Expert Home Stager Gives Advice for Choosing a Home Staging Program

TORONTO, O, July 12, 2012 (Press-News.org) According to home staging expert Debra Gould, people entering the home staging industry often end up wasting thousands of dollars on low-quality training programs. On the Home Staging Business Report blog, Gould warns home stagers what to watch out for.

"Many companies claiming to offer home staging credentials are led by people who have never earned a living as home stagers," says Gould. "If you don't think that matters, consider how likely they are to teach you things that work in the real world."

According to Gould, home stagers often choose programs offering home staging credentials because they think these will give them more credibility. This is a common mistake home stagers make amid concerns that potential clients will not take them seriously without these credentials.

"The first thing you need to recognize is that contrary to misleading claims being made in this industry, there is no such thing as an official home staging credential," explains Gould. "If you are 'certified' or 'accredited,' it just means you took a particular course. This is a completely unregulated industry and anyone can offer 'certified courses' because there is no law or regulation to stop them."

Gould says that many aspiring home stagers also assume that home staging courses endorsed by associations are more official.

"There are many associations claiming to be the voice of the home staging industry," Gould says. "Some provide useful information to their members. Most are owned by people who also own home staging schools or offer training themselves, or their boards of directors are made up of trainers. So, naturally they'll endorse their own programs."

Gould explains that other associations charge a fee to home staging training companies to be endorsed by them: "If an association is not completely independent, you cannot automatically assume that a home staging course recognized by them is a quality program. It might very well be a great program, but you should look closer to make sure it meets your needs."

Gould's key message to home stagers is to take time to consider available information rather than taking it all at face value.

"There are great home staging courses for people with different needs," Gould says. "When you have a better picture of what you're looking for and why you want to take a home staging course, then you're in a better position to evaluate whether you've found the right one."

For additional tips on choosing a home staging program, Gould invites home stagers to visit the Home Staging Business Report on the Staging Diva website.

Contact

Debra Gould, The Staging Diva
Voice of Possibility Group Inc.
416-691-6615
debragould@stagingdiva.com
http://www.stagingdiva.com

About Staging Diva

The creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, Debra Gould has staged millions of dollars' worth of real estate, including 7 of her own homes. She is the president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc., which operates a home staging division, SixElements.com, in addition to StagingDiva.com, which has trained over 7,000 home stagers to start and grow their own businesses.

Debra has gained international recognition through features in major media in the US and Canada including: This Old House, HGTV, CNN Money, CBC National News, CBS Radio, Global TV, City TV, The Wall Street Journal, Women's Day, Reader's Digest and more.