What makes your home staging business unique? What makes you stand out from your competition? What do you offer that others do not? I think those are questions I get most frequently when people are thinking about obtaining my services. Have you ever thought about these questions? If not you should. 
In the DC-metro area home staging is a very competitive market and there are literally hundreds maybe even thousands of home stagers. So what distinguishes my services from the hundreds or even thousands of others? I think it is the fact that I am an APSD Property Scene Designer. I create scenes that are unique to the demographic of the homes I stage. My homes are not always staged as model homes as that is not necessarily appropriate for every home. For instance staging a DC condo in a hip and upcoming neighborhood is going to be different from staging an Alexandria, VA condo in a working class neighborhood.
You have to understand the customer, as Karen Schaefer, Founder of APSD always tells her students. Know your customer and then you will be able to sell the house. So what makes me unique is that I understand who the customer is and then I create scenes to appeal to that customer. I actually personalize instead of depersonalize. Adding scenes in various rooms of the homes is what makes it special and will allow buyers to make a connection to the home. Staging a dinner scene in the kitchen will hit home with the right customer as will a family time scene with games and videos.
Some stagers may say this kind of staging 
doesn't work but I say bah humbug! My current average days on market is 24 days and our APSD's Team National average is 23 days! That is pretty amazing when the average national average is about 190 days!
So I have no problems telling sellers and realtors what makes me different from other stagers. My unique staging style sells homes and my days on market prove that it works. So again I ask you what makes your home staging business unique?
Mannie Tantawy
The Staging Fashionista
We provide professional and affordable home staging and redesign services to clients in Northern Virginia and the DC-Metro area. We dress homes to sell. Let us help you get your home ready for the market. Call us for a free estimate or for how we can help prepare your home for sale on 703-269-8330.
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Mannie - It is important to stage a for sale home with a good home staging company. Thanks for the blog.
Understanding demographics in the market you sell a home in is key Mannie! That's one of the most important things as home stagers we first need to understand, we need to know who the buyer is and target that audience while appealing to a broad base in that target audience.
Hi John - couldn't have said it better. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Karen - I know you know as you are an expert in this! Happy Thanksgiving and thanx for stopping by!
Congratulations on your success Mannie. Continued success and happy thanksgiving.
Mannie, I like your idea of using "props" to compel "target buyers"....they may need the extra visual aids to see themselves living in the home.... maybe a few more "props" will create an exact focal point and purpose for a room..... such as your games and videos in the family room, and the baking essentials for the kitchen just give it a more "homey feeling"....
Mannie,
Great question! What does make our Home Staging Business unique? I get asked that a lot especially when a home owner or Realtor is interviewing several stagers and they really do listen to how I answer that question. Congrratulations on your stats... they are great!!!
I think understanding your target market is something many new stagers miss the mark on in our industry. You can just take any furnishings and stick them into any home - each home has specific and unique requirements to showcase the features and space.
With a $10,000 budget most of us could make any average priced home sell extremely fast, but where is the return for your client and would it be a good one? Often times its not the furniture or accessories that a home needs in order to sell, know how to prioritize your recommendations to best assist the client instead of rushing into staging without knowing what that home will take to sell. If you rush into a job hoping to make some quick bucks on a staging without taking a look at the big picture, you may end up dissapointing a trusting client.
Also know its "OK" to turn jobs away if need be.
Thank you ladies for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment.
Lisa I think you hit it on the head with your comments! Thanx
Mannie, these are great points you are making. It is indeed so important to know who your target demorgraphic is and what appeals to them. Just making something pretty is not enough. The house needs to look appealing to the buyers tastes and lifestyles. Great post.
Thanx Birgit - I'm glad that you liked the post!
Mannie,
I agree, I really like all your staging scenes. A hot chocolate display would make anyone feel warmer in a cold new York winter. Kate
Thanx Kate - appreciate you stopping by I'm using the hot chocolate display in my next staging by the fireplace!
You're Right On Mannie! You know and understand your market and you stage to sell! That's the point.
We all need to know our market and stage to sell accordingly.
I think you have some brilliant ideas that work and I congratulate you!
Thanks so much for your wonderful post.
Penny
Hi Penny - thank you so much for your comments I appreciate it. Understanding demograhics is key!