The concept of “staging” a home to sell it, first developed as a sales technique on the West coast and having more recently made its way east, is becoming a popular way to sell houses in a real estate buyers market that often requires a little bit more effort on the part of home sellers and their agents.

A recent article in the Baltimore Sun points out the obvious benefits of staging, as well as the way to get one of these “new school” real estate/interior design gigs:

Staging, which involves meticulously readying a home for sale in ways that appeal to potential buyers, is garnering attention in today’s sluggish real estate market. With properties sitting longer, asking prices being slashed, and lenders scrutinizing loan applications more closely - anecdotal evidence suggests Realtors, sellers and investors alike are increasingly turning to staging, for that competitive edge.

Launched on the West Coast in the 1970s, staging has entered the popular lexicon, and become an internationally recognized industry. Its growth is widely credited to Barb Schwarz, godmother of the “staged to live” concept, and founder of California-based StagedHomes.

StagedHomes also trains professional stagers these days and those undergoing the coursework earn the designation of “APS”, short for “Accredited Professional Stager.” Some say the hefty price tag for the 3-day course in staging is worthwhile, but at just over $2,000, the industry may be best suited to interior decorators and designers or those who simply have a nice touch with home decorating.

Still, staging is catching on. Many investors who buy, rehab and sell many properties during the course of a year will stage homes, especially the upscale homes that sell for nearly $1 Million (and over). Even agents are getting into the game, with some renting furniture and fixtures or even keeping a small inventory on hand for their clients’ listings.

Tags: real estate bubble, real estate investing, real estate jobs, real estate staging

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