Meridith Baer Home: Meridith Baer. She Started Over at 50 and Put Home Staging on the Map.
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
At age 50, screenwriter Meredith Baer accidentally discovered her calling in home staging after her landlord sold the house she had beautifully decorated, launching what would become one of the most successful staging companies in America. (27:21) After decades writing for Hollywood and dating celebrities like Patrick Stewart, Meredith pivoted from a stalled writing career to transform how homes are sold in the luxury real estate market. (37:37) Today, Meredith Baer Home operates with 320 employees across multiple locations, staging 700-900 homes simultaneously with jobs ranging from $10,000 to $185,000 per house.
- Main themes: Career reinvention at 50, building a business from personal passion, and scaling creative services without outside funding
Speakers
Guy Raz
Host of How I Built This, a popular NPR podcast featuring interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders. Previously served as a foreign correspondent and host for various NPR programs.
Meredith Baer
Founder and CEO of Meredith Baer Home, one of the largest home staging companies in America. Grew up on the grounds of San Quentin prison where her father was an associate warden, had a successful screenwriting career in Hollywood before launching her staging business at age 50. Previously dated celebrities including Patrick Stewart and worked as a writer for Penthouse magazine.
Key Takeaways
Reinvention Is Possible at Any Age
Meredith completely transformed her career at 50, moving from screenwriting to home staging. (52:05) She believes people aren't stuck doing the same thing forever and that "we're all taught that we have to choose a career, and then that's who we are. But I think the truth is we're a lot of things, all of us." This demonstrates that it's never too late to pursue a new passion or discover hidden talents, even when starting over means leaving behind decades of experience in another field.
Price Based on Value, Not Hours
When setting her staging prices, Meredith calculated the monthly mortgage costs her clients would pay while their homes sat unsold. (35:18) She reasoned that paying $30,000 for staging was a bargain if it helped sell a house in one month instead of a year of mortgage payments. This value-based pricing approach helped her charge premium rates from the beginning and positioned staging as an investment rather than an expense.
Say Yes First, Figure It Out Later
Meredith's philosophy was to "say yes and then figure out if I really wanted to or if I could." (61:20) This approach opened doors throughout her career, from accepting Jerry Bruckheimer's commercial offer in college to taking on her first staging jobs. While this requires courage and adaptability, it allowed her to seize opportunities that others might have passed up due to overthinking or fear of the unknown.
Build Systems That Scale Without Losing Quality
As Meredith expanded from doing everything herself to managing 320 employees across multiple cities, she had to systematize her aesthetic vision. (48:37) She accomplished this by manufacturing 60-70% of her own furniture, training designers who shared her sensibility, and maintaining strict quality standards. The key was creating repeatable processes that could deliver consistent results without requiring her personal involvement in every project.
Bootstrap Growth Through Creative Partnerships
Instead of raising outside capital, Meredith grew through creative arrangements like consignment deals with rug dealers who provided $1 million worth of inventory for her showrooms. (36:00) She also negotiated to live in the homes she staged in exchange for reduced fees. These creative financing solutions allowed her to scale without giving up equity or control, proving that resourcefulness can often substitute for traditional funding.
Statistics & Facts
- Meredith Baer Home employs 320 people and typically has 700-900 homes staged at any given time. (56:32)
- The company's staging jobs range from a minimum of $10,000 to as high as $185,000 for a single home. (56:57)
- Meredith manufactures 60-70% of the upholstered furniture used in her staged homes, giving her significant control over quality and costs. (54:11)
