In a virtual age, where you can tour homes online and purchase a home sight-unseen, why wouldn’t you consider virtual staging as a way to market your home to potential buyers? As more home sellers turn to virtual staging, you might be wondering, is virtual staging worth it? How does virtual staging compare to traditional staging? And how much does virtual staging cost? We’ll explain everything you need to know to help you determine whether virtual staging is the right alternative for you.
What is virtual staging?
Virtual staging, like traditional staging, is decorating a property to showcase its best features and qualities to make it more attractive to homebuyers. But as the name implies, virtual staging is done with a computer. There’s no real furniture, area rugs, potted plants, or other décor involved. Professional virtual stagers digitally insert decorative elements in high-resolution photos to show an empty room’s full potential.
Virtual staging vs. traditional staging
According to the National Association of Realtors®, 82 percent of buyers’ agents say that staging makes it easier for buyers to visualize themselves living in a home. As many as 38 percent of sellers’ agents say that they stage all their clients’ homes before listing. Since the benefits of staging can directly impact listing performance, virtual staging was developed to give the same benefits for home sellers looking for an alternative to traditional staging.
With that said, virtual staging may help sell a home faster and for more money – but only if it’s done right. You still need to hire a professional who knows how to take good listing photos and work with a reputable company with a great portfolio of completed work.
What homes is virtual staging best suited for?
Virtual staging won’t work for all homes, and in many cases, traditional staging may be a better choice. However, it can be a huge benefit if it’s done properly for the following types of homes: