CSP Industry Standards & Ethical Practices 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A staging professional discovers that a client's listing agent has asked them to hide a visible water stain behind a piece of furniture. What is the ethical response?
- Comply to maintain the client relationship
- Refuse and explain that concealing defects is deceptive to buyers (Correct answer)
- Move the furniture but note it verbally to the agent only
- Agree if the agent provides written authorization
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that concealing defects is deceptive to buyers
Concealing known material defects is deceptive to buyers and violates ethical staging standards, regardless of client pressure.
Question 2: Which organization is the primary professional association that establishes ethical and educational standards for home stagers in the United States?
- National Association of Realtors (NAR)
- Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) (Correct answer)
- Home Staging Council (HSC)
- American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
Correct answer: Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)
RESA (Real Estate Staging Association) is the primary professional organization setting standards, ethics, and education for home stagers in the US.
Question 3: A CSP stager is hired to stage a property and notices the home has undisclosed mold in a closet. What is the stager's ethical obligation?
- Stage around it and say nothing to avoid overstepping
- Inform the client/agent of the observation and recommend professional inspection (Correct answer)
- Remove the mold themselves before staging
- Only disclose if the buyer directly asks
Correct answer: Inform the client/agent of the observation and recommend professional inspection
Ethical stagers must disclose observed potential hazards to their client and recommend proper professional evaluation.
Question 4: When a staging contract includes a furniture rental agreement, which clause is most critical for protecting both parties from liability?
- A color palette clause
- A damage and liability clause specifying responsibility for rental items (Correct answer)
- A marketing rights clause
- A staging duration clause with no penalties
Correct answer: A damage and liability clause specifying responsibility for rental items
A damage and liability clause clearly defines who is financially responsible if rented furniture is damaged during the staging period.
Question 5: Under RESA's Code of Ethics, what must a staging professional do if a conflict of interest arises with a client?
- Proceed without disclosure if the project is profitable
- Disclose the conflict of interest fully and allow the client to make an informed decision (Correct answer)
- Withdraw from the project without explanation
- Refer the project to a competitor immediately
Correct answer: Disclose the conflict of interest fully and allow the client to make an informed decision
Full transparency and disclosure of conflicts of interest is required under RESA's Code of Ethics so clients can make informed decisions.
Question 6: A stager is asked by a repeat client to provide a written testimonial falsely claiming the stager is RESA-certified when they are not. The stager should:
- Provide the testimonial to preserve the business relationship
- Decline, as misrepresenting credentials violates professional ethics and consumer protection laws (Correct answer)
- Provide it only for one transaction
- Provide it if the client signs a liability waiver
Correct answer: Decline, as misrepresenting credentials violates professional ethics and consumer protection laws
Misrepresenting professional credentials is both unethical and potentially illegal under consumer protection regulations.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the ethical principle of 'competence' as applied to staging professionals?
- Only accepting projects in neighborhoods where the stager has lived
- Only undertaking projects within one's skill set and seeking training for unfamiliar areas (Correct answer)
- Charging premium rates for all services regardless of complexity
- Refusing all commercial staging projects
Correct answer: Only undertaking projects within one's skill set and seeking training for unfamiliar areas
Professional competence means only accepting work within your current skill set and pursuing continuing education to expand that skill set.
CSP Industry Standards & Ethical Practices 2
A staging professional discovers that a client's listing agent has asked them to hide a visible water stain behind a piece of furniture.
What is the ethical response?