By Pam Christensen

I Recently returned from the RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) conference and as usual, my head is exploding with ideas for ways we can improve our business and services for all of you. In addition, this year I spent 2 days, which wasn't nearly enough, at the Las Vegas Furniture Market. Talk about a kid in a candy store! I have tons of new ideas for new designs. What I really love about the market though is seeing the new trends in furniture, bedding, and accessories. There's some cool stuff that is coming out:

• Pink, yes pink is the rage. Pink art, upholstery, pink in area rugs, accent pillows, bedding, yeah lots of pink. Now generally pink is not my choice for staging it's one of those colors that people either love or hate. I did see a few things that I really loved but I did write any large orders for pink chairs.
• Macrame yep. I wrote an article early last year on the upcoming trends and macrame was predicted to be coming back, but for teen from the 70's I couldn't believe it. Well, lucky for me I still have the bin of Jute, beads and metal rings in my basement closet cause macrame was back in a big way.
• Brass is back. Luckily, it's not the shiny gold brass from the 70's, a little more like brushed brass. I found a lot of accessories with the brushed brass tone that I loved and some cool chandeliers and lamps that I would love to have. I'm not quite as excited about the brass for faucets and door knobs though.
• Greenery, the Pantone color of the year, is already out in force in everything from leathers, bedding, art and upholstery. I have always used an abundance of this bright green and wasn't surprised that the design industry is so quick to embrace it. I love the fresh look we can create when we pair this color with white or teal.
• Animal prints! I LOVE animal prints. I found a lot of lush throws, animal skin rugs, cowhide chairs and benches and whimsical animal art. I think you can expect to continue to see a lot of this in our staging designs this year. Oh, and here's a find, not only animal shaggy and soft but pink! I Would love to use this in a teen bedroom I Honestly think it's adorable!
• Outdoor furnishing choices were almost as abundant as indoor at the market this year. I also found a line of art that can be displayed inside or outside without having to worry about damage from moisture or sun.

At the conference, we spent time learning about what's happening with staging across the country and how the industry is continuing to grow. We as an industry are really trying to improve quality and consistency across the board and identify ways for all stagers to obtain continuing education. I Was excited to hear more about social media trends and get ideas from stagers across the US and Canada. One of the best presenters was Sabrina Soto from HGTV's THE HIGH LOW PROJECT, REAL ESTATE INTERVENTION and GET IT SOLD. She was incredibly down to earth and very honest about the difference between HGTV staging and the challenges that face us in the real world.

Unfortunately, I missed meeting the Property Brothers but many of my friends ran into them at the Las Vegas market and had the opportunity to get their picture taken with them and get autographs. You never know who you are going to meet in Vegas!

I am very excited about this year and helping all of you sell faster and for more money. Most of the homes we've staged since the beginning of the year are already pending. Last year 98% of the 304 homes we staged sold, 90% were pending in 8 days or less and most sold for over the asking price. I would really love to help everyone achieve these kinds of results!

Please visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ stagingforcharisma and post a comment.

About the author ...

Pam Christensen is an Accredited Staging Professional Master, a Certified Real Estate Instructor and teaches an Advanced Home Staging Certification course. Her company, Staging for Charisma, is one of the leading home staging companies in the greater Seattle area, and one of the few that specializes in working with investors to help them maximize their return on investment by providing high quality staging that get results!

“REAPS is the oldest – and largest - Professional Association for the real estate investor this side of the Mississippi. We provide education and networking resources for real estate investors, those who want to be investors and anyone who provides value to our members. Our goals are to motivate and support our members and guests through education, discussion, legislative action and networking. We host over 40 live events a year around Puget Sound and they are all open to the public. If you've never attended one of our meetings, just email our office at [email protected] and be our guest for free!"