Successful home stagers work closely with real estate agents, creating amazing interior spaces. Beautiful rooms that appeal to potential home buyers can contribute to their decision to purchase that home. Professional home stagers and real estate agents share a close professional connection due to the ways in which their skills mutually benefit one another.
Many home stagers get their professional start by working with local real estate agents. Real estate agents looking to recruit a home stager often have a specific set of skills in mind. Check out this list of seven characteristics and think about how which ones apply to you!
1. Good organizational skills
Home stagers often work on a tight timeline or are required to make changes on short notice. The more organized you are about your design, strategy, client information, and so on, the better prepared you’ll be to get started on a new contract.
Real estate agents expect you to be organized enough to juggle more than one task, complete staging in good time, and create a finished product without great mishap.
2. Good understanding of the home staging/real estate relationship
Real estate agents enjoy working with home stagers who have previous experience with similar professional partnerships.
This isn’t to say that they won’t hire beginner stagers! They’re simply looking for someone with a solid understanding of their expectations. With training and networking, you can learn enough about what real estate agents require of you to be a valuable asset to them.
3. Great sense of style and color
Some people have a natural sense of style, including pleasing color combinations. Others study color theory and stylistic details meticulously to develop a thorough knowledge of what appeals to people most.
However you come about your sense of style, make sure you display it in your work and portfolio. Real estate agents look for home stagers who can transform a room in innovative, beautiful ways.
4. Good communication skills
Real estate agents communicate with many different parties while selling home. They’re dealing with the sellers, the potential buyers, their own superiors, and now they’ve recruited a home stager too!
They’ll expect excellent communication skills. You’ll need to follow instructions from the real estate agent, potentially on behalf of the client, without mixing up details and misinterpreting their requests. You’ll also be required to inform several parties of your progress clearly and concisely. Practicing effective communication in your everyday life can help you with your professional interactions.
5. Good intuition
As the design professional, you must use your own initiative and not just rely on what a real estate agent and their clients want to see. While it’s important to listen to those you’re working with, it’s often also necessary for you to stage based on your own intuition.
- Which classic style is always a success?
- What’s popular in that particular neighborhood that will make potential buyers feel at home as soon as they walk in?
Listen to what you’re told, but pay attention to your home stager’s instinct as well.
6. Approachability and friendliness
Real estate agents and their clients alike should feel comfortable speaking with you about your work. Adopt a friendly but professional attitude and communicate through your tone and body language that people should feel welcome approaching you. Smile! If you are pleasant to work with, you’ll be positively referred to other agents or clients and you might be repeat contracted as well.
Real estate agents are looking for a job well done. They want professional quality staging that will impress their clients and help them do their job. This means you’ll be expected to do your best work right down to the fine details. Pay attention to each aspect of your staging and consider how the different elements of your design contribute to the overall effect. Invest genuine time and effort in each staging and show your real estate agent how much your services are worth. If you’ve read this list and thought “Oh no, this doesn’t sound like me,” don’t stress! These essential skills can be learned and practiced. Home staging courses provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to build a successful career in the professional industry. Good courses will even teach you the importance of professional relationships between home stagers and real estate agents. You can work on your skills during your everyday routine. Observe the world around you for appealing or innovative color combinations and practice your communication skills with your family and friends!
Practice makes perfect!
Think a career as a home stager would be a good fit for you? Check out QC’s Home Staging course for information on how to get started!
