Debra Gould
Gould has trained 1000+ Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start their own businesses. All shared a natural talent for decorating and interest in real estate, but didn't know how to make a living in their own house staging business before learning her secrets.
Debra Gould's mission is to inspire and empower others to use their natural talents to earn a living. She followed her dreams and wants to teach others to be able to do the same.
Gould pursued an MBA in Marketing and began a corporate career before moving to advertising. In the 1980s, she launched one of the first integrated marketing firms, which she ran for 10 years. Wanting a more creative life, Debra gave it up to design home accessories. She created the Debra Gould Home Collection, landing a magazine cover story and book feature, followed by her first of several HGTV appearances.
Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a new staging career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since that time she has staged homes for hundreds of clients in addition to providing home staging training.
Gould is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Design Guide: Home staging tips, tricks and floor plans", "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The easy way to pick colors for home staging projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Portfolio Guide: Winning clients with the perfect home staging portfolio".
In addition to HGTV, Debra Gould's media coverage includes: CityTV, GlobalTV, CBC, CBS Radio, CNNMoney, Wall Street Journal, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, MoneySense, Entrepreneur, House and Home, Home & Decor, Style at Home, Centre of the City, USAA Magazine, FabJob Guide to Become a Home Stager, Home Style, National Post Homes, This Old House, Home Business Magazine, Globe & Mail and others.
Articles by Debra Gould
November 20, 2009
The Staging Diva, explains how home stagers can go about getting an email address that matches their business name.
November 18, 2009
Home staging expert, Staging Diva, offers several house showing survival tips for home stagers to pass along to their clients.
November 17, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, discusses the logistics of accepting credit card payments for home staging services.
November 13, 2009
The Staging Diva, shares a home staging success story from Staging Diva Graduate, Colette Smith.
November 12, 2009
The Staging Diva, explains why aspiring home stagers shouldn't choose a home staging course based on the credentials it offers.
November 12, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, explains how home staging is only one piece in the puzzle of a successful real estate sale and gives advice to home stagers worried about their responsibility if a house they've staged does not sell.
November 10, 2009
The Staging Diva, advises aspiring home stagers not to search out job shadowing opportunities and offers alternative ways of gaining confidence.
November 09, 2009
The Staging Diva discusses how she handles the process of obtaining accessories for her home staging projects and why it´s not money out of her own pocket.
November 05, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, offers advice to home stagers concerned with obtaining liability insurance for their business.
November 05, 2009
Many aspiring home stagers who live in small rural towns worry about whether or not their area can support a home staging business. Here expert home stager, Staging Diva, shares some practical advice for anyone in that position.
November 02, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, discusses why there´s more to marketing a staging business than offering cheap rates.
October 31, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, explains why home stagers are hurting their image by offering their services for free.
October 27, 2009
Home staging expert, Staging Diva, explains why home stagers do not need to bring an assistant with them to their consultations.
October 25, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, shares a success story from Staging Diva® Graduates, Aron Bailey Bruser and Paige Holm who prove home staging works for real estate investors.
October 25, 2009
In this economy, not every budding entrepreneur has the freedom to quit their day job to follow their dream of starting a business. Expert home stager, Debra Gould explains how part-time home stagers moonlighting around another job can still appear professional.
October 19, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, suggests to individuals feeling stuck in jobs they hate that it´s time to try something new.
September 25, 2009
The Staging Diva®, provides home staging tips for the bedroom.
September 20, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, shares a story of how Staging Diva® Graduate, Susan Atwell, helped a desperate family sell their home fast.
September 20, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, discusses why home stagers who have failed to obtain the required grade from another training program should not be discouraged.
September 11, 2009
The Staging Diva®, warns aspiring home stagers to think twice about choosing a home staging training program because of the credentials it offers.
September 04, 2009
The Staging Diva®, shares a home staging success story from Isabelle Gelderblom, a graduate of her training program.
September 03, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, offers advice to home stagers concerned about what happens if a home they stage does not sell.
September 01, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva offers advice to aspiring home stagers concerned with whether or not their small rural town will support such an endeavor.
August 24, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva offers advice to aspiring home stagers concerned with whether or not their small rural town will support such an endeavor.
