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Testimonials


"Once again, Staging Works..

Received a voice mail from a Real Estate Broker on Friday. Excited. Her listed Staged home sold in 5 days. We are finding out that our selling market is slow except the staged homes... they are selling within a short period of times. We share stories, multiple offers... well this is ridiculous in a slow market!!! Wow does Staging work its magic."

-Carol Erks, ASPM

"We wanted to share with you and other ASP`s how excited my daughter and I are about this business.

I recently got a call from a real estate agent friend of mine who wanted to use our Staging services for a house she had on the market since the beginning of December 2006, with absolutely NO activity.

We Staged the property for her on March 1, 2007 using small vignettes around the house, and it sold in just 4 days!

We were so happy to see that through our creativity and the specialized ASP training, our business is well underway and this will be a great example for us to use when marketing our business.

We will be attending your refresher course in Palm Springs on the 24th and can hardly wait to attain more knowledge from you. Thank you again for creating this fascinating industry."

-Michelle Pimentel, ASP, IAHSP

"I want to thank you for the wonderful 3-day class in Chicago this week. Not only was the course about Home Staging but also about honoring and respecting our clients as they pass through another stage in their life. You are a wonderful role model and provided complete, carefully detailed turn-key materials to take our newly acquired knowledge and to begin our staging careers. Honestly, you really have thought of everything! What you have accomplished is truly amazing! I feel so blessed to have taken the class from you. Thank you for who you are (your teaching skills, your sense of humor and your passion), what you have accomplished and your attitude about sharing your knowledge."

-Sharyn Meagher, ASID Allied Member, ASP

"I can`t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed revisiting the class the past 3 days. They say dynamite comes in small packages and you are certainly living proof of that! I get so excited when I am working on a project or getting close to closing a deal on a big project like the one I got the 1st day of class that I find myself, eating, breathing and sleeping "Staging." Even my health issues can`t take away the excitement or creativity that comes with this passion. Thank you so much sweetie for all your wonderful and exciting ongoing ideas, vendors you continue to bring on board and all the sharing. I hope we can make something happen with Dr. Phil and "Operation Homefront." I also want to thank you again for your deep caring and making such a valuable change to the class about how important it is for ASP Realtors to use ASP Stagers. I truly believe that the more Realtors see the difference that ASP Stagers and ASP Realtors working together make, they will be jumping on the bandwagon.

What a warm fuzzy feeling it was to hear you tell the Realtors over and over in class how important we were to their businesses... thank you... thank you... thank you."

-Gail

"It`s me... Sherri Halvorsen... and for some reason I have had you on my mind and felt I had to write you! How`s the nose doing? Your picture always looks great on the StagedHomes.com site! Can`t even tell... (lol)

Barb, my business has been doing phenomenal! I can`t even begin to tell you. I set my goals in the first weeks after taking the class and have stuck to my plan and everything has fallen into place now, just about 6 mos. later! My stomach is in constant flip-flops and I LOVE IT! Lots of hard work, 24/7 is now paying off! Not letting up though, still plowi ng forward but I am seeing all my efforts.

Just registered for Convention & the Ball and I CAN`T WAIT!

I have to share with you a great idea I am using for my presentations. I think I told you last I wrote I had like 14 presentations scheduled. Well, had to postpone some because of staging jobs but have done 4 of them so far and have had great results and feedback AND CALLS!

A lot of mine have been lunch presentations and some breakfast. Instead of bringing bagels, I have been bringing in 2 cakes, 9 x 13. One is plain, chocolate right out of the oven, not decorated, blah. The other is decorated to the hilt with Staged to Perfection on it, my company logo, all the bells and whistles on it. To make a point about Staging to the Realtors, I bring out the plain cake and say,"how many of you would buy this cake and pay full price for it at the bakery", they all look at me like I am nuts! Then I pull out the "Staged" cake and say "although Staging is not decorating, how many of you would pay full price at the bakery for this cake" and they all ooooh and ahhhh over the beautiful cake and say YES, they would pay full price for it! Then I leave it with them to eat all day! One Realtor even said he is going to use that same idea on his clients only using cupcakes! Another said "OK, you really made your point, is that your presentation?" They loved it....

