What is
Virtual Staging?
Digital staging, also known as virtual staging, has emerged as a transformative tool in the realm of real estate marketing. In essence, it is the art of enhancing property visuals through digital manipulation, creating an immersive experience for potential buyers. Unlike traditional physical staging, which involves physically furnishing a property, virtual staging relies on advanced software and graphic design techniques to transform empty or dated spaces into fully furnished, inviting homes.
At its core, the primary objective of virtual staging is to showcase a property's potential to prospective buyers. By digitally furnishing rooms and enhancing aesthetics, virtual staging enables potential buyers to envision themselves living in the space, thereby facilitating a deeper emotional connection.
While the images produced through virtual staging may not depict the property exactly as it appears in reality, they offer a compelling glimpse into its possibilities, encouraging buyers to explore further. Furthermore, virtual staging enables properties to be marketed more efficiently across various online platforms.
In today's digital age, where the majority of homebuyers begin their search online, captivating visuals play a crucial role in capturing attention and generating interest. Virtual staging allows listings to stand out amidst a sea of competitors, drawing in potential buyers with compelling images that showcase the property's full potential.
Virtual staging elevates the online presentation of properties
It may be “digital”, but it’s still staging.
The same rules that make traditional home staging effective also apply to virtual staging.
The Rules
To Make Virtual Staging Work
Virtual staging must have the right design to appeal to the right home buyers
Different homes in different real estate markets require different staging. While physical home stagers are limited by their inventory of furniture and props, virtual staging offers an unlimited choice of furnishings and styles to appeal to any potential home buyer in any market. But you need somebody who knows what they’re doing to appeal to the right home buyers. Hiring a professional to stage a luxury home ranges from $30K to $200K. What can you possibly expect when you’re paying $30 to virtually stage a room? You get a tech person overseas who knows nothing about staging luxury real estate in the United States. When millions are at stake, that’s a really unwise choice.
Virtual staging also needs to look real to be able to entice home buyers
Visual marketing makes memorable impressions faster. Over 95% of home buyers start their search online and their brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. Video can drive 150% increase in organic traffic from search engines. The goal of virtual staging is to help home buyers connect emotionally with a home through online visual marketing. While realistic virtual staging generates traffic and sells your home, cartoonish virtual furniture and staging will backfire, instead, as no buyer dreams of living in a fake-looking home.
You Get What You Pay For
Hiring a pro to physically stage a luxury home ranges from $30K to $100K. What can you possibly expect when you’re paying $16 to virtually stage a room?
FAQs
What’s the best virtual staging software?
A common misconception about virtual staging software is that they can produce a virtually staged room with the click of a mouse. That is simply not true. In order to create the virtual staging quality we are renown for, we use several different software, highly trained graphic designers and, most importantly, home staging experts.
Is virtual staging legal?
Yes. Virtual staging is legal and it has been successful used by all the top real estate companies in the United States for over 10 years now. Builders and real estate marketing companies have been using renderings to sell new developments for decades. Virtual staging is no different.
Can virtual staging change wall colors, floors or other features of the home?
Yes. Buyers can seldom see past a room with dated wall-paper or bold wall colors. Virtual staging is the perfect marketing tool to help buyers envision what a room would look like with a different wall color or floors.
Can virtual staging replace existing furniture?
Yes. Most homes for sale are lived-in. Over 10 year ago, Ilaria Barion’s company was the first one to offer a virtual staging service to re-stage homes that are dated or too taste specific. Virtual restyling and furniture replacement is one of our best selling service.
Is virtual staging misleading?
Disclosure is the answer. Using virtually staged pictures is no different from using pictures of the property when it was furnished, before the owners moved out. Nonetheless, we recommend disclosing that the home has been virtually staged or in any way enhanced. If the virtual staging involves more than adding home staging, showing before and after images is recommended.
How much does virtual staging cost?
While home stagers usually charge a percentage of the home listing price plus monthly furniture rental, virtual staging is charged as a flat fee regardless the price of the home. Virtual staging costs on average 10% of a comparable physical staging.