Over 5 million homes were sold last year in the US. With so much competition in the real estate market, how can realtors help their listings stand out?
Savvy realtors know that virtual house staging is a game-changer when it comes to marketing. Virtual staging is when a software program is used to digitally furnish a home with realistic looking furniture, rugs, accessories, or homewares.
It is a fantastic alternative to traditional staging, which is a time consuming and expensive process. Can virtual staging change the way you market a home?
The answer is yes—keep reading to find nine reasons why virtual home staging can help realtors sell homes faster and for higher profits.
1. Virtual Staging Helps Homes Sell Faster
If there is one thing realtors want, it is to sell properties quickly to motivated buyers. If you want to make your property instantly appealing to potential buyers, consider virtual staging.
Imagine looking at a home, either empty or furnished with mismatched, family-hand-me-down furniture. Then, imagine a home that looks modern, stylish, and cohesive, with a similar aesthetic flowing through each room. Which is more appealing?
The truth is that staged homes almost always sell faster than those that are not. They allow the buyer to imagine themselves moving in right away, stepping into a beautiful, welcoming home—not an empty one.
First appearances make a huge impact on buyers, so from the minute they first see your listing online, it should look amazing and inviting.
In addition to virtual staging, look for resources online to help agents stage and market homes to maximize their potential. Working with a company like Hommati can offer agents the resources they need to effectively market and show their listings. They have people who specialize in virtual staging and who can make homes look the best way possible.
2. You Can Customize the Design to Your Target Market
To sell a home with virtual staging, one top tip is to customize the design to your demographic. Think about who, ideally, would buy a property of this type—then, customize the home’s look to appeal to that audience.
Say, for example, you have a modern city apartment. It is likely to appeal to young professionals, so use virtual staging to create a hip, modern look, complete with contemporary art, high-tech electronics, and maybe a wine rack.
Meanwhile, a sprawling country farmhouse is sure to appeal to families, so include a playroom and bunk beds for the kids.
With a touch of a button, you can style a home just as potential buyers would like, meaning virtual staging gives realtors a fantastic advantage when it comes to targeted marketing. When working with a company like Hommati, you can discuss with them how you would like the house to look, and they will be able to design the rooms with the design you have in mind. This allows you to not have to worry about getting it all done yourself.
3. It’s Cost-Effective
Realtors love virtual staging, because it is so much more cost effective than traditional staging. A full staging for a large home, complete with furniture rental and design, can run up to $10,000.
This is a huge expense—professional interior design skills, furniture relocation, and manpower to set everything up means homeowners pay a pretty penny for staging. Plus, if the home is currently furnished, there is the added expense of moving all the homeowner’s belongings into storage.
Compare this with virtual staging, which has a much lower cost than traditional staging. Both realtors and sellers love the ability to make a home look like a million bucks, without having to spend at all.
Increased expenses cut into the profits for both realtors and sellers, so your clients are sure to love the idea of trying out virtual staging when selling their home.
4. You Have Creative Freedom
Virtual staging gives realtors creative freedom to make the home look however they want. You are not limited to the furniture and accessories owned by the staging company—instead, you can design in just about any color, style, or fashion.
Instead of using a small selection of props and furniture, owned by the staging company, realtors have a huge increase in options. If you can imagine it, you can design it virtually.
Of course, you want your design to be realistic—adding a gold chandelier to a modest apartment is not going to help the sale. Rather, use your creative license to virtually stage the house just as you think buyers might like to see.
You can customize the design to the home’s climate, location, or age. Adding a few beach towels or seashells to a Florida property, for example, helps buyers imagine themselves living a relaxing coastal lifestyle.
A great aspect of working with a company like Hommati is that they offer multiple different designs for rooms, and you can work with them to decide which design would look best for the house you are selling.
5. It’s Faster Than Traditional Staging
Traditional staging is a slow, manual process. First, an interior designer needs to visit the home and come up with a design plan and color palette.
Then, all furniture, such as heavy sofas, beds, and tables, needs to be brought in by hand, put together, and perfectly positioned in the home. For large homes, with plenty of rooms, this is going to require a team of movers and plenty of time.
If you are looking to sell a home right away, a faster alternative is virtual staging. Because it is all done online, an entire home can be styled in no time at all.
6. It Makes the Property Look More Presentable
Not every home looks picture-perfect, especially if it is older. Scratched floors, dull wallpaper, or old appliances can make a home look dated and uninviting.
While buyers do not expect an older property to look brand-new, you can definitely use virtual staging to make a home look more presentable. It can subtly hide flaws or issues, just like a fresh coat of paint.
If you want to cover worn-out hardwood floors, why not virtually add a large Oriental rug? Or, replace the current homeowner’s old-fashioned sofa with a more modern replacement?
There are plenty of ways to use virtual staging to keep the property a marketing advantage, without misrepresenting the home. Instead, think of it as a virtual makeover, presenting the best possible version of the home.
7. It Looks Incredibly Realistic
Realtors might be concerned that virtual staging looks fake, like something out of a bad movie. While this may have been true in the past, these days, virtual staging looks just as realistic as the real thing.
The homewares, furniture, and accessories will look just as they would if you were using real furniture. When potential buyers are browsing the photos of the property, the virtual stating will blend in perfectly with the rest of the home.
The technology is better than ever when it comes to staging, so buyers will really feel as if they are looking at the house as it is when viewing it on the real estate website, such as on Hommati. From curtains to fresh flowers, the detail, color, the imagery is sure to impress.
8. Potential Buyers Make Instant Decisions
If your home listings are beautifully styled, it helps buyers instantly fall in love with the house.
When making decisions, customers work their way through the consumer buying process. They do research, consider all of their options, and then make a decision.
However, in reality, buyers are easily swayed by emotion—especially when it comes to their homes. If your listing looks stylish, elegant, and inviting, buyers are more likely to fall in love at first sight.
This can lead to homes selling faster and for higher profits, since buyers do not want to miss out on their dream home.
9. You Have More Options
Virtual staging is another key tool in a real estate’s arsenal. Previously, if you wanted to sell a vacant home, you had to either leave it empty or hire a staging company.
However, virtual staging gives you a third option, helping you prepare a home for sale, even without furnishings. You may decide to also try traditional staging, if you are going to host an open house, but it is useful for realtors to have the tools to work out which strategy is best for each home.
With the current global pandemic still going on, open houses are not being done as widely as they were previously, so it helps to have as many photos of a property as possible. Potential buyers will view the house and the photos that come with it, and making it look as presentable as it can be will draw more people in to want to schedule to see the house in person.
Sell Houses Faster With Virtual House Staging
With so many advances in technology, now is the perfect time to try out virtual house staging on your listings. With the advantages above, real estate agents can work with companies like Hommati to make their homes look beautiful, realistic, and welcoming, without ever needing to bring in staging furniture.
Once your home has been virtually staged, you will want to market it to a wide audience. Upload your home’s listing onto Hommati, helping you market to buyers all over the country and make the most out of each sale.
Hommati is a nationwide real estate website, working to connect buyers and realtors. Hommati can also help with property values, helping realtors price their homes correctly.
For any assistance with marketing, listing, or virtual staging, contact us today. We look forward to helping you sell your homes for the best possible price.