Stupid Staging Credentials

Certified, credentialed, accredited, trained, educated, graduate, licensed (just heard that one last week) - all fancy words used in the home staging industry to tell everyone that you are special and professional. But do you need a fancy word or some ornate string of letters behind your name to tell the world that you’re a home stager - NO.

There are no formal regulations or certification program(s) regulated by the state you live in, nor the country. Anyone can print some business cards and tell the world that they are a home stager.

In the past decade the home staging field has grown, thanks to a real estate boom, a ton of HGTV style TV shows and lots and lots of marketing from home staging education companies. But home staging has been around forever - done by savvy designers or realtors. A few training companies started educating in the late '90's.  In the early education years, it was combined with Interior Redesign training as a supplement service. I took my certification training 13 years ago through the IADA which is now disbanded which started back in 1995. The founding mother of Interior Redesign and the grandmother to staging is a women named Lauri Ward who has been around since 1981. Home Staging training companies, associations and seasoned professionals that offer education and mentoring now boast probably 50 different programs. From on-line training to specialty advanced education certificates -  Each program, company, association  has its own certification.

And what’s with those Certificates? Do they mean anything, do they hold any value, aren’t they kind of stupid? Well YES and NO.  The over abundant fancy titles seem kind of silly, seeming to parallel the in-fighting and competition on that TV show “Toddlers and Tiaras.” But as silly sounding as the title "Ultimate Grand Supreme" sounds, there is some substance in a fancy title.

Should you take a class, workshop, training, school or forum to become certified in home staging? YES - and here’s why.


Home Staging is completely different that anything you know about decorating or your innate sense of style. You can be fabulous at color, awesome at accessorizing or wiz at window treatments – and YES, those things apply in the art of home staging, but there is a whole other side that outweighs your decorator gene – Psychology, sociology, demographics and the economics of marketing a home and dealing with the people involved. And I’m not even getting into managing the business side, which I’ll post at a later date.

Let's backup a bit and I’ll give you a little back story on my own road to Home Staging. I read a little article in Better Homes and Gardens in 1995 about a new breed of designer emerging. They used what the owner had, rearranged, re-purposed and reinvented a space, rather than strolling in and declaring "let’s toss it all and start new." These designers were called Interior Arrangers/Redesigners and a small group had banded together to start an association and offered training. Since I was nursing a child as I read the piece, I sent away for information and set a goal to make this my new career after my days of nursing were well behind me. By the time I took the training, HGTV was a budding network and they had a show that featured the One Day Makeover pros called "Decorating Cents." Because of my training through this association, I got to be on that HGTV show! And because I was listed on the association’s web site, I got calls from reporters doing articles on Home Staging and made front page news. When I need advice, a sounding board and wanted to make my business better, I had a network and family of other business owners that did the same thing as me.

I was very happy to pay for training and add a fancy word and a few initials to the back end of my name. 

Now 13 years later I'm still that new breed of designer and run a very successful business. I'm no longer just a home stager/interior redesign professional, I've grown, become more educated and morphed my business. I now offer everything from traditional interior design services to entertaining advice. Although my association I trained with is long gone, I founded a new one The Interior Stylist Network that embraced us morphed home stagers.

Is taking a certified class today going to land you on HGTV or get you a front page story in a newspaper - Maybe.  But more importantly, home staging certification training will give you the foundation of a business model, priceless techniques, procedures and tips from a well seasoned veteran of home staging. Most staging trainers have had years of experience, know-how and savvy.  These are people are right from the trenches of the home staging industry and they’ll prepared you for the REAL business of home staging  - because what you see on HGTV is not what happens in the real world!

Should you take a class, workshop, training or forum to become certified in home staging? YES - and here’s why.

1.) Home Staging deals with a thorough understanding of sociology and demographics of the real estate you are preparing. Who are you selling this home to? What is the demographic looking for in a home? A great trainer will give you the rules and guidelines to the business of packaging the home for the ideal buyer, arranging & styling it.

2.) Home Staging deals with a keen understanding of the economics of the home for sale. When profiling the ideal buyer, you’re trainer will grant you the understanding of suggested whole home improvements, updates, quality of furnishings and details that are optimally necessary to showcase the property, attract the perfect buyer - keeping in mind what will support the market.

3.) The business of Home Staging is uniquely different than decorating or design. From client types to business strategies, getting a full understanding of this business model will allow you to set your path correctly and accordingly.

4.) Having a credential gives a new home stager a nice self confidence boost when first starting off. From intro sentences, to press releases to marketing, an initial or two, or a fancy word boosts a new business’ self worth.

5.) In turn, a credential gives the public a sense of legitimacy to your expertise. From the media to a wary client – Having some Initial(s) ammunition surely helps.

6.) Running a home staging business is not an easy path. Many communities have yet to embrace the necessity for Home staging services. Having been trained in proper marketing and client psychology tactics will give you an edge.

7.) Camaraderie, mentorship and friendship. The group or trainer you’ve trained with is your lifeline as you grown and develop your business. Once established, your group is your community and business family.

With so many to choose from -So what training should you take?  Well that's up to you. You need to research your choices, make some phone calls and do some investigation. Do your homework! See what program, title, business plan works best for you and what fits with your goals.  You're building a brand and investing in your new business.  But in the end,  all the certification initials in the world behind your name will not make you have successful business – YOU DO.