August 14, 2009
The Staging Diva® shares her opinion about home stagers offering their services for free.
August 11, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, encourages aspiring home stagers to stop putting off following their dream of being their own boss in a career they love.
July 31, 2009
The Staging Diva®, sets the record straight for aspiring home stagers worried that a career in home staging means a lot of heavy lifting and other physically taxing duties.
July 23, 2009
Expert home stager, The Staging Diva®, offers advice to part-time home stagers concerned about being perceived as unprofessional.
July 24, 2009
Staging Diva®, discusses how home staging is not a deceitful practice meant to cover real flaws in a property.
July 16, 2009
Staging Diva®, offers advice to home stagers working with homeowners with small children.
July 08, 2009
In this real estate market it´s important to romance buyers through every room in a home, including the laundry area. The Staging Diva®, shares her expert home staging tips for a basement laundry room that could otherwise scare off home buyers.
June 15, 2009
The Staging Diva®, shares her expert home staging tips for the attic.
May 26, 2009
The Staging Diva®, shares her expert home staging tips for the basement.
May 22, 2009
The Staging Diva®, shares her expert home staging tips for the garage.
May 07, 2009
With many aspiring home stagers concerned about money, The Staging Diva®, offers advice about living within one´s means.
May 01, 2009
The Staging Diva® discusses how, in a slow real estate market, home stagers can help when it comes to meeting conditional offer deadlines.
April 29, 2009
The Staging Diva® debunks the myth that people have stopped buying houses and mentions the great potential demand for home stagers in the coming months.
April 28, 2009
As the weather warms, the gardens blossom and the school year winds down, families often turn their attention to selling their house. Staging Diva®, explains how a home can stand out from the competition in a buyer´s real estate market.
April 21, 2009
The Staging Diva® discusses predicted changes for the real estate market and what they mean to home stagers.
April 16, 2009
Expert home stager, Staging Diva, discusses how slumping real estate prices makes a great situation for first time home buyers and why home staging is so important in this market.
April 14, 2009
The Staging Diva®, discusses the high earning potential a home stager has even in a slow economy.
April 06, 2009
In a slow real estate market like the one we´re dealing with now, real estate agents are turning to home stagers to help make their properties stand out from the competition. The Staging Diva®, elaborates on this fact here.
April 06, 2009
The Staging Diva, discusses why, especially in a poor economy, home sellers turn to home stagers to help preserve their homes´ equity.
April 01, 2009
The Staging Diva®, outlines the basic economic law of supply and demand how it affects home stagers in a buyer´s market.
March 30, 2009
In part one of a two-part article series The Staging Diva®, outlines the basic economic law of supply and demand as it relates to the real estate market.
March 25, 2009
Many moms are feeling like it´s time to do something for themselves. Especially in these tough economic times, many are also looking for ways to contribute to the household income. When the kids head back to school after March or Spring Break, is it time for Mom to look at new ways to spend the time while they are at school?
March 23, 2009
The Staging Diva®, helps aspiring home stagers determine where to invest their dollars considering the current economy.
March 23, 2009
The Staging Diva®, compares home staging to other business types in consideration of the current economy.
March 16, 2009
The Staging Diva®, explains why operating a home staging business offers more job security than being employed by someone else.
March 12, 2009
Home staging expert, Staging Diva, busts the common myth that most homes on the real estate market right now are in foreclosure.
March 10, 2009
The Staging Diva®, shares why offering a guaranteed sale is one of the worst marketing tactics she has seen carried out by home stagers.
March 06, 2009
The Staging Diva®, shares why offering a guaranteed sale is one of the worst marketing tactics she has seen carried out by home stagers.
March 04, 2009
The Staging Diva®, shares some of the worst marketing tactics she has seen carried out by home stagers.
February 25, 2009
For proof that home staging works consider this Texas home that was on and off the market with no interest for two long years and got two offers within days of being decorated to sell, says The Staging Diva®.
February 23, 2009
The Staging Diva® advises aspiring home stagers on the five steps to take before starting a staging business.
