IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
Professional Stager and Property Marketer Organization
An alliance among Industry Associations, Leaders, Educators and Influencers to provide industry standards, self-regulation, protection, awareness and guidelines.
For over two years, the need for industry standards and protection of our members from outside entities that seek to regulate or define how we do business has been tossed around in various associations and by industry members. In November 2017, IAHSP® Chairwoman, Jennie Norris, and HSRA™ Founder, Jana Uselton, realizing we were of the same mindset, began what would become a series of conversations and ideas on what we could do together on this initiative. In December 2018, the two association leaders started to put documents together that would reflect Best Practices and Industry Standards with the goal of establishing an organization that would represent the entire Home Staging industry.
In July 2019, Board Members and Key Industry Leaders were invited from all three of the largest Home Staging Industry Associations to join together and begin the formal process of establishing the foundation of a “united nations” umbrella organization over the industry. All three association leaders were invited to be part of a unifying initiative and message, and only two have joined forces at this juncture to put in the work necessary to build an organization that truly represents our industry as a whole. Our hope is the initiative will eventually include all three associations in order to continue on this important path.
The Professional Stager and Property Marketer Organization (PSPMO) will provide a collective voice for industry professionals, establish standards for what comprises a professional home stager and property marketer, protect our members, and work to educate the industries we serve.
WHY?
Our industry was founded without standards, and that meant anyone who wanted to get into Home Staging has been able to get a business license and set up shop. This has resulted in pricing inconsistencies, services that are not clearly defined and members who do not understand the basic premise that staging is a real estate marketing tool and not decorating or design. Our industry should have some entry level guidelines and requirements in order to be viewed as a reputable and professional industry. The PSPMO aims to establish baseline requirements for anyone entering the staging industry and be considered a professional home stager.
Another reason for an organization like this is because of what we see happening within the real estate industry with governmental agencies such as the FTC and IRS stepping in to regulate how real estate agents and companies operate. Our industry members who have been scrutinized by agencies such as the IRS are unable to afford appeals for overly invasive practices or incorrect definitions of our services. An overall organization could have enough resources to lobby and appeal to these agencies on behalf of our industry. We need to do a better job as an industry educating our end users whether real estate agents, builders, investors, or the public about what we do and the value behind our services. A cohesive message and ability to provide statistics and vital information that helps support the value of what home stagers and property marketers provide is needed and the PSPMO will be able to provide that on behalf of the industry. The leaders of the PSPMO will be present at industry events, conferences and discussions where professional home staging needs a voice to correct misinformation and provide a cohesive and consistent message.
There will be requirements that have to be met by any home stager who wants to join the PSPMO. The organization is not a replacement for the associations who serve their members with resources, education and events. The home staging associations will still play a vital role in the organization, providing one of the four criteria for admission into the PSPMO.
The PSPMO will be established as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization and operate as an overall unifying entity whose mission it is to raise the standards for home staging business owners in order to elevate the industry as a whole, and provide those who work with home stagers a way to better identify those who own and operate professional companies. We will provide ways for all industry members to be recognized as a Professional Home Stager, with paths for foundational education and ongoing education requirements they can choose to achieve. Fees for membership will include an annual continuing education test all members have to complete, and funds will be used to pay for organization logistics (websites, membership directory, marketing) and travel expenses for PSPMO leadership to meet with external agencies, organizations and attend events in order to educate necessary entities.
We invite industry leaders, educators, and influencers to be part of this initiative. The structure of the organization will provide for layers of participation where input, feedback and ideas are welcome. Currently we are working to set up the business entity and it will be facilitated by a collective group with no one person or entity controlling the organization. Our goal is to launch this formally by January 1, 2020 with our website established and information for all industry members.
Please take a moment to fill out the questionnaire to help us identify those who want to be part of the this organization formation and education to industry members:
For more information and to get involved, please email Jennie@iahsp.com or Jana@myhsra.com.
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