DING DONG, Stage It Forward Calling... with a FREE Member Button for YOU!

As a member of both Active Rain and Stage It Forward, I LOVE the fact that it is open to all… And because it is so, many home stagers have joined over the past year to shared tales of their experiences and their wisdom. But, I am most proud of the fact that since joining Active Rain its group Stage It Forward... has become one of the most active and THRIVING sub-communities on this HUGLY popular real estate industry networking site.

WOW do Home Stagers have a lot to say and WOW do they ever say it.

Home Stagers and the Home Staging Industry are lucky that Active Rain came along when it did.

Since November 2006 over 600 members have joined and have posted over 2,400 articles about home staging in the group. Because of this fact the group has rapidly become a nation-wide noted resource for home staging information. What makes it so special the fact that collectively the group created itself… which is something each member should take pride in. The collective home staging voice is being spoken hear AND is being heard.

A few months back a special "staged" doorway into the group was created. And while it was GREAT to have the doorway... getting to the "door" became an issue. You see, you still need a "door bell button" that “rings” into this amazing industry resource and community.

So here you go... I have been asked for a link that a stager can use to display their involvement. Here is a button of a working "doorbell" that can be FREELY added to websites or blogsites. All you need to do is copy and paste the HTML CODE that I can email to you. (Image shown below is an actual working sample.)

Clicking on the button will take people visiting your site on to the Stage It Forward Gateway site. At the Gateway they will read a quick overview of the group you are a part of and committed to. Then they can move on into Active Rain’s Stage It Forward group.

So if you would like to show your affiliation to the group... just click on the link. The HTML code that you can insert on your website and/or your blogsite that will create this linking button can be found on the Stage It Forward Gateway.

I, like many of the home stagers that visit this blog, know that home staging works. But I also know that getting the general public and real estate community to understand and believe in what we do has been a bit of a challenge at times. However now, because of Stage It Forward, our voice speaking as one helps tell our story... that's for sure. This membership button is just another subtle "less is more" way to SHOW people we do have a collective voice as an industry.

More good Stage It Forward things are to come... I promise.
Me

Staged Home Raises Funds to Benefit Art Center

Well, I gotta admit it really is odd to see the house empty again… but just one weekend later that's how this house sits.

However, LAST weekend, this newly constructed luxury home in Park Ridge, Illinois was staged and GLORIOUSLY TRANSFORMED (as these photos show) into the premier site on the Artistic Living Tour of Homes.










Last weekend was the culmination of over year of preparation for a unique fund raising event. The weekend's festivities were no small undertaking, as it took an army of volunteers, who graciously donated their time, talent and treasure, to totally transform this site into a beautiful staged show-house... all for the benefit of Brickton Art Center.

I am happy and proud to report that the Artistic Living Tour of Homes, a show-house plus 5 tour residential tour homes, was a wonderful success. With over 300 people touring the sites… everyone is already buzzing about next year. The volunteers are excited and full of ideas and anticipation on how to make next year’s tour even better. One resident even already offered their home as a tour site!








This “staged” fund raising event was for Brickton Art Center. Brickton does amazing things with and for the arts and is one of the “crown jewels” of our community. It is one of those unique resources within Park Ridge that makes this city such a desirable community to live in.

Brickton, is a small art center tucked away in a corner of the downtown area, currently fulfills the cultural and creative needs of over 6,000 Park Ridge and Northwest Chicago community members each year. It offers over 200 fine arts classes and has hosted nearly 100 gallery exhibits featuring established, emerging and developing Illinois artists. PLUS, and most importantly, Brickton creates beautiful changes in the lives of at-risk populations through it’s out-reach and art therapy based programs.








However, like any not-for-profit, raising funds to continue Brickton’s mission is critical.

At Real Estaging, where one of our core values is to support not-for-profit organizations that are making a difference in the world, it made total sense to offer our help and support such a wonderful organization. We've known how staging can be used as an AWESOME marketing tool for selling... so it made perfect sense to adapt it for this event and create an entirely new version of Brickton’s Artistic Living event.

This event was no small undertaking… besides creating a fresh adaptation of the event and then coordinating all the creative talent of the Gallery Home, whose rooms were each separately "staged" by 9 different designers and/or retailers, we also worked with 5 residents in Park Ridge who graciously opened up their homes as sites on the first ever Park Ridge Tour of Homes. We received accolades for having the “perfect mixture” of big homes, small homes, contemporary homes, traditional homes, new homes, and old homes. The homes we selected were a perfect cross section of all that Park Ridge has to offer.

