How to Become a Home Stager in Illinois

Are you wondering how you can become a home stager in Illinois?

The real estate industry is booming all over Illinois, especially in some of the major cities like Chicago, Springfield, Peoria, and Rockford. With the everchanging (and ever-thriving) world that real estate offers, it’s easy to see why so many want to hop on and become home stagers in Illinois or other jobs pertaining to the real estate industry.

So, are you someone who has an eye for design? What about detail? Are you looking to embark on a career that allows you to showcase your creativity while transforming homes into stunning spaces to make homebuyers swoon?

Well, if you’re wondering how to become a home stager, then today is your lucky day! The home staging industry is fabulous and can provide such a fulfilling career.

So, let’s take a close look at everything you need to do to become a home stager in Illinois.

Steps to Becoming a Home Stager in Illinois

So, how do I become a home stager? For the most part, the journey of getting your foot into the home staging industry doesn’t actually have to be all that difficult.

While it’s not as easy as saying, “I’m going to be a home stager now,” you will need to “shoot through hoops” to become one. 

Like any industry in any career, it takes some time and hard work, but it’s not impossible; you could say it’s one of the less challenging industries. 

Regardless of whether you’re wanting to start your own business and collaborate with agents and homebuyers or strictly work under an employer, these steps will massively help you out. 

Step 1: Take a Home Staging Certification Course

While the state of Illinois may not require a special license in order to be a home stager, having home staging training is still going to help you out massively.

So, if you can, your first step should be looking into a home staging certification course. These courses are invaluable; they’re going to make you appear far more professional and credible. 

Plus, if you truly want to stand out, then you still need to learn the basics first, like design principles, color theory, how to market yourself, furniture arrangement, and so on. 

Credibility counts, and it’s going to be the number one way to win clients and to be chosen over others.

Generally speaking, you need to have in-depth knowledge of the topic if you’re wanting to start a home staging business in Illinois.  And what better way than with the Home Staging Institute?

There are plenty of past home stagers throughout Illinois that all started out with getting their certification here, and now they’re some of the biggest home stagers in the state!

Step 2: Under the Local Illinois Market

This is fairly obvious, but Illinois is a large state; the market in the northern part of Illinois (especially the Chicago area) isn’t going to be the same as it is down south, like in Carbondale.

This isn’t just for the housing market itself, but even preferences that people have as well.  Chicago is known for posh apartments and large homes within its suburbs, and how you decorate these isn’t going to be even remotely similar to how you’d home-stage a small house in rural Illinois. It’s far from being ‘one-size-fits-all”.  

It’s best to look into the local market(s) that you’re wanting to focus on, try to conduct research on how the competition is staging homes, look to see if there are specific trends, and even consider if you’d like to give your own unique spin.

Don’t forget to look at the target demographic for a neighborhood either, as this is going to hands-down be an indicator of how homes will be staged. By gaining a deep understanding of the local market, you’ll be better equipped to offer competitive home-staging services that are tailored to meet the needs of homeowners in Illinois. 

At the end of the day, whether you want to start up your own home staging business in Illinois and win clients or want to work for an employer, then you need to know the market and find ways to get yourself standing out there. 

Step 3: Learn from Other Home Stagers

If you can, why not learn from the best? Before starting your own home staging business, it might help to Google some of the potential competition you’re going to have out there or even the current home staging jobs that are available in Illinois.

So, when looking at the competition and requirements, ask yourself what you could do better. What would you be able to do differently? 

A lot of home stagers like to add their own signature look. Is this something you’d like to do? Just hunt around online at what some home stagers are doing and what makes their designs unique. At the end of the day, before starting up your home staging business or employment, you’re going to want to think about this first. 

Step 4: Start a Home Staging Business

Are you considering starting a home staging business rather than working for an employer?

Once you’ve taken a home staging course, you can now do the fun (and challenging) part! You need to make sure that your home staging business appears credible and is the real deal. So there are a few things you’re going to want to consider. 

• Come up with a good name and register your business
• Look into getting a logo and form a strong brand
• Create a website, and this includes a portfolio presenting your experience and past work
• Attend local networking events to get your name and business out there
• Connect with service providers such as real estate agents,  movers, local retail, storage facility, and so on
• Business contact info

While there is a lot of work that goes behind a business, even for a home stager, it’s 100% going to be worth it in the end. When it comes to any new business, there’s just a lot of stuff that needs to be done first. 

Step 5: Begin Marketing

Marketing is crucial for any business, you could be the best of the best, but without marketing, no one will know who you are.

For a lot of business owners, marketing is known for being the toughest aspect, but you could say that this is the most fun too! 

Nowadays, it’s really about making an appearance online, such as through a website or even social media content.  While flashy content and following trends can get you pretty far, you might want to take a look at networking too.

For any home stager, you’re going to need a good relationship with other businesses, like local realtors, movers, and so on. But networking can also be one of the best forms of marketing too. If you network with a real estate agent or even an entire agency, you can absolutely count on them needing your services or even directing clients to your business. The same can even be said for other businesses you partner up with.  

By employing strategic marketing techniques such as online promotion, networking, and offering incentives to new clients, you can effectively market yourself as a reputable home stager and differentiate yourself from competitors in the industry.

You definitely owe it to yourself to get out there, even if it’s out of your comfort zone!

Other Facts About Becoming a Home Stager

How Much Do Home Stagers Make in Illinois?

Home staging is a lucrative career option for those with a passion for interior design. While specific salary data may vary, home stagers in Illinois can expect to earn an average annual income of around $40,000 to $60,000. However, it’s important to note that this figure can greatly depend on factors such as experience level and clientele base.

Do I Need a License to Become a Home Stager in Illinois?

You don’t need to have a license in order to become a home stager in Illinois. With that said, however, it’s still highly recommended to get a certification, as this will help you appear more credible to clientele and employers.

Do You Need a Degree to Become a Home Stager in Illinois?

Just as a license isn’t required, a degree isn’t either. You can think of it as something nice to have but not necessary. Some home stagers will get a degree in interior design or architecture, as these can help boost credibility. Plus, some employers might expect a degree in a related field, but overall, there isn’t an industry requirement.