The physical act of staging a home has long been a
real estate marketing tool agents have employed to help prospective buyers imagine themselves living in a space. But for many sellers (and agents), home staging has been a luxury they could not afford. Not only does staging cost a considerable amount of money, it takes a lot of time and is quite intrusive if the seller still lives onsite.
Virtual staging presents a better alternative. In a matter of minutes, a room can be transformed from empty to fully furnished. A dining room table and chairs can appear, kitchen appliances can be installed, artwork can be hung. But the house does not need to be completely empty to be staged virtually. With a few amendments, a home can be photographed while still occupied, and virtual staging can fill in the details to augment or supplement its current contents. As long as you remain within the limits of disclosure laws and the principles of truth in advertising, you can spruce up properties for your sellers and spark the imaginations of your buyers.
Among the capabilities of virtual staging are the following:
- Stage an empty room so that visitors can better visualize the space
- Change the design style of a home to suit your buyers (ie. from traditional to rustic or from minimalist to mid-century modern)
- Change the purpose of a room (from an office to a child’s playroom, for instance)
- Change flooring or add walls
- Eliminate unwanted items (such as a toy on the floor or a moose head above the mantle)
- Correct scuff marks on the walls
- Blur sensitive data
- Change the view from the windows (add light, sky, etc.)
Beyond the visual details that can be added or erased from an image, virtual staging also allows a homeowner to maintain privacy. Family photos, college degrees, school pennants, or other items that reveal personal information can be eliminated with virtual staging. Virtual staging eliminates the extra foot traffic of traditional staging and works seamlessly with your listing photographs and your Matterport tours to maintain a safe environment for your clients.