Virtual Staging
A 2020 study by the National Association of Realtors found that "82% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home." Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a new agent, there’s a tremendous benefit to professionally staging your clients’ homes.
But in this day and age, physically staging a home can be very difficult. With the pandemic, just about every industry has shifted away from "in-person" visits towards more virtual alternatives — and real estate is no exception. That's why something known as virtual staging is becoming increasingly popular. Couple this with the fact that it's usually much cheaper and faster than doing the real thing, and it becomes a no-brainer.
Virtual Staging Offers a Powerful Digital Marketing Tool
Virtual staging allows you to showcase individual rooms at their highest potential. Showcasing vacant rooms puts a lot of pressure on a buyer to conceptualize the potential of a room. Virtual photos allow buyers to easily visualize their own furnishings in the space and show what can be accomplished aesthetically. In addition to the added value of professional photos, virtual staging is much more cost-effect than traditional staging which could cost thousands of dollars.
Virtual Staging is WAY Cheaper Than Traditional Home Staging
Not everyone has the budget to afford expensive furnishings for traditional home staging. Depending on the property, traditional home staging can have a significant return on investment, but at a steep cost. For only a few hundred dollars, sellers can use virtual staging to create realistic photos of every room in their home and showcase individual areas of the home at their highest potential. This avoids drawn-out and expensive furniture rentals and the headache of maintaining the property while it’s on the market.
Rooms That Benefit the Most From Virtual Staging
The Living Room
In a 2017 profile of home staging, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) stated that 86% of buyers say that seeing a staged living room is “important” or “very important, a rate higher than any other room in the house.
Tips for Staging a Living Room
- Decorate with greenery, flowers, and neutral artwork
- Declutter and remove personal items
- Neutral paint tones like cream, beige, and gray work best
The Master Bedroom
In the same study conducted by the NAR in 2017, 84% of buyers stated that the master bedroom was important or very important to stage making it the second most critical room for sellers to stage.
Tips for Staging a Master Bedroom
- Minimize or avoid themed bedrooms
- Clean out and organize closets to show off storage capacity
- Remove toiletries and personal items from adjacent suite bathrooms
- Use throw pillows and blankets to add color
The Kitchen
With 68% of buyers noting that the kitchen is important or very important to stage, this communal space comes in at number 3 in terms of the most important rooms to stage in a home.
Additional Tips for Kitchen Staging
- Highlight storage capabilities
- Remove outdated wallpaper
- Clear the counters of unnecessary items
- Add flowers, bowls of fruit, or other attractive but minimal decor.