Annette Baker could tell the home had potential. It just needed a little warmth. The Harlingen-based agent could envision that staging would make a world of difference, and she knew just the person to do it: herself. In addition to advising her seller clients on the steps needed to market and sell homes, she also offers staging services through her business, Set to Sale.

This particular home was the residence of a single father, his two adult sons, and their seven pets. “Their decorating was very streamlined,” Baker says. “They had a sectional, a table, and a TV.”

The father was enthusiastic about staging, inviting Baker to do whatever she needed to sell the home. Baker got to work.

“I wanted to give the home some softness,” she says. “I brought in plants and lamps, some bedspreads and props; I showed him these are things that could help him sell the house.”

Baker’s work on that house highlights one of the keys of successful staging: assessing each property individually to make it as attractive to buyers as possible. A well-staged property invites potential buyers to imagine living there. Staging can show buyers what’s possible with the space. It can result in better offers, making it worth the expense. Even a home in a hot market can benefit from staging by attracting higher and more offers.

The more you learn about working with stagers, the better you can explain their services—and advantages—to your clients.

Connect with local stagers before your clients need assistance

Your seller clients will likely rely on your recommendation when selecting a stager. Cultivating relationships with stagers in your market will help you understand the options as well as the strengths and costs of the staging providers. Ask other agents in your brokerage who they recommend. If you visit a well-staged home, ask the listing agent who did the work. Referrals and word of mouth are essential to a stager’s business, says Kyndra Outlaw of Atmospheric Home Staging.

You can network with stagers at industry events; stagers may join some REALTOR® associations as affiliate members. You also can view stagers’ work through online portfolios and social media channels. Contact those stagers whose work you admire; a conversation could lead to a future collaboration, Outlaw says.

A great working relationship benefits agents and stagers. Agents can coordinate with stagers to ensure a property can be staged on the seller’s timetable.

Minol Shamreen of Studio M Designs operates her business as being part of the real estate agent’s team, committed to the agent’s goal of helping the client get top dollar for their property.

“When I work with agents, the clients are already vetted,” she says. “We know that the agents trust our work and process. It’s seamless.” Agents typically hire Studio M Designs, but sometimes homeowners work with the business directly.

Staging fixes the paradox of vacant homes

Sellers might think a vacant property is the perfect scenario. Buyers won’t be distracted as they picture themselves and their belongings in the home. But an empty house can make it difficult to see how rooms could be used, where furniture might go, and what style brings out the best in the property.

Outlaw’s businesses specialize in vacant properties, especially homes that have been flipped by investors, new construction, and homeowners who have already vacated.

She enjoys the challenge of smaller homes. “It’s harder for prospective homebuyers to visualize the space. They’ll think it’s way too small. I can show buyers that, yes, you can have a full-sized sofa in that room. You can have accent chairs in that living space. It’s especially important in open-concept spaces.”

Occupied homes present their own challenges

A more common scenario than vacant properties is when the home is occupied, Baker says. Occupied homes—even those with nice furniture and décor—often benefit from professional staging to present the home in the best possible light. Sometimes stagers will use the sellers’ possessions, and other times will remove some items to bring in pieces that make the home more attractive to buyers.

The stager will almost certainly reiterate what you have already told the sellers: that the most important thing your clients can do is to clean it and detail the home. Beyond that, even small staging touches can have a big impact.

“As soon as buyers get out of the car, they will make up their mind about the home in the first four minutes,” Baker says. “Curb appeal matters. The front door, the living room, the master bedroom, and the kitchen are going to be looked at.

“If you are the perfect seller—your home is immaculate and well maintained—staging takes me about a half a day. We do a consultation for about an hour or two. We’ll fine-tune it and reposition the furniture.” The goal is to make the home feel spacious. For homes that need more work, Baker may bring in plants and decorations, swap out bedding, suggest new paint and trendy accents, and advise how and where to clean.

Baker helps to load, move, and stage each job herself. “It is so satisfying to see the before and after,” she says.