Having a great idea is one thing, but a weekend long city-wide event of this magnitude takes hundreds of helping hands, including individuals, business organizations, artists, designers, home stagers, elected officials, corporations, residents, neighbors, and families. It took a community working together to make this event the success that it was.

So, needless to say Brickton staff and the army of volunteers were THRILLED that after all their hard work the Grand Opening ceremony was recognized by state Senator Dan Kotowski. Senator Kotowski came and cut the ribbon kicking off the tour and opening the Gallery Home last Friday night at the Gallery 1033 Cocktail Party. More pictures of the gallery home and the cocktail party can be seen here.

So, all I can say is a heartfelt “thank-you” to the many of you that helped stage this successful event.

Finally, to my fellow home stagers, I share this idea with you… for while this one event showcased how we transform spaces, more importantly it shows that we can Staged It Forward... by giving it back.

Keep Staging It Forward...
Me


PS: Oh... Real Estaging staged the Red Living Room & Dining in the pictures above and in the link.

THANKS NBC CHICAGO... for featuring this story on your web site.

Growing Membership of Stage It Forward... Creates a United Voice for the Staging Industry

Just what kind of power and impact Active Rain, the online real estate network, is capable of is definitely been proven. Almost daily, one can log on and read great posts crediting it in countless ways for helping create success in so many ways for some many professional that are employed in the Real Estate Industry. But what really is mind boggling is Active Rain is ONLY in its infancy (less than 1year old), so it is hard to comprehend all that is possible in its future.

So while the "big" Active Rain has been so revolutionary, when it comes to the Home Staging Industry, I can personally attest to just what impact Active Rain has had to legitimize and catapult that industry forward. It so happens that the day Active Rain added the "Group" functionality to its site... the Stage It Forward group was born. This past Saturday, that small group hit its own small milestone... the 300th member joined the group. And while that might not seem like that big of a deal to most... for the Home Staging Industry it is quite an achievement.

Active Rain’s Stage It Forward group is one of the Top 10 (out of over 600 groups) most lively and active groups on the site. It has become a gateway resource for GREAT staging information. Members respectfully and FREELY pass along knowledge to both Home Stagers and Realtors alike. Each day anyone can go and read well articulated stories written by Home Stagers from all across the USA and Canada.

Realtors, if you never considered using a Stager, go on in. You will be bombarded with visually stunning examples of what we do… you will find that the Stagers are relentless to make sure you and your sellers understand the power of our craft. This group is quick to share stories that speak of success, after success, after success.

But what is most amazing, and what I am most proud to be a part of, is to see how Stagers enthusiastically help and contribute to the success of their colleagues.

Unfortunately, I have been in the Home Staging Industry long enough to know that there was an underlying negativity that was keeping our industry small. Margaret Ann Innis, a stager that studied at BOTH stagedhomes.com and the Interior Redesign Industry Specialists, described the industry perfectly when she recently commented, “…our industry was fragmented by personalities, training schools, etc. Now there is a level playing field for all the voices of Stagers to be heard. We all bring many talents to this passion."

When Active Rain created the Group functionality... an opportunity to mimic what was already taking place in the "bigger" Active Rain became possible. Stage It Forward created the ONLY free and accessible forum where any and ALL Home Stagers, regardless of where they received foundation training, can go and ongoingly learn and discuss the “ins and outs” of staging.

This just goes to show the power that sincere sharing and respect for diversity can do… for it is moving the entire Home Staging Industry forward into the future.

Stage It Forward...
Me

Wanting to Share the "GREEN"... I'm Gonna Recycle a Full-Circle Moment in My Own Life

This past November I took a business trip to China. I traveled there because the professional designer side of "me" was required; however to my surprise the personal side of "me" was profoundly impacted.

It just so happens that when I was in China, I visited both Hong Kong and a city called on the mainland called Shenzhen (which is 45 minutes away from Hong Kong via water taxi). During this trip something became quite apparent to me… Hong Kong was all about consuming, and Shenzhen was all about manufacturing. Shimmering and sparkling, yet stuffed and cluttered in EVERY nook and cranny of the streets of Hong Kong, were stores, shops and boutiques offering for sale every conceivable thing we stuff into our lives.

