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Just as staging your home before an appraiser (or buyer) comes, staging a commercial space or an office space for a potential renter or buyer is equally beneficial. But filling an office space with a four-poster bed or placing a kitchen table in a clothing store wouldn’t make much sense, now would it? Of course not!

However, having these places properly staged for the right client can help answer any questions they may have. How would I utilize this space? Where would the conference room table go? How many desks could we fit in here? Would there be enough room for clothing racks? Can a treadmill fit in here? But if the client is left with a blank slate, he or she can’t answer those questions, as he or she doesn’t have any form of inspiration, nor does he or she necessarily have a picture in his or her head. Appraising is our business, and commercial spaces deserve just as much attention as home do. So, take these few staging tips into consideration the next time you’re in need of leasing out a large space.

•     Clear the Clutter
Just like with staging a home before an appraisal or an open house, getting rid of any unnecessary and unwanted clutter is vital. Yes, we all know that desks gather clutter when employees are being efficient workers and having the essentials — e.g., a stapler, paper clips, pens, etc. — is necessary. But having those during staging isn’t necessary. Clutter is distracting. Instead, show off storage space, or show off where the work essentials can be stored, and how that can be used and is beneficial for whatever business may be leasing the space.

•     Stage accessories to display the business
You wouldn’t place your bed in the kitchen, nor would you put a toilet in a living room. So when the space is being staged for a certain line of business, having every prop and accessory relate to that business is key. Having everything, even down to the books and magazines in the waiting area (if your commercial space has one, that is) relate to the line of business can give potential clients a vision of how the space will look for when they will be using the space. So when staging the space, have every item relate to that line of business and it will give the client clear vision in his or her head.

•     But, if you aren’t showing the space to one particular business, aim for an overall professional appearance
As staging is really meant to give potential clients a guide map of how they can set up their business, there could be a cornucopia of possibilities just in one space. Similar to houses, painting the space in a neutral color can appeal to the preferences of numerous different people and can show off how large a space is (and can even make a small space appear larger!).  Don’t go for bold, bright colors in this situation; clients can make color changes all their own once they have leased the space — per the rental agreement, that is.

•     Show off the location well, so customers can get an idea of what the company is about
As this applies to staging a space for a certain line of business, know every aspect of that business and what the company does. Show off how professional the company is, and how accessible that particular location is (or how easily that location can be re-arranged to meet the needs of whoever may be leasing the space) — all of which can be done with the proper staging techniques.

•     Before you rush out and look up a new office space to rent for your company, the Lexur Appraisal team has one final tip for you: Don’t leave staging your office or commercial space to the last minute! Like with any business, staging requires time, and if you have a time constraint, putting something off until the last minute doesn’t guarantee a staging company can get your requests done when you place a phone call at midnight.  

A properly staged commercial or office space gives clients a grasp on how they can productively work in that space — and not just look at an empty room with overhead lighting. In order for it to be effective, a staged commercial space should allow prospective tenants to visualize their own business being located there, as well as give them inspiration about how they can configure their business’s layout. With these tips and ideas, staging any business — whether it is an office space, retail, an off-site meeting space, a fitness center, or something else entirely — should be a thing of ease.