Your Path to Becoming a Successful Home Stager: Essential Skills, Training, and Resources
How Do You Become a Home Stager?
Q: What is home staging, and why is it important?
A: Home staging is the art of preparing a property for sale by enhancing its appeal to potential buyers. A well-staged home can help buyers visualize the space as their own, often leading to quicker sales and higher offers.
Q: How do I start a career in home staging?
A: There are many paths to becoming a home stager, making this an accessible and rewarding industry to enter. We've seen successful stagers with diverse backgrounds—from no formal education to degrees in design, business, or even unrelated fields. While some stagers jump right in, many find that investing in training early on is beneficial. RESA® Accredited Education Providers offer courses to build foundational skills, which can be invaluable as the business grows. Those who skip training often discover within their first 2-3 years that formal education is an asset and end up seeking it later. Consider joining RESA to access ongoing resources, industry insights, and professional development opportunities that can help you succeed from the start.
Q: What skills are essential for home staging?
A: Successful home stagers need a combination of creative and practical skills. Key skills include an eye for design, understanding design principles, and the ability to create a space that appeals to buyers. Knowledge of your local real estate market and what attracts buyers in your area is crucial to effectively marketing homes. Other essential skills are project management, clear client communication, and budgeting, including knowing the cost of doing business and how to price services competitively. RESA’s training resources and webinars cover these skills and more, helping you build a well-rounded skill set to succeed in staging.
Q: How much does it cost to become a home stager?
A: Costs vary by training provider, but RESA membership offers valuable benefits, including access to educational content and industry insights, for just $190 annually. Additional costs may include purchasing furniture and décor items, and marketing your services. For new stagers seeking benchmarks, RESA’s state of the staging industry report provides insights into the financial landscape of staging, helping you understand potential earnings, expenses, and industry trends.
Q: Do I need to be certified to be a home stager?
A: Certification isn’t required, but many clients and real estate agents prefer working with certified professionals who adhere to high standards and ethics.
Q: Can I start a home staging business on my own?
A: Yes, absolutely! Many successful stagers have launched their businesses independently. There are numerous resources available to support new business owners, including free government resources on small business setup, financing, and marketing. However, we recommend starting off with a strong foundation in the unique fundamentals of staging, as certain business aspects—such as understanding buyer psychology, marketing staged homes, and pricing services—are specific to this industry. Training can provide essential guidance on these topics. Additionally, joining RESA can provide invaluable support and guidance as you grow. RESA members gain access to local chapter meetings, webinars, and our annual RESACON conference, where stagers network, learn from industry leaders, and stay updated on the latest trends. RESA’s community and resources can be a tremendous asset as you build your staging business.
Q: How can RESA help me become a successful home stager?
A: Since 2007, RESA has been dedicated to advancing professionalism in the home staging industry as a nonprofit organization. Our mission isn’t about profiting our staff—every dollar beyond basic overhead goes directly back into initiatives that support stagers and elevate industry standards. We’re here to create a thriving community of ethical, skilled professionals and to offer the resources stagers need to succeed.
As a RESA member, you’ll gain access to valuable resources specifically designed to support your growth, including essential tools like staging contracts, professional development webinars, and industry discounts. Our comprehensive library of contracts helps you protect your business, streamline client relationships, and navigate common challenges with confidence. You will get a discount on RESA’s annual RESACON conference, access to attend unlimited local chapter meetings, and over 50 hours of educational content provide further insights to keep you informed and connected.
By joining RESA, you’re becoming part of an organization that reinvests in the staging community to maintain a high-standard, supportive industry. Members can also earn the RESA-PRO designation, a symbol of integrity and professionalism, which can help build trust with clients. Our commitment to reinvesting profits means that RESA continues to innovate and expand resources, including contracts, to help stagers build impactful, successful careers.
RESA’s State of the Industry Report is available for purchase and provides valuable benchmarks and insights that can help new stagers understand industry standards and growth opportunities.