International Institute Of Home Staging

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How to Network Like a Pro

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We all know about networking – but how exactly do you do it and why is it essential for running a successful business?

While technology has made networking easier, you still need to get outside of your comfort zone and meet people for success in your business.

Networking is a great way to get your name and business out into the world, find new clients and expand your affiliates.

networking for your business

Regardless of the type of business you run, networking is achieved in similar ways – here’s some ideas to get yourself out there!

Attend Events

Going to events is a great way to network. Not only can this lead to new clients but it also has the potential to lead to affiliates and possibly even partner brands. Being around like-minded people is great too as it allows you to meet other inspirational people, expand your knowledge and give you fresh ideas.

Business Cards

Carrying around business cards is still a great way to network, especially at events. You can even drop your business cards off at cafes and restaurants so you have the potential to reach a wide range of demographics! Putting your key social media handles, phone number and email on business cards is absolutely essential nowadays. People want to be able to research your business before directly contacting you.

Social Media

Networking through social media is another great way to network when you are time poor but still want to chat to people. Even if you have no time to post, comment or message in the moment, you can communicate via paid advertisements and using scheduling programs so you always have content going live across your platforms and live chats.

These techniques will allow you to connect with your audience and potential clients or partners – and you can mix it up with what’s going on in your biz calendar! Trial different ideas and techniques to figure out what works best for you, you never know who you’re going to meet and what opportunity could come your way!

An amazing way to network, support, bounce ideas and share is inside our Professional Member group.  Our membership has a huge variety of business owners, from those just starting out, to students of the Art of Home Staging to those running sucessful businesses with staff.  Check out if it’s for you here! 

Business Best Friends

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When you create your own business it is so important to ensure you surround yourself with your best business related friends. It is important that you have people around you who are supportive of you but will also tell you when you have done something wrong and keep your ego in check! Business best friends are different to personal best friends though. You might not have even met your business best friends had you not stepped foot into your industry. They’re people who share common goals and understandings but aren’t necessarily personal friends. So, who should these business best friends be?

A real best friend. Someone that you knew before your business venture and has come on the journey with you. They might work for you now or they might just be there as a drawing board for you to run ideas past

  • An entrepreneur from a related industry. As an entrepreneur yourself it is important that you have someone who is like you in their way of thinking and day to day necessities.
  • Someone in the real estate industry. This doesn’t necessarily have to be an agent but it certainly can be! Having someone that understands an industry that you are heavily involved with is of utmost importance. Make them your go-to person for any questions regarding their industry because they are the expert.
  • A legal expert. Running along the same lines as someone in the real estate industry, a legal expert is someone who you know will give your sound and quality advice without having anything malicious against your business.
  • Someone else in your industry. Becoming business best friends with someone who works in the same industry as you is a great way to keep up to date with industry issues and also allows for a great point of call if you can’t complete a project. Creating positive vibes throughout the industry is important due to the size of the industry. Ensuring that you have someone who knows exactly what you’re talking about is a great way to maintain a positive and sound mind frame.

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The Importance Of Our Mindset When Setting Goals

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Did you know that we all talk to ourselves about 50,000 times during each and every day?

Research has demonstrated that most of what we say to ourselves is about what we can or cannot do. So what that means is that each and every one of us has the potential to create and do something great.

With only a couple weeks left of 2021, it’s time to start framing up where your 2022 is going to go. The first step is by using the power of our mind!

It is vitally important when setting goals that we are mindful of what we say to ourselves and to other people. There is a part of your mind called your subconscious that is always listening and then acting on what you say to yourself. It also records things you see, hear, touch, taste, smell, think and do – and stores everything in your memory.

Remember back to when you learned to do something new – such as baking a cake. You might have told yourself or somebody else when taking on this new task that you can do this easily. Next time you go to bake a cake; you remember that you can bake easily, and you are confident that you can do it again. When you stand in the kitchen, your subconscious reminds you how to read the instructions, measure the right quantities, get the oven temperature right etc. – it helps you to do what you know you can do.

