Did you know that 90% of buyers search online for properties? Given the increase in internet use, the statistic does not come as a surprise. Most potential buyers will use the pictures you have posted to a listing to help determine if they represent their ideal home.
Typically, sellers have been using the traditional staging approach to give buyers a visual feel. Staging a house improves its listing performance. When selling online, virtual staging homes should be a priority.
Do you know what virtual staging is and how it works? Keep reading to know more about virtual staging in real estate marketing.
What Is Virtual Staging?
Virtual staging refers to decorating a house to showcase most of its best qualities and features to make it attractive to potential buyers. It uses technology to allow a seller to take digital photos of an empty room and insert décor, furniture, and rugs. Clients will then visualize the home for an emotional connection with the property.
Virtual staging homes further allow you to change the wall colors, alter the flooring, and upgrade some appliances. A potential buyer can determine how the house will look when renovated.
How Virtual Staging Works
Virtual staging works by enhancing a property's digital photos through graphic software to build furniture and furnishings digitally. You can add anything you wish with virtual staging, such as sofas, wall hangings, rugs, and beds. Once you are familiar with staging your home the traditional way, virtual staging should not be much of a challenge.
The first step involves taking actual photos of the house for sale. It would be best to hire professional real estate photographers for high-quality images.
You should then reference these images. While at it, be aware of the different preferences and tastes in design. Therefore, it would be prudent to choose the right furniture to stage to bring the utmost client satisfaction.
Virtual staging will also require the layout of the apartment for the correct scaling of the interior. The idea is to make the whole room as realistic as possible. There are several 3D virtual staging tools and programs to help you sell the property.
Traditional Staging Vs. Virtual Staging Homes
Virtual staging is often cheaper than traditional staging. Nonetheless, the cost to stage a home, whether traditionally or virtually, is worthwhile.
With traditional staging, a buyer will view the house as it is, which limits unintentional surprises. You will need to ensure that the images do not deviate extensively from the actual home for virtual staging. The last thing you would want is getting accused of false advertising.
Benefits of Virtual Staging
Virtual staging is growing in popularity. Realtors increasingly appreciate the significance of virtual staging of homes in real estate marketing.
Here are some of the benefits of virtual staging homes that you stand to experience with this approach:
More Opportunities for Home Sales
Consumers take about 3 to 4 seconds to make a purchasing decision. You need to have the best pictures to ensure that you appeal to their emotions within seconds. Virtual home staging will bring out the perfect picture of a home.
Potential home buyers will be eager to view and buy the house as they already have a visual feel of how it would be staying in the home. You cannot compare the attention your property will get due to virtual staging to listings that have pictures of empty rooms.
The beautiful décor and furniture give the house a great sense of warmth and life. Consequently, you will find potential buyers easily. If you want to make a quick home sale, virtual staging should be a part of your marketing approach.
Save Money
As a home seller, you have to spend some dollars to get potential home buyers. Home staging is one of those activities that you will have to spend money to make money. Traditional staging, which will involve getting the existing furniture and décor in the room, is costly.
You will also need to hire a professional stager. The more time your home stays on the market, the more money you will spend on staging. Virtual staging, on the other hand, is quite affordable.
In virtual staging, you will fill the empty room digitally. From furniture to accent pieces, you can have whatever you want at a fraction of what you would spend on the actual staging. The cost is usually one-time, and you can use the images as many times as you want.
Easier Targeting
Buyers have diverse tastes that you need to consider when staging your home. It is easier to incorporate the buyers' preferences with the virtual open house than the actual open house. Staging has to be real-time with a traditional house tour, meaning that you will hardly manage to appeal to different markets.
Virtual staging makes targeting specific markets easier. You can customize the rooms depending on the buyers’ demographic or perceived customers’ ideal home. Virtual staging homes allows you to make a home modern or even rustic.
Your virtual staging editor can fill the room with what you want. It will be easier to target the wants or needs of the market. As such, the listing will be more attractive to the buyer you want to appeal to.
Saves You Time and Energy
The actual home staging can be overwhelming. You will need professional photographers and a stager to get the best look of your home. From getting a staging company to delivering furniture, the effort and time taken could be used on other things.
Virtual staging is almost effortless. You will only need to get pictures of the empty home and have the home staged in less than 48 hours. With a reliable virtual editor, you can rest easy knowing that you will be staging your home with the most appealing images.
More importantly, you will have limitless design elements at your disposal. The vast furnishing options are often updated to be consistent with the latest interior design trends. You will therefore have images of a perfect home with minimal effort and time used.
Provide a Home Preview
If buyers can visualize themselves living in a particular space, convincing them to buy should not be too difficult. Considering that the interest to buy a property starts online, potential buyers should have a virtual preview. Realtors and photographers ought to work together to ensure that viewers are getting attractive images.
The right pictures will make people excited about the listing. According to the National Association of Realtors, 83% of buyers’ agents confirm that virtual staging makes it easier for potential buyers to visualize the house as their future home. The images should be of all the spaces, from the kitchen to the living room.
It is easier for a home buyer to see themselves in their new home based on the preview. If you are wondering how to give your home an alluring view, virtual staging is an ideal approach.
Declutter and Redecorate the Space
The last thing you would want is to present a house that appears too busy. A cluttered and stuffed room is unsightly. Worse still, you do not want to list a house with outdated furnishings and décors.
Virtual staging is ideal for redecorating and decluttering a home before selling. You will not have to worry about the not so glamorous wall. Of course, you will need to work on updating any painted walls before inviting prospective buyers in for the actual house tour.
Virtual Staging Mistakes To Avoid
Mistakes in virtual staging can make it harder for you to sell. It would be best if you worked with a professional virtual stager who has years of experience in the field. The staged photos should appear realistic in that buyers should not have a clue they are computer generated.
Overdoing the décor and the furniture is another common mistake seller makes in virtual staging homes. It is tempting to include as many appealing pieces as possible; however, keep in mind that less is always more.
Some sellers fail to provide pictures of empty rooms to prospective buyers. It is crucial to provide pictures of the empty house and the staged spaces. A buyer should know how the property looks without anything to avoid feeling duped during the physical house tour.
You might also want to avoid unnecessary changes in the staging. Some prospective buyers who keep checking your listing might get confused in the process. If the first images are appealing enough, you can have them for a while, unless your property stays on the market for an extended period of time.
Virtual Staging Homes Has Significant Impacts on Home Sales
Virtual staging should be an essential asset when selling a home. It allows buyers to visualize themselves in the home with furniture and everything an ideal home ought to have. Virtual staging homes will set you apart from sellers who post listings with photos of empty rooms.
It is crucial to work with the right agency for the perfect approach to virtual staging. You do not want to miss the point when selling your home!
Are you thinking of virtual staging for a quick and successful home sale? Hommati is your ideal partner. Contact us today for the best virtual staging services.