Taking Virtual Staging to the Next Level in 2019

You might have seen our other posts on staging and how it can be an effective tool when marketing a listing. In some real estate markets, staging is an essential piece of the puzzle when preparing a home to sell. In ours, it’s more case-by-case. The strategies for staging have changed over the years and we have been experimenting with the benefits of virtual staging instead of bringing in furniture. Since 99% of buyers are searching online on consumer websites like Zillow and Realtor.com, the photography is the most important part of the marketing. Virtual staging can give the buyer an idea of what they can do with a space to intrigue them to schedule a showing. Then when they see the home in person, they can implement their own creativity to design a furniture layout that works for them. Virtual staging can also bring a greater variety of furnishing options that a staging company might not offer. Overall, we like this model, but felt there might be ways to make it more effective and hands-on for a buyer during their tour of the vacant home.

Bringing in the Poster Boards

Carole’s sister gave us a great idea to bring our virtual staging to life by printing the virtually staged photos onto poster board, then using 3M strips to secure the photos to the walls in their respective areas. So, when a buyer walks through the dining room, they see a picture on the wall of what that dining room would look like furnished! Isabel and Zach went to one of our former listings with this strategy and hung the photos throughout the house.

The feedback at the next open house was excellent. It really helped the visitors envision what could be done with an elegant, modern approach to furnishing the home with light colors in a very brown house. Some of the other benefits to the seller include cost, use of space, no risk of damaging finishes, and innovative marketing amongst a competitive marketplace.

Every listing is different, and this is not going to be our new baseline approach to staging, but for the right property it can be a very effective tool, and we LOVE adding to our tool collection when it comes to marketing your home!