If you think back on the various services you’ve needed in your life, do you remember how you came across them? Personally, I’ve gone with word of mouth recommendations, high ranking search engine results and social media reviews, Groupon, and manually pawing through dozens of websites.
For many people, this is the case when it comes to finding a home staging professional. But just as in specific industries there are questions those ‘in the know’ ask, so too is the case in the world of home staging.
Read on to see what you should uncover prior to a conversation with a home stager, and what three questions should be asked before making your final selection.
Online Research
Sometimes the internet is the greatest, and sometimes it can be a barren wasteland. Endless results, skewed reviews and more. So what can you trust from your online findings?
Prior to interviewing a professional home stager, be sure to visit their website as this will shed light on a few key items:
Years of experience- Training and Certifications
- Education
- Team bios
This basic information can help you to pare down candidates. If your prospective home stager is not an Accredited Staging Professional for example, then you will want to steer clear. A long tenure of experience is typically a good indication—but something you should dive more into during the interview—see upcoming questions.
1. May I Contact a Former Client?
While it is easy to put a positive review or testimonial on your site, some professional home stagers may be less reluctant to allow you to contact a former client. If they agree, this shows that they have clients who were truly impressed enough by their work to vouch for them.
It also provides you with an opportunity to ask questions that a home stager may not be able to answer impartially. Some sample questions to ask the referral include:
- How did you like working with your home stager?
- What do you think they did best?
- What are some of the things you feel they could have done better?
- Were they responsive, professional and reliable?
- Was the project completed in a timely manner?
- Any advice for me in working with your home stager?
Keep questions open ended to avoid yes or no answers, and really get a deeper understanding of what it will be like working with this person.
2. How Familiar Are You with the Local Housing Market?
A home staging company or professional may dub themselves as nationwide or statewide, but as anyone who’s moved from one city to another can tell you, there are significant cultural and lifestyle differences in different areas.
Ensure that your home staging professional is well-versed in the market where your house will be on sale. This ensures they understand the motivating factors, lifestyle and demographics behind your prospective buyer—helping you to sell your home even faster.
If they claim to sell in various cities, states or countries, continue your line of questions to discover how they get an understanding of their local markets, and to list examples of how they may stage differently in one city versus another.
3. Can You Tell Me About a Time Something Went Wrong?
This is a tough question to ask anyone, akin to the old interview question “What are your weaknesses?”
Almost any professional home stager with experience has had a fire drill or slip up. The ability to recover or roll with the punches is invaluable and will demonstrate their professionalism and other intangibles.
If they’re unable to find a time where something went wrong that doesn’t mean the person isn’t right for the job either! Consider your other research, if you’ve received a positive referral and their familiarity with the local market. You may have just struck gold with the perfect home stager for you.
Contact Creative Home Stagers Today
We’d love to answer these questions for you and get to work on staging your home. Our talented team have extensive experience staging for the Charlotte market and would love to help you sell your home quickly and for more money!
Contact us today by calling 704-315-5802 or contact us online to request a quote.