Home staging moved into the world of real estate during the late 1990’s, according to HomeValueLeads.com. Rather than selling shells and relying on clients to use their imaginations, agents essentially outfitted homes with images of what homes could be so clients could see themselves living in those homes. The more homes agents staged, the more homes agents sold so that now, home staging is almost a necessity in today’s market.

The problems with home staging? Time and money. According to realtor.com, the average cost for a staging consultation runs between $300 and $600. The average cost per room per month is $500 – $600. We won’t even calculate the time it takes an agent to find and select the appropriate and available furnishings, art, accessories, etc. or the time it takes an agent to find and select the appropriate designer to “do” the staging.

The solution? Virtual staging. The only two costs are that of the software and that of the photos. Additionally, nothing breaks and nothing is stolen because nothing is real. 

Virtual Staging Do’s

  1. Think about the entire room rather than sacrificing the entire room for one great piece.
  2. When in doubt, go with white. Add splashes of color with throw pillows, accessories and/or flowers.
  3. Staging is about putting the viewer into the home as if you’d staged it in real life.
  4. Think about you would feel in the home, the kitchen, the bedroom, sitting on the couch, etc.

Virtual Staging Don’ts

  1. Don’t make it flashy or posh. Don’t go overboard. Make it clean.
  2. Don’t overthink it. Just go with your gut.
  3. Don’t forget to get another person’s opinion of your “creation” before you go live and publish it.
  4. Forget cute…it’s often too “Aunt Bea.”
  5. Forget sleek…it’s often too expensive.
  6. Don’t forget you want your client to feel comfortable and natural in the space…you want your client to buy it.

Ensure the Best Results

  1. Remember that the only reason to buy software for anything is to help you complete tasks.
  2. Know what you want to accomplish with the software. Be sure to check out the interfaces. Some software provides customer service or lead generation…do you want those things in virtual staging software?
  3. Look for software that provides you with styles that are timeless so you don’t have to keep replacing it with software that provides only the “latest and greatest trends.” Also look for software that provides you with cross styles so you can create interesting, not boring, rooms.
  4. Look for software that is both easy to use AND that provides you with necessary images.
  5. Realize that virtual staging software is a tool, just like every other software. The software does NOT make decisions; YOU are the decision maker so learn how to use the software.

Software Choices That Are Now Available – Who Knows Shat Will Be Available Tomorrow

  1. Virtual Staging Solutions $59/photo
  2. Visual Stager – $15/photo
  3. PadStyler – $59/photo
  4. Virtual Staging Lab – $40/photo
  5. BoxBrownie – $32/photo
  6. VRX Staging – $35/photo
  7. roOmy – no price quoted for team that helps you via information you provide on its contact form

Make sure to read the specifics and fine print for ANY AND ALL of these software choices.

Thanks to HomeValueLeads.com for source data.

Also read: https://timandjulieharris.com/2019/09/18/39-of-home-sold-at-or-above-listing-price-in-2019.html, https://timandjulieharris.com/2019/09/24/four-reasons-to-buy-before-2020.html, https://timandjulieharris.com/2019/09/19/76-of-buyers-found-their-home-on-their-phone.html

 

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