If “all the world’s a stage” as Shakespeare reflected in As You Like It at the turn of the 17th century, then it may seem that professional real estate stagers are a little late in coming to Manhattan. According to the website for the International Association for Home Staging Professionals, an organization founded in the mid 1970’s by Barb Swartz in Washington State, the New York City chapter was formed only recently in November 2004. Staging as a recognized trade is pretty new. However, with the rising popularity of cable TV shows like “Sell This House” and the demonstrated success of recent “staged” apartment sales, the business is definitely growing.
