Virtual Home Staging

When a home seller or a real estate agent decides to use virtual staging, the person doing the virtual staging takes digital photos of the home (preferably about five feet above the ground) and adds in digital furniture. The property being virtually staged could be empty, or it could even be full of existing furniture, decorations, knick-knacks, and so on. Most virtual staging solutions offer a way to remove existing furniture and clutter. This will typically come at an added cost. The end result is that the virtual stager is able to add anything they want into the photos which can include new furniture, decorations and more. When the virtual staging has been completed the photos are given to the home seller or real estate agent for use in the MLS system, virtual tours, and any other marketing outlets they might be utilizing. The best virtually staged photos will entice a potential buyer to schedule a showing.

There are two kinds of virtual staging that you can purchase.  The first type of virtual staging is full-service and it’s when you hire a professional virtual stager to stage your properties for you.  These people typically charge between $35 and $60 per photo. Some overseas services cost less and there are also some that cost much more than this. These are only averages.  The other option for virtual staging is DIY virtual staging. This is where you set up an account with an online virtual staging software company, upload your photos directly to the system and perform your own virtual staging.  These platforms typically cost between $7 and $15 per photo depending on the features you’re looking for.  Many of the more modern virtual staging software suites also allow you to virtually stage a panorama, or even remove existing furniture before adding in the newly virtually staged imagery. Staging panoramas and furniture removal typically come at an additional cost. 

You bet it does! It is common knowledge that 99% of all home shoppers turn to the internet before going to see a property in person. This is only natural as today’s buyers want to get a good feel for the homes home’s size, layout and construction well before they use up their time to check it out in person. With virtual staging, software is used to create a beautiful home remotely. Through the use of virtual staging software, photoshop, and other techniques, the final staged photos of the home offers home shoppers a new and fresh perspective and when done right it will entice them to inquire for more information. Ideally this results in lead or better yet, a live showing. The real estate marketing world that we live in today is nearly 100% digital. It’s not surprising that virtual tours, virtual showings and now virtual staging is more popular than ever before.