We know that good photographs help to sell homes more quickly. More often than not they are the potential buyer's first visual introduction to the property. Whether it is online, in a printed brochure, a magazine, or other publication, photographs often make the first impression and influence what's to follow ("Ewww...next!" or "Oh, look at this. Let's go see this one!").
On a basic level, photographs of a home give us lots of information about the layout, style, size, and condition of a property. Is it an open plan featuring large living areas with high ceilings and lots of light? Or is it a Queen Ann with a gingerbread porch and a small parlor with bay window?
Let's take a look at an example. Here's a photo of a simple room in a home for sale:
A Nice Second Bedroom?
The photo is well exposed, in focus, and the camera wasn't at some odd angle or perspective. (These should all be givens, but look at the photos that accompany some listings, and you really start to wonder...). We see a simple, unfurnished room with wood floors that appear to have been recently refinished, crown moulding, base moulding and a door of a style that suggests an older home. A floor register suggests a forced air HVAC system. Because the room is unfurnished, it's hard to tell which room it might be. Is it a bedroom? What furniture would you put in this room? How would you live in it? Without more information, you probably can't answer these questions. Neither can the potential buyer. That's one of the challenges of selling an empty home.
Let's take another look at the same room, from the same camera angle:
Cozy living room
Staging makes a difference, huh?! Here we see that it's a cozy living room, tastefully decorated with a sofa, love seat, tables and chair. It looks like a nice spot to sit with a drink and visit with friends, or relax and watch some television.
Which image do you find more appealing?
In the second photo, the furnishings immediately tell us the function of the room, give us a better sense of its size, and present a warmer scene in which it is easier to imagine ourselves enjoying the home. Even if it is "just staging," it highlights the potential of the room in a way that a buyer might not otherwise see.
Empty homes present special challenges in showings and in photographs. It can be hard for potential buyers to see past the emptiness and envision how they might furnish and live in the home.
In photographs of empty rooms like the one above, my eye is often drawn to details of contrast like mouldings where surfaces meet and vents in the floor. As a result I think more about the structure, materials and finishes.
On the other hand, in photographs of staged or furnished rooms my attention is pulled away from the little details of the floors, walls and ceiling, and I take in the whole scene. It is much easier to imagine actually living in the space. The stage is set, the only thing missing is the people--and my mind can easily fill in that blank!
If you haven't realized it yet, all of these images were "virtually staged" meaning that the furnishings were added digitally to the original photos of the empty rooms.
In the perfect world, you could elaborately stage every home for showings and photographs. In the real world, circumstance and marketing budgets sometimes make staging homes impractical. This is true for starter homes, like the one above, as well as luxury homes. Virtual staging can be a great, and much more affordable option. When you do use virtual staging, you'll want to be sure to disclose that the images are digital renderings or have been modified. Check with your broker for the appropriate disclosure terminology to use.
Of course the resulting images can be used in the property marketing materials online and in print, but they can also be used in the home during showings. Some agents do large prints and mount them on easels throughout the home. This makes it easy for possible buyers to see past the emptiness and recognize the potential of the rooms, or even to envision alternate uses for furnished rooms--it's an easy way to help the buyer see that the sewing room could become a well-appointed home gym.
Photographs are full of cues which tell us about the tastes and lifestyles of the homeowners. This is important, especially in the luxury market, where lifestyle is one of the key factors driving purchase decisions. Virtual staging gives you great flexibility in speaking to the tastes and lifestyles of your best prospects and positioning the property accordingly.
Done well, it certainly beats an empty room.