Feel free to share this if you think it will help others. I make the plain ones at home as it save $. I get the others made at the grocery store for about $13-14.00 for 1/2 sheet.

Well, I can`t wait to meet in June Barb. I thank you for all you have done for me!"

-Sherri

"I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for the incredible job that you did in presenting and educating us on all of the aspects of Home Staging. The insight you gave us, the personalization of the material with real life situations, and that Southern charm that you added to each subject did the trick and was truly inspirational. I left the class with a level of enthusiasm, passion, drive and focus that I haven`t felt for years.

Spending over 34 years in a Corporate environment had started to harden me to the belief that in order to be successful, one had to have youth on their side, conform to preset stereotypical behaviors and suppress the "creative genius" that was lurking inside. With all of that said... you have opened my eyes. I am confident that I will be very successful in my endeavors as a stager. I have no doubt.

I have always had a passion to pursue this field, but I have you and Barb to thank for kindling and fueling that passion. I really feel blessed to have been part of your class. It feels like it was just meant to be... karma or fate I guess.

So Jane Ann, thank you so much for all that you did. It was so appreciated. Oprah Winfrey once said that the very, very basic need that each human being possessed was to feel that they "mattered" in this world. Thank you for making me confident that I DO matter... after all, without me, the world would be short a "creative genius!" Please give my very best to Bob. He too was a very special part of the class as well. It was great to have some additional testosterone in that sea of feminine charm!

-Jim Volk

"Florida, in Chicago?

The subject home was an architectural delight located on a wooded lot by a river. It had been lingering on the market for 9 months. With leaded glass doors, quarry tile floors, and multiple level decks overlooking the water, the owner was puzzled about why the house had not sold.

The wise owner took the house off the market and sought the services of an ASP stager - me. As I toured the home, I was quickly able to see that a potential buyer might have difficulty envisioning living there. Although the house was located in suburban Chicago, the interior had a distinctly tropical feel, and didn`t have enough furniture to give a buyer a sense of permanence.

By bringing in wicker and other light furniture, along with appropriate accessories, the house was transformed into a beautiful, relaxing, livable space. The best change of all was for the homeowner -- the home sold THE DAY IT WAS RE-LISTED after I staged it appropriate to its style! Staging Works!"

-Barb Gross

"Order in the House was a key ingredient to the immediate success in the sale of my home and they have assisted me in "getting the job done" for many of my clients! The proof is in the fact that after you Staged my home, it sold to the first person on the first day of the listing - for a record neighborhood sale."

-Marsha Ulbrich

"I recently attended your 3 day course, OH MY GOSH!! I am so excited. What an exhilarating ride. I plan to be open for business May 1. Your tapes, DVDs and manual are becoming one with my mind. I can`t thank you enough for all the advice, tools, business plan, career book, Marketing plan, etc.

Watch for me on the site, I plan to create good things within Gods will."

-Sheila

"I got a Staging job today thanks to the StagedHomes website! My new client had read an article in USAA magazine (a military mag) about selling homes and they mentioned Staging. She went to the StagedHomes website and found me here in this little desert town of Yuma, Ariz.

That`s proof again that the StagedHomes website is working well for ASPs!

Thanks for all you do Barb!!"

-Teri Short, ASP

"As a professional organizer, I have benefited greatly from the business support and marketing opportunities offered to me by being an ASP (Accredited Staging Professional). Home Organization and Home Staging are completely related and symbiotic careers.

Together, I have found both memberships and associations give my company an additional level of credibility and expertise not offered by NAPO or ASP alone.

Together they are quite powerful. I encourage any professional organizer who also loves design to consider offering this level of service to their clients!"

-Darla Rowley; ASP; Owner, IMPACT! Interior Design Solutions; Member, Great Lakes Regional IAHSP Chapter (GLRIC)

"Staging and Organizing go hand-in-hand. With my ASP designation, I can help my clients through all aspects of getting organized - from clearing the clutter to "Staging to live"."

-Leah Stahlsmith

"Just wanted to let you know I just got my first "official" job staging job a 1.7 Million dollar home! I got the lead from the StagedHomes.com web site!

This home had been on the market for one year so after I Stage it and it sells (which I know it will), the Staging will be the obvious reason! This is an exclusive area and there are 134 active listings in this development all priced from 1.5 million up!

