As a professional home staging business, we’ve been asked several times if we do virtual staging. (For those wondering what this is, it is when you take a photo and add paint colors, window coverings and furniture to the photo.)
We’ve also been asked by virtual stagers if we would like to be trained to join the team of professionals who have mastered this art of altering photos to show the home’s potential.
We’ve hesitated joining this trend. Why? Personally I think considering a buyer’s “feelings” and “first impressions” are so important when preparing a home for sale. When buyers enter a home, the first five seconds set the tone for the showing. Is it the impression that says “wow – this is really nice” or “this isn’t what I expected at all”?
Following is one real estate agent’s perspective on his first experience when he showed a home whose listing photos had been virtually staged. Perhaps if they showed both the photo unaltered along with one that was digitally enhanced it would have been a better showing?
Via Greg Nino Houston Texas (RE/MAX West Houston Professionals):
My buyer was really excited about seeing a local house. Under agent remarks (not viewable by the public) it reads: Photos have been digitally enhanced to better visualize the amazing possibilities!
The “photo’s” on the MLS have been digitally altered with furniture, paint, lamps, carpet. wood trim and repairs. NONE OF WHICH have been done in real life. The listing agent is working with some digital home stager to create an appearance of what they think the home MIGHT look like if you were to spend the money.
Under the digitally altered photo’s it says this: Digitally enhanced photo! Isn’t it Amazing what your decorating talents can really do!
The listing agent and the digital stager or “virtual stager” both need to put down the sniffing glue and realize that their enhanced photo’s are really just ILLUSIONS.
In person, the house looks like hell. The carpet is disgusting and the walls have dents, scrapes and broken mini-blinds. The kitchen sink had a rotten watermelon in it.
It’s wiser to post actual photo’s in my opinion. This home needs to be advertised as a rehab or “in need of extensive work.” You shouldn’t be trying to “paint” something better than it is. Nobody likes deception, smoke screens and charades when house hunting.
I might add that ALL 16 pictures on the MLS were altered. This left NO real pictures for the consumer.
We’ll be sticking with doing beautiful home staging in person and making sure each property we stage gives the visitor a favorable impression. Whether it’s a tiny condo or a luxury listing having it look great in person AND in photos is key to getting a quicker sale!
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