Importantly, your subconscious also remembers if you or other people say things like “I’m no good at cooking. There’s no way I can bake that banana bread.” Again, your subconscious will listen to you and encourage you to fail.

Your subconscious helps to bring you to whatever you are asking for. Positive or negative.

What does your mind say to you and how does it affect your goals?

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How to Create a Bidding War through Home Staging

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Despite the name, bidding wars aren’t a bad thing when selling your property. A bidding war is when two potential buyers keep upping their purchase price because they both want the property. Instead of settling for lower price, another potential purchaser could keep increasing their price until the other potential buyer drops out of the purchasing game. While it is impossible to predict what properties will have bidding wars when they are on the market there are a few steps that you as a home stager can take to ensure your client will sell their property for the highest price possible.

Staging for the market is a key step in home staging and can dramatically influence how much attention the property has on the market. If the property is in a family orientated area there is no point staging the property as if a bachelor is your target market. Taking key steps in researching the current market climate, researching the area the property is in and staging the property appropriately is of utmost importance in ensuring the property will receive the attention it deserves on the market.

Image Credit: Naomi Findlay Pty Ltd

It is super important that you as the stager do not over-stage the property you are working on. Over-staging will deter buyers and will also result in a price drop on the property due to a lack of interest. It is your job to allow potential buyers to pay their maximum price for the property. It is for this reason that knowing and having a clear target market is so important. Knowing your target market will give you a clear image in your mind of who the purchaser will be allows you as the home stager to ensure the property is staged for them. Knowing who the potential buyers are and what their possible purchase price range is will allow you to give your client the best possible chance at staging a property that will have two people fighting over who wants to purchase the property more.

Image Credit: Naomi Findlay Pty Ltd

Staging the property so countless potential buyers can see themselves living in the property is a great way to ensure multiple potential buyers. Do this by using neutral tones and avoid overusing any style trends. While you don’t want the property to stay on the market for years it is important to stage the property as if it will still look this year in years to come…is there anything that will go out of fashion? If so, get rid of it. Potential buyers have to be able to see themselves living in the property, not seeing it as if it is staged to look good for this current season.

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Why You Should Start Your Home Staging Career in 2021

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Who doesn’t love redecorating their bedroom? Imagine doing that as a career! Home staging is booming and it’s much more than just redecorating people’s bedrooms. Home staging is all about knowing the market, appealing to the demographic for the current market, while looking at what’s on trend, designing property aesthetics and then staging the property for the market that will sell at the best price possible. So, why should you start your home staging career in 2021?

  •  Home staging is a necessity: once home staging enters an area it will never leave! Gone are the days of poorly tidied homes for sale, full of kids toys and stray dog hairs. Home staging allows you to put the properties best face forward and give potential buyers the best view of what they are buying. Home staging is all about potential and discovering both the properties inner potential and your inner potential.
  • People finally get it: for years home stagers have struggled with the question of ‘so what do you do that I can’t do?’ but alas the rest of the world is finally starting to get it. Home staging is more than just what looks good. Home stagers are a mix of real estate analysis and design trends analysis, meeting somewhere in the middle.
  • You don’t have to be trained overseas: the rise in home staging institutions in Australia has meant that up and coming home stagers are learning content that is directly related to what they will experience in Australia.
  • There is a home staging community: because home stagers have set on the bench for so long waiting for their time to shine a strong community has been built on support, successes and failures. Without the Internet home staging would not be as popular as it is now and that is primarily due to home stagers coming together online to share their experiences and design skills.
  • Higher quality performances: more home stagers mean that more people are gaining home staging experience which in turn raises the level of home staging projects. This allows for the entire industry to be seen as its own entity compared to people without any formal accreditation who stage properties for their personal style rather than the needs of the market.

All in all, home staging is on the rise and getting into the industry now is a great opportunity to skyrocket any career.

