Yo’s Story
Interior Designer & Staging Expert
“A home should be warm to the people who live in it, and to everyone who walks in.”
I was born and raised in Washington, DC. The rooms I remember best from growing up were never the fanciest ones. They were the ones where someone had taken care.
Family and friends were the first to show me that. They taught me to see beauty in a home, and I have not stopped looking since. My middle name, Tiera, means “Earth.” It is where my love for home comes from.
I came to decorating the long way. I spent thirty-five years in federal service with the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. That work taught me to be organized, to keep my word, and to finish what I start.
Staging was the next step. I earned my Certified Staging Professional designation, and I kept going. I am the only stager in the Washington, DC area who holds the CSP Elite Stager designation along with several others. I also serve on the national board of the Real Estate Staging Association.
I mention those because they are the reason I am good at this. They are not the point.
I have been with The Concierge Agency for seven years. Travell invests in staging for his sellers because it works. In the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 staging report, 29% of sellers’ agents said staging raised the offers they received by 1% to 10%, and 49% said it shortened the time on the market. That is why I offer complimentary staging with the listing.
The point is what happens when a buyer walks in. A staged home does not feel like a house for sale. It feels like a place someone could start their life. That feeling changes how long a home sits and what it sells for.
Staging is also about the people. A seller is usually leaving a home full of memories. I treat every house with that respect, and I treat every seller the way I would want my own family treated.
My motto is “going the extra mile with a smile,” and I mean it.
With Gratitude,
Yolanda “Yo” Tillman
Interior Designer & Staging Expert | Seven Years With The Concierge Agency
About Travell
Travell Eiland is a Broker Associate and REALTOR® with The Concierge Agency at Samson Properties, and an Emmy award-winning former TV news anchor and investigative journalist. He is a Certified Real Estate Negotiator and Certified Listing Specialist, known for a structured, story-driven approach to complex selling and buying situations across Prince George’s County, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia.
Meet Travell