How to Build a Successful Home Staging Business

building a successful home staging business

Welcome to the wonderful world of home staging! It’s a great career path, and being your own boss is always a plus. With that said, building a successful home staging business from scratch may seem daunting. Never fear because PenEx has some advice for all the home stagers out there who are just getting their start.

How Do Home Stagers Get Clients?

Home stagers get clients in the same way that any other professional service-based business does—they build up a network! From this moment forward, every person you meet is a business opportunity. Everyone has heard the Christina Comaford-Lynch quote,
“Networking is marketing. Marketing yourself, marketing your uniqueness, marketing what you stand for,” but it’s true! Be sure to constantly market yourself in the way you want others to see you and see your business.

Understanding Your Competition

You must understand what you’re up against when starting and building a successful home staging business. Look at other home stagers in your area, see what they’re posting, what they’re promoting, and where they’re going. The easiest way to become the best is to do everything the best home stager does, plus one.

Find Realtors To Partner With

Remember when we said your network would be your biggest asset? Case and point. When you have a realtor or two out there who recommend you and your home stager business to their clients, your network can more than double in no time. Realtors are everywhere, and the more of them you have on your side, the better! Visit open houses, join online groups, and don’t be afraid to say hello to a stranger.

Become a Member of a Home Stager Association (RESA!)

RESA is a Real Estate Staging Association that can open many opportunities for leadership and networking. There are approximately fifty local chapters of RESA in the US and Canada with local leadership opportunities. Joining an association like RESA is not only fantastic for building your network but can also provide you with home-stager discounts, education, and professional development.

Establish Your Brand

To stand out in a sea of home stagers, you must develop your personal brand. What is it about you that makes you unique? Are you particularly adept at adapting older homes to seem more modern and young? Do you thrive in fast-paced environments and would therefore be able to provide faster turnarounds than the competition? Figure out what your niche is and capitalize on it!

Utilize Social Media

Social media can be your best friend or your worst adversary, depending on how you use it. If you do not maintain your social accounts, or worse, you don’t have any; you may as well not exist.

In this day and age, a potential client needs to Google you and do their own preliminary research by scrolling through your social feeds. This allows you to put your best foot forward and show off. Make sure your social feeds are consistent, clean, and captivating. Your career as a home stager is so much about appearances, so keep that in mind when maintaining your social accounts as well.

Send Monthly Newsletters

Once you have a network, the last thing you want to do is let them forget about you. We advise you to send out a monthly or quarterly newsletter. This allows you to stay top of mind. You can fill your newsletter with information about new services you have added, the latest trends in home staging, client testimonials, referral programs, and more.

Find a Mentor

Mentors can provide necessary input when navigating the home stager world. They will help you understand today’s marketplace, legal, professional and procedural issues. It’s always nice to have someone to support you who has “been there” and has experience building a successful home staging business before.

If you have any more questions about building a successful home staging business, or if you’re ready to get home staging insurance, contact us today!