What is virtual staging in real estate? A quick roundup

Imagine being able to turn an empty, dull, and uninteresting space into a cozy and welcoming home with just a few clicks of a button. This is the magic of virtual staging, a powerful tool that has revolutionized the real estate industry. Virtual staging involves the use of advanced technology to digitally furnish empty spaces with furniture and décor to showcase a property’s potential. This allows real estate agents and sellers to present a fully furnished and decorated space to potential buyers without having to spend money on physical staging. 

Today we’ll dive deeper into virtual staging meaning, find out how it works, what is the difference between traditional staging, and what benefits it has for both sellers and buyers in the competitive world of real estate. Stay tuned, it’s going to be interesting.

What is virtual staging?

Virtual staging means the process of digitally furnishing and decorating an empty or sparsely furnished property using computer software. It is an innovative and effective solution that helps real estate agents and home sellers showcase the beauty and potential of a space or property and allows potential buyers to imagine what it might look like with furniture. 

Virtual staging can be useful for both vacant properties that need to be sold or rented and for properties that are still under construction. It can also be used for properties that are already furnished, but the furniture and decor are outdated or not visually appealing. Virtual real estate staging is becoming increasingly popular due to its cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and convenience.

Unlike a traditional installation, where physical furnishings are brought into a home, the entire process is virtual and effortless. Virtual staging of homes typically involves taking a photo of an empty room and then using graphic design software to add furniture, plants, decor, and other elements to make the space more inviting. This can include everything from carpets and lamps to artwork and window treatments.

The virtual staging solution allows you to create interiors in several styles by editing colors and lighting, adding or removing various interior items. This makes it possible to show potential buyers different variations of real estate use, as well as see it from different angles. In addition, it is an opportunity to save time and money when choosing future furniture and accessories for the premises.

You can also use virtual staging if you are selling your own home but have not had the opportunity or time to remove your personal belongings. Virtual home staging is considered an excellent marketing tool and is very popular in the real estate industry.

Does virtual staging work? This is the next question you have when you think about what virtual staging is, isn’t it? We believe so because the question is very logical and it was the first thing that came to our minds when we researched this topic. The short answer is… Yes. Adding virtual furniture to an image will save you thousands in staging costs and will allow you to show potential buyers how the layout can work. How? Let’s find out.

How does virtual staging work?

Today, there are many companies that specialize in virtual staging for real estate. After choosing one of them, all you need to do is take several photos of your home from different angles and upload them to the company’s website (or send them in another way, according to the terms of cooperation with a particular company). In doing so, you need to specify all the necessary details and wishes. It is also important that the images have the proper lighting, focus, and composition to ensure the best possible result. 

Next, the 3D staging company or virtual staging specialist chooses the style and nature of the room design and selects the appropriate furniture and decorative items. These are usually digital 3D models from a library of furniture and accessories. 

After that, experienced professionals (virtual stagers) use specialized programs to replace or add furniture, including sofas, beds, tables, paintings, and other interior items to the photos to make your home more lively and attractive. They arrange these items naturally in the room by adjusting the correct size, perspective, and lighting. A great advantage of using professional virtual staging services is that the virtual stager pays special attention to details such as shadows, reflections, and light source consistency to make the virtually created images look as realistic as possible. In addition, they remove all unnecessary elements from the images.

When the process is complete, the home staging photos are sent to the customer for review, and if necessary, certain changes are made to ensure that the final images meet the expectations of the property owner or agent. The final materials can be used for online listings, advertising, or printed materials to attract potential buyers or tenants. These virtually staged photos are always sent in a client-friendly format, so you can easily post them on your website or social.

Can I do virtual staging by myself?

The obvious answer is Yes! With the right tools and some basic knowledge, you can create realistic 3D models of furniture and decor that can be placed on photos of your empty rooms. 

Virtual staging is usually done by experienced interior designers, digital artists, and specially trained professionals. However, a large number of modern programs for virtual staging allow anyone to master this field. In the article “Best virtual staging software 2024” we talked about several programs that will be useful for both professionals and beginners. By learning how to virtually stage a home with these software options, you can update your property without significant costs. In addition, some online tutorials will teach you the basics of virtual staging. 

If you have such qualities as creative thinking and knowledge of design, composition, and color, this will be a big plus for you and will help you create the most attractive and realistic images. 

Want to know how to virtually stage a home? Watch the video below and learn!

Is virtual staging an effective way to sell houses?

Absolutely! This type of digital staging has proven to be a highly effective strategy for selling homes effortlessly, quickly, and at a higher price point.

Let’s imagine that you have two identical, unfurnished homes up for sale. One property features plain, empty photos, while the other showcases stunning, expertly staged imagery that showcases the full potential and scale of the space. Which of these homes do you think would garner more attention and interest from potential buyers?

The virtual staging statistics leave no doubt as to which listing would attract more interested parties, book more showings, and ultimately sell for a higher profit. 

It’s true that neither traditional nor virtual staging changes the basic facts about a property, such as the size of the rooms, its location, and its overall layout. However, research has shown that staging can really help buyers imagine themselves living in the space. Besides, 47% of real estate agents claim that house staging affected most buyers’ view of the home.

In turn, according to the Mortgage Report study, virtual staging can be especially effective in speeding up real estate sales and improving their overall quality. In fact, staged homes sell an impressive 73% faster and for 20% more than those that aren’t.

