We recently connected with Larisa Kocsis and have shared our conversation below.

Larisa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Before I fell in love with home staging, I was just searching for a (back)steppingstone to my original career. Back in 2011 I graduated with a degree in Architecture. In 2012 I relocated to the US, and by the end of the year I was already preparing for another degree in Computer Science. Ten years later, what some call a “well-rounded career” felt chaotic and confusing, especially since becoming a mom. I missed creative work.
While I didn’t have my next career move figured out, what I did know was that I wanted to raise a woman who understands the value of being true to herself. I started obsessing about this idea that my daughter needed living proof that we can all survive and thrive from our labor of love. I had to lead by example, and from there the business idea came naturally.
I’m not big on personal rituals, but for the past few years I’ve enjoyed reading “The Year of No Nonsense” by Meredith Atwood right around the New Year. It’s a great self-discovery exercise that I personally benefit from. Just like its “truth onion”, this whole exercise is iterative.
So, in early 2022 I finally traded security for authenticity, and started Living Edge – a Home Staging and Interior Design company serving the Greater Seattle area. Then I fell in love with home staging by doing, because I was applying the same high-level principles and design concepts as in architecture. I became so passionate about my work, my clients, and the business in general, that I eventually forgot it was supposed to be a “steppingstone”. It has evolved into “my one thing”.

Larisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I provide home staging and interior design services across the Greater Seattle area. I cater to clients at every stage in their real estate journey. To me, good design is like a love language that speaks to the various stake holders: builders, flippers, real estate agents, homeowners, investors, property managers and more.

Home staging is targeted primarily at sellers. It helps them attract more competitive offers, faster. Buyers also benefit from home staging, because it’s an aid for visualizing these properties through a designer’s perspective. For real estate agents, quality staging is a solid marketing tool. We highlight the best features of a home to get as many eyes on the listing as possible. Since the goal is to appeal to wide buyer demographics, we tend to keep home staging more neutral and generic.

Interior design on the other hand is more personal and specific to clients’ lifestyle and taste. My design services get homeowners closer to their idea of the perfect home, whether through a more functional kitchen, serene bathrooms with a spa-like feel, added comfort and elevated aesthetics.

Besides the creative aspect of my business, I also love working with people. That includes serving my clients, collaborating, networking, and learning from a growing circle that inspires me. When you’re passionate and you genuinely love the people you’re surrounded by, you don’t compromise on quality in any aspect of your work. That’s what sets me apart, and that’s the foundation of Living Edge and its reputation.

Where others see a contract, I see a partnership. With real estate agents for example, I don’t just act as contractor, I strive to become their trusted marketing partner, because the success of their transaction reflects the quality of my services. I’ll always go the extra mile to turn their listing into a “hot home”, and I’ll take every opportunity to shout them out and publicly celebrate their achievements.

Just like everything in real estate, home staging is hard work. So is interior design (minus the heavy lifting). What I learned about the real estate industry is that all parties involved have a deep passion for what they do, and that’s what drives us. It’s such a fascinating place to be professionally. I have never felt so fulfilled and excited about my work and my brand. When you see the slogan “Staging is my jam”, you know it’s Living Edge.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I was raised in a culture in which sharing your achievements generally counted as bragging. Not only do I think this is wrong, but more so when you’re running a business. If we agree that owning our failures is a virtue, then not owning our success would be a form of self-sabotage; we must get out of our own way. Although I believe in my work and the Living Edge brand, I won’t go on social media or to a networking event saying that I accomplished a certain thing, therefore I’m the best. But I try to mention my accomplishments consistently as a way of building trust. In staging for instance, the number of days on the market is a quality metric. I’ll make sure to point it out when a property sells quickly. And since most of the time my accomplishments wouldn’t be possible without other parties involved, this is far from bragging. This is the easiest, cheapest, and most predictable form of marketing, and a bonus opportunity to applaud all the other contributors.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When I started Living Edge, I had literally zero connections among real estate agents. That terrified me on the one hand, but on the other hand I was so eager to start, that holding back until I built my network was out of the question. The lack of connections and being bad at sales turned out to be a blessing in disguise. These two “qualities” made me hustle harder to meet people and establish business relationships faster. I’m a creative person in general, and I am finding plenty of room for creativity in marketing, too. Selling your services without being salesy is something to aspire to, especially in the world of real estate. The way I build and nurture my connections is definitely contributing to my company’s reputation. Living Edge is not a luxury service provider, although I’m open to adding premium tiers in the future. One of my core beliefs is that we can (and should) provide the services that bring our customers the highest return on investment (ROI) on the budget they are comfortable allocating. Homeowners who’ve outgrown their house deserve the best offer they can possibly get on the property they are selling, so they can contribute more towards their new home. We strive to keep our pricing model in alignment with our values out of empathy towards our customers, and empathy also plays a big role in how they perceive us.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.livingedgestyle.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/livingedgestyle
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/livingedgestyle
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/living-edge-seattle-2

Image Credits
Brittany Hanson Photography