February 20, 2009
The Staging Diva® advises aspiring home stagers on the five steps to take before starting a staging business
February 18, 2009
The Staging Diva® explains the alternative options available to home stagers who don´t wish to carry their own inventory of furniture to rent to homeowners.
February 16, 2009
The Staging Diva® explains why, contrary to popular belief, it isn´t necessary for home stagers to carry their own inventory of furniture to rent to homeowners.
February 11, 2009
Intrepid entrepreneur and home staging expert, Staging Diva, ponders a quote by Anais Nin and shares why it was worth it for her to take some risks to follow her dream of running a new type of business.
February 05, 2009
Internationally recognized home stager, The Staging Diva®, offers photography tips for home stagers to improve the quality of their portfolios.
February 03, 2009
Internationally recognized home stager, The Staging Diva®, offers photography tips for home stagers to improve the quality of their portfolios.
January 26, 2009
Business owners who feel intimidated by the thought of compiling a traditional "inch thick" marketing plan will finally be able to take action by following intrepid entrepreneur, Staging Diva´s, easy process for creating a one page marketing plan.
January 19, 2009
Intrepid Entrepreneur and expert home stager, Staging Diva, offers five timely tips for setting and reaching your goals.
January 15, 2009
Intrepid entrepreneur, Debra Gould, compares entrepreneurship to parenting in this article and asks business owners why they would give up on their enterprise when times get tough.
January 05, 2009
Internationally recognized home stager, The Staging Diva®, offers photo tips for real estate agents to help encourage prospective home buyers to click on their online listings and get their phone ringing.
December 29, 2008
Home staging expert, the Staging Diva®, has developed a resource to help home stagers promote themselves and educate their prospective clients about the home staging industry.
December 09, 2008
Expert home stager, the Staging Diva®, shares a success story about one of the Graduates of her home staging training program.
December 03, 2008
Intrepid entrepreneur and home staging expert The Staging Diva, talks about the role timing plays in the journey toward making a living by following your passion.
November 29, 2008
An Intrepid Entrepreneur, gleans a valuable business lesson from President-elect Barack Obama. Here she shares what she´s learned with other entrepreneurs.
November 14, 2008
The Staging Diva, shares her Top 5 Home Staging Tips for designing to sell especially in a slow real estate market.
November 10, 2008
The Staging Diva explains why home staging works for real estate investors by reducing vacancy times.
November 06, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is the president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva® Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com.
October 29, 2008
Entrepreneur and Home Staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, knows how to make money as a home stager. Discover her secrets to business success in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Free quiz to see if a home staging business is right for you at http://www.stagingdiva.com.
October 22, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva® Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide, knows how to make money staging homes. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com.
October 22, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva® Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide, knows how to make money staging homes. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com.
October 09, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva® Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide, knows how to make money staging homes. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com.
October 09, 2008
Entrepreneur and Home Staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®, knows how to make money as a home stager and taught over 900 others to do the same. Discover her secrets to business success in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.
October 07, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. She is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick colors for Home Staging Projects", and "Staging Diva® Ultimate Portfolio Guide: Winning Clients With The Perfect Home Staging Portfolio". Debra also offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagindiva.com.
September 25, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com.
September 15, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements Inc. and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. She is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick colors for Home Staging Projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Guide: Creating The Perfect Portfolio to Sell Your Home Staging Services". Debra created the Staging Diva Art Shop and has also developed a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit http://www.stagindiva.com
September 15, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements Inc. and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. She is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick colors for Home Staging Projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Guide: Creating The Perfect Portfolio to Sell Your Home Staging Services". Debra also offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit www.stagingdiva.com.
September 08, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program has trained 900+ Graduates worldwide on the business of home staging. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar.
August 27, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell for top dollar.
August 18, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell for top dollar.
August 11, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell for top dollar.
August 05, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell for top dollar.
July 28, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell for top dollar.
July 21, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. She is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick colors for Home Staging Projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Guide: Creating The Perfect Portfolio to Sell Your Home Staging Services". Debra also offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit www.stagingdiva.com.
July 14, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 800+ Graduates worldwide. She is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick colors for Home Staging Projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Guide: Creating The Perfect Portfolio to Sell Your Home Staging Services". Debra also offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit www.stagingdiva.com.
