Stage Your Listings During Social Distancing

Kim Pearse, owner and lead designer of The Staging Consultants, gives us insight into remote staging verses virtual staging. 

Home Staging Shows a Return on Investment

There have been a lot of changes in the real estate industry to accommodate ongoing safety measures and social distancing guidelines. Now more than ever, listing agents are finding value in using technology to help sellers professionally stage their homes.

The statistics for home staging are impressive. According to the 2019 National Association of Realtors®, 83% of buyers' agents say a professionally-staged home is easier to visualize living in; While 86% of sellers' agents say a professionally-staged home sells faster than a non-staged home.

Now here's two staggering statistics that should stop you in your tracks:

• 83% of professionally-staged homes sell for asking price or above
• Only 28% of agents work with a professional home stager on every listing 

This is a HUGE opportunity for you to take your listing business to the next level!

Ways to Stage a Home During Social Distancing

There are two main ways to stage a home while keeping your distance: Remote Staging and Virtual Staging. 

1. Remote Staging – This is when you work directly with a professional-staging consultant via video conferencing. A remote-staging consultant helps the sellers and the sellers' agent edit home decor.  These decor changes help buyers visualize the space as their own and imagine themselves living there. 
   
   Usually remote staging begins with the agent providing the staging consultant with raw photos of the home to review prior to the video call. During the video call, the stager will provide the agent and seller with staging tips to help highlight the home's most impressive assets. 

The Benefits of Remote Staging:

• Maximizes the assets within the home
• Allows for minor updates and repairs (i.e. painting, wall repairs, or light fixtures)
• Gives the home seller advanced time to sell or pack unneeded items

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2. Virtual Staging –  This is the technique of enhancing digital photographs of vacant homes to make them appear to be professionally staged. The goal here is to create photo-realistic snapshots that properly represent the home. Virtual staging helps sell vacant homes quicker because it helps potential home buyers visualize the space with furnishings and decor.

The Benefits of Virtual Staging:

• Perfect for unoccupied homes
• Fast-turnaround
• Cost-effective

Keep in mind no matter what type of staging you and your clients choose to use, you need to capitalize on the "money maker" rooms of every home: 

• Entryway
• Dining room
• Kitchen
• Living area
• Master suite

It's also important to make sure your staging consultant is on point with current home trends when redesigning any space. And always, your photos and videos must clearly represent the home you are selling. 

Watch our on demand webinar with HGTV's Home Stager Kim Pearse and learn more about the "Secrets of Staging a Home."