I am thinking of switching careers and I have had a realtor friend encouraging me to do home staging. I have sold three houses with her and did all the staging and interior design myself, which were noted factors by the buyers in their decision in each case.
Here's the catch, I would want to focus only on occupied homes, helping them declutter and better showcase their own space NOT by bringing in staged furniture that I would have to purchase/rent and somehow store. I have also considered a home organization career as it is definitely one of my best skills.
So my question really is what is the market for this kind of staging? The cost would obviously be much less than a company who has to bring in furniture and also easier for people who can't move all their stuff out before they sell. I would think people might be more inclined to do it or realtors might be more willing to pay for it as part of their services for their clients.
I already have the one friend plus another who would likely send me work but they alone wouldn't be enough to make a career out of it so thoughts on the industry as a whole?
Thanks for the help!
Posted by Whitbit1167
15 Comments
That’s actually a pretty smart niche tbh – lots of people can’t afford to move out and rent furniture but still need their place to show well. I’d say there’s definitely demand for it, especially if you can position yourself as the “realistic staging” option for normal people who aren’t moving to a rental first
Like literally doing the work for them? Decluttering, removing items to storage or garage, packing clothes, re-hanging art, moving furniture? What would you charge?
Most agents do this for free, and staging consultations, which is what you’re looking at still usually need new towels, new bedding, and new artwork.
I have been doing this since 2007 and I don’t know anyone who’s actually managed to stay in business doing what you’re trying to do
And I know many many people who tried to start it
I would expect my real estate agent to do this as part of their service. When we sold our house we paid 6% of the sales price in total commissions. Nobody had to do open houses or anything, and the buyer’s agents were the ones handling the showings. I wouldn’t expect them to actually DO the work–I would just want a checklist of what needs to be done. Our agent had a list of reliable vendors that she recommended for things like window washing, garden cleanups, painting, carpet cleaning/deep cleaning–stuff like that. If you worked with her vendors they bent over backwards to do the work quickly so the house could be listed.
I know that there is a market for people to come in and tell you how to better arrange your existing furniture and recommend accent items. It’s less than a full service designer and it combines organizing with making better use of a space. Sort of like staging, but for people who just want their rooms to look more polished.
I would think every selling situation is different. Does the seller have family members who can show up and really help declutter and move furniture around. Most probably do not so it is up to the realtor to suggest what they should do. At the end of the day, most sellers won’t want to pay or most won’t agree to where the clutter is going. This is why you will see a lot of homeowners garage stuffed of things that were in the house. They listened to the realtor but still didn’t want to part with their stuff.
I have an interior design degree, and one of my friends from school started out basically doing this. She ended up transitioning to being a realtor (known for her free, helpful staging skills) because staging alone wasn’t providing enough income.
You could do both, just by offering two different service descriptions.
I started a web design business back in the dinosaur era. First customer was an industrial company that did underground fuel tank cleaning (who knew?).
So I had a meeting with them, and a business consulting team they were working with; they were the ones who recommended a new website and contacted me.
I got a brief rundown of their business/services, and asked for any and all printed info they had. Three different versions of a logo, and the look and feel of the materials weren’t consistent at all. So I suggested they needed a new logo design as well as all new print materials. I actually worked with them for years, designing everything from brochures and billboards, to trade show booths, and even attended trade shows working sales.
Offering both types of service means you have a larger potential customer base, and your realtor friends will be able to refer you much more often.
By both you mean home organizing and staging?
Not trying to be a dink……………but with AI and virtual staging………you might want to find a more long term type of job?
This kind of thing works better when real estate prices are on the rise. Because there’s more profit in the deal than people expect, so they’re OK paying some extra costs when listing.
Right now most markets are down, and people are loathe to spend any money on photos or even cleaning up the yard. They hoped they could sell it for (say) $500K, and when they interviewed realtors to list it they heard, probably the most you can expect is $475.
As others here are telling you, you’ll just have to try it. But I doubt there’s any money to be made here in the current market. I’m not sure I’d put all my eggs in that basket. But if you can market yourself as a home organizer too, maybe between the two you can make some money.
There was a Japanese woman a few years ago: internet famous for saying “throw away your crap.”
It was a revelation: “She is absolutely brilliant!”
That’s pretty much what you’d be doing. It sounds ridiculous and silly, but clearly many people need to hear it. Repeatedly. Clearly and loudly. Again.
You’d be the “preparation consultant” – “market staging analyst” –
Some title which indicates action required pre-photos.
“8 hours: $500. Includes photos.”
Realtors who know the property needs help, but don’t want to offend their client would suggest “This pre-sale guru I know” and hand them your card and mention how in one day you transformed a property they saw. (On your website with before and after photos.)
I am shocked at photos I see and can’t believe the agent never asks the seller to send new photos after they get the laundry off the bed or clean the cat litter box. And sweep the floor….
The stager we use offers this service and it’s great. She gets to be the bad guy and tell people (kindly) to get rid of crap and clean their house up. I paid about $300 for this service.
I do this as an agent. It’s part of what we do to prepare a home for sale.
Like most things in life, it’s who you know. If you have a solution to help sellers get their homes sold, because that’s not a given in this market, then you have to be passionate about your services. You have to be able to network and be known. Agents needs to know you can be their strategic partner.
Our realtor sent someone over to do this before pictures. She told us what to get rid of and suggested rearranging some furniture and art. I thought it was helpful. Realtors usually make similar recommendations and know what photographs well, so I’m not sure there’s a big market for separate services.