July 07, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 800+ Graduates worldwide. She is the author of "Staging Diva Ultimate Color Guide: The Easy Way to Pick colors for Home Staging Projects", and "Staging Diva Ultimate Guide: Creating The Perfect Portfolio to Sell Your Home Staging Services". Debra also offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit www.stagingdiva.com.
June 30, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 800+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit www.stagingdiva.com
June 23, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 800+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. To learn more visit www.stagingdiva.com
June 10, 2008
A professional Home Stager will look at your client's home through the eyes of a highly critical buyer and make recommendations that will create the best first impression for potential buyers. Their services allow a home to stand out from the crowd and that benefits both the seller and real estate agent. It is a clear win-win situation.
June 02, 2008
As with any problem, the key to avoiding foreclosure is to be proactive. Many people facing the prospect of foreclosure will decide that the best solution is to sell their house. It might seem counterintuitive to hire a professional stager when you are facing the sale of your home to avoid foreclosure; however it has been proven time and time again that staged homes sell faster and for a higher price than homes that are sold "as is".
May 27, 2008
I receive many emails from people who are completely confused by the various home staging training programs available. With so many options, I can understand the frustration. However, once you know the right questions to ask, you can make a well-informed decision.
May 21, 2008
It's been a difficult journey toward becoming fit, but it reminded me of a few lessons that apply equally to building a business. The following are a few of the lessons I have learned from the gym.
May 13, 2008
Many individuals take for granted the things that they naturally do well and assume that everyone else knows how to do those things too. But building a business around those innate talents dramatically increases your chances of success. The following is a list of skills and talents a professional Home Stager should possess to be successful in this business.
May 08, 2008
House hunting can often be a lot like "speed dating". If you've ever been house hunting, you can see the similarities. Your agent takes you to six or more houses in a single afternoon. Within minutes, you'll reject most choosing possibly one or two properties to go back to for a second look. And Home Staging is all about creating the best first impression and paving the way for potential buyers to fall in love.
April 13, 2008
There are lots of simple things a homeowner can do on their own to decorate their house to sell. However, many homeowners are unsure of where to start. The process of selling a home can be completely overwhelming, but a Home Stager has the ability to look at a home with a fresh pair of eyes. They view the home as a highly critical buyer would see it.
March 06, 2008
If you have a flair for decorating and an interest in real estate, Home Staging could be the right career for you. This service business, also called House Fluffing, Real Estate Staging or Home Styling, is based on the art of decorating a home to sell quickly and for top dollar. Home Staging is a great service business to run from a home office for the following ten reasons.
March 06, 2008
In neighborhoods, a good percentage of sellers always stage their homes when they put them on the market. It's something they know they have to do to stand out from the competition. It's part of the process of selling a home.
March 06, 2008
Are you considering going to Interior Design school? If you have a flair for decorating and an interest in real estate, Home Staging might be an exciting alternative career option for you. Home Staging is the art of decorating a home to sell quickly and for top dollar.
March 06, 2008
As a business and marketing trainer to hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs and someone who has a proven track record of growing successful businesses from scratch since the 1980s, including Six Elements (a home staging & interior redesign firm), I developed the following simple quiz to help others gauge their ability to think like an entrepreneur.
March 06, 2008
The spring months are traditionally the busiest time of the year for the residential real estate market. The weather is more cooperative and many families like to move while the kids are on their summer break. How can a home stand out from the competition when there are several homes for sale at similar prices in the neighborhood, or worse on the same street?
February 04, 2008
Have you been thinking about starting a home staging business? With the economy slowing down, you may be wondering if this is a good time to enter the field. In this buyers housing market, home staging has become one the most sought out services in the real estate industry today, and the future looks even brighter.
January 31, 2008
Entrepreneur and Home Staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva, knows how to make money as a home stager. Discover her secrets to business success in the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Free quiz to see if a home staging business is right for you at http://www.stagingdiva.com
January 31, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar.† To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com ††
January 31, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar. Visit http://www.stagingdiva.com
January 31, 2008
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell quickly and for top dollar.† To learn more visit http://www.stagingdiva.com ††