* Name: Shannon Thompson
* Job title: Home stager
* Location: Dwellings in the Chattanooga area
* First employer: Ryan's Steak House
* Favorite part of job: "Repurposing things and using an objective eye to use things in a way people wouldn't think of." Ms. Thompson said a key component of being a home stager is using a creative eye to place objects in a manner that is attractive and will appeal to a plethora of potential buyers.
* Worst part of job: The physical labor, including moving furniture and objects from room to room. "I kill myself doing it, but because I love it I can't stop."
* Special rewards: Seeing the finished product and having happy clients. She said when she moved to Chattanooga from Atlanta in 2007, houses would sell 50 percent faster following a stage job. More recent results have been inconsistent as a result of the economic downturn.
* Best advice: Declutter and organize. "Everything has a place, keep it neat and tidy." When staging a home, Ms. Thompson said, keep things generic, avoid a lot of personal items such as photographs and knick knacks. The accessories and layout should complement the architectural details of the home. She said she will sometimes bring in decorative items such as pillows or vases if the owner doesn't have attractive enough items, and the client can purchase them from her. "You want to appeal to the most buyers."
* Making a career of it: Online courses are available, but Ms. Thompson said a lot of home staging comes down to natural talent. "Either you got it or you don't," she said. Visiting model homes to get a sense of what is being done helps. She said when she began, she practiced developing her creative eye by rearranging the tops of her kitchen cabinets over and over. The keys, she said, are loving the work and being able to "rearrange a room and make it balance and flow well."