It is evidently clear that these days almost everything is done with a click of a mouse on your laptop, a press of your pointer finger on your cell phone, or a simple swipe on the iPad. Times are changing and so is technology with instant gratification and virtual reality becoming the new norm these days. It’s out with the old staging and in with the new innovative virtual staging making houses 5X more approachable and attractive.
Real estate has moved on from the outdated in-person showing of homes and transformed into a whole new virtual experience for eager potential buyers who might not want to leave their couch… just yet.
When you are choosing to virtual list your house, you’re opening doors to new customers who might not want to go the “old school” route and drive all the way out to see a potential house. By virtually listing your house to buyers, you are already miles ahead of the more old-fashioned real estate competition.
Top 10 Reasons why you need to list virtually
1. First Impression is Key 90% of your buyers look at your house online, you only have a few minutes, possibly only a few seconds to catch that buyer’s eye. With technology like Instagram reels, Facebook Marketplace, and even Tik Tok, visualization is key to making a buyer interested and first impressions will make or break you.
2. Staged Properties Sell More 83% of staged properties sell for more than the asking price. Virtually staging a property, even if it’s completely empty in its entirety, will sell for more than the asking price. In a highly competitive marketplace, staying on top of trends will make you a more successful realtor or property buyer.
3. The Buyer must see themselves living there The key to selling a house, whether it be a state-of-the-art with all the bells and whistles property, versus an old historical house, the buyer must envision themselves as living comfortably there. Virtually place warm, inviting furniture to spruce up a rather drab empty space.
4. House not selling? Virtual Stage it Homes that are staged sell on the market 75% faster than houses that aren’t. The demand for virtual staging has increased over the years and is becoming more popular in the real estate world, especially now more than ever, making remote work and virtual reality in more demand. Even if you have a house that is difficult to sell, by virtually creating a living space for buyers it’ll sell faster.
5. Virtually Staging creates MORE potential Housing markets that have houses that are on the more empty and cold feeling aspect don’t sell well and can make it tough for a buyer to envision themselves in that cold space. By virtually staging the house, you’re creating a whole new vision for the potential of the buyer living in the house regardless of its dreary aspects.
6. It is a valuable tool during these unprecedented times Especially post/during pandemic- times seem uncertain, and people are now, more than ever, being extra cautious with face-to-face contact. So, what’s the best way to solve this crisis that hit our marketplace hard at one time while keeping momentum with the tech trends of the future? Virtually staging your property makes it easier not only for you and the sellers to represent the property best, but also for buyers to figure out what makes a listing their future home. Give them the visual they so desperately need!
7. It’s effortless Before you go to a local Best Buy or Camera store, no you do not need state-of-the-art camera and lighting equipment, just your cell phone is all you need. Cell phone companies like Apple and Android have now built high-quality cameras into cell phones that these days, anyone can virtually stage a property, all you need is your cell phone. That’s it!
8. It’s Fast and Flexible Does your property have a spare bedroom? Turn it into an office space for a potential CEO who’s now working remotely, a nursery for a family-to-be, or a guest bedroom which adds high value when selling a house. Virtually stage any room to be what you want your buyers to imagine, and it will sell faster.
9. It’s user-friendly So maybe you’re not the tech-savvy type? No worries! With user-friendly professional staging applications and companies like Box Brownie, where you can hire either a professional photographer or use a phone application to virtually stage your room, it’s as easy as a click of a button on your phone.
10. It’s more than just staging There’s more to virtual staging than setting up furniture. Virtual Staging can also remove the clutter that was in the client’s spare bedroom and create a more upscale office space that is a high selling point for possible buyers, and will grab buyer’s attention immediately. It can also brighten a room, and create a 360 version of what the house would look like for the buyer. There’s so many benefits to virtually staging your house.
So, we went over the basics…now, how does one “virtually stage” a property?
Virtually Staging a house allows you to present a property in the way that the buyer wants it to be, and allows the buyers to view themselves living in your property, by connecting them emotionally to the house. When the buyer is connected emotionally to the house, they will be more than willing to pay the offer price, and occasionally pay more than the offer price, which means more money for your pocket and an overall satisfied client.
It’s less invasive, less expensive, and requires less effort than physically staging heavy furniture pieces with easy-to-use techniques and now with user-friendly technology, virtually staging is easier than ever.
3 simple steps to virtually staging your house
Giving your room character while flaunting it’s biggest assets.
1. Pick what room you want to use
Or use all rooms in the house to create a more cohesive space
2. Upload your images to an application or website
All you have to do is simply upload your photos to a virtual staging app like PhotoUp where they do all of the grunt work so you don’t have to. .
3. Pick what room setting you want and wait for the magic to happen
Want to go for a contemporary kitchen style, a modernized living room, or a farmhouse living room? You can do both, with either picking pre-set furniture or making your own types of furniture with furniture color, wood type, paintings, carpet, and so much more.
All in all, the housing market is booming and evolving, even with these unprecedented times in 2022. Traditional Staging is becoming more time consuming and expensive with purchasing of expensive furniture and having to hire movers, virtual staging is increasing in popularity. The trends of the last few years forever changed how we do a lot of things like working from home, Zoom/Team meetings, Amazon Prime usage increasing, and most importantly with how we now do business.
Virtual showings and staging are a must if you want to sell your properties to clients fast and for more than the asking price. Buying a house may still be booming in states like Florida, where around 330,000 people moved from April 2020 to April 2021 alone- making the marketplace for housing cut-throat and competitive.
But no matter where you are, there’s no better way to beat out your competition while aiming to please your clientele than taking a step ahead and showcasing such an excellent property…virtually!
Let us bring out the best in your listings… so you can sell faster and for more money! xoxo KK Hart, Owner/Expert