RESA EDGE Atlanta was a Georgia/Regional event with almost 80 attendees from NC, SC, FL, AL, TN and GA. It was held on February 1st at AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta, GA. It was organized by Amy Powers, the RESA Georgia State President and National Board Member.
There were two main speaker presentations by Melissa Marro and Amy Powers. Melissa Marro from Rave Home Staging and long time RESA member and leader, shared techniques on how to close the deal and set pricing that shows our worth as professionals
in the staging industry. Melissa’s passion for the staging industry, is for our clients to see that our industry is vital. She said, “No more PRETTY talk. Staging creates a measurable, marketable change in the perceived value of the property.” Translated, we should stop talking about style, design or taste, and we should only talk about buyer perception. Everyone who heard her speak was enthusiastic and inspired by her shoot straight from the hip approach.
Amy Powers from Ask For Staging, spoke on the RESA resources that help grow professional stagers, including resources stagers can share with their clients to learn more about home staging and how RESA resources can help stager’s develop a professional presence in their community as a leader and expert. Amy has incorporated many 
resources developed by RESA over the last 10 years. She shared her favorites and gave tips on how they can effectively grow businesses. Her top favorite resources shared were RESACON, being a RESA Approved Instructor (one of the many perks of a RESA-PRO designation) and her favorite is her involvement in RESA leadership. She has been a chapter member, which has lead to the many opportunities within state, national and committee involvement. Her passion and philosophy is, “If we have influence over others (our peers and clients) then we are a leader.” Leaders drive the staging industry forward.
The last session was a tour and detail of the “Stager Friendly” vendors and services 
available at AmericasMart. Jenny Heizen-York, the VP of the Home Division and Mark Furlet, the Senior VP for Building One of the AmericasMart, shared how vendors specifically want to build relationships with our industry through RESA. One interesting fact that was shared, AmericasMart is the largest permanent wholesale trade center in the world. They house several showrooms of RESA sponsors, including: Surya, ProPac and Paragon. After sharing how they can help us save money by buying wholesale, they lead a tour highlighting the many areas that would interest home stagers. AmericasMart provided attendees a beautiful meeting space, free parking and lunch, at no cost.
RESA EDGE stands for Education Dedicated to Growth and Excellence. Based on the feedback from those that attended the RESA EDGE Atlanta event, it met and exceeded expectations. The networking opportunities, learning and encouragement has sparked new chapter interest, new members and a better understanding of how RESA is reaching out and helping members build a stronger industry.
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