What is the Cost of Real Estate Virtual Staging?

Virtual staging is the newest trend in the real estate industry. Undoubtedly, this new-age concept of showing a property to interested buyers has taken the said industry by storm. Most importantly, owing to the pandemic situation where social distancing was a strict no-no, virtually staging a property was the only feasible option.

Even now, several realtors are leaning toward digitally staging their properties, considering its manifold practical benefits. Amidst all this, if you are curious enough to know more about the cost of virtual staging, read on.

This blog will cover the essential details of decorating and furnishing houses using digital software, as well as the factors on which the costs depend.

So if you are a realtor just starting your business and want to showcase properties to your clients over digital media, read until the end. You shall find all your answers on how much does virtual staging cost and ways to reap the maximum ROI by virtually staging your property. Let’s begin!

Key things one must know about "Virtual Staging"

There’s a universal truth that vacant homes fail to impress or inspire the target audience due to a lack of furnishing, attractive furniture, or any other visually pleasing elements.

Therefore empty properties with bare walls tend to sit long on the market without any bid or offer received. On the other hand, virtually staging or decorating the property brings out its full potential and glory, inspiring home buyers.

Digital staging is no doubt a highly powerful real estate marketing tool when it comes to giving a unique experience to buyers. It is primarily a computerized interior furnishing technique wherein an advanced 3D virtual staging software program is utilized to design the interiors and furniture items, ambient lights, accessories, and other components in a digital space.

The best part of virtual furnishing is that you do not need to buy a single piece of actual furniture or decor, no need to pay for hefty logistics or expensive photo shoots; everything happens through computer technology.

Proficient 3D designers with years of experience can design ultra-realistic furniture models that look indistinguishable from real-life furniture.

Traditional staging and virtual staging - a comparison

Well, apparently, both are required to increase the appeal of a property and close deals faster, but the fundamental difference between the two approaches is that the former is done entirely with the help of manual labor. The stager analyzes and notes what each room needs, purchases or rents actual furniture goods, moves them through a logistics company, and decorates the interior/exterior. Finally, photos are taken by professional real estate photographers.

With virtual staging, a bare minimum of effort is required from the seller’s end. All they need to do is take some high-quality images of the vacant rooms, reach out to a professional 3D virtual staging agency, share the pictures with them, and maybe give them some creative ideas. That’s all!

The rest is taken care of by the 3D modelers, who brainstorm and develop photorealistic furniture models. And when everything is set and done, they will share the final design with the realtor for their review. There is no need to relocate furniture, pay for the moving, or conduct expensive photo shoots. For more details checkout our article on Traditional staging vs Virtual staging

How much does it cost to stage houses virtually?

Digital house staging cost depends on several factors, such as the quality of the 3D models, the complexity of the designs, the scope of the project, as well as the total manpower and resources involved. Besides, the kind of software utilized is also one of the major factors in calculating the total value of a virtual staging project.

We shall mention a few ballparks for beginners that will give them a basic idea, but please note these costs are mere estimates based upon the current industry standard and contemporary trends. Each virtual staging agency has its own kind of price rates that vary from project to project. To get a fixed quote, one must share their exact requirements with the agency.

Digital house staging cost depends on several factors, such as the quality of the 3D models, the complexity of the designs, the scope of the project, as well as the total manpower and resources involved. Besides, the kind of software utilized is also one of the major factors in calculating the total value of a virtual staging project.

For example, if the room is tidy enough and looks appealing, the seller might just need to rearrange the layout and digitally declutter the space. The total cost ranges from $30 - $600 per photo based on complexity.

According to Home Advisor, virtual stagers charge a nominal initial consultation fee ranges from $150 – $600 for two hours.

There’s a false notion that digital staging is more expensive as it is done through high-end software and cutting-edge technology. But honestly, that isn’t the case. Rather, by furnishing properties virtually, realtors can save up to 90% of their investments.

Thus, the average cost of staging through computerized programs is way less compared to the old-school methods.

Why and how has "Virtual Staging" become integral to the real estate sector?

Today’s digital era has made it mandatory for real estate agencies to amplify their online listings in the most unique way to cut through the noise. A survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors found that almost 90% of buyers do their house hunting on the Internet.

Thus, it goes without saying that the more a realtor makes their property photos engaging, the higher the chance of them closing deals faster. Decorating and rearranging a property virtually is, therefore, the order of the day, saving them the trouble of doing it traditionally.

Hope by now you have got a fair idea about the home staging costs when done through digital software. This new-age technological approach to real estate marketing and promotion has been gladly accepted by buyers and sellers alike.

Apart from its numerous benefits, it also gives a great deal of flexibility and scope for customization that could be done with a few mouse clicks. That’s why most real estate companies are now leaning towards virtual staging to optimize their properties’ listing value at a fraction of the cost of traditional staging.

Conclusion

So, is virtual staging worth the hype? Of course, it is! This technology is here to stay, and we can only wait and see what more advancements and innovations 3D modelers and designers can bring to it.

This blog will act as a handy guide to both realtors and novice virtual stagers to calculate their real estate staging costs.

If you need any support with virtual staging services, send us an email. We can help you with all types of real estate photo post-processing support.