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Must-Have Home Staging Stock

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When you reach a certain point in your home staging business, acquiring stock and inventory is an essential step up.

Purchasing this stock might seem like a bit of a leap, and depending on what stock you purchase, it might be.

However, if you are smart about what and how much stock you purchase, you could improve your overall home staging business.

Create a Sanctuary
Image via Style Curator

When it comes to stock there is typically two types: soft furnishings and hard furnishings.

Soft furnishings include items such as pillows, linen, lamps and small accessories. The way I like to think about soft furnishings is that I could pack them all in a box and put them in my car.

On the other hand, hard furnishings are big items such as lounges, arm chairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and so on. These are the items that can’t be packed and loaded single handedly.

Logically, soft furnishings should be acquired first, then later down the track hard furnishings can be acquired. It’s important to be able to consider what sort of stock you should have now!

SOFT FURNISHINGS

When it comes to soft furnishings, the items below can be purchased relatively cheaply and in bulk.

  1. Pillows: Purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environments is a great way to get the most out of your money. Choose pillows in a few colours and designs so they can be used on their own or grouped together.
  2. Faux flowers and plants: Faux flowers and plants are great when the right ones are purchased because they can look amazing and used in a range of spaces and styles. Plus they last a long time!
  3. Books: Theses can be purchased from an op shop and are a great way to add texture and create a ‘lived in’ feeling to any space. These are the most cost-effective soft furnishings and can be used in any environment, from a study, bedroom, lounge room or even an outdoor setting.
  4. Knick-knack accessories: These are small accessories that can be used in a variety of environments – anything from vessels, small bowls, candle holders, or any other small accessories.
  5. Linen packs: This isn’t absolutely necessary, but having coverlets and toppers can transform a room from something dull to something amazing.

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Image via immyandindi.com.au

HARD FURNISHINGS

As for hard furnishings, these items are more expensive so it is beneficial to go for quality over quantity.

  1. Mattresses: Often clients do not have enough beds to show off the best use of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them so these are a must!
  2. Dining chairs: Not all dining chairs go with tables, or look good with them, so having some neutral dining chairs that work with a range of colours is a great idea so you can use the clients dining table.
  3. Bedside tables: Bedside tables have the potential to open up the bedroom and transform the space into something amazing. Having bedside tables that are unique, yet work well in a variety of environments is essential.
  4. Lounges: Lounges can easily begin to look old, worn and unpleasant when they’ve been used for years. Having lounges in stock that are a neutral colour are a great idea as they can be used in a range of different styled homes.
  5. Coffee tables: Coffee tables are a great way to show off the space in a lounge room and add an element of homeliness to the space. Not everyone has a coffee table, and if they do it might be old and worn. Having new, coffee tables as part of your stock can transform a space.

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Image via southernliving.com

 

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10 Tips for Running a Successful Business

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Running two businesses, as well as having four children, has made my life one major balancing act!

But what it has proved is starting and running a successful business is truly possible, even if you have a family, multiple jobs and a range of other commitments. So, here are my top 10 tips on how you too can start and run your own successful business!

Running a Successful Business

Truly love your industry

Running a business is hard work but if you’re passionate about it, it’ll never truly seem like work!

Research!

Know your industry thoroughly, know who the leaders are in the field and know who your competitors are.

Flexibility is key

As a working mum, I was only ever going to succeed if I made sure flexibility was a big part of my business plan. Make sure you have a fulfilling career and a personal life.

Surround yourself with good company

Only befriend those who are supportive. Your business journey will be all the more rewarding if you share it with those that believe in you.

Have a network of experts

You cannot know everything; it’s not possible! So have an established network of experts, that way you’ll have time to thrive at what you do best.

Running a Successful Business

Put your customers first

Always go the extra mile and make sure that you deliver big. Word of mouth is so powerful and when customers like what you do they tell their friends, there’s no better marketing tool.

Embrace technology and social media

Social media gives you the opportunity, as a business owner, to interact with your customers in real-time. There are so many different ways you can embrace technology and social media in your business today, it’s a critical step in transforming the overall experience of each of your customers.

