St. Catherines, ON CANADA—In this buyers’ market, savvy home sellers and real estate professionals are seeking advice from staging professionals on the most cost effective ways to get their properties sold for top dollar — and in the shortest amount of time. Gone are the days of just picking up the kids’ toys and putting away the laundry.  Today’s buyer not only looks at properties based on price and location, they want a property that is move-in ready and that “feels” like home.

So how does a buyer create that “homey” feeling?  By hiring a Staging Professional who creates a space that looks like it’s right out of a Pottery Barn or West Elm store display. And the good news is that Certified Staging Professional across North America are now preferred pricing partners with William-Sonoma, Inc. — the premier specialty retailer of home furnishings in the United States since 1956.

Why is this a big deal? Occupied homes sell faster than vacant homes, and professionally staged homes sell, on average, in half the time of non-staged or vacant homes. Buyers buy emotionally so the property must look current and on trend if it is to go to the top of the buyer’s wish list.  One of the best ways to accomplish this is to stage the property using furnishings and accessories buyers see on TV, in decorating magazines, and at retail stores such as Pottery Barn and West Elm.

And since 82% of buyers first view properties on the Internet before driving by and making a call to their agent, it’s crucial that sellers have their properties staged and beautifully photographed for their listing on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) using on-trend colors, furnishings, art and accessories. William-Sonoma, Inc. and its iconic brands (Pottery Barn, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma) offer special trade pricing and benefits to Certified Staging Professional members.

For more information on the William-Sonoma, Inc. Design Trade Program and other benefits of working or hiring a staging professional, or becoming a Certified Staging Professional, contact Angela Brooks at the Certified Staging Professional or by visiting www.stagingtraining.com .