What is Virtual Staging?

Virtual staging is a new innovative idea for all of the vacant homes on the market. Short sales and forecloses are slowly dominating the market, and most of these types of properties are vacant. Every property needs to look its best, even vacant properties. It is to no surprise that staging can actually sell a home faster than it normally would had it been a clean slate or even over cluttered; however, not everyone can afford to stage their home. To professionally stage a home, it can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than one thousand dollars. It is even more expensive to stage vacant properties because of the expense of the furniture rentals.

This is the reason why many Realtors are turning to virtual staging. What is virtual staging you may ask? Virtual staging is using computer technology to add furniture and other decor to the photos of their listings. This is an economical, inexpensive way to really show the potential of a vacant property. The average cost for virtual staging is approximately $225.00. In today’s market, because of the high amount of inventory, many people narrow their choices based on the online photos they see, so this small amount of money is well worth it.

Now there are different programs that are better than others, so it is very important to do your research to see which software offers the best product at the best cost. You can also use this product for your own home if you looking to remodel. There are programs that allow you to change wall colors, countertop textures, and type of flooring!

If you are going to use a virtual staging program, than it is important to make sure that you keep it ethical. The whole idea of virtual staging is not to deceive prospects but rather to help them envision what the home can look like if there were furniture in the space. Each agent needs to clearly state that the images are computer generated. In other words, where the virtually staged photos appear, you should include a small blub that the property has been virtually staged and that the property is actually vacant. Otherwise you risk violating the code of ethics, which states that you need to portray a true picture. As long as you set the right expectation for the prospective buyers then they will know what to expect when they walk in the home... a vacant unfurnished home!