Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Home Staging?
A: Staging is the proven process of preparing a house for sale regardless of price, location and condition to secure the most money in the shortest time. Certified Staging Professionals™ use a unique Room Ready Handbook ™ and Staging Safe Colors™ to prepare a house for sale. This is completed before using lifestyle selling techniques to arrange furnishings creating a positive impact on buyers the minute they walk through the door.
Q: Why does staging work? Surely the buyer knows when this service has been applied
A: Staging works because it eliminates any negative distractions a buyer may fixate on, such as old flooring (87% of homeowners recently polled preferred hardwood) family photos – stops the buyer seeing their family in that house. Not staging can actually work against you, as educated buyers prefer to have their agents show them only staged listings.
Q: What is the difference between a Redecorating/Redesign consultant and a Certified Staging Professional™?
A: Interior decorating, which label it has, is personal taste; it concentrates on making the owner feel at home. A Certified Staging Professional™, who specializes in staging, has been trained in interior design/décor as it applies to the process of selling a house. CSP™'s have unique tools and process’s to ensure the recommendations they provide are sound, confidential and cost effective. CSP™ are taught how to use lifestyle selling techniques to make sure their work appeals to the most potential buyers; the staging objective is to make the buyer feel at home – not a guest in yours!
Q. As a homeowner I am confused! There seem to be so many different designations how do I know which one to choose? My agent said it doesn’t matter anyway– she has a friend in the office that can help me.
A. Understandably; the industry is not regulated – so look for a designation which imposes its own regulatory standards. Holds its graduates to a code of conduct which reflects how you want to do business. Evaluate who the stager trained with – is it someone who has actually built a staging business – not just sold their own houses or decorates, someone who knows the industry. You need someone who has studied and knows the real estate industry from a staging point of view. Agents often are well meaning by thinking they can offer help like this, however the industry has changed tremendously – to be sure you have the most competitive edge – hire a professional.
Q. If all the graduates are just starting their business does that mean they are just learning the skills? How will I know who to choose?
A. Good question! Most people who graduate from the CSP™ program have previous life and work experiences which have prepared them for work in this industry. For example – many interior designers, decorators, professional organisers, people who have worked in retail merchandising – all have the skill sets – they take the CSP™ program for the resources and support.
Q: The CSP™ Course is a significant amount of money. How do I justify the cost?
A: First, think of it as an investment, in your new venture. Where else can you start a business for the price of a specialised coffee a day? A franchise would be a larger investment and you wouldn’t have as much support.
All businesses begin with an initial investment. The investment for tuition, of the CSP™ staging course, could be significant to some, especially if you are thinking the instruction is similar to something you could take at community college – however it's not. This is a turn-key business solution - a tried and true method of conducting business in a rapidly expanding marketplace. It's 30 hrs of instruction as well as immeasurable benefits after class. If you received nothing else other than tuition it would equate to $55 hr; less than you will make when you get paid for your staging work. The investment is quickly recouped once you start billing for your services. Also when you do start a business the training fee is a deductible expense.
If you want to start a Staging business with confidence and experience then the program and designation of an Certified Staging Professional™, is for you! Check our student testimonials here
In addition to having the support of others in the same industry, you begin your business with solid principles and guidelines. Many students have said one of the benefits they didn’t factor in, but sure are glad to receive -is the network. It is great to know others who are at the same place in life and business growth - who understand completely what you are going through and are there for you.
Q: What can a participant expect to gain from the experience of taking our course?
A:Our students gain:
Confidence; understanding; Process; Marketing; Designation;Experience; Portfolio; Network; Web Presence; Clients; Support and More.
Q: Why should I choose CSP™ vs. others offering Staging Courses?
A:The final choice has to be yours; listen to your intuition- consider all your options, if you have any questions or concerns we are here to help - or we can provide you with credible references.
Certified Staging Professionals™ has a team of seasoned professionals working together to help our graduates grow their business. The CSP™ program has been developed from grass roots experience – not just selling houses, and not only in one area. Importantly the CSP™ program delivers AFTER the program so much more than you can imagine – resources, support, answers, branding, marketing and work! The list goes on.
Q: Once I complete my training, how long before I can actually begin staging homes on my own?
A:Everyone has a different starting point; it depends on what industry background you have , what business experience you have and how ready you are to talk to people. In terms of knowledge -Immediately. Ability, confidence, contacts etc are all at your own discretion. This course is designed to provide you with the knowledge, tools and support to begin your Staging Business - you have to bring the rest!
We do have a service to bring you instant marketing material - you can order ahead of class and we will do our best to have them ready when you come to class. CSP™ offers wonderful general but personalized brochures and business cards providing all the information you need to promote your business TODAY! Great to use in the interim - while you are deciding on the branding and imaging you want your company to have.
Q: What kind of income can I expect to make as a CSP™?
A: Ahhh! the perennial question. This will depend on your local market and your ability to capture the business. Consultation fees can range from $50-500. Bidding on consultations and pairing up with REALTORS® in your area will ensure success. Some Stagers find they need to hire other CSP™'s to help the overload. Pricing models and income potential is discussed in the program.
Q: I don't see a course near me. Will you be coming to teach the staging course in this area?
