Perfecting the Art of Home Staging

Introduction to Home Staging

Just as sweeping on a bit of mascara can make the eyes seem wider, or garnishing a steak can make the dish look tastier, expertly arranging objects in a home can make the residence appear more attractive to potential buyers. The art of staging, or the method by which real estate agents prepare a private home for sale, is all about winning over buyers with the right decor, accents, and accessories.

After all, a striking dining room centerpiece is much more memorable than the floorplan of an empty house. Home staging is so effective, that on average, buyers tend to stay in a furnished residence for 40 minutes, compared with a vacant residence for just 5 minutes, according to The Northwest Indiana Times. Major difference. But is home staging worth the effort for real estate agents?

The answer to that questions is “yes” for agents who were surveyed by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in 2015. Forty-seven percent of buyer agents said that all buyers were affected by home staging, while another 49 percent said that at least some buyers were affected by home staging. Just 4 percent said that home staging had no effect on buyers whatsoever. But despite these statistics, only 34 percent of seller agents stage all homes. That leaves a lot of room for opportunity. In this chapter of our AceableAgent Academy: Differentiating Yourself From Your Competitors, we’ll talk about how to become a home staging expert so that you can stand out in the industry. Get your feng shui on; let’s get started.