If you’ve ever attended a RESA® Ask the Experts session, you know that the chat is always buzzing with questions, insights, and those “aha” moments that make you rethink your business strategies. As the RESA® Marketing Assistant, I get a front-row seat to these conversations while managing the live chat, and the recent session with Kevin Htain was one for the books.
Kevin, a RESA® member and well-known industry leader, sat down with Shell Brodnax to discuss the evolution of home staging, pricing strategies, and how to build a sustainable business. And let me tell you—he didn’t hold back.
“The People Are Dying to Know…”—How Kevin Started His Staging Business
Right off the bat, Shell asked the question we were all waiting for:
“Kevin, how did you start out in this business?”
His answer? Trial, error, and a lot of determination.
Kevin shared how, in the early days, he had to prove himself to agents who were skeptical about home staging. “They were like, wait—you want me to do what?” he joked, recalling the initial resistance he faced.
But rather than lowering his standards, Kevin focused on building relationships, demonstrating value, and staying consistent. His message was clear: Realtors and sellers may not always understand staging right away, but once they see the results, they become believers.
Is Free Work Worth It?
One of the most talked-about moments in the chat was Kevin’s response to whether new stagers should offer free consultations to realtors just to get their foot in the door.
“Do you recommend that new stagers offer free consults?” Shell asked.
Kevin didn’t hesitate: “If you do it, have a strategy. Free should never mean undervaluing yourself.”
He explained that while offering a free consult can open doors, it’s important to set boundaries. If you’re giving away value, make sure it’s in a way that leads to future paid work, not just freebies. Several stagers in the chat chimed in with their own experiences—some had great success offering limited-time free consults, while others warned against clients who never wanted to pay after getting that initial service for free.
His advice? Have an expiration date on anything you offer for free and make sure it leads to a clear next step.
Raising Prices Without Losing Clients
Pricing is always a hot topic, and Kevin didn’t shy away from it.
“Any tips on increasing pricing without scaring your customers away?” one stager asked in the chat.
Kevin’s answer was simple but powerful: “If you believe in your value, they will too.”
He shared that the biggest mistake stagers make is apologizing for their prices or feeling like they need to justify them. “I remind them—yes, it’s an investment, but what’s the alternative? A price reduction on the home that costs way more than my staging fee.”
Can You Really Make a Living in a Small Market?
One of my favorite moments came when someone asked:
“Is it possible to make a living in a small town doing this, or should I give up the dream of staging full-time?”
Kevin’s response was heartfelt and practical. “Absolutely, you can. But you have to get creative.”
He shared how stagers in smaller markets often need to diversify their services—whether that means adding short-term rental styling, offering consultations, or partnering with local furniture rental companies.
“It’s not always about the number of houses—it’s about maximizing every opportunity,” he explained.
Final Takeaways & Why You Need to Watch the Replay
If there was one theme throughout Kevin’s conversation, it was this: Know your worth and own it.
Whether it was talking about pricing, client relationships, or scaling a business, Kevin reminded us that confidence and strategy go hand in hand. “If you don’t believe in your own value, why should anyone else?”
This session was packed with actionable insights, and if you missed it live, you need to watch the replay.
RESA® members get exclusive access to this full session, plus hours of other on-demand webinars designed to help your business thrive.
- Learn How to Sell Staging Services— From LuAnn Nigara - August 22, 2025
- CEO Mindset for Home Stagers: Move Beyond a 9–5 and Scale Smart - August 22, 2025
- How to Prepare Your Staging Business for Sale – Insights From Someone Who Has Been There - August 22, 2025
