Anyone trying to sell their NYC apartment could benefit from hiring a home stager. These are the professionals you call when making an empty or outdated home look unique and desirable. Proper staging isn’t just about making a home look good. It’s about telling the property’s story and conveying the lifestyle that a buyer could have if they lived there.
If you want to get your apartment sold fast (who doesn’t?), then hiring a staging company for a makeover can do that and lead to a higher selling price. But which staging companies are the best? Based on proven results and increased customer satisfaction, we’ve chosen what we believe are the best staging companies in NYC.
We also reached out to hear their thoughts on making them unique in the home staging business. So, if you’re looking for a home staging company, these are the ones we think are the very best in NYC.
IMG – Interior Marketing GroupIMG – Interior Marketing Group
Founded in 2007 by entrepreneur Cheryl Eisen, IMG is one of Manhattan’s largest home staging companies. The multi-million-dollar business in Midtown East counts some of the biggest celebrities and high-profile names among its clients, including Danial Craig, Ivanka Trump, Bethany Frankel, and Kanye West.
Cheryl’s commitment to speed and efficiency sets them apart in the staging business without sacrificing quality. Two hundred and eighty-eight hours. That’s Cheryl’s timeframe for designing and installing multi-million-dollar properties of all sizes. This 12-day turnaround time is made possible through Cheryl’s quick thinking and her list of vendors that always have what she needs in stock.
When they can’t get what’s needed immediately, they make it themselves. Among the company’s departments are included an art department and fabrication department. Rather than wait for custom-designed drapery panels to arrive, they buy the fabric, hem it, clip it and drape it. The difference in quality between it and a showroom piece is imperceptible.
IMG designs can be found in about 120 properties at any given time. Most of which are in New York and a few in the Hamptons. They also have a growing presence in Miami and Connecticut and are currently weighing plans to launch a product line.
“Our goal is to unlock the potential of any space in a way that is classic and luxurious, yet comfortable. We always work in neutrals, but layer textures to add depth and warmth to our designs. Our staging practice has grown over the past few years to evolve with the needs of brokers, developers, and sellers competing in a tough market. It takes much more than a pretty space to sell a luxury home today, so we’ve added essential marketing tools like photography, events, and public relations to our mix. The combination is defying market trends one sale at a time.” – Cheryl Eisen, CEO, and Founder of IMG
Studio DStudio D
Studio D – CEO and founder Gail Dunnett came to the home staging world almost accidentally. When recruited by Williams Sonoma, she moved to San Francisco and left her home behind in Old Greenwich, CT. That home sat on the market for months before Gail suggested that she install the furniture with her agent. Before then, Gail had never even heard of home staging. But once the apartment was furnished, they received multiple offers in less than a week.
On leaving Williams Sonoma, Gail decided to test her love of real estate and business acumen. So, in 2003, Studio D was founded. Her goal was to create a leading boutique firm specializing in home staging within the luxury real estate market. In 2011, she acquired the New York Staging Co. and made Studio D a bi-coastal company.
“We endeavor to stage homes using fresh and beautiful design to create an emotional element that reaches out and grabs the buyer, drawing them into the allure of a property. We take great care to approach each home uniquely, giving it it’s own voice or point of view- and I think this translates well to buyers. As can be seen in our work, our stagers can feel the difference from that of a Chelsea penthouse to a Greenwich Village townhouse to an upper east side penthouse, and we make sure to position each with its own personality.” – Gail Dunnett, CEO of Studio D
ASH NYCASH NYC
IN ITS OWN WORDS, ASH NYC is a company that “seeks to bridge the worlds of interior design and property development.” In 2008, Jonathan Minkoff and Ari Heckman partnered to form ASH NYC. The two had met while working together at a Brooklyn-based development firm. They started from simple beginnings by investing in a nine-unit college housing apartment in Providence, Rhode Island, and renting a small apartment in Greenpoint, where they worked from. At first, it was like two little companies operating side by side. With Minkoff investing in properties while Heckman did work on staging properties.
Things changed when they brought in Will Cooper as their Creative Director. After much discussion, the team decided to create a single company with a multi-pronged approach to development. First, they would seek to invest and develop properties throughout the country and prioritize interior design and staging.
After ten years in the business, ASH will soon move to a new office on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn. They continue to work on real estate development and staging.
“ASH Staging creates one-of-a-kind, designer quality spaces for residential and commercial clients who own and represent the highest value properties in national target markets. Our style is multifaceted and carefully tailored for our various projects; we work on everything from starchitect penthouses to seaside shingle style single-family homes – using pieces that run the gamut from vintage to contemporary; masculine to feminine. No two of our projects are exactly alike. When we enter a space, we create an imaginary profile for the future owner or renter and design a unique and specific look replete with personal touches and sensory augmentation — meaning that we select not just the furniture, art, and accessories, but also the music, fragrances, floral arrangements, and more. We are headquartered in New York City and have just expanded to offices in the Hamptons and Los Angeles. We specialize in projects throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, Los Angeles and Orange County, and southern Florida” – Andrew Bowen, Staging Director at ASH NYC