Are you passionate about helping sell a house faster and for a higher price? Do you love the idea of rearranging items in a space in order to make it more attractive to potential buyers? If so, a career staging homes could be an excellent fit for you!
The great news about this particular career path is that there are many home staging training options out there to help you get started. But it gets even better – obtaining your staging certification can actually allow you to switch careers, no matter what stage or age you’re currently at. It’s completely doable, we promise! Read on to find out how home staging courses can lead to a second career, and prepare to be inspired!
You’ll learn correct techniques
Some careers will allow you to jump right in without much (or any) prior training or knowledge. And that’s fine, if you’re keen on learning as you go. However, a career in home staging requires a great deal of background knowledge and hands-on experience – you’ll need to know the proper ways of decluttering, depersonalizing, and creating curb appeal in order to sell your clients’ homes for the best possible price. By enrolling in a home staging course and eventually obtaining your staging certification, you’ll be entering the field armed with techniques that will set you up for success, and kick start your second career!
In addition to understanding different room styles and color schemes, you’ll also be well-versed in different client personalities. Being able to deal with different people in this role is invaluable, as you’ll meet all kinds of clients throughout your career. The more comfortable you become with clients, the better off you’ll be in your second career as a home stager!
You’ll build your designer portfolio
A staging certification is crucial, of course, as it demonstrates the completion of a home staging class and demonstrates your aptitude as a designer. However, having a designer portfolio that showcases your work is really the key to becoming a professional home stager. If you’re still enrolled in your course, or have recently graduated, you may be worried that you won’t be able to build up a portfolio without a list of projects. However, you can totally put together a showcase of spaces in your home that you’ve staged, build some inspiration boards that show your creative capabilities, and use examples of your course work.
Using your course work is a particularly effective way of showing potential employers and clients what you’re capable of, and you can thank a home staging course for allowing you to submit photos of your work that demonstrate what you can do. We mentioned earlier that there are a wide variety of training options for aspiring home stagers, one of which is online home staging courses. That’s right – you can pursue a second career while working at your current desk job, and grow your designer portfolio at the same time. Online courses allow students to submit their assignments online, which are graded by tutors who provide personalized feedback. Including these photo assignments in a designer portfolio (with the grade you received) will show clients what you’ve worked on in the past, and that you have the experience necessary to take on home staging projects and sell homes quickly and for the best possible price.
Another great thing about portfolios? They can only grow over time! Treat yours as a work in progress, and add to it as you work on new projects. A second career really takes off when you start to acquire clients, so show them what you’ve recently worked on and keep adding photos as you go!
Your clientele will grow
For many, pursuing a second career is a result of a negative situation. Perhaps they dislike their current job, cannot move ahead, or are ready to chase their real dreams instead of settling. If you’re unhappy with your current situation, it makes total sense to be researching courses that will help you start a brand new chapter. And good for you!
By the same token, there are many design professionals who would like to broaden their scope of knowledge and expand their services. Interior decorators, for example, can benefit greatly from home staging training, and although these two branches are very different, being certified in both areas will give professionals a serious edge. If you’re currently working in the design industry, you can expect to grow your clientele exponentially as a result of home staging courses. Your current list of clients will stay intact (if you choose to keep them), and your staging certification and experience will bring in new clients who need their homes staged and sold.
Pro Tip: Professional home stagers establish a great deal of trust with their clients throughout the staging process, so it’s extremely important to maintain strong relationships with your clients both during and after the work is complete. You never know which friends or family members will be in need of staging expertise, and a happy client will always be keen to provide a referral!
You’ll be ready to start a business
Just in case you’re not entirely convinced that home staging courses are a worthwhile pursuit, we’re going to share one feature you may not have been aware of…
Some staging courses will actually teach you how to start your own business in the future. Not only will you gain the foundational knowledge and skills to build a career, you’ll also be equipped to become your own boss. For those considering a second career, this is a hugely attractive feature, as it will truly allow you to branch out of your current job situation and pursue a highly rewarding and dynamic new goal. To give you some examples, you can expect to learn how to set up and register your business, properly advertise, and understand the real estate industry. You’ll also be set up with customizable consultation report templates which you’ll actually be able to use as you start your home staging career – how’s that for being able to hit the ground running? If running your own business is something you’ve dreamed about, the right home staging course (make sure that business training is included) will get you where you need to go. Not only will you be expanding your skills and knowledge, you’ll also be launching a second career that could be a major life highlight!