my area.
I love what I do. I dream about it. I am going after jobs because I have to have them - I have got to put the right furniture in there or I won't rest. I use staging as a foot in the door for design work... and it's working. Besides, I can decide if I want to work with a client before I commit to a bigger project.
The greatest thing that has happened to me recently though, is that someone referred a new stager to me for advice. I am somehow 'the seasoned professional' in 2 1/2 years' time! Anyhow I instructed her to get involved with you. Thanks so much."
> Related story 10 Wow Moments as a Home Stager. Check it out and share your moments in the comments. I know you'll inspire others.
Save These April Dates and Talk to Me Live
Times indicated are eastern (NY time). Please adjust for your time zone.
April 10 (8 PM)
5 Simple Secrets to a Home Staging Business: How to Make Money Doing What You Love (Free Live Teleseminar + Recording)
You'll learn how to avoid following the faulty business formula that most home stagers fall into.
April 18 (7pm)
Staging Diva Dialog Coaching Call
For beginner and established home stagers. You don't need to be our student.
Ask me questions and get semi-private coaching in a small group for only $47.
Cindy Ryan (TN) said after our last call: "Thank you for a great session tonight. Your voice has a magical spark of encouragement and calm that I needed. You're such an inspiration!"
You're guaranteed to make $500 when you implement the ideas from a single session.
Barbara Corcoran's Staging Consultation Video
When "celebrities" like Barbara Corcoran spread the word about home staging, our own marketing is so much easier because more of our potential clients already understand the value of what we do.
Barbara has such a big platform because of her weekly appearances on Shark Tank and guest spots on news and talk shows.
This former waitress, turned self-made real estate mogul, transformed a $1000 loan into a $5 billion empire.
In this video she walks through a home explaining the benefits of home staging and provides tips in several rooms.
This video is a pretty good simulation of the recommendations we make during our own home staging consultations with our clients.
All Staging Diva Graduates receive personalized certificates plus free Grad Badge artwork for their marketing materials and websites.
Unlike other staging programs, Staging Diva Graduates DO NOT PAY AN ONGOING FEE to be "certified" or "accredited" after completing this program.
Once you've completed the 5-course training program, you'll be able to say "{fname} is a Graduate of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program" for as long as you like. We don't put a time limit on this like other companies!
Do some research before enrolling in home staging training so you're sure what you're buying.
If you've been reading my blog or this newsletter for any length of time, you know I love writing articles about Staging Diva Students and Grads. This gives you much needed publicity and I don't charge you for it. All you have to do is share some details with me so I can write your story.
No other home staging training program consistently does this for its students. We have about 100 articles written and promoted so far, and it keeps growing.
I talk to so many frustrated home stagers who are wasting their time dropping flyers off at real estate offices, leaving cards in the mailbox at homes that are For Sale By Owner (FSBO) and other assorted marketing ideas that will never amount to much business.
No wonder they're burned out and not making what they hoped. They're approaching their marketing in ways that rarely work. I discuss why these to approaches don't work in these articles:
In my ebook, 14 Marketing Ideas to Rev Up Your Home Staging Business, I give you specific steps you can take instead of those time-wasting ones. Even better, these 14 ideas will actually get you business results and they don't really cost anything except your time.
Worried about enough demand for your services?
Many stagers say they are ready to give up on their staging business because there's "no demand" in their area. I ask, "If someone in your city was looking for a home stager could they find you easily?" Inevitably, they answer "No."
This is not a "demand" problem, this is an "awareness" challenge.
In other words, if interested potential clients who already know they want to hire a home stager can't find you, how do you know there aren't hundreds of them looking for you right now?
When you're a Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers member, it's easy for agents and home sellers to hire you. PLUS, members enjoy FREE project referrals, notification of guest speaking opportunities, media interviews, and quarterly coaching where I work on their business with them.
Join me this month congratulating Leah Fritz on her 7th year in the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers, and new member Trish Mohring. Check out their profiles and get inspired.
When you're the first stager to join the Directory for your chosen locations, your listing will always come out on top in a Directory search, no matter how many people join after you.
If there are others listed above you for certain cities or neighborhoods, your rank will move up if any of them leaves the directory.
The sooner you join, the higher up on the list you are for your locations.
Plus you can choose up to 3 states/provinces and 10 cities, town, neighborhoods or counties to be listed in!
Debra Gould has been a serial entrepreneur since 1989. She is president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. with a mission of helping entrepreneurs create their ideal businesses and lifestyles.
An internationally recognized home staging expert, Debra created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 7,000 students in the U.S., Canada and 20 other countries. She is the author of 5 guides, offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help home sellers and agents locate stagers in their area and is frequently profiled in the media.