Oddly, in contrast, was Shenzhen, a city where pollution constantly spewed out of the thousands and thousands of factories located there. The pollution was so bad that I could literally and easily look directly into the sun in the middle of the day. Sadly, at one point we drove over a river that was so polluted it was thick and black as tar. (I am NOT exaggerating.) It is also important to note that Shenzhen is just one of the multitude of manufacturing/industrial cites throughout the world that makes the material goods we think we "need" in our consumer society.

Upon returning to the states, I started to reflect on all I had experienced and thinking about how it affects my job as a home stager… and I came to a “full circle moment” in my life.
I came to realize that in this age of consumption, it’s kind of odd that my job as a stager is to "transition" a home back to simpler view. Basic to what we do is de-cluttering the mass amount of consumer "stuff" that has built up in a seller’s house. In fact, if a stager’s work is done properly, completely and timed right, the seller can actually PROFIT from the sale of their home. It is scary to think that these “profits” then COULD then be used to go out and buy more "stuff".

But now, because of this trip to 2 cities in China… if I have it my way, people that use our home staging services will begin to look at their lives and their desire for stuff in a new way. I hope and want to show people, whose homes we transform, that a beautiful home NEVER needs to be STUFFED full of useless consumer crap. I hope to share with all our clients the fundamental lesson EVERY interior designer is thought early on in their design education... the fact that "Less is More."

For now, because of my trip to 2 cities in China, I come to realize our planet's life truly depends on less being MORE.

Green It Forward...
Me

STAGE IT FORWARD... means giving IT back

The willingness and importance to give back is basic to what the group of Home Stagers in Active Rain’s Stage it Forward group are all about. Giving back is so basic, that in the group's short description on Active Rain, the words "sharing" or "share" is used in three separate places.
However for me personally, Stage It Forward is more than just helping fellow home stagers grow their businesses... for me, Stage It Forward means using my time, talent and treasure to benefit community where I live. So at Real Estaging, our company’s current Stage It Forward effort centers around the creation of a marvelous community wide fund raising event for Brickton Art Center... which happens to be a WONDERFUL not-for profit organization (committed to outreach) in Park Ridge Illinois.

Starting last summer, we helped invigorate and re-invent Brickton's Artistic Living event by refining it and adding an entire Tour of Homes. With a goal to raise $20,000, here is what we have been working on and organizing…

The Artistic Living Tour of Homes event revolves around what is being called the Gallery House were art is featured within each room of a newly constructed home (donated for the weekend of May 18th - 20th by Tim Metropolis of TMM Development Corporation and listed with Gretchen Gullo of Coldwell Banker) in Park Ridge. This beautiful constructed Arts & Crafts style home will be where its interior spaces will be transformed and feature the creative works of both artist and designer. This house will also host the: Gallery 1033 Cocktail Party - a unique themed grand opening cocktail party and event night, and Silent Auction Room - featuring a variety of donated artistic objects, gifts and other items from local businesses.

In addition to the primary Gallery House, this tour event will also feature several other beautiful homes of Park Ridge. Residents are opening the doors to the interiors of their home to be locations on the tour. Craig Interior Design (our sister design studio) is even offering to help stylize & stage these homes with FREE design advice and help prior to the event.

The final fun new twist is that Brickton is commissioning a special gallery exhibit entitled The Doors of Park Ridge. This show will feature and exhibit the artistic interpretations of doors of homes, shops, schools, or churches etc. throughout Park Ridge, as seen through the eyes of and created by local kids.

The whole event is designed so that whether donating "BIG" or donating "SMALL" of one's time, talent and treasure, we have created many ways for others to experience the joy of giving and share in this wonderful event. All are invited and encouraged to tour the homes and see the power of what is possible when you… Stage It Forward.

One Stage NOW shines its Spotlight on the entire Home Staging Industry

The geniuses that created Active Rain might not realize it (and I KNOW they did NOT intend it) but they have created something amazing.

They have created a stage for the voices of an entire industry, which was still a relative infant and struggling to be heard, could finally be heard. That industry is the Home Staging Industry.

Today is going to be a VERY special day for all home stagers that utilize Active Rain and its Stage It Forward group as a resource for fresh and helpful industry information. Today, the stagers on Active Rain will be welcoming their 500th stager. Considering Active Rain is TOTALLY FREE and non-aligned with any home staging foundation training program THAT is a HUGE milestone for home staging!

If you are NOT a stager, I don’t think one can fully appreciate how significant this milestone is and what Active Rain is doing for a very young and rapidly growing industry.

You see prior to Active Rain there was no one place that any and all stagers could freely go to and share information with their colleagues. Many of the company's that provide foundation training in home staging have turned their backs to and would not acknowledge any of their fellows who did not have the same training as they provided... and definitely would not share ideas... or even a kind compliment!

Active Rain has shattered all that, and has allowed the voices of ALL STAGERS to be heard and RESPECTED. On Active Rain and in the Stage It Forward group ALL stagers are welcome! I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful place.

SO MY HAT IS OFF... to Active Rain and all the home stagers who proudly SHARE ONE VOICE on this ONE STAGE. YOU ARE ALL in your own way SINGULARLY SENSATIONAL.

Stage It Forward...
Me

PS: The smiling dancer is the stager Marci Toliver, the person I call "The Smile of Home Staging". Marci embodies professionalism. She lives and IS what more of the leaders of this industry could be... kind, respectful and welcoming to ALL who have and will choose in the future to make home staging their career... regardless of where the stager first received their foundation training.

MY ADVICE: Don't drink the Kool-Aid, but keep your Staging Training Pride!

Last July, when I was invited to join Active Rain, the real estate social network, I knew it was going to be a very special site. Right from the start I was amazed to see how Realtors from "competing" companies reached out to their colleagues to freely share information that helps and betters their "rivals". So it is no surprise then that because of all of the shared generosity, Active Rain has been a successful and rewarding venture for ALL who participate.

When I started on Active Rain, there were only a small number of Home Stagers on the site. Slowly, at first, Stagers found and began contributing. Amazingly, Stagers from across North America (YEAH CANADA!) started sharing ideas, challenges, frustrations, tips, successes and techniques to staging homes and running home staging businesses.

When Active Rain created the "group" feature, Stage It Forward was born. Stage It Forward now provides Home Stagers with ONE easy forum and resource where, regardless of where one’s foundation training was received, all can gather and learn MORE and become BETTER Home Stagers. Any Home Stager who has spent any time on Active Rain in Stage It Forward knows the benefit from diverse and free flow of ideas and dialogue that takes place each and EVERY DAY.

So as more and more home Stagers find Stage It Forward… just know that when you come gushing in with "foundation training pride” know at times it looks like you "drank too much of the Kool-Aid" from the company that provided your base training in home staging.

Just know that Active Rain and Stage It Forward are places where Stagers and the Home Staging Industry has and will continue to grow to greater heights through the simple acts of kindness and sharing.

Stage It Forward...
Me

Stagers, why spend money? List your business for FREE on a national Home Staging directory.

I know that I have shared my thoughts about the real estate social network called Active Rain before. So now that it has grown in membership I once again eel compelled to share with you once again what a great site this is. Active Rain simply amazes and inspires me. For while Active Rain is wonderful marketing, educational, networking and showcasing resource for all professionals in the real estate industry... this one site provides more possibility and opportunity for the home stager and the growing Home Staging Industry then any other I know of.

December 31st marked the closing of Active Rain’s inaugural year (actually they launched themselves in June 2006)... and what a year it was for all the members who have joined and shared in this incredible cyber community.

In a year where the real estate industry was spinning with change and challenge and as we saw large companies jockeying for position on the web... Active Rain appeared as if out of nowhere.

An important lesson for home stagers and leaders in the real estate staging industry can be learn from the simple fact that the creators of Active Rain believed that individuals, not corporations, ARE the heart of the real estate and the industry segments that make it up. It is for this reason they created a means to give dedicated real estate professionals a way to share their ideas, insights and concerns about all aspects of real estate.

Using Active Rain blogging, industry professionals found a totally FREE way to share their voices and highly effect means of educating both colleagues and consumers as to the realities of a dynamic and ever changing industry.

Generosity has worked in Active Rains favor. Since its start, membership has exploded! As of today (December 31) Active Rain proudly has over nearly 12,500 members. With all those members and the fact that countless non-members visit to read and take advantage of the daily feed of fresh information, this site a force to notice among ALL segments of the real estate industry. Pure possibility ripples out as more and more real estate professionals join, find their blogging voices, and share their insights.

Just when one thought it couldn’t get any better, the developers of Active Rain looked to make the services they offer even better. While Active Rain is predominately a social net work of information to, for and within the real estate professional community, Active Rain created another site called “Localism”. Localism is going to give professionals a voice that will be seen DIRECTLY by the consumer into the markets served by the real estate professional.

