Meet RESA® member, Laura Bohn. Laura is the founder of Five Star Stagings, where she and her team provide home staging services in the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota. In 2021, they were named one of Star Tribune’s MN Best.
I have decorated homes as early as I can remember and was always told to go into interior design. I also have a passion for real estate, and thought I would become an agent, but it was actually my sister that came up with the idea for me to start a staging company. I am forever grateful for that! Now, I am living my dream and have a taste of both.
With her bachelor’s degree from St. Catherine University in Business Management and a certification in Home Staging and Design from RESA® Accredited Education Provider, Home Staging Resource, Laura has built Five Star Stagings to be a company where service, execution and visual appeal are essential.Laura and team strive to make each and every property unique in their own way, and continue to develop fresh, gorgeous, designs while adding value for home sellers, realtors, builders and developers. Five Star Stagings has even branched out with their own furniture company, Five Star Furnishings.
We pride ourselves on our customer service and quality we provide with every stage or piece of furniture sold. I am forever grateful for my awesome team and clients we serve. I couldn’t do it without them!
The Home Stager’s Perspective: A Conversation with Laura Bohn
Q: How does your commitment to RESA®, the exclusive nonprofit trade association for stagers, align with your professional goals and values?
Laura: I have been a member of RESA® and the Minneapolis chapter from the very beginning when I started Five Star Stagings. It has been a valuable tool to help me consistently learn about the industry, keep up to date with design trends, connect with other staging professionals around the world and grow my business in this ever evolving industry.
ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FIVE STAR STAGINGS
Q: What inspired the beginning of your staging journey?
Laura: Before starting a staging company, I worked as a Radiology Technician for Twin Cities Orthopedics – a complete 180 from staging and design. However, I have decorated homes as early as I can remember and was always told to go into interior design. I also have a passion for real estate, and thought I would become an agent, but it was actually my sister that came up with the idea for me to start a staging company. I am forever grateful for that! Now I am living my dream and have a taste of both.
What ended up happening was, I quit my 9-5 radiology job and moved back home. I picked up 3 serving jobs to pay the bills, and got certified in staging and design through the Home Staging Resource. It all started in my parents basement with my first sofa and rack of accessories. My goal was to tap into the vacant staging market, so I slowly acquired inventory as I started working working with agents who trust my abilities and talent.
Next thing you know, I moved into a storage unit, then two, then three. As I continued to grow I moved into our first warehouse of 2,000 sq. ft. and hired my first staging employee. We quickly grew out of that and in September of 2022, we moved into a 6,000 sq. ft. warehouse space. Between now and then I have hired 2 professional stagers and designers, a warehouse operations manager, my own in-house movers, and an occupied staging specialist.
We average staging 25-30 vacant homes at a time and own all of the furnishings that go into each stage. In addition, we have started a furniture company called Five Star Furnishings, which is a branch off of Five Star Stagings. We pride ourselves on our customer service and quality we provide with every stage or piece of furniture sold. I am forever grateful for my awesome team and clients we serve. I couldn’t do it without them!
Q: Take us back to your very first day on the job as a home stager. What were your feelings, expectations, and the most memorable moments from that day?
Laura: I will never forget my first vacant stage when I used to rent the furnishings through CORT. It was just me and my mom at the time and a larger job for being the first one. I was so nervous, but excited to tackle it at the same time. It took us all day, and I even needed to come back the next day to finish up. There were some hiccups with the furniture delivery and we made a pit stop to HomeGoods to grab more decor. Back then, orange was trendy and that was the accent color we used. Even with all the chaos, it turned out great and we got the job done! Fast forward to today and things are much different. We have become much more efficient and can stage two homes a day!
Q: How has your perception of the staging industry evolved since you started?
Laura: Staging has become more of a necessity now compared to when I started. I think many agents have caught on to staging and the benefits it creates for their sellers, and themselves. Staging isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. If anything, I think the industry will continue to grow and there will be more demand. Covid brought on virtual staging, which I don’t believe in as it doesn’t give buyers that emotional connection when they walk into a home. My hope is for virtual staging to veer away and for agents and sellers to do the real deal so they get top dollar for their homes. Many are becoming believers of staging once they see the results, and it’s our job to be convincing that staging does actually work and has its benefits!
Q: Would you share some insights into your creative process? Where do you typically find inspiration for your staging designs, and how do you translate that into your work?
Laura: I typically find my inspiration through social media on Instagram. I follow accounts that have a similar brand to ours, both in staging and interior design, and find fresh ideas that way.
I also am consistently looking through new furniture arrivals through my wholesale accounts. Attending RESACON and going to furniture markets is also a great way to stay up to date on furniture trends and get the creative juices flowing. I do have my favorite magazines as well, such as Restoration Hardware, Arhaus and Crate & Barrel that I browse through every now and then.
Q: Can you recall a particularly challenging staging project? What obstacles did you face, and how did you overcome them? What did you learn from that experience?
Laura: I have definitely had some “red flag” clients in my day. One in particular was a high end client and there was a cultural barrier. They had a different design style and standards. We met all of their requests, and they raved about the staging in the beginning, but because the home was overpriced and not selling, they blamed it on the staging. I dealt with threats and made multiple trips back to the property to swap out items, but in their eyes nothing was good enough and we would not have been able to do it justice. There were also marital issues which played a big contributing factor as they did not see eye to eye, and one of them in particular took it out on us and was very hard to work with.