Make a record of all the procedures that are involved in the running of your business

That way, when you expand and take on staff, training them will be a whole lot easier.

Believe in yourself! Have a business coach or mentor

While you may have a vision for your business, it can often be forgotten when you’re busy with the day-to-day operations. So make sure you have an objective business coach who can help keep you on track and make sure you have the best possible chance of kicking your goals!

New Ideas for Your Home Staging Business

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Figuring out how to stay above your competition can be difficult. Do you drop your prices? Do you become more like your competition? Do you change your core business structure?

The great news is that you don’t have to do any of the above!

In the age of technology, you can do a million and one things to switch up your business and create a unique element of interest that sets you above other home stagers in your area.

All that you have to decide is what ideas you are going to pursue! Here’s some to get you started:

Create a YouTube channel

It’s no secret that YouTube is the place to be at the moment. Creating a YouTube channel where you can give home staging advice, film the process of staging a property (you will need to get your clients permission for this), film your day to create a ‘Day in the Life of a Home Stager’ vlog or even just discussing key topics in the industry is a great way to promote your business, earn some extra money and create a whole new business venture.

Start a blog

This is just the written version of a YouTube video. Blogs are a great way to engage your audience and to share advice and your thoughts.home staging tips

Warehouse tours

We know home staging involves a lot of storage and everyone stores things differently. Join up with some other local home stagers and host a warehouse tour on a weekend to allow for maximum creative flow, new ideas for storage and in turn bring the community closer together.

Create an online op-shop

it is inevitable that home staging businesses have a reasonable amount of stock turnover.. Instead of just throwing these pieces away, you can put them online. This can be connected to your home staging business website and act as a side project. Whenever an item of stock wont be used again just post it on the op-shop for someone else to buy. You can label the stock as pick up only between certain times. This is a great way to regularly clear out old or broken stock to make way for new items.

Host regular home staging meet ups

It is so important to have positive relationships with other home stagers in your area. Hosting a meet up every few months will allow for a community to form where you are able to discuss local issues in the home staging community and create other events such as educational events and charity events.

Want to join a community of likeminded professionals in the home staging industry?  Check out our Professional Membership, so many amazing inclusions for a small monthly fee!  Click below to find out more.

5 Ways to Connect with Real Estate Agents

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Stylists versus real estate agents—it’s not a boxing match but a partnership, so why the adversarial relationship?

Many of the students here at the International Institute of Home Staging are unsure and even a little scared about connecting with real estate agents. This can be for a number of reasons, primarily because they can be intimidating, but also because agents have a lot of power when it comes to engaging a home stager or property stylist. If the agent is hard to catch or simply not interested in pre-sale styling, it can be an uphill battle for stylists to get a foothold in the property industry.

There are a couple of simple reasons why an agent may reject your services: either you’re not approaching the agent in the right way, or you’ve not done the research to find the agents in the right places. Having just one agent on board can change your business in a very small time frame!

Here are five ways you can successfully connect with agents.

  1. Be proactive and responsive

Do your homework and select agents that you believe will be open to having their portfolio of properties styled. If you’re particular about who you work with, try to get to know how they interact with colleagues, contractors and clients before you make your approach. Take the initiative when it comes to the stager-agent relationship and always be open to the agent’s needs when they do decide they want styling, including integrating their feedback into your work.

  1. Be the ultimate communicator

Polish your communication skills and you’ll be able to identify and match the communication style of the agent you are dealing with. Some agents are direct and you may need to be clear and straightforward in your dealings with them; for others who communicate in a less direct manner you may need to coax out what they really want from your correspondence or conversations with them. People like it when they are being heard and understood—be that person.

  1. Show them the benefits

Agents may not know the value of a stager, so make sure when you approach them to be clear on what you do, how you do it and what’s in it for them and their clients, the property sellers. If you have a portfolio of past work, a visual example may be the best way to demonstrate the value you bring. Support your pitch with data regarding return on investment (ROI).

