Everything You Need To Know About Virtual Staging (ULTIMATE GUIDE)

Is this the right fit? Are we making the best decision? If only we could see it both vacant and furnished. Perhaps there was a time when that thought was only wishful thinking, but virtual staging has turned it into a reality that’s one click away.

We all know that buying a house is not just about having a roof over one’s head. It is one of the most significant symbols of expressing our autonomy and the establishment of our legacy.

Our homes display our lifestyle and taste without using any words. That is why purchasing a house puts a considerable burden on the buyers: they want to make the right decision.

Picking the suitable option requires thorough information. Homebuyers are eager to know as much as possible about the property they are going to purchase. While images and descriptions are paramount, they are insufficient for visualization.

What if the estate is vacant? How can one imagine how the furnishing would fit?

And what if the house is occupied? How can one check every aspect of the property and make sure of its state?

Allow us to answer another question today: what if you could have it both ways?

To elaborate, let’s begin by clarifying the concept of virtual staging.

What Is Virtual Staging?

Staging is a familiar concept that has been around for a couple of decades now. In the 70s, the term “home staging” was professionally born. Around 2000, this concept was used worldwide with different names: home styling, property presentation, property styling, or even house doctoring.

What happens when we add the “virtual” before it? Well, we enter a new realm with roots in the real world.

Reality has gone beyond the physical world in the twenty-first century. So, when talking about virtual staging, we should remember that it is not the opposite of real staging but rather a different type of reality. This virtual domain is based on our understanding of the world and our sensations, and that’s why it’s relatable.

Virtual staging complements our visual senses, providing us with necessary data while making it possible to go beyond and come back. You can easily enlist a “before image” of a virtually staged room and let your clients move between them.

This way, they have access to two different types of visual data, facilitating the process of visualization and, of course, the purchase decision.

In a gist, real estate virtual staging is the process of adding furniture and decorations to the photo of one room or entire house using digital tools, providing homebuyers with necessary visual information.

The process works best with photos of a vacant property. If you are dealing with an occupant listing, you can use item removal services and prepare the pictures for virtual staging. Most virtual staging companies also provide item removal services; for instance, Revivoto offers two types of item removal, and one class entails clearing the whole room, which is best suited for images opt for virtual staging.

Now that we have clarified the concept, let’s see why you should take advantage of it.

Benefits of Virtual Staging

Implementing virtual staging for listing images has advantages for all parties involved in the real estate market.

The following are the primary benefits of using virtual staging services:

• Assisting the visualization process: For almost all homebuyers, the search hunt begins online, and images are the starting point. Virtually staged photos of the property let the prospective buyers imagine how and if their lifestyle fits.
• Being cost-effective: Compared to what you pay for virtual staging service, the return on investment is remarkable; the prices differ between virtual staging companies; for instance, at Revivoto, virtual staging starts as low as $9.99.

Research shows that virtual staging positively affects prospective buyers’ perception by giving them complete information. That is why it is a sound investment for the agents.

• Selling the property faster and for a better price: When you offer comprehensive information to your clients and ease their decision-making process, the property moves rapidly in the market. According to Revivoto (https://revivoto.com), Listings with staged images tend to sell 200% times faster. Also, since you are demonstrating the property’s potential through virtual staging, the property goes for a higher price.
• Having multiple design options: Virtual staging companies usually offer catalogs you can choose from. A few companies, like Revivoto, have taken it further by providing their services in various categories:
  • Picking your design room-wise: Living room, Bedroom, Dining room, kitchen, outdoors, home office.
  • Choosing from different styles: Contemporary, Modern, Hamptons, Farmhouse, Urban/Industrial, and Traditional
  • Customizing each room: going through catalogs filled with different furniture sets and picking the setting for each room.
• Possessing control over the design: Due to unlimited design options, you can take charge and choose the style or styles that appeal to your targeted prospective clients.
• Zero manual labor: You need to lift one finger to click and order your virtual staging service online. Companies like Revivoto only ask you to upload photos and choose the preferred design without any other requirements.
• Suitable for any construction: Since virtual staging is based on images, you can use it for buildings under development and stage mock-up pictures.
• Inclusivity: Having multiple design styles at your disposal allows you to order different settings, appeal to various target groups, and go beyond the clichés.

Virtual Staging V.S Real Staging

The predecessor of virtual staging today, known as real or traditional staging, offers to furnish the estate with a limited inventory and the chosen design by the stager. As is evident from the description, you need a workforce to bring the furnishing items in and out, and since you are getting actual furniture and decoration, it takes a toll on your budget.

Also, the process of real staging (deciding on the design, preparation, logistics, and moving) takes weeks to finalize, while virtual staging companies like Revivoto provide the outcome within 24 hours. You only need to upload your photos, pick your design, and sit back and watch how your dream comes true.

Unlike virtual staging, real staging provides a tangible sensation when you visit the property, which is usually considered a bonus. But let’s look at it from another angle: you can’t see and check the floor when it is covered with a rug and sofa on top or the state of the wall behind a painting or mirror. So, the advantage of traditional staging is also its Achilles’ ankle.

In an overview, this is how traditional and virtual staging look side by side:

Final Remark

In the twenty-first century, we live a significant portion of our lives online; our transactions are no exception, and purchases start with an online search.

The same logic applies to the real estate market. There was a day when realtors would hire a stager and pay thousands of dollars to move a listing in the market. While staging has proved to be an efficient method, it has evolved along with other aspects of our life.

Through virtual staging, you can get all the benefits of the real staging while saving time, energy, and money; it is indeed a dream come true.

Read Also:

• Building A Custom Home? All You MUST Consider For Your New Den!
• Buying And Selling Mobile Homes (Manufactured Homes)
• It’s a buyers’ market – house features everyone wants