Occupied Staging Project of the Year, United States™

Set your work apart by entering the Occupied Staging Project of the Year, United States™ award, presented by the Real Estate Staging Association® (RESA®).

This category recognizes professional home stagers who specialize in occupied properties and understand how to work strategically with existing furnishings, homeowner constraints, and lived in environments to create clarity, flow, and buyer appeal. These projects demonstrate how thoughtful occupied staging influences perception, reduces hesitation, and supports strong market outcomes.

Submitting your work places your project on a national stage, where it may be evaluated and recognized by peers within the home staging industry. Top entries may be featured in curated case study content highlighting the staging approach, challenges addressed, and results achieved, extending visibility beyond the awards season.

If you stage occupied homes and understand how to elevate listings while respecting the realities of everyday living, this category was created for you. Submit a project that reflects your judgment, adaptability, and ability to create impact through professional occupied staging.

Your work helps buyers see possibility.
Now let the industry see it too.

Entry Fee:

$70.00 each entry

Submissions Guidelines:

• NEW FOR 2026 This category is intended for occupied properties that are not positioned within the top 20 percent of their local market.

• BEFORE PHOTO REQUIREMENTS – 2026 UPDATE

  For the 2026 Awards year, the Home Staging Industry Awards will allow before photos that include construction items, debris, or existing contents when they reflect the home’s actual pre-staging condition.

  This change ensures entries reflect the realities of the staging profession and allows judges to more fully appreciate the transformation and problem-solving expertise demonstrated in each project.

• Submissions primarily using the client’s existing furniture are eligible. Use of a combination of rented, borrowed or purchased furniture is permitted. 
• Submissions may include accessories and artwork that are either provided by the stager or purchased by the client.  
• The after photo does not have to have the same furniture as the before photo because this is not reflective of real life staging situations.

Submissions Will Be Judged On The Following:

• Focal point or architectural feature highlighted
• Furniture layout, scale and flow
• Well balanced color palette
• Use of accessories in size, scale, color and style
• Overall cohesiveness of the staging

Applicants Will Submit: 

• One before and after photo set containing your best work completed during the last twelve months. 
• Company name, location, designations, and website URL.
• Photo of yourself (jpg)
• Company logo (jpg)
• To be eligible for consideration for a possible case study feature story on top ten winners please add the project details. You will not be judged by this information.
  • Number of rooms staged
  • Total cost to stage (including rental fees for the initial term of your contract)
  • What were the days on market
  • If sold for over list price, how much over list did it sell?