Virtual Staging: Now You See It, Now You Don’t

Because some house-hunters are unable to see past a vacant piece of real estate and imagine themselves in it, many property agents have turned to virtual staging. Unlike the traditional practice of staging, which involves de-cluttering and adding a few tasteful furnishings, the virtual art entails using computer images to spotlight how different rooms would look decorated. “Virtual staging is a cost-effective way of making an empty house appeal to viewers who are looking online,” explains Rob Larsen of Rob Larsen Photography Inc. “It’s sometimes hard for some people to visualize how a space can be utilized.” The strategy is especially worthwhile, he says, for remote properties and for lower-priced homes whose owners and/or agent may not want invest the several hundred dollars needed for traditional staging. A potential disadvantage of virtual staging, however, is the shock house-shoppers register when they see the unfurnished dwelling in person. Realtors can make a note, however, that online photos are actually virtual imaging in order to avoid this reaction. | Read More