So while you will find many professionals representing different segments of the real estate industry, I know Active Rain and its sister site, Localism, holds the greatest possibility to create amazing marketing impact for the staging industry, as well as for individual stagers. Their national listing of stagers is truly a Home Staging Web Directory. It has blossomed to nearly 300 Home Stagers. Innovative, fresh, and unique... Active Rain provides real estate stagers with a means to freely gain differing perspectives, share ideas, showcase their businesses, ongoingly grow in knowledge (in both real estate and home staging) and market services.

Where else on the internet can any home stager (regardless of where they were trained) go to join a FREE national staging directory that openly and willing offers and shares so much? More than any other any website on the net, this one totally FREE directory site provides more current information for the Home Stager working to grow and showcase their business on a daily level than any other.

So in 2007, as Home Staging Industry continues to struggle for continuity and awareness, look to Active Rain's National Directory of Stagers and it's FREE Stage It Forward group to provide a forum for Home Staging professionals to turn small ripples into waves of opportunity and move our industry ever forward.

Wishing you, "all the best" on and in the New Year.

Stage it forward...
Craig (Me)

Joy to the (Active) Rain

For those professionals in fields of real estate, mortgages, real estate staging I just want to make sure you know that there is an AMAZING site full of information about real estate and pretty much every aspect of the industry. It is called Active Rain.

Active Rain,now with over 11,000 members, is a social network (like MySpace)... but with out the controversy.

Anyway, in an effort to visually demonstrate the generosty, unity, diversity and professionalism that occurs daily on Active Rain, I created the wreaths below.

If you are a professional in ANY aspect of the real estate industry I strongly encourge you to join Active Rain. Oh and to be a member is totally, 100%, no hitches FREE!
















If you are a professional in ANY aspect of the real estate industry I strongly encourge you to join Active Rain. Oh and to be a member is totally, 100%, no hitches FREE!

Happy Holidays and Stage it forward...
Craig (Me)

Show Thanks & Share Your Message... in a Bubbly Way

I know I write a lot on real estate staging. But my REAL passion is marketing and advertising. I LOVE finding new ways to break through the typical "advertising noise" and connect with people in the market. (Staging happens to be an amazing tool that cuts through the noise of other ordinary properties in the market... that is why I am so committed to it.)

Anyway, a few years ago we decide to divert some of our advertising dollars out of our print media budget and find ways to connect to our clients and potential clients in more creative and rewarding way. So what did we do? We threw a small party!

Well, actually we always had a personal holiday party... we just decided to give it over to our company.

We gave the party a name "Tween the Holidays" so that ALL (regardless of religious beliefs) knew they were welcome. (We don't specify which holidays it is ‘tween... heck, we could be talking about Halloween and Valentines Day.) THEN we gave it a theme twist... we made it a Champagne Party!

The best date to have this party we found is the night right BEFORE the last work day before the New Year's holiday break. Why on this day? Because no one typically plans a party for that night, hence no conflicts. And since no one really WANTS to work the next day... our party is well attended! Last year we had over 125 people.

Providing Champagne for this many party goers could be costly venture. So to spread the expense around we ask those we invite to bring one bottle of (QUALITY) champagne. We then of course provide more drink and the food. Typically we can cover the night's food and drink for under $800... which is really not the expensive when you look at the cost of ONE 1/4 page ad in a local newspaper.

To make the party a bit more intriguing there is another fun gimmick tied to the party night. Well, we also ask that people bring and donate one champagne flute. To date we have nearly 100 different glasses in the party's collection. THIS is a great ice breaker... and a unique conversation starter.

Finally, we invite EVERYONE! Friends, clients, family, colleagues, network contacts, neighbors, potential clients... you name all are welcome! All who are invited are welcome to invite who ever they like too.

The party is starting to generate and ride on its own "BUZZ!" So to make it even better we are "giving" the party over to a local not-for-profit. Of course our name is "on" it... but someone else now can benefit too.

I share this with you all because it doesn't take much time, its effective and its fun. I hope you spin my idea in your own way to help you and your business

Stage it forward...

Craig (Me)

PS: Consider yourself invited, if you are interested in attending. Again ALL are welcome. If interested please RSVP. (I will send you the location details.)

