Modern image rendering techniques can be leveraged in so many ways to support the property sale process. Under the umbrella of computer-generated imagery (CGI), developers have several tools at their disposal to market their property and attract a wider audience of potential buyers. One of the most popular, especially in recent times, is virtual staging. 

While still relatively new, this technology is fast becoming an indispensable piece of marketing collateral, improving the experience for buyers and sellers alike. But what exactly is virtual staging, and how can it be used to accelerate the property sale process? 

What is virtual staging?

Before exploring its benefits, we first need to know exactly what virtual staging is. Within real estate, virtual staging refers to the process whereby an empty space can be digitally ‘filled’ with furniture, upholstery and other interior items to give the appearance of a lived-in home. The primary purpose of virtual staging is to give prospective buyers a better insight into how they could turn a house into a home, helping them to envision living in any given space.

An empty property is full of potential, but sometimes it’s difficult for buyers to visualise the possibilities when it’s in a vacant state. With virtual staging, you can demonstrate how rooms could be used in different ways, showing buyers how they could make best use of the available space. The same room can have several different functions, and virtual staging can provide buyers with the inspiration needed to see a home’s full potential. In fact, one study found that 81% of buyer’s agents said clients found it easier to visualise a house as their home once it’d been staged.

Virtual staging vs traditional staging

Before the use of property CGI technology became widespread in the industry, developers and sellers relied on a more traditional approach to home staging. This far more costly and time-consuming method called for the physical staging of an empty space, bringing actual furniture and decorations into the property. 

Naturally, this process allows for far less variation than digital staging, whereby you can change a room’s appearance at the click of a button. A digital approach gives you complete control over the finer details that you think will help to generate the most interest in your property, right down to the colour of the walls or the positioning of a bed frame.

There’s little doubt that virtual staging and the digital tools used in the process have revolutionised home staging. However, that’s not to say that traditional staging techniques don’t still hold value and have a part to play in the house-selling process. In fact, the two can co-exist, and often virtual staging is a useful supplementary tool to physical staging. 

How much does virtual staging cost? 

The cost of virtual staging can vary based on factors such as the number of rooms, the complexity of the designs and the turnaround times required. On average, virtual staging costs range between £50 to several hundred pounds per room.

Five benefits of using virtual staging

It's more cost-effective than physical staging

Physically staging a home can cost hundreds even thousands of pounds – and that’s for a single property. Think about how quickly the costs could add up if you’re staging multiple homes in a development project. 

It’s worth keeping in mind that some home buyers could show a certain level of scepticism towards virtual staging in comparison to a staged home they can see with their own eyes. Virtual staging is only a worthwhile investment (and the more cost-effective option) when it portrays a realistic depiction of a property. Misleading buyers with unrealistic images will ultimately waste both yours and buyers’ time, so investing in professionally rendered pictures should be a priority if you do decide to virtually stage your property.
 

It helps attract more buyers

When bringing a property to market, you’ll want to attract as many interested eyes to your listing as possible. Virtual staging is a great way to not only attract more initial interest, but also to turn casual viewers into more serious prospective buyers. 

This does, of course, rely on your imagery being professionally rendered. Poorly generated images can have the opposite effect and actually hamper your marketing campaign, with amateurish virtual staging having the potential to be misleading or unrealistic. When the sale of a property is on the line, make sure you enlist professional help with your digital imagery.

You can cater for a wider audience. 

If you’re only using physical staging to market your property, you’re relying on all prospective buyers travelling to the site for a viewing. At this stage of the process, casual home hunters are unlikely to want to travel far to view a home they only have a passing interest in – this hugely narrows your audience base and limits the potential interest in your property. 

By investing in virtual staging and advertising the generated imagery on your digital channels, you’ll be casting your marketing net a lot wider and reaching a far broader audience. Ultimately, this will hopefully help you to secure a sale more quickly, while higher competition could also help you to achieve maximum value from the sale.

Virtual staging is fast and non-invasive

Physical staging is a labour-intensive process that can take days to complete. With access to the right technology, virtual staging can take a matter of hours, ultimately helping to bring your property to market more quickly. Especially for developers with a portfolio of properties, physically staging every room in every house requires a huge amount of effort. Virtual staging saves precious time and allows you to focus on other tasks. 

You can start selling before your stage home is ready 

As we’ve already discussed, stage homes can take a long time to prepare before they’re ready to host viewers. With virtual staging, you can start reaching out to prospective buyers much sooner, giving you more opportunity to generate interest and bring your property to market more quickly. 

It’s clear that in the modern-day real estate market, architectural visualisation tools are having a major influence on buyer opinions and decisions. Investing in the right digital marketing materials can give you a head start in your next campaign, and help your properties to stand out from the competition. If you’re interested in learning more about how property CGI could benefit your next project, get in touch with our friendly team today.