A:Please send an email with your inquiry to Christine, and include your State, Province or preferred location; new locations are being reviewed daily. If we can't help you, with your permission we will be most happy to refer you to another program nearer to you. Most people are anxious to get started so are willing to travel to take the program.
Q: Do I need to take training to become a Professional Stager?
A:Any one can say they can do the work of a professional stager. Only a graduate of our program can officially call themselves Certified Staging Professional™. There are some who try to make people believe you do not need credentials to do the business; I think it is short sighted to say this and I believe it is up to the individual to make the choice which is good for them. As the industry grows and develops, the profession will expand and those with credentials are more likely to be chosen for work assignments by the public.
People take the program for many reasons; skill sets, knowledge, process, network, visibility and the designation. All of this will give you an advantage over your competition.
Q: Why should I take CSP™'s training?
A:It is a proven system to secure business; it's more than a course it's a business and life program which provides clear direction to build a successful staging business.
Many Interior Designers, Decorators, Professional Organizers, Entrepreneurs, Real Estate Agents/Brokers and many other talented people from different walks of life have been trained in the art of staging by Christine Rae. The CSP™ Course incorporates Christine Rae's knowledge in decorating, staging, real estate and business. We trust it's life changing for you!
We know successful people building amazing businesses' internationally. All it takes is commitment, courage, dedication, belief and the CSP™ programme.
If you have a question which is not answered here please do ask Christine: christine@stagingtraining.com
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Researching Your Options is Crucial
Before you begin your research ask yourself:
What do I need to learn from a staging program?
List your strengths, your weaknesses, and what you feel would make you more confident to go into the business world as a stager. Do you want to own your own staging company? Do you want to work for another staging company? Where do you see yourself 2 years from now.
Be sure to address if any of the following are important to you:
A designation - in the staging industry this is used to brand a specific organization, it says you are a committed to self education and believe in being the best you can be. Some argue this is not valuable as the staging industry is not regulated. You need to decide if this is something that is important to you. Could it be important to the clients that will hire you?
Questions to ask: Do you earn a designation upon completion? Is it earned or just passed out for participation? If earned, how? Is there testing? How is the designation branded? What advertising does your organization do to make the designation recognized? What message does your designation say to the public?
Who is the trainer? - What is their background? What would make them a good teacher? Have they had their own staging business? Do they have training experience? Were they trained by another home staging trainer? You can research most trainers backgrounds on the staging programs websites.
Questions to ask: Can I speak directly to the trainer? What is there background prior to training your program? Have they ever owned their own staging business?
General Staging Process - There are different staging models for different training companies. If you need help in this area, be sure to add this to your list of what is important to you. Even if you think you know all about staging, or you have an existing staging background, you will be pleasantly surprised with some staging programs, how much more you will learn.
Questions to ask: What we will learn in your staging curriculum? How much time is spent on the staging process? After class, if I have questions do you have a support system in place?
Marketing Strategies - Are you confident in marketing yourself and your new business? If not, marketing is a necessary step to running a successful staging company. How much marketing do you need to learn from your staging training program?
Questions to ask: How much time is spent on learning marketing? What is addressed in your marketing curriculum? How does your organization help their graduates with marketing after the program?
Hands-on learning or online learning? - How do you learn best? From a book? From doing? From listening? This is one of the most important questions you will need to ask yourself before beginning your research. For Example: If you learn best by hands-on, do not take an online program just because it is cheaper, you will find you will not finish, or it will take you a long time to finish and the investment was more costly then you thought, as it will cost you time you could have been out staging already! Choose a staging program that teaches the way you learn best!
Industry tools and resources - Do you like to create your own tools, or do you like the wheel to be invented before you get there? Some staging programs will have the tools you need already developed. You only need to customize them to your company image.
Questions to ask: What industry tools do you have to provide us? What do we get Free with the training? Do you have a suggested list of industry tools we will need to get started? Are there other tools, and opportunities available to us that are exclusive to being a graduate of your program?
Staging Organization Membership - Many staging programs offer a yearly membership after the initial class program. You need to decide if this is important to you. As member of an organization there are opportunities and feature benefits to being part of a larger group.
Questions to ask: Do you have a membership to belong to? What do you receive as a member? What is the yearly rate?
Bulk Advertising Opportunities - Is receiving discounts for advertising opportunities important to you? Stretching your marketing dollars can make the difference when first starting your business.
Questions to ask: Do you have any bulk advertising opportunities?
How much are you willing to invest in your education? - You need to weigh what you will learn by how much you need to invest. Be careful not to sacrifice valuable learning by cheaper programs. Do they have continuing programs? Some programs allow you to revisit their program as a refresher anytime at no charge to you. . .is this something you would want?
Questions to ask: How much is your program? Do you offer refresher programs as the industry changes, to keep graduates informed? Can you send me an information package?
Ask Graduates of the program: Do not take it from those paid to sell the programs. Ask those who have graduated from the program. Most staging programs have a directory of stagers online at your disposal. Call them up. Here is a tip. Call people you can tell have utilized the programs features. For example: filled out their directory pages, have photographs and before and after. They will be the most educated because they have worked the program.
Questions to ask: Did the course meet your expectations? What is it you like best about the program? When did you take the program? Do they offer support after the class? Did you take any other staging programs? Do you recommend the program to someone wanting to get started in the staging industry.
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