POST SCRIPT & UPDATE:

All of us, at Real Estaging, were delighted and thrilled when Chicago Agent Magazine, Chicago's premier news & trade publication reporting on Chicago's real estate industry, choose to cover our event. I have to say that Chicago Agent Magazine has consistently been a champion for Real Estaging's success... so I don't know how to thank them enough. But I will find a way...

Anyway, here is a reprint of the photo spread that Chicago Agent published on our event in there February 12th issue.

THANK YOU so very much Jennifer Morrell, Editor. In this age where ONLY the "big dogs" seem to get all the attention, Jennifer choose to include us... a small dog of the real estate industry here in Chicago.

Plus, we would like to extend an EXTRA SPECIAL THANK YOU to Jodi Schallman, Events Photographer for the magazine. Next year, Jodi you need to come as a GUEST and let some one else shoot us... you are TOO much fun.

Me (Again)

CHICAGO REALTORS... tune into this opportunity NOW!

So I've been talking to Kim Segal a researcher working for HGTV.

Kim has shared with me a BIG OPPROTUNITY for realtors in Chicago-land... it is the fact that HGTV's #1 Real Estate Show wants to feature realtors in Chicago! (Kim is also looking for realtors in Denver, Raleigh, Vancouver, and Montreal!)

"BUY ME" is HGTV's reality-based TV series that chronicles the real-life drama of selling a home. From "For Sale" to "SOLD", each episode features a new story with a different entertaining twist.

"BUY ME" will tell your story by taking their viewers behind-the-scenes to meet your sellers, buyers, contractors, stagers and home inspectors. Televised across Canada and the United States, "Buy Me" gives participating agents TV exposure on a massive scale. As an added incentive, Homeowners receive a cash bonus.

Debbie Travis - famous for her decorating flair and hit series' The Painted House and Facelift, is the show's executive producer.

GOOD NEWS for Real Estate Agents in DENVER, RALEIGH, VANCOUVER, CALGARY and MONTREAL they are looking agents there too!

Kim's Criteria: Extroverted homeowners and agents, single family homes, more then 1 person occupying the home, new listings preferred.

INTERESTED in being on the show? Well you can contact Kim Segal (a major sweetheart!) via phone at: (514) 846-1940 ext. 242 or email Kim directly at kim@buymetv.com.

This is an AWESOME OPPORTUNITY and is just what "stage it forward..." is all about... professionals helping each other succeed.

PS: THANK YOU Kim!

stage it forward...

Visting the Edge of 2 Worlds

So I have been back for a week from my trip to China...and what a trip it was. While I went there because the professional merchandising/design advice side of "me" was needed, the personal "me" was impacted.

Since returning I have been asked questions like: "How was it?" "Did you have a nice time?" "What did you think of China?' And each time I am asked, I am stumped for an answer.

Why stumped? Well the above pictures are 2 views of China I had out my hotel room windows. As I was taking them... I never realized they visually would capture the essence of my travel experience. They are "night and day images" in more ways then one.

The Picture on the Left... Shenzhen China. The Picture on the Right... Hong Kong China. Hong Kong was a glittery, fast and exciting. Shenzhen was dirty, slow and exciting. Shenzhen was about manufacturing. Hong Kong was about consuming.

It truly was a push pull experience. I left NOT knowing what to think or how to feel about my journey... but there was something that touched the core of my being.

So last Sunday I looked forward to going to church to reflect on the whole experience. That day the sermon was about childhood and adulthood... and that point in life when we crossover, loosing innocence and gaining wisdom. The edge of transition.

Shenzhen is that edge. In thousands and thousands of factories their innocent hands literally build for US the material goods we "need" in a mature consumer society. They build "stuff" they have no understanding of or need for... at least not for now.

Our world consumes what their world builds… and as they build they learn of consuming. Moving closer and closer to our world. A world I understand, appreciate, work and live in. But I have to admit sometimes I look back over the edge and wish I was a kid again.

POST SCRIPT: So what does this blog have to do with staging? Well, in my opinion quite a bit. In this age of consumption, a stagers job is to "transition" a home back to simpler view. Basic to staging is having the stager de-clutter the "stuff" that has built up in a house. Odd part of it is... if staging is done well and timed right, the seller can make more money... and then go out and buy more "stuff". hmmmm.

STAGE IT FORWARD

I get a LOT of stagers asking for my advice, my help, my thoughts and I am honored and humbled... and a bit frustrated.

