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Virtual Staging

Virtual Staging vs Real Staging - Which Home Staging to Choose?

In the real estate world, home staging is not a new concept. It has been used for years to tell a story to prospective buyers and create a vision of what life could be like in a home. There’s no doubt that home staging can help market a listing successfully. But, which is better – traditional home staging or virtual staging?

Virtual staging is 100% digital and a cost-effective alternative to traditional home staging. As the real estate industry shakes out of the 2020 pandemic, virtual staging seems the way to go.

Let’s compare the two and see why virtual staging is winning the game with most real estate professionals.

But first, let’s see why staging is a must!

Is Staging Worth It?

According to a study, staged homes may sell two to three times faster than homes that are not staged, and their average offers may increase up to 15%. The study further stated, 28% of buyers found their home buying experience easier than expected and 83% of buyer’s agents said that staging made visualizing easier and 38% of buyers were more willing to walk through the home.

The stats never lie; staging furniture definitely makes it easier for the buyers to envision a life in the listing. In fact, real estate agents state that it increases the value between 1-10%.

Staging is the ultimate tool to use in your favor due to how informative it can be for the buyers to visualize and plan how they could set their homes.

What is Traditional Home Staging?

Traditional home staging or real staging involves inviting a home staging professional to prepare the home before listing it. They will come with relevant furniture and other decor items to highlight the listing’s best features.

Home stagers work on the layout and the design elements to make the home more appealing to the buyers. Traditional home staging allows the buyers to visualize what the property would look like before buying it. It also minimizes flaws in a property that would otherwise put off potential buyers.

Houses in good working conditions might not require much repairing, while old houses require more home staging repairs. The upkeep of a staged unit costs time and a lot of money, typically between $7,000 and $30,000. On top of it, regularly updating the staging furniture according to the latest trends is not easy.

shifting furnitue


What is Virtual Staging?

Virtual staging is a technique that allows designers to digitally furnish and decorate a room for online photographs. It transforms vacant spaces into realistically furnished, beautiful, three-dimensional rooms. The fundamental difference between traditional staging and virtual staging is that traditional staging showcases a property as it is, while virtual staging shows property as possible.

In virtual staging, a photograph is all you need to get the room virtually staged. The professional virtual staging designers then work their magic on the photograph. They place furnishings from a catalog of computer-generated items—chairs, couches, coffee tables, mirrors, decor, rugs, plants (you name it, and it’s there!)—in the photo to give the space the desired look and ambiance.

With 99% of millennials, 89% of baby boomers, and 77% of the silent generation searching online for real estate, virtual staging is rapidly growing in popularity and has become a preferred way of staging a home.

virtually staged room

Virtual Staging vs. Traditional Home Staging

Virtual Staging Traditional Home Staging
Per image, it will cost you only $16-$100. On average, it will cost you at least $7,000-$30,000.
It is done virtually and isn’t labor-intensive. It is a physical task.
It is easy to stage the same image in multiple ways to appeal to a broad audience. It is money-consuming to update physical staging and stay up-to-date with current trends regularly.
Turnaround time is as little as few days. It is time-consuming.
No extra model is needed to stage. Requires an additional model unit.
Check out our Infographic: Virtual Staging Vs. Home Staging

Benefit Of Real Staging

Real staging provides potential buyers with a tangible experience of how the property looks and feels. They can physically see and touch the furniture and décor, which helps them imagine themselves living in the space.

But the cons of Real staging outweighs the Pros

Cons Of Real Staging

  1. Costly: Real staging involves renting or purchasing furniture, accessories, and decor items, which can be expensive. Additionally, there are costs associated with transportation, setup, and removal of the staged items.
  2. Limited Options: Real staging is limited by the available furniture and decor items. It may be challenging to find the perfect pieces that match the style and appeal to a wide range of potential buyers.
  3. Time-Consuming: Staging a property with real furniture and decor takes time. It requires coordination with staging professionals, scheduling delivery, setup, and removal, which can cause delays in the selling process.
  4. Inconvenience: Real staging can be inconvenient for homeowners, especially if they are still living in the property. It requires them to temporarily move out their furniture and belongings and live in a staged environment until the property is sold.
  5. Maintenance: Staged properties require ongoing maintenance to ensure that the furniture and decor items remain in good condition. This includes cleaning, repairs, and potential replacements if any items get damaged.

Benefits of Virtual Staging

1. Better Speed to Market

Traditional staging is a technique to stage and design a home physically. It requires manpower, real furniture, and décor items. Moreover, it takes time and effort. And in today’s market, time is money. Getting your property listing up and running in the shortest time possible is crucial. With virtual staging solutions, turnaround times are shorter – just a few business days – thus, you stand a better chance of making a sale quicker.

2. A Wide Variety of Design Elements

The designers aren’t limited to the availability of physical pieces of furnishing. With their vast portfolio of furnishings and décor options with endless style, color, and size choices, they can create a customized space for your likely buyer persona. The editor can fill the images with exactly what you are looking for. Virtual staging allows you to address the exact needs and wants of your target market.

Related Article: Virtual Staging With Styldod: A Complete Guide

3. Enhanced Visual Appeal

‍When you are selling a property, you are actually selling a lifestyle. When you show empty rooms in your marketing, they don’t leave much to the imagination and fail to attract buyers. In a world where 80% of home sales start online, you need to do everything to get your listing to stand out and get people excited about it. Virtual staging helps you convince potential buyers by showcasing a home that is a visual representation of how it would look when it’s being used.

4. Cost-Effective‍‍

Traditional home staging is an investment of time and money. You first have to hire a designer to procure furniture and decor to create the environment you are looking for. This process is much more expensive than using a virtual staging service to quickly and cost-effectively adjust your images to create the same ambiance.

Virtual staging cost is very low compared to Real/Traditional staging.

For all your virtual staging listings and other real estate-related marketing services, Styldod has you covered. Styldod is a design-tech company that aims to simplify real estate marketing. Contact us today for hassle-free and inexpensive virtual staging solutions.

Rahul Agrawal

Co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Styldod

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