How would you like your Staging Services be Auctioned Off to the LOWEST Bidder?
Yes - that's right - the LOWEST Bidder. Sort of like a reverse Auction where they devalue the service being auctioned off - a way to make sure a cheap price wins.
WOW. Would you want to be affiliated with a company that does that?
What if this company claimed to be training qualified Stagers? Yikes!
What if YOU graduated from this place expecting to have Staging work, and was not aware that you were being Auctioned off to the lowest bidder - and the client was ENCOURAGED to do this as way to get the cheapest price?
I was shocked when I read this - straight from the supposed Staging training company. We have all heard of these people as they advertise on a prominant TV channel, however the negative press and blog posts that have been rampant from their graduates or others that have interacted with them are proof that this company is a disgrace to what reputable Home Stagers do.
It's terrible that this company would degrade the people that are paying them for education - and cheapening the service of professional Home Staging like a used car lot.
Here is a DIRECT EXCERPT from an email that was sent to solicit business from a Realtor with a listing that was in need of Staging. This email was sent from the company directly and not from one of their graduates:
Then, using your offer as a starting point, we'll have Professional, Accredited Home Stagers in your local area (Or their Team Leaders) bid against each other to win your job. (The Auction helps drive down your price even further!)
Upon completion of the Auction (Usually about 8 hours) we'll notify you of the lowest bid below your original offer.
What this group is REALLY after is NOT helping their Stager grads win business - it's to promote their TV advertisement service and to solicit realtors and sellers to put their houses on some TV program to get exposure - for a fee of course.
By the way, based on their calculations of what it should cost, they believe Stagers are only worth about $25.00 per hour - if that. It's pathetic how this company is driving down the professional image of Stagers with their schmaltzy and slick advertising, and total lack of understanding of what it really takes to Stage a house.
My personal opinion is - I am most disturbed by the people they have deceived. Good people who are investing their dollars in training only to be greatly disappointed. For some of them - they don't have any other money to put towards a reputable training and real success as a Stager. For some they have to suck it up and try to put what little they learned and received to work. Complaints are unanswered, their hard-earned dollars gone - and they are disappointed that they were rooked by a scam.
I have heard from some of these people - the same story over and over. I think the best thing people can do is continue to write about the deceipt and poor business practices. And if you are reading this - DO YOUR HOMEWORK. If a training option seems too good to be true, it is. Stay far away from inflated promises and something that seems too easy.
This new information that I learned about the Auction - is just one more example of what a poor representation this company is to our industry. I wish we could collectively disown them from the Staging profession. They do not have one redeeming quality - and that is really sad.
I'm not sure if I ever want to be near a name like that. I think we in this industry needs to learn that we put value in our business, not to teach others to devalue it.
Wow this is really sad! There are many of us who have a high work ethic, dedication to quality and helping our clients sell their homes faster because they outshine their competition AND we work to keep our services affordable while still being able to make a living at something we love.
In these hard times we need to work together to support each other, not work hard to exploit people who put their trust in us. Thanks for sharing this Jennie
It's particularly pathetic given that they tend to advertise on commercials during staging shows. We recently trained some of these 'graduates' and they were so grateful for having finally spent money on a well developed course with stagers who actually run businesses. I've heard that some of their trainers have NEVER even staged a home - EVER! How can they possibly answer the tough questions that new stagers will have? I guess they just won't.... sigh....
Awful! I feel so sorry for the people who are sucked in by this company promising them the world. The harsh reality is that there's no easy way to gainful employment as a Stager. It's hard work, lots of business building, a good deal of investment in inventory, and perserverence. Sad that it's come to this.
Incidentally I was told today by a Realtor whose listing I finished Staging this afternoon that I was the HIGHEST bidder for the shortest amount of time and she was 100% convinced I was the right choice for the job! Just goes to show you, you get what you pay for.
Not only are they eroding the value that professional home stagers bring to the real estate industry and their clients, but the actual staging shown on their website is PATHETIC. About the worst I've ever seen!
WOW Jennie, I had no idea the depths this "company" would go! We have a new ASP in our area that took "their" course. Before she completed the study she realized it was a sham. After taking the StagedHomes.com course in Tampa she was amazed at what she had in hand from the ASP course. I believe her quote to me was, "------- has no business plan for their trainees, no after the class direction and certainly not a Staging University with all we need to run a successful Home Staging business." She is off & running with the 3-2-1 Mentoring program, documents, contracts, proposals & more!
Thank you for bringing this to light!
I wish they were required to add a consumer warning on their material..."Warning: There is a strong likelihood that you will get a quality and result directly correlated to the bargain basement fee you pay."
Thx for posting this. ANything all of us can do to warn newbies is a good thing!
I have been working with someone who had just finished that course work and is waiting to get the results to see if she will be hired. The self study program is really no different than walking into a bookstore, reading the chapter and then proclaiming yourself knowledgable. We all know staging is a lot more than that. That is why some people hire a professional - because they don't get enough info from simply reading a manual. It is sad that they get away with it!
This is very sad and anyone going into staging really needs to be aware of this and do their homework. Thanks for the posting.
I feel so bad for people taken in by this and bad for Stagers in general as it does us no good either. Thanks for posting this. Hopefully more will hear about it. Did you post in the newbies group, think it would be a great place for others to see.