Virtual Staging Could Help You Sell Your Home—Here's What to Consider

Selling your home is all about highlighting its best assets, and that’s where home staging comes in. “Traditional home staging involves the installation of actual furniture,” says broker Rachel Lustbader of Coldwell Banker Warburg. “Virtual staging involves the digital imposition of furniture on photographs of an empty room.” Before you spend much time rearranging furniture or hiring a pro to redecorate, you might want to consider virtual staging as an option. 

Traditional vs. Virtual Staging

“The way we live in our homes is very different from the way they will be staged,” says Christa Kenin, a real estate agent at Douglas Elliman. “A seller adapts their space over time to be cozy and convenient to their needs and the way they live. Meanwhile, staging strives to showcase the architectural features of a home. These are two very different approaches.”

Learn the pros and cons of virtual staging from experts and how it could help you sell your home. 

Traditional Home Staging

“Traditional home staging is when a professional company or individual removes the existing furnishings from a home and brings in rented furnishings including furniture, accessories, and artwork,” says Kenin. “Sometimes a stager will try to use some existing furnishings, but that is rare, as the stager is trying to create a cohesive style throughout the entire home, and that style is not represented by the seller’s existing furnishings.”

Staging a home is all about helping potential buyers envision the home as their own. To accomplish this, many real estate experts recommend sellers remove personal items and declutter to show the home in the best light.

“A good rule of thumb is to remove 50% of the items from every room so the rooms can breathe,” Kenin says. “This includes furnishings, rugs, drapery, knickknacks and dust collectors, personal photos and artwork.” 

In many cases, a seller keeps some essential furnishings and neutral decor in place to help accentuate the size of a room or show a potential buyer how various spaces can be utilized to their full potential. “If the furnishings are dated, then the seller should stage it,” Kenin says. “If the home is empty, the seller should stage.”

In other cases, a real estate expert might suggest that the seller hire a professional to redecorate with the owner’s belongings or rent staging furniture and decor to bring the space to life. 

“The key is for each room to immediately ‘read’ a certain way to buyers,” Kenin explains. “For example, a dining room should look like a dining room, not a playroom, so put all those plastic kiddie toys away. It's not an office, so put those files and your computer elsewhere. Also if there’s no furniture in a room, then buyers are left clueless as to the purpose of the space.”

In either case, the goal is to offer a relatively blank slate to buyers who will be more likely to show interest if the home is viewed in a good light. 

Virtual Staging

In many cases, traditional staging is not an option for sellers. This could be the case if someone is moving before selling their home and has emptied it of their belongings, or the owner is selling a recently renovated home. In other cases, it could be more affordable to have a home virtually staged. 

Whatever the reason, virtual staging is done with technology. “Virtual staging is when furniture is added via a computer program to enhance a room’s space,” Kenin says.

To accomplish this, someone photographs the home while it is empty, then a digital designer uses software to add furniture and decor to each photo before posting it to the online listing. 

The Pros and Cons of Each Type of Staging

There are some drawbacks to virtual staging and traditional staging. 

Virtual Staging Pros and Cons

“Virtual staging tends to be more cost-effective and quicker to implement. Although it has its limitations, there is still some room for customization,” says Angel Lee, director of marketing production at Coldwell Banker Warburg. “While traditional home staging is more customizable and flexible, it is typically more expensive and more time-consuming,”

When a home is virtually staged, it can look great in listing photos and make a buyer want to schedule a showing, but when that buyer arrives to tour the home, the furniture is not there, and it becomes harder to envision the space. 

“Virtual staging is much cheaper than traditional staging,” Kenin says.” Virtual staging is performed by an agent’s brokerage firm and costs the agent little to nothing.

“A photo of a room can be virtually staged for $30-$200 depending on the company,” says Amy Nease, a broker associate with Premier Sotheby‘s International Realty. Nease adds that many traditional staging companies only stage an occupied home, in which case virtual might be the best option.

Traditional Staging Pros and Cons

“I prefer traditional staging over virtual staging,” Kenin says. “It’s very difficult for home buyers to imagine a space in general. Virtual staging that appears online is experienced before a potential buyer sees a home. In my experience, buyers are often disappointed by the home when visiting it later.”  

Broker Ellen Sykes of Coldwell Banker Warburg agrees. “If the owner is looking for a great return, it is worth spending the money to make it look its best. We believe that staging an apartment can be worth as much as 20% more than if it had not been staged.” 

Where possible, Kenin advises her clients to opt for traditional staging. “The benefits and value of traditional staging must always be explained to clients to assure them that they will likely receive a higher offer if they traditionally stage their home,” she says. 

"Traditional staging can easily cost $6,000 to $10,000 for six months to accommodate a family-sized home,” says Kenin. 

How to Decide Which Staging Type Is Right for You

Deciding whether to stage your home traditionally or virtually depends on two factors: whether traditional staging is an option and your goals for selling the home.

For many, traditional staging is not an option, and hiring a professional to stage your home with actual furnishings could be time-consuming, costly, and a hassle. That’s where virtual staging offers a great solution.

In other situations, virtual staging could just be the quicker, easier option, even if you’re able to traditionally stage your home. 

 “Virtual staging is preferred in scenarios where budget constraints are a concern, timelines are tight, or customization options need to be explored extensively without the need for physical furniture,” Lee adds. 

If traditional staging is an option, many agents will suggest that option. 

“Furniture distracts the eye from any warts on the walls or floors,” Lustbader points out. “By contrast, when a space is virtually staged, the buyer sees empty rooms when they walk through the unit. Empty rooms make rooms look smaller and less inviting. The viewer has to use their imagination to place furniture in the rooms and use them to their best advantage. Any imperfections on the walls or floors stand out and emphasize any repairs that need to be made.” 

“Traditional staging is more suitable when a tangible and realistic presentation of the property is desired, especially in upscale or luxury markets where physical furnishings can enhance the perceived value of the property,” Lee says. “The advantage lies in creating an emotional connection with potential buyers through a physical experience of the staged space.”