Home Staging Consultation: Should Realtors Attend?
Together, agent and stager need to find the best way to encourage and support their sellers. Consequently, there is no right or wrong answer to the question of whether Realtors should attend the home staging consultation.
Some agents never attend, some always attend, and others attend occasionally or a few minutes only. But in my experience, the real key to success is the home owner’s willingness to go along with the staging recommendations, and not whether the agent attends the home staging consultation.
Whether or not you attend, it’s always a good idea to consult with the stager in advance on any special challenges or sensitive areas you would like addressed.
Many home stagers, like me, follow up with an executive summary to the Realtor. This brief note is sent when an agent does not attend the consultation. It typically includes:
- First and overall impressions
- Main accomplishments during the initial home staging consultation
- Prioritized list of major remaining tasks
- Estimate of time remaining for completing the process
Before
After
If you are unsure about attending a home staging consultation, here are a few points to consider.
Consider attending all – or some – of the initial consultation if:
- It’s the first time using this home stager
- You are new to home staging and unclear as to what actually happens during a home staging consultation
- The seller invites you to stop by
- You enjoy home decorating
But do not feel obligated to attend if:
- You do not enjoy, or feel you have a good eye for, decorating
- Your time will be used more effectively by doing something else on your clients’ behalf
Focusing first on your clients’ needs will serve them best.
Each client, agent, and project are unique. Sometimes it will make sense to attend; other times, it will not. Regardless, encouraging clients to stage shows the extra effort you put into marketing their homes to sell.