Where do stagers get their furnishings?

Some stagers own their own inventory of furniture and artwork. Other stagers rent their supplies from furniture companies or establish a relationship with a furniture store.

There are tradeoffs with each approach. Stagers who own their inventory must maintain a warehouse and handle delivery themselves, but they can have more flexible schedules and don’t have to rely on partners. They can also sell their furniture if the buyers want to keep the pieces, says Baker. Baker’s, Outlaw’s, and Minol’s companies all own their own inventory.

Stagers who rent do not need to maintain a large inventory but must coordinate closely with outside vendors. Stagers will typically rent furniture from local companies, Minol says, adding that almost all stagers start out renting.

Outlaw draws from her design and merchandising background when staging a home. She selects each piece based on the architectural details of the home and follows current design trends to know exactly which colors and finishes to use. “Most of our staging contracts are for 60 days,” she says. “We stage, photos are taken the next day, and the home is ready for an open house.”

Minol often stages high-rise condos. “We stage to complement the property. If I was staging a ranch home, I wouldn’t include contemporary furniture better suited to downtown. That’s where the design background helps. I have a degree in architecture and interior design.”

Minol schedules stagings with real estate agents. Movers and an assistant help her stage the home. “We’ll come out and take measurements. We’ll curate the furniture for that particular home. The furniture is packed and loaded by our logistics team. For a 2,000 square foot house, it may be 10 hours of total work.”

Explaining cost and benefits

Your clients will want to know: How much does all this cost? One rule of thumb for staging an entire house is 0.5% to 1% of the sale price, Baker says.

But each property is different, Outlaw explains. The price will vary if your clients are only staging a few rooms. The number of rooms and the price point influence the cost. “I will bring in a different level of furniture for a $3 million home than for a $500,000 home,” she says.

Stagers look at variables such as the scope of work and square footage, Minol adds.

Your clients should consider staging before the home goes on the market, according to Baker. They can save money and avoid hassle by staging upfront compared to staging after the home has sat on the market and had its price reduced to entice buyers.

Fortunately for stagers, many agents already see the value in staging, Outlaw says. “They educate their clients. Some homeowners say, ‘It’s an expense I can avoid,’ or ‘I’ve blown my budget on the remodel.’ Agents teach their clients about the power of staging. They also have access to comp sales and can show clients how much homes sell for.”

If your clients decide not to stage their home, you can recommend they get a few consultations. This way they know what to work on themselves, Outlaw says. “You may just need new textiles or a refreshed bathroom,” she says. “It could be just touchups or small improvements.” Some stagers will offer a free consultation. Even paying a fee for a consultation can be worth it to learn the most important or easiest steps a seller can take. “The stager will go room by room explaining what needs to be done and how to best prepare and showcase the property,” Minol says.

Baker says a stager also can point out cosmetic repairs that could make a big difference when selling.

“Even if you know the home isn’t going to stay on the market for more than a weekend, the property can still benefit from staging,” Minol says. She has seen properties at every price point and in all conditions that have achieved excellent results from staging. It can transform the look and feel of a home, and your clients—and buyers—will notice.

Minol remembers a client who couldn’t close on an out-of-state home until their Austin property sold. “We had a week to plan and prep everything. It was during the summer, our busiest season,” she says. “When you stage a high-rise building downtown, you have to reserve the elevator to move all the furniture. You book a two- or three-hour time slot. It was the last minute and the elevators were all booked. We jumped through all the hoops and got it done.” The effort paid off with multiple offers over the asking price, she says. “When the results are great, they’re so thankful. We still get cards from them. I think it’s rewarding to help somebody so much.”

That kind of feedback is common, according to Minol. Agents will follow up to share how many offers were received. “Their clients call me and say, ‘I don’t want to sell! It looks so good now!’ They say, ‘The layout looks so different. I love it. I want to move back in.’” Though that’s not the goal, it shows what a dramatic effect staging can have on a home for sale.