  1. Stave off concerns

Whether through false assumptions or bad experiences, some agents have misconceptions about the staging process and what it entails. Combine your communication skills with your value proposition to explain the staging process, to demonstrate that it won’t slow down the timelines greatly and to emphasise that it will yield a better result.

  1. Be professional

Professionalism goes a long way to create a good impression. Dazzle them with your confidence, styling skills and property knowledge. Always be polite and gracious, even when handling a rejection or feedback; the real estate industry is a close-knit community and word will get around about how you are to work with, so make sure the right message is sent.

Have you tried other successful ways of working with agents? Leave a comment and let us know your tips!

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How to transition from your corporate job to running a home staging business

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If you have a passion for styling homes, building your own home staging business can be one of the most rewarding careers out there. There’s the creative freedom, working your own hours and dealing with the clients of your choice. In theory, it’s an easy decision to change your career overnight, but I know that the transition from full time work in a corporate setting to running your own business is a little more complicated than that.

To help make it a little easier, follow these 4 steps to ensure your transition from working a 9 – 5 to running a home staging business is a smooth and successful one:

Set your work hours

Home staging business

I’ve heard people say that the main reason that they want to run their own business from home is because they can work only when they want to work. It IS true that you can set your own work hours when you work at home but it does NOT mean that you don’t have to have set work hours.

When you have a job that you go to outside your home, you are required to be at that job at a specified time on specified days of the week. When you have a work at home job or business, you need that same kind of structure. You need to set regular working hours. The freedom that a work at home job provides is that you can choose the hours…but you do have to choose!

A ‘hit or miss’ work schedule…or rather, the lack of any work schedule at all, simply will not work. Time is of the Essence! YOUR time!

Let your friends and family know your work schedule

home staging business

The benefits of running your own business means you can be at home to see the kids off to school and be at home when they get home. You can put a load of laundry in and it can run through the cycles while you are working. But you must enforce a work schedule for yourself and insist that your family and friends also adhere to it.

A job out in the brick and mortar world tells your family and friends that your time is spoken for during your working hours. When you work from home, expect your spouse to see you as being free to run errands. Your friends will see you as being available for long telephone conversations, lunch or for a coffee klatch.

You can see the problem. The best way to accomplish using your time to your own best advantage with your business is to make a schedule and tell your family and friends what that schedule is.

You don’t have to be rude but you do have to be firm. Make it clear to all. “I will be working between 9 AM and 3 PM Monday through Friday. On those days and during those hours, I am NOT available to run errands or take personal phone calls or entertain company.” Then stick to it!

Create your own brand

home staging business

When running your own business, you need to work on creating your brand. A brand is more than a name or a physical feature, it is the perception that customers have about your product or service. It’s your promise to your audience. In general terms, it’s an idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with.

Whilst in the order of things a logo usually comes first, the trick is to then grow your brand from there.

When establishing your brand first work out what the vision, values and personality of your company are. Consider your audience and define them. What’s their age, gender, occupation, location and personality traits? When doing these exercises, also remember that this is not about defining you or describing what you like, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your potential buyers to see what they desire.

Figure out your competition

home staging business

In the age of technology, you can do a million and one things to switch up your business and create a unique element of interest that set you above other home stagers in your area. All that you have to decide is what ideas you are going to pursue!

This could be creating your own Youtube channel where you share advice or film the home staging process of a property. It could be starting a blog to engage your audience and direct traffic to your website. There’s even options like offering warehouse tours and creating an online op-shop for old furniture stock – get creative!

Are you ready to start your career in home staging? Click on the image below to claim your spot in our flagship course now!

How to Find Your First Client

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You’ve decided to branch out and start your own home staging business but where are you going to find your first customer? It can be hard to get that first catch even if you’re great at what you do! No one wants to be the guinea pig for your business. Luckily, there are ways to legitimize your home staging skills so you can start building your clientele list.

