The real estate industry is one of the most thriving and growing sectors globally. The total value of real estate is estimated to be around $180 trillion, increasing with a CAGR of 4%.
In order to run a successful business, it is necessary for every real estate company to market its homes effectively. One such technique that has helped real estate agents convince their prospective clients is through home staging.
But isn’t it the goal of every business person to cut costs? The traditional home staging is both expensive and time-consuming, eating into the profits of a realtor.
To ensure that one retains as much revenue as possible, most realtors are now venturing into virtual home staging.
What is Virtual Staging?
Virtual staging is simply a method of decorating homes virtually with the help of computer-generated images. It is done through 3D rendering and animation and helps you showcase your property in its best light.
The goal of virtual staging is to make real estate agents look more credible and reliable in front of their clients.
What Benefits Do Virtual Staging Offer?
Some of the benefits of virtual staging include the following:
Helps your property stand out on the market
The first benefit of virtual staging is that it helps your property stand out in the market. With so many homes for sale, it is important to make your home noticeable. Virtual staging allows you to do this by creating a realistic and professional-looking image of your property.
Attracts more buyers
Virtual staging has been proven to attract more buyers. By creating an attractive and inviting image of your home, you are more likely to get buyers interested in touring the property.
Saves time and money
Virtual staging also saves you a lot of time and money. With traditional home staging, you need to hire professionals to help you with the decorations.
This can be quite expensive, especially if you are on a tight budget. With virtual staging, all you need is a computer and an internet connection.
Aids in faster sales
Virtual staging can also help you generate faster sales. When buyers are able to see how a property will look once it is furnished, they are more likely to make an offer.
Increases the value of your property
With traditional home staging, you may not be able to get your property sold. With virtual staging, the image you create is more likely to convince buyers and add value to your current market price.
Virtual Staging also has the ability to improve the appearance of a property without actually changing anything in it. This can help in increasing both its market value and speed up the sale process.
Improves your credibility in front of your client
With virtual staging, you can now present your client with a realistic and attractive view of the property. This will help in increasing your credibility as a real estate agent and win trust from clients.
Moreover, buyers will feel confident that the realtor is well aware of how to market their property effectively. What matters to them is that they get what they want, and this method helps you do just that.
How Does Virtual Staging Work?
Virtual staging uses rendering, a computer-generated image that helps you showcase your property. In order to create a render, you need to have two images of the property – one from the exterior and the other from its interior.
These images are then edited by professionals who will highlight each room in detail along with furniture and lighting.
Choosing The Right Furniture
One of the most important steps in virtual staging is choosing the right furniture for your home. Professional designers know where and how to place different pieces of furniture depending upon their purpose, whether they should serve as pure decoration or be functional too.
All this depends on factors like size, color, and shape since these aspects significantly affect space management.
Understanding Lighting and Atmosphere
Another essential aspect of virtual staging is the lighting and atmosphere of a room. Lighting adds to the mood as well as affects how buyers feel about a property.
To create an inviting environment, you need to choose warm colors for walls and curtains that match with wooden flooring or furniture.
You can then add striking shades of blue or green in small doses that match the overall color scheme. These little details play a major role in creating a perfect image.
Virtual Staging Techniques
There are various ways in which virtual staging can be done. Some of the most popular methods include:
3D Rendering
This is the process of creating a three-dimensional image of a product or object. It uses computer graphics to create the image and can be used for both virtual and physical staging.
360-degree Photography
This is a type of photography that captures all 360 degrees around an object. This is usually used to capture real estate properties and create a virtual tour for potential buyers.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is the process of adding digital information to a real-world environment. This is usually done through the use of mobile apps and allows users to view 3D images of their surroundings.
How to choose the best virtual staging software for real estate?
Virtual staging is a vast industry that is expected to grow exponentially in the years ahead. Currently, many companies offer such software, but not all can provide you with high-quality results. Here’s what you should look for while choosing the best virtual staging software for real estate:
Credibility and Experience
Before making any purchase, it is important to check a company’s background and how long they have been offering their services. Since this field requires expert knowledge and skills, go with professionals who understand your needs and will be able to create an image that really sells your property.
Functionality
Make sure that the software offers all features that you need because otherwise, you might spend on something entirely different from what you had been anticipating.
Availability of Templates
It is important to choose a company that has templates for multiple types of properties as well as furniture, lighting techniques, and other necessary accessories. In order to make your job easier, you need software that can be customized according to your needs so that you don’t have to manually edit the images every time.
Design Quality
Any good virtual staging software should feature high-resolution images with vivid colors and realistic textures to impress viewers with the overall look. It shouldn’t appear artificial or dull because this turns buyers away due to lack of trust in the agent.