So there is great potential for more business! I can`t wait for you to see the before and after pictures, since you were my first instructor, you should get part of the credit!!!

Thanks for being there, and for StagedHomes, I am so excited! It`s feels so right and I know it will just get better and better!"

-Teresa Woodward, ASP, Panama City, FL

"Thank you so much for the validation of my craft!... I feel honored to be affiliated with a membership of such wonderfully talented people, as well as having you as a part of my life! I`ve always been interested in home and garden design; much to the dismay of my husband, when we were wed 29 years ago! I think I shared with you, that he used to tease me, calling me "The Lone Re-arranger"... But he is used to it now!

I have intended to take your class, ever since I was loaned a video from my mentor, then started loaning your DVD`s to my own clients (at Windemere). Many times during your class, the message you conveyed resonated so strongly within my soul that I choked up and felt teary eyed with gratitude to God for bringing me to this point in my life. I have never been so happy, or inspired, by any of the Real Estate courses I`ve taken to date!

I hate to admit it, but Staging is really the only part of Real Estate that I`ve truly enjoyed... I have continued work as a Realtor, because I really love helping people.. . .

Lord knows I`ve seen the "Staging" out there that consists of a fake plant and a couple of candles! So sad... As I shared at the beginning, my clients and my peer`s feedback has been really positive. I knew my listings were selling pretty quickly, but af ter a bit, it became apparent that I needed to warn my clients about how quickly things move along after I "pressed play" to upload their listing to the Multiple! The thing that really pushed me into making time to get accredited (as an ASP Home Stager) was that work for my own listings had caught the eye of other Agents who inquired about my services. I had no clue as to what to charge another person and hoped to learn the business side of Staging from your class. Little did I know, how much I would gain from taking this vital step! So, yes, I am beyond thrilled to finally be an ASP and especially am grateful for the wonderful bonus of meeting you! So, you`ll see me at a Master`s course in the near future! In the meanwhile I am getting my inventory itemized for the insurance, getting the merchant account dialed in and anxiously awaiting the opportunity to enhance my profile online. Thank you for the amazing tools that you1ve created to help me fulfill my dreams!"

-Teri Powell

"I have been creative since I was a little girl. I always felt so much inner peace expressing it. However, growing up I was looked upon as being a dreamer and never finishing anything.

All of these years I have been searching for an outlet for my creativity, and it guided me to you.

I want to thank you for following your dream and sharing it with us all. Because you followed your soul and created the Staging business, I now feel that I can put a home to my life purpose and I am finally at peace."

Kristen Koniecjha

Barb,

You continue to inspire and lead a new generation of Home Staging Professionals. You always have a kind word to say and such a positive spirit. It is contagious.

You are building a legacy and you should be so proud of all YOUR accomplishments in the world of Home Staging and beyond. It really is about so much more than just getting a house ready for sale. It`s touching people`s lives daily in ways we don`t always see at first. It is an honor to be invited into another`s home.

I share your dream and your mission and I plan on seeing that staging does become an industry standard for every real estate transaction, even if takes one house at a time!

God bless you!



 - Karen Otto, ASP, IAHSP,DIRC
Home Star Staging
Real Estate Staging & Consulting


"I just had to tell you thank you for creating such a wonderful, full-service ASP Stager course!

You have given me so much information and so manyresources that it`s almost like `follow the dots` to get your business up and running. You have done an absolutely wonderful job of putting this altogether and available to all who train with
you and become an ASP Stager or Realtor. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and know-how! I have been looking for a business like this for a long, long time.

I can`t tell you how happy I am to have discovered you through your Staging book, which led me to
Stagedhomes.com I`ll finally be able to do something I love to do and get paid for it. Thanks Barb, you`re the best!

Thanks for giving us so much information and know-how to put together a business."