  1. Complete a course in home staging

The industry in Australia is currently unregulated and so there are no specific requirements in becoming a home stager. However, there are courses available like the IIHS course in Advanced Home Staging that are specifically developed for people wanting to start their career. A home stager must have a good grasp of core design principles, solid property knowledge, renovation and maintenance knowledge and be an extremely good communicator. If you are looking for a course make sure all these aspects are covered.

  1. Create a portfolio

Once you’ve got your qualifications it’s time to develop an authentic portfolio that showcases your styling and also your ability to maximise ROI. You might need to offer some favours to friends and family that are selling to get this portfolio started. Never use internet images that are not your own, it makes your business look fake!

  1. Build relationships

Staged a friend of a friend’s property for free? Know someone in the property industry? Use these contacts to build relationships rand make sure you always over deliver. This reputation will see your business get out there with a constant and steady flow of good clients that want to work with you.

Alongside this it is also important to remember some big dos and don’ts when being a home stager.

  1. Get social

Creating a social media account for your business, even in the early stages, is one of the best ways to spread the word about your services. Work on getting your logo and branding looking professional, upload examples of your work and even your own home to showcase your skills. Then start reaching out to businesses in your area or in your industry to start networking and driving traffic to your page!

  1. Believe in yourself!

While you may have a vision for your business, it can often be forgotten when you’re struggling to hook your first customer. So make sure you have a great support networks or even an objective business coach who can help keep you on track and make sure you have the best possible chance of kicking your goals!

Do you want to start building your network and learn how to connect with real estate agents to make getting your first customer so much easier? Click on the picture below for your FREE blueprint!

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What To Look for in a Real Estate Agent

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As a home stager, creating and maintaining a strong relationship with real estate agents is an essential part of generating referred business.

When you have a strong relationship with a real estate agent you will constantly have business flowing and you will always have a direct line of call if something goes wrong in a property.

Selecting the right real estate agents for your business can be difficult though. You may have a great relationship with one agent in the beginning but as your business grows that agent may not fit with your business anymore.

When choosing a real estate agent to maintain a strong relationship with, always look for someone who is:

  • An established real estate agent. Agents who are not new to selling properties are more likely to develop a relationship with a home stager as they are always looking to expand their connections
  • You want to be able to trust your real estate! As a home stager you want to know if the agent has any relationships with other home stagers and if they are referring their clients to you or to other home stagers
  • A people person. A real estate agent won’t get very far if they aren’t a people person. They must be approachable, friendly and great at negotiating
  • As a home stager it makes sense that you would want to have strong relationships with multiple real estate agents but a real estate agent doesn’t need a relationship with more than one home stager.
  • At the same level as you. There is no point forming a relationship with a real estate agent whose clients would not be able to afford your service. Make sure your agent has the same client demographic as you do to ensure maximum results

Once you have established a relationship with a real estate agent it is important to maintain that relationship. This can be achieved through a variety of ways such as:

  • Referring business. If a client gets their property staged but they aren’t sure what agent to go with yet, encourage them to go with the agent you are affiliated with
  • Buying ‘Thank You’ gifts. If your affiliate has a big win, sells a great property or smashes a record, giving them a small gift is a great way to maintain a relationship and show the agent that you are about their successes
  • Providing statistics. At a milestone during the year, be it yearly, half-yearly or quarterly, providing your affiliate with statistics about how your business is benefiting real estate is a great idea and a push to ensure that the agent will want to keep working with you

Having a strong relationship with a real estate agent is a great way ensure that you are constantly getting business and referring business. Having grounded relationships and affiliations with real estate agents is the best relationship that a home stager can have as it means that you are the first point of call to help that agent with a property.

Want to help grow your Home Staging Business further?  Have you seen our Professional Membership?  Membership with IIHS™ gives you 24/7 access to a group of amazing likeminded home staging professionals with a vast level of experience, monthly group calls, discounts, member only content and much much more.  Check it out below.

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