Also, avoid anything that looks outdated because even if it helps you sell the property, prospective clients might think twice before making an offer.
Price of the software
The best virtual staging software for real estate is usually not the cheapest option on the market because there’s a reason why it is expensive.
You need to weigh what you are getting against the price and if it seems like an investment that will truly pay off, go ahead with it. Otherwise, look out for other options that offer similar features at reasonable costs.
Top Virtual Staging Software for Real Estate in 2022
VisualStager
Price: $15 per staged photo
This is a DIY staging website that offers high-quality virtual staging services for real estate. It is one of the most popular options in the market and provides users with a wide range of templates to choose from.
The great thing about VisualStager is that it doesn’t require any prior experience or knowledge to use and can be easily customized according to your needs.
You simply need to upload images of the property and add furniture, lighting, and other accessories through an easy-to-use interface.
Designs are realistic and look very professional, making it an excellent choice for agents who want to add a touch of class to their images. The only downside is that it is not as feature-rich as some other software on this list and doesn’t offer 360-degree tours.
iStaging
Price: $5 per image
iStaging is a popular virtual staging software that comes with a wide range of features. It is perfect for real estate agents who want to add high-quality images to their portfolio and offers great value for the price.
One of the best things about iStaging is that it is very easy to use, and even beginners can create realistic 3D images in minutes. The software offers a wide range of templates to choose from, making it possible to style any type of property.
Designs are realistic and look very professional, making it a great choice for agents who want to add a touch of class to their images. The only downside is that it is also not as feature-rich as some of the other software on this list and doesn’t offer 360-degree tours.
Cedar Architect
Price: $59 per month
Cedar Architect is an industry leader in virtual staging technology for real estate and comes with a wide range of features. The software offers users high-quality 3D images that look amazing on screens of all sizes, making it perfect for listings on any platform.
The best thing about Cedar Architect is that it allows users to create 3D walkthroughs of their property. This way, prospective buyers can explore the interior space without visiting it in person. There are plenty of templates to choose from, so finding something suitable shouldn’t be a challenge.
One of the downsides is that this service is not free, and real estate agents will have to pay a monthly fee. The only other downside is that users need to upgrade to a higher tier if they want access to all the software features.
Hasten
Price: Call for price
Hasten is a feature-rich virtual staging software perfect for real estate agents who want to add high-quality images to their portfolios. The software offers users realistic 3D images that look amazing on screens of all sizes, making it perfect for listings on any platform.
The best thing about Hasten is that it allows users to create 360-degree tours of their property. This way, prospective buyers can explore the interior space without visiting it in person. There are also plenty of templates to choose from.
Like Cedar Architect, Hasten also requires a monthly fee. Real estate agents also need to upgrade to a higher tier to access all the software features.
Spotless Agency
Price: $79-$199
Spotless Agency is one of the best virtual staging software solutions on the market and comes at a low cost. The service offers high-quality images that look extremely professional, making it perfect for listings on all platforms.
The best thing about Spotless Agency is its wide range of templates to choose from, so finding something suitable shouldn’t be a challenge.
You can also add high-resolution furniture images or use your own collections to offer prospective buyers a better idea of what the space looks like.
One downside is that this service doesn’t have a free version, but real estate agents should definitely try the trial version before signing up for yearly plans.
BoxBrownie
Price: Subscription starts at $32
BoxBrownie is a powerful virtual staging software solution that allows users to create 3D walkthroughs of their property. It also offers high-quality professional images for real estate listings.
The best thing about BoxBrownie is its vast library of templates, which includes different types of properties. This way, real estate agents can find something suitable no matter what type of property they sell.
It is also easy to use and does not need any specialized knowledge to set up.
While BoxBrownie doesn’t have a free version, real estate agents can check out the trial version before signing up for yearly plans. Also, users cannot add their own collections and will need to buy models if they want to showcase high-quality images.
Square Foot Productions
Price: Subscription starts at $29
Square Foot Productions is a virtual staging software solution that allows users to create high-quality walkthroughs of their properties, using high-quality and professional images.
The best thing about Square Foot Productions is they offer an extensive library of templates that real estate agents can find suitable for their listing regardless of the property type they are selling.
Conclusion
Virtual staging is an extremely powerful marketing tool that can help real estate agents sell properties faster and for higher prices.
The best virtual staging software solutions available on the market offer high-quality images and a wide variety of templates that help build a suitable listing easier.
Depending on the budget and services offered, real estate agents can choose which virtual staging software solution best fits their needs and business.
