About The Home Staging Institute
Online home staging certification since 2007 – 6,000+ graduates across 49 countries.
Professional Staging Education Since 2007
The Home Staging Institute has provided online home staging certification courses since 2007. Our curriculum covers the business, design, and practical skills needed to launch and grow a professional staging practice.
As of December 2025, over 6,000 students across 49 countries have completed our programs. Our graduates have gone on to launch staging businesses, work with real estate teams, and stage properties ranging from vacant homes to occupied luxury listings.
We are the trusted authority currently cited in Refin, Inman, BiggerPockets, HomeLight, RealtyExecutives, ProfessionalStaging.com, Aceable Agent, House Buyers of America, and many more.
From a Pioneer’s Desk to a Global Movement
Jackie Riley founded the Home Staging Institute in 2007 after years operating her own staging business in Portland, Oregon. Jackie realized that while many people had an eye for design, they lacked a roadmap for the business of staging.
In 2007, she authored Home Staging Success – at the time, one of the only guides covering both staging techniques and business fundamentals.
Today, our curriculum has been refined through nearly two decades of market shifts, serving thousands of students across the United States, Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and beyond.
Our Professional Course includes 6 modules covering staging techniques, buyer psychology, pricing and client meetings, and marketing strategies. Graduates receive downloadable templates for contracts, consultations, and client outreach, with lifetime access to all materials.
Our graduates include agents and brokers from Century 21, Keller Williams, Berkshire Hathaway, RE/MAX, Sotheby’s International Realty, and other major brokerages.
Our Mission & Core Values
At the Home Staging Institute, we don’t just teach design; we uphold the professional standards of an entire industry. Our values reflect our commitment to the thousands of students who have trusted us with their careers since 2007.
Business + Design Curriculum
While many staging courses focus only on aesthetics, our curriculum covers both design principles and business operations – pricing, contracts, marketing, and client management.
- Our training covers everything from furniture psychology and spatial flow to complex legal contracts, insurance, and profit-first accounting.
- We don't believe in "static" education. Our curriculum is constantly updated to reflect current staging & real estate market trends.
Accessibility & Affordability
We believe that a world-class education should be a doorway, not a barrier. Our mission is to democratize professional staging by making our resources affordable for everyone.
- By leveraging our 18+ years of digital infrastructure, we provide training at a fraction of the cost of traditional design schools.
- We aim to empower entrepreneurs from all financial backgrounds, ensuring that the next great staging talent has the tools to succeed regardless of their starting point.
Institutional Integrity Since 2007
Longevity is our greatest proof of concept. Having been one of the first to codify home staging success, we operate with a level of transparency and history that newer programs cannot replicate.
- Our certifications are respected by real estate agents and homeowners worldwide because of our 18-year track record of excellence.
- We measure our authority not by our own growth, but by the many successful staging companies launched by our graduates across six continents.
“This is a very informative and credible course to take. You have to work for your credentials which I found appealing because so many courses these days give everyone a certificate when they are not really learning anything which means they are not really qualified. This course has reading assignments, classwork, tests, and real-life practical application. It gives you the hands-on experience and what you need to either start a business or land a job once certified. This is the real deal.“
Carolyn A. Watkins
Founder, Photo Ready Spaces
“I have been in property management for the past 4 years and have staged homes as a ‘side gig’ for the past 2. I went into this course pretty confident that I wouldn’t learn much and just wanted my certification to add to my website. I was pleasantly surprised that I have finished this course with pages of notes with new information to walk away with and apply to my future projects.”
Nadyne Boumaza
Founder, Timeless Home Staging
“I fell into this by accident. My childhood home was built in 1967. My mother recently went into assisted living and we were tasked with getting the most possible. I staged it myself with what I thought would look good, and 5 different realtors wanted the card of the stager. I put a business plan together and opened shop January 1st. This course was a gift. It literally goes over every aspect providing good solid advice and tons of forms.”
Virginia R. Keene
Founder, Kreations By Keene
“I began feeling so discouraged when I priced other certification courses that cost $1,000+ until I came across this home staging certification course. It’s affordable and straightforward. Such a blessing!”
Chelsea Rivera
Founder, RIAA Design Studio
“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the Home Staging Institute. The self-paced format made it easy to fit into my schedule, and the practical assignments offered valuable, hands-on experience. As a licensed real estate agent, I was able to immediately apply what I learned to help clients prepare their homes for sale and present them in the best possible light.”
Christen Fauntleroy
Founder, Home Sweet Sold (Licensed Real Estate Agent)
Practitioner-Reviewed Curriculum
Staging markets shift constantly. What sells in Austin isn’t what sells in Toronto. That’s why our curriculum is reviewed by working stagers – professionals who are actively staging homes, not just teaching about it.
Our advisory group includes stagers from 5 major markets who review course content for relevance. When techniques change, our materials change with them.
This isn’t an independent accrediting body – it’s our internal quality process