- Ruth Bona


"In the last 9 months, I staged projects valued at a combined dollar amount of approximately $25 million...and approximately 70% of my staged homes sold within one day at or above asking. Pretty good for this market!"
-Steve Circelli

"I have to say that I have e-mailed SEVERAL of the support staff in the last week and each one has gotten me an answer in a very short time. This company is the greatest for assuring that each ASP is successful and I have everything needed to grow my business. I am soooo happy to have made the choice to take the ASP course and to be doing what I really love doing. Thank you to Barb and the wonderful staff you have working with you and for me!"
Kim Trudo

"Thanks for the heads up on (new features in the ASP Directory)! I actually hadn`t checked it in the last
couple weeks, but that is awesome news! I do know that my last 4 calls were
all Stagedhomes.com leads, so people are looking!"

Thanks again for all your hard work!

Pamela Cooke, ASP


Barb –

I recently attended an ASP Training Course in Portland, Oregon and wanted to write to you and thank you for creating such an amazing industry!  The training exceeded my expectations and I am so grateful that I found StagedHomes.com.   In one of your videos that we watched in class you said something like “you are in the right place at the right time” and I wholeheartedly believe that is true.  The training was amazing, and the ongoing resources and support available to ASPs through StagedHomes.com is even more valuable.  Thank you so much for everything.

My other reason for writing is to tell you something that I am certain that you are already well aware of, but I wanted to share anyway, and that is what an absolute gem you have in Jennie Norris.  I was lucky enough to have her as the Trainer of the class I attended and was so impressed with her knowledge and passion about the Staging industry and StagedHomes.com.  My mother earned her ASP accreditation last August and had extremely positive things to say about Jennie, which I completely understood the minute I met Jennie.  She is a fantastic teacher and, even more importantly, a really wonderful person.   She clearly believes in and commits herself to the mission vision of StagedHomes.com.  I am sure all of the StagedHomes Trainers are wonderful, but I wanted to let you know what a truly exceptional job Jennie does.

Thanks again and I look forward to your next coaching call – the last one was extremely helpful!

 

-Megan Ossinger, ASP, IAHSP


"The training exceeded my expectations and I am so grateful that I found StagedHomes.com.  The ongoing resources and support available to ASPs through StagedHomes.com is even more valuable."
 - Megan Ossinger, ASP, IAHSP


"I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to collaborate with Sherwin Williams. It has really added an extra value to my Staging service along with saving my clients money! My Staged 4 Living client just saved $384.67.

Also, agents are more apt to call me when they FIRST get the listing before their clients start preparing their home for sale as they should! Thank you for everything!

I can`t wait to find out what you will be offering us next!

Tawni
Staged4Sale


"Thanks very much for your message.  I do have all of my Certificates, ASP and IAHSP, as well as the apron and the Sherwin Williams card, which I have used – and picked up my paint color wheel, a wonderful tool. I also ordered THE Staging Caddy, what a joy to use.

I began using it with my Senior Move Management Business. I wheel in with that, and my very sturdy, collapsible, handled folding table from Home Depot (thanks to all of the big store marketing ideas from class), a smile and my professionalism, and my clients are immediately put at ease. They know I am organized and ready to begin. That case is the magic wand!
 
Thanks so much for your great class. It was wonderful for the skills it taught for Staging, but I do believe that the stellar strength, even beyond the career specific skills, are the business, organizational, and life skills. I found your team approach,  with the video of Barbara speaking and your presentations, to be the perfect pairing. The soul and ethics at the center of your business were immediately obvious.  

As business women and men who are entering into people’s homes and their private domains, it is vitally important that every aspect of our companies exude these qualities. There is no mistaking the strong moral center to all that you all do – as well as the passionate belief in the ability and goodness of all of the lives that you touch.
 
Thank you, for running a class where members felt valued, their questions respected, and our fears of jumping into the business world calmed. So many people said, “I wished I had taken this class as I was getting started.” Lucky me, I did! Thank you for all of the great skills you so seamlessly taught us, for the materials that you gave us and inspired us to use with such specific, reassuring directions, and for the knowledge that as ASP’s and members of IAHSP, we always have a place to turn for camaraderie and guidance.
 
Almost forgot, even with my fledgling web presence ( that I am diligently working on between clients and having just gotten my real estate license and SRES), I received a call from the ASP site from a daughter coming in from out of town to try to help her mother get her house sold. One quick phone call, with a plea to come help her. Wow!
 
Thanks so much for checking back with me.

Most sincerely,

Susan Devaney, ASP
CEO, Moving Mavens


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