5 Ways the Art of Virtual Staging Enhances Selling Power

Home sellers should make every effort to ensure their property is viewed in the best light. Empty rooms and bare walls make it difficult for many buyers to picture themselves living in a home. Traditionally, many sellers opted to hire home stagers to bring in furnishings that warmed the home up and helped buyers relate to the space. However, that prospect can be costly.

Showcasing your property in the best possible light can be the difference between buyers beating down your door and not hearing a peep from anyone. Virtual staging, a new trend in the real estate market, is a unique way to ensure your property looks its best.

What Is Virtual Staging?

By using an online graphic editor, your property can be filled with virtual furnishings and accessories. These photos are used in your home’s marketing to give buyers a feel of the home’s potential.

You can use virtual staging to:

  • Fill empty rooms with beautiful furniture, rugs, wall art and window treatments.
  • Stage outdoor areas to create greater appeal.
  • Remove clutter and personal items that would not look good in photos.

Using virtual staging is a cost-effective way to attract more buyers and get more, higher offers.

How Does Staging Your Property Virtually Enhance Its Selling Power?

There are several ways virtually staging your home helps improve your seller’s journey.

  • It gets the online shoppers’ attention. Since about 90% of homebuyers start their search online, virtual staging is a big advantage. When buyers see a home online they can picture themselves living in, they’re more likely to want to purchase it.
  • You can do it faster than traditional staging. Moving furniture, adding lighting, and shopping for staging items can take weeks. If you want to get your home on the market quickly, that option isn’t going to cut it. Top-to-bottom virtual staging, however, can happen in a few hours.
  • It’s easy to build a cohesive design. A virtual staging program gives you endless choices for home furnishings. Picking and choosing furniture types and placement, colors, and “vibes” give you a chance to highlight your home’s strengths.
  • It costs much less than physical staging. Hiring a physical stager can run into thousands of dollars, which comes off the top of your profit. Virtual staging gives you a way to attract buyers without shelling out a hefty chunk of cash.
  • It’s perfect for sellers who are still living in the home. Unlike traditional staging, you’ll be able to live comfortably in your home with your belongings and still showcase your property online. Virtual staging can remove personal items and eliminate clutter, which helps buyers more easily appreciate the space.

How to Virtually Stage Your Home

If you’ve decided to take advantage of virtual home staging, start by asking your real estate agent for a recommendation. From there, reach out to the designer and get a quote. Have a conversation about the areas you want staged and let them work their magic. Once the project’s complete, you’ll have beautifully staged photographs to use to attract serious buyers.

Warnings for Using Virtual Staging

Buyers should benefit from your virtual staging efforts by being able to see what they could do with the property and picturing themselves living there. However, you should avoid:

  • Going overboard and misleading buyers. Removing flaws in the home or items that need to be repaired goes beyond staging into misrepresentation. Your goal should be to show your property in the best light, not pull the wool over buyers’ eyes.
  • Using a cheap virtual staging program. Take care that the virtual staging looks real, or the pictures will come off as weird and will turn buyers off.
  • Depending solely on virtual staging. Once you have your pictures staged, dig into your home. De-clutter, deep clean, and pack away personal items. These efforts will help buyers love your home as much during a physical visit as they did when they viewed your pics.

Sellers who want to get their homes on the market, attract numerous buyers and garner a high price should seriously consider virtual staging. It’s cost-effective, easy-to-use and helps buyers picture themselves in the space.