I faced the hard decision to ultimately remove the furnishings asap once I noticed things were getting used and broken, regardless of the house not selling. Of course, I received more threats from Mrs. Seller to take my business down, go to court, etc… but I took that risk to keep my furnishings and team safe from even more damage.
I learned that you cannot please everybody, no matter how hard you try. Deep down it killed me knowing they weren’t satisfied, but the amount of headaches and stress endured in that process was not worth it. You win some and you lose some, but at the end of the day at least you leave knowing that you tried your best.
Q: Staging often involves collaboration with real estate agents. Could you share some insights into how effective communication and partnership between stagers and agents can lead to successful property sales?
Laura: Communication with real estate agents is extremely important. Essentially, you are working as a team to help the sellers sell their most valuable asset. We love our agent partners and strategize the best ways to represent the property.
Q: Staging can transform a property, but it’s not just about aesthetics. How do you balance design principles with the practical aspects of making a home more marketable?
Laura: We always stage according to the architectural features of the home to make it the most marketable. We look at the geographical area and what is most suitable for that specific property and put our design touch on it to reach top dollar in that market.
Q: Could you share a memorable success story where your staging made a significant impact on a property’s sale price or time on the market? What were the key elements that contributed to that success?
Laura: We have staged many properties that go under contract and sell for over list price due to how the property looks. Buyers pay attention to the “pretty” things in the home and have that emotional connection where they can see themselves living there, so I undoubtedly believe staging plays a huge role in that.
I’ve learned that cheap staging is not always good staging, which is why hiring a professionally certified staging company is the way to go. You get what you pay for in this industry, and to make it a successful sale you need to hire a professional to bring in those key elements.
Q: Beyond aesthetics, what do you believe are the most important qualities or skills that a successful home stager should possess? How have these qualities shaped your own career?
Laura: Organization, a streamlined process and a great team! There are many steps and logistics that go into staging a property. I have learned to have a step-by-step easy process for clients, and to be very organized with our inventory to be efficient. It has gotten to the point where I have automated as much as possible, and have handed off the tasks I don’t necessarily like or feel that I am good at (ex: marketing, website design) to others that can do it better than me. I feel these three things, amongst many others, have shaped my career and success to where it is now.
Q: If you have a team of home stagers, could you share some insights into your approach to team management? What strategies do you use to ensure cohesion and consistent quality across your projects?
Laura: I stay in very close contact with my design team and their needs. We have a setup in our warehouse that is very organized and efficient, and everybody there knows their role. We all work together and have a great bond that allows us to serve our clients best. I consider my team my family, and we love what we do!
Q: In the world of home staging, sometimes surprises happen. Could you share a funny or unexpected moment that occurred during one of your staging projects? How did you handle it?
Laura: Luckily this was for one of our builders that we do a lot of work for, but you would never expect to hit a water pipe when hanging a piece of art above a toilet. That was a big surprise! We had to turn off the water and call them immediately to assess and fix the situation. Good thing they are handy! Ever since then we have been a little weary of hanging art above toilets. Now we can look back and laugh at it, but I can only imagine what it would have been like if it happened for a new agent we were staging for.
Q: If you could collaborate with any famous interior designer or decorator, living or deceased, on a staging project, who would it be and why? What do you think you could learn from them?
Laura: I still would have to say Joanna Gaines. I just love her style and the Magnolia Home collection. A close second would be Shea McGee with Studio McGee. Both of their styles and brands are what I resonate with most!
Q: Balancing creativity with the demands of running a business can be challenging. What tools or systems do you use to manage your staging projects efficiently and stay organized in your daily operations?
Laura: I use Dubsado to manage all of our staging projects. It is the greatest tool in running the business and theres so much you can do with it to make it the most efficient and automated. Has a great presentation to your clients as well.
Q: What are some common misconceptions or objections you’ve encountered about home staging, and how do you educate potential clients or naysayers about the benefits it brings to the selling process?
Laura: That it costs too much money. Yes it is an expense up front, but where the education lies is that it needs to be seen as an investment to present your home in it’s best light and to get the most out of your sale. That’s where I share the Top 10 Reasons Why You Stage to show all the benefits of home staging. It usually comes down to educating the realtors more than the sellers since they are the ones presenting the staging to their clients.
Q: Client testimonials and reviews can build trust with prospective clients. How do you encourage satisfied clients to share their positive experiences, and how has this influenced your ability to acquire new clients?
Laura: Using my CRM system, every clients automatically gets a testimonial email after we have removed the furnishings from the property. I want everybody to have a great experience with us and share those experiences, so that has worked very well for me. I think reviews are one of the most important aspects in business, so I hit that hard, and for that reason, we are one of the top rated stagings companies in Minnesota on Google.
Q: How can real estate agents better communicate the value of staging to their clients, and what role can they play in making the staging process smoother and more effective?
Laura: I give my agents tools and handouts to educate clients on the value of staging. Many of these tools come from RESA® or my educational training. Agents can add this to their marketing package to promote themselves to current or prospective clients. I personally speak to agents at their Tuesday office meetings to educate them on staging so they can relay the information to the seller.
You can find out more about Laura and the Five Star Stagings team at https://fivestarstagings.com/
Marketing Assistant at Real Estate Staging Association
Joanna creates marketing, advertising, and social media messaging for the purpose of conveying the organization's mission, vision and value, educating consumers, attracting new members, highlighting member accomplishments, providing content for real estate agents, and promoting strategic partners.
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