I am “frustrated” because I see a huge need and want to help. There is so much that can and needs to be done, but right now our "industry" has been less then united or responsive to each other.

Yes... there are stagers who have acknowledged other stager’s skills and education differing from their own. But there are many who have seemed to have "drunk the cool-aid and joined the cult" and at times are outright rude, condescending and mean spirited. (Yudda Yudda Yudda… "petty bickering bunch." I am sure you are as tired of hearing it, as I am tired of writing it.) But this drives me NUTS... because I see greater possibility.

Lori Matzke, a staging industry leader and pioneer, shared her own thoughts, despair and frustrations regarding our industry when she once commented on one of my blogs saying...

"Though I think idealizing a more structured industry is a wonderful dream to have, well...so is world peace. Talking the talk until you're blue in the face and waving your fists in the air certainly brings the issue to surface. But...then what? You've made your point and raised the questions - now how about working on some answers? ...talk turns into nothing but lip service. And God knows, we already have enough of that going on in this industry!! ...why not pose the question, put your heads together, and come up with something constructive? I would love to see some positive results spawned by this debate. Maybe you and yours can help piece it together and get the ball rolling, or at the very least, heading in the right direction." - Lori Matzke

So I went to work "working on some answers" and began creatively being “constructive” as Lori challenged me to do. I began offering help/knowledge to any stager I could, sharing what I know.

And each time after I reach out to help a fellow stager, I get the same response. "I hope sometime I can return the favor." Then this morning it hit me! Here is how you can…

STAGE IT FORWARD!

The words and the action is not just a way to thank. “STAGE IT FORWARD” embodies what I see needs to happen to finally get this industry united and growing.

• Staging-it-forward means sharing with others… COMMUNITY.


• Staging-it-forward takes our message out … MARKETING.


• Staging-it-forward encourages ongoing learning… EDUCATION.


• Staging-it-forward requires reaching out to others… UNITY.


• Staging-it-forward necessitates respect… STANDARDS.

Well, it may have taken me awhile… but I think I am on to something here. I hope my fellow stagers join me and…

STAGE IT FORWARD!

Stagers... are we red headed step children that get no respect?

Lately I have been getting a lot of email from stagers that are frustrated with the response they have been getting from the real estate community. Basically they are surprised that realtors are not flocking to them with open welcoming arms and lavishing them with clients. Compared to mortgage brokers or home inspectors we are "red headed step children that get no respect".

The best advice I can give you is to "persevere".

Staging is new and in many parts of the country untested. So it is up to us as a united industry to get the word out about staging and the benefits it provides. When you are marketing yourself to realtors keep in mind the following and remember ultimately you need to craft your message to them and their issues/needs/concerns.

1.) Staging has become a leading-edge marketing tool for realtors that demonstrates they are savvy and leading edge.

2.) Staging fee is typically the seller’s expense, not the realtors! (Many realtors think the fee has to come out of their pocket.)

3.) Real estate staging is NOT just renting furniture… it is much more. It is up to you to explain the depth at which you go to prepare a house for market.

4.) The best time to stage is BEFORE a property is listed. Our work can move the listing price to the top end of the property’s possible price range thus covering our fees and making the seller MORE money.

5.) Let us discuss our services and fees directly with the home seller… this keeps the home seller from feeling as if additional fees are being tacked on by the realtor.

6.) INSTEAD of a price reduction… consider using us. Staging can be less costly and have more of an impact.

7.) Do not market yourself as a designer/ or decorator... rather market yourself as a "real estate/property "merchandiser". Why? Because bringing in a "designer/decorator" may be construed as an insult to a seller's tastes. Hiring a property merchandiser sounds like a wise marketing move.

In today's age, where it seems like it is all about hard core marketing, sometimes what is forgotten is that marketing ourselves and our services is ultimately about building authentic relationships. Finding ways to be of help to the realtor and EARN their respect will surely end the "little orphan Rodney syndrome" we all experience in this new industry.

Under qualifed "stagers" flood the market

Too many unqualified and nontalented people are entering the field of staging... seeing it as a way to make a quick buck. It is easy to separate the amateurs from the professionals. Since they are in the business of "good first impressions" then their websites (heck, their business card) should give you just that. If the site and the protfolio of their work leaves you with a good impression... then I would bet they will be good for you and you seller. But if their own site to looks poor... then my advice is to move on. Staging is not rocket science... but it is creative talent.

Well that's enough for now...
CRAIG

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