November 3, 2020 | Good to Know

virtual staging

To Virtual Stage Or Not To Virtual Stage?

Virtual staging is becoming a larger part of the real estate industry, particularly in condo sales. It’s more common and, in some cases, more effective than in homes because many condo buyers have purchased pre-construction. Pre-construction purchases are made at a time when there was no furniture, let alone anything beyond a layout, which would be years from being built. The condo buyer comfort level is a little more easily accessed. If condo buyers were comfortable purchasing an idea of a view and layout and all shown on paper, it’s no wonder they are more comfortable buying a condo that has been virtually staged.

On the flip side, homebuyers need to feel the space, the unique dimensions of one house to another, from one room to another – it’s much more challenging to stage a house virtually.

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The Fine Balance Of Virtual Staging

If an excellent company does the virtual staging, the online pictures and other collateral sales material can look good and be effective. What is effective, you may ask? If the images and listing drive buyers into the property for sale. However, the downside of virtual staging is that buyers are walking into an empty space. No furniture. No paintings on the wall. No lighting. No personality. No sense of scale and usability of the space.

In fact, living spaces appear smaller when empty. Having appropriately sized furniture creates dimensions, usability, defines the space. In our experience, it’s rare for buyers to really see the finished product if it isn’t presented in person.

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How Does Virtual Staging Work?

Virtual staging is a new service for selling a home. It is important to consider how virtual staging works. A virtual staging company sends out a photographer to take the appropriate empty room images and ensure that the correct lighting and balance are in place. The photos are then uploaded into a software program that allows the designer to add images of furniture, pictures, ceiling and floor lights, rugs, etc. It’s pretty incredible what a designer and a computer software program can produce. Once the layout is completed, you have a home that looks ready to live in – it’s only on closer inspection can one see that the photo elements are not actually in the physical space.

The Best Use Of Virtual Staging

As mentioned above, condos can be an easier seller to condo buyers versus houses. That being said, consider a slower real estate resale marketplace for a moment. Perhaps if you were to stage a house or condo for a month at a particular cost, the property doesn’t sell within that month. At the end of the month, there is a decision to make, is it worth renting the staging furniture for another month, or would it be worthwhile virtual staging the space for the second months before getting the buyer to purchase the property?

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Digital Real Estate

There is little doubt that buyers and sellers will utilize the digital world more and more in our future. The savvy realtor has been investing in an online real estate presence for years. As tech companies continue to pop up and grow, we see more and more tech players jumping into the real estate industry. Some of these tech companies argue that buyers will never view a house or condo in person again. That’s hard to believe as there is a “feel” and a certain “soul” that a home has, and that can only be experienced in person. You can only know what angle the mid-day sun shines into the kitchen by being in the kitchen at that time of day – technology is a long way off from replicating this. Virtual staging is an early step towards the digitalization of real estate. As mentioned before, the first movers into this digital space will likely be condo owners and investors, as the argument is a simpler consideration.

Contact us here with any questions that you have regarding the sale of your home or condo. We’re professional, approachable and genuinely good people. We promise that we will guide you every step of the way!

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