How Virtual Home Staging Can Elevate Your Listings

What is virtual home staging?

We all know traditional home staging — the art of arranging furniture and décor to make a home feel inviting and aspirational. Virtual staging updates this for our modern era, taking advantage of digital tools to create beautifully rendered images of spaces.
Real estate professionals typically start by selecting high-quality images of the home, focusing on key areas like the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. From there, professional virtual staging services digitally enhance these images, adding virtual furniture, décor, and even changing wall colors or flooring to highlight a property’s best features.

This way, you can help buyers imagine their future home in all its glory, without the physical hassle of lugging furniture in and out. Plus, virtual home staging makes the entire process more customizable, which really allows potential buyers to imagine themselves in the space, rather than just anyone.

How virtual home staging helps sell homes

Far beyond just looking cool, virtual home staging can play a big role in influencing a buyer’s decision-making process. According to the National Association of Realtors, 81% of buyers’ agents said that staging a home made it easier for buyers to visualize that property as their future home. And staging the home online achieves the same faster and for a fraction of the cost.

When potential buyers see a home that is clean, organized, and thoughtfully furnished, they are more likely to feel an emotional connection to the space. A photo of an empty space can feel awkward or clinical, hard to connect to. By staging a space, you allow potential buyers to imagine how they might fit in, or what their lives there would look like.

Benefits of virtual home staging

Virtual staging offers real estate professionals a range of practical advantages:
Cost-Effective: A physical home staging can cost as much as $7,200, while doing it virtually can cost as little as $200-300.

• Flexible Design: Customize styles to attract different buyer demographics.
• Quick Turnaround: Transform photos into staged listings in hours, not days.
• Highlights Key Features: Emphasize a property’s best aspects with tailored staging.
• Boosts Online Appeal: Stand out in online searches with eye-catching images.
• Overcomes Property Limitations: Reimagine empty or outdated spaces with ease.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to staging virtually. No matter how well done the rendering, some buyers will always prefer to experience a furnished setup in person to truly envision it. Altered photos can also open the door to misrepresentation, with buyers feeling disappointed if the space in the staging feels significantly different from that in the viewing. 

When done accurately and tastefully, staging online can bridge the gap, allowing buyers to see a property's full potential while providing flexibility and cost savings for sellers. Now, let’s explore how to do virtual staging effectively.

How to virtually stage a home

Not all virtually staged images are created equal. Keep some of these best practices in mind to make sure you’re investing in pictures that truly make an impression.

Select high-quality photos

Start with well-lit, high-resolution photos of the property. Images taken during the day with natural light work best, as they make the space look inviting and realistic. Avoid angles that distort the room’s shape, and make sure the space is clean and decluttered.

Stay neutral

Opt for a neutral, universal style that appeals to a wide range of buyers. Neutral palettes and minimalistic furnishings create a blank canvas, allowing potential buyers to imagine how they would personalize the space. Avoid overly bold or eclectic styles that may not suit all tastes.

Highlight key spaces

Prioritize staging photos of rooms that typically have the most impact on buyers, like the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen. The National Association of Realtors found that staging a picture of the living room, in particular, is most important for buyers. Present these important rooms in a way that showcases their potential.

Balance realism and creativity

While virtual staging homes allows for creative freedom, it’s important to stay true to the property’s actual features and dimensions. Avoid adding furniture or décor that wouldn’t realistically fit in the space, as this could lead to disappointment during in-person viewings. Staged photos should give an authentic yet enhanced view of the home.

Include before-and-after photos

If possible, include both the original and staged images in your listing. This provides a more comprehensive view of the space and demonstrates the transformation potential. Many buyers appreciate seeing the home “as is” alongside the virtually staged version, as it helps them envision possible layouts and design options.

Best virtual home staging software

It’s important to choose the right software so that your virtual staging stays realistic and appealing. Use some of these top-rated tools:

BoxBrownie.com

A popular choice for high-quality virtual staging, BoxBrownie.com offers affordable services where agents submit photos, and their team of designers adds custom furnishings and décor. It’s ideal for agents who want top-tier results without doing the staging themselves.

Padstyler

Padstyler offers a catalog of high-quality, 3D furnishings and décor that agents can drag and drop into listing photos, and offers some of the best customization options. This option is especially popular among real estate professionals who want quality, rush delivery on virtual staging homes.

ApplyDesign

With ApplyDesign, users can create stunning 3D visualizations and customize entire homes, inside and out. As one of the most affordable and intuitive options, ApplyDesign is also great for on-the-spot revisions.

VRX Staging

Known for premium, photo-realistic staging, VRX Staging is ideal for high-end listings. Their team handles all the staging, providing luxurious and aspirational images that captivate buyers.

Stuccco

A designer-led staging service, Stuccco offers on-demand, high-touch virtual staging with flexible design options. It’s a solid choice for those who want a personalized staging experience.

Bring out the best in every home with American Home Shield®

Ready to make every listing stand out? When you partner with American Home Shield, you add the trusted support of America’s premier home warranty service to your closings, enhancing the value and peace of mind you bring to clients along the way. AHS helps protect your clients' investments, making you an indispensable resource as they settle into their new homes.

For more resources for your own business, access our marketing materials in your Real Estate Pro partner portal. And check out the Home Matters blog for more tips and guides to elevate your real estate expertise.

AHS assumes no responsibility, and specifically disclaims all liability, for your use of any and all information contained herein.