Why so? Virtual staging can effectively showcase to potential buyers the possibilities of any given space, which can significantly influence their overall impression and interest in the home.

So, to answer the question of whether virtual staging is an effective way to sell houses – is a resounding Yes.

Virtual staging vs traditional home staging

Traditional home staging meaning the pre-sale preparation of real estate, creating a universal interior that will meet the tastes and expectations of buyers. Traditional home staging involves physically furnishing and decorating a home, adding accessories, and removing unnecessary items to make it more attractive to potential buyers or tenants. The main goal of real estate staging is to present an apartment or house in the best possible way and make the buyer fall in love with it to speed up the buying or renting process. Thanks to temporarily staged furniture, future buyers can better imagine the layout of the house and the size of the rooms when visiting the property.

Traditional staging typically involves a professional designer visiting the home to assess its appearance and make the necessary changes. This process starts with measuring each room, taking photos, and determining which items are necessary. Once the house is ready, furniture, carpets, and accessories are brought in. Depending on the situation, some of the existing items may be incorporated into the furnishings, or the stager may advise that everything be removed. 

This traditional staging process imposes a significant additional amount of work, time, and expense on the seller, especially if they continue to live in the home while preparing for the sale. Empty homes are easier to stage, so many traditional stagers and realtors prefer to have the property empty before bringing in new furniture.  

Renting furniture and interior items for a long time can require significant investments. The same goes for the entire process of preparing a property for sale. Not everyone can afford it. Virtual home staging eliminates these problems. By using digital home staging, you only need to pay for the creation of a few high-quality finished images, with the furniture you want virtually added. This avoids long and expensive furniture rentals and the need to rearrange it while the property is on the market. In addition, the seller does not need to worry about keeping everything in its place, as all new furniture is virtual and not physically present in the house.

Unlike 3D staging, traditional property staging is somewhat limited in terms of design. You have to adapt to the existing interior and choose furnishings that fit your budget, size, etc. Virtual staging, on the other hand, provides a wider range of the latest design and furnishing options, allowing you to experiment and find the one that you or your clients will like. Virtual staging of real estate is also a good idea if you know the personal preferences of your potential buyers and want to create a customized look for them.

Finally, the process of creating virtual staging photos usually takes from several hours to two days. This saves a lot of time and allows you to quickly put your house on the market. Thanks to digital staging, there is no need to wait for the renovation to be completed so that the realtor can post staging photos of the house.

Still, it is impossible not to mention that virtual staging is not able to help you with the physical demonstration of real estate. Digital home staging is a great option for online marketing and, as we have seen, has many advantages. However, quite often, buyers can only be convinced by a personal presence at the property. Traditional home staging of a house will allow them to feel the atmosphere of the space in person and get an idea of the size, features, furnishings, and other details of the house.

So what to choose: traditional or virtual staging? The answer lies with you. It all depends on your personal preferences, plans, and capabilities. Keep reading to learn more about the ins and outs of virtual staging for realtors and homeowners and find the solution that works best for you.

How much does virtual staging cost?

Each company offers its price for virtual staging solutions. The cost of virtual furniture staging may depend on several factors, including:

• Number of rooms to be staged;
• The area you want to cover and what space dimensions;
• The urgency of finished home staging images delivery; 
• Home virtual decoration style;
• The complexity of the design;
• The number of images with different options for furniture, arrangement, colors, etc.;
• Company or platform you choose;
• How many improvements the designer should make before adding furniture, etc.

According to our market research, in general, virtual staging cost ranges from $15 to $150 per image, but some companies or professionals may charge significantly more for their services, while others may charge less. For instance, some virtual staging companies may charge a flat fee per room, while others may charge a flat fee based on the size of the room or the level of design detail. Some studios may also offer discounts for bulk orders or provide additional services, such as virtual repair or cleaning. Sometimes companies take a limited number of images for design in one order, and you need to take this into account.

Below we have provided a list of companies offering virtual home staging services with their respective prices so that you can compare and choose the best option for yourself. You can find out more about them in our article.

As you can see, the virtual staging pricing is very different. It is worth paying attention to this when choosing a studio or a specialist for your virtual staging photography.

Pros and cons of virtual staging

What are the benefits of virtual staging for real estate? Is virtual staging worth it? To help you answer these questions, we have summarized the main pros and cons of virtually staging properties for you. We’ve found many more advantages, so we can assure you that virtual staging is really worth it. Want to know why? Read on.

How to prepare your home to be virtually staged?

Preparing your home for virtual staging is an important step for quick and efficient sales. Here are a few simple steps you can take to showcase your house in the best possible way:

We also recommend that you carefully choose the virtual staging specialist, company, or program you are going to use. This is important because digital home staging requires a professional approach.

Conclusion

There are a lot of nuances when it comes to buying property. It is especially important for a person how exactly his home can look like. But physically staging a house for sale pictures may take a long time. Virtual staging will help in this matter. Now, any seller or owner can virtually transform any room by taking specific steps. Interest in the virtual staging of homes is growing every day, because often, for example, it is not possible to visit a property in person. Events such as the global COVID-19 pandemic also make such technologies necessary in the modern world and popular among real estate buyers. So, if you’re still confused about is virtual staging worth it – it definitely is.

In this article, we figured out what virtual staging is, told how it differs from traditional staging, named the main advantages of this service, and learned what virtual house staging costs. 

If you’re looking for the best option to make beautiful pictures of your home, 3D rendering services are the way to go. Follow the link and find out more.