Accredited staging professional

Who: Melinda Bartling, real estate agent with Re/Max Best Associates in Overland Park.

Credential awarded by: Staged Homes, 656 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661; 1-888-277-7824; www.stagedhomes.com.

How many nationwide: About 3,000

Earning certification: Staging is designed to help real estate agents sell homes by improving the home's appearance and appeal to buyers. The coursework covers how to de-clutter, de-personalize and create the right flow so that buyers can see themselves living in the house.

Details: Bartling attended an accreditation course last month in Chicago. After three days of classes, participants staged a $2 million home as their final exam. The course was taught by Barb Schwarz, founder of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, who explained staging as "the way you live in a home and the way you sell a home are two different things."

Use at work: "I now know and understand exactly what sellers need to do to get their home on the market and how the staging process is important in helping homes sell more quickly and for more money," Bartling said.

Su Bacon, special to The Star