You may have heard the saying that you never get to make a first impression twice. This saying also applies in the home staging industry.
A survey taken last year by the National Association of Realtors reported that 82 percent of realtors found buyers had an easier time visualizing themselves in a home that was staged versus a non-staged residence. When buyers view homes online, they are looking to fall in love with the home before going to see it. Staging gives them a great first impression and helps buyers to fall in love with the property before they see it in person. With a good initial impression, they get a taste of what the home has to offer and begin to visualize their own belongings and lifestyle in that home. This first impression created by home staging can make the difference between the sale of your home versus other homes on the market.
One of the best ways to help a buyer fall in love with the home is to market effectively to each buyer. Home staging is a unique marketing tool that targets a broad range of buyers and draws in higher offers. On average, staging costs between 1-3% of the list price while helping the home list for 5-15% over list price. The return on investment for staging your home is double or sometimes triple the amount invested in professional home staging.
Last year, after walking through a freshly staged home with one of my clients, she said, “Oh that’s why our realtor wanted us to stage. I get why it is so important now.” She realized the impact that our staging made on her home and knew that buyers were going to fall in love with the property. The investment in staging as a marketing tool helped her home sell for a higher price compared to other homes in her neighborhood. Our staging design targeted the demographic of that area, made the buyers fall in love with the home, and brought in higher offers.
After the initial impression and marketing strategy, the two biggest areas that staging assists in is getting higher offers and selling your home fast. It can seem non- essential, but statistics have proven that staging enhances the results in these two areas. Realtor magazine stated that in 2021, staged homes on the market sold for 25% more than homes without staging. Another satisfied client said, “We listed on a Thursday and had multiple offers and under contract for $20,000 over list price by Monday!” Through home staging, we have been able to not only make a good impression for potential buyers but also help the sellers finalize a contract at a higher rate than anticipated.
Statistics and testimonials are proof that staging will help buyers want to live in and love your property. Online photos of your staged home will give your buyers the best first impression of your home before seeing it in person. Once you attract a broad range of buyers, the staging design can narrow this down to targeted buyers who visualize themselves in your home. Then, high offers begin to come in and the seller can find the right buyer at a selling price that exceeds their expectations. Staging will make your buyers fall in love with your home.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to save and share this blog post on social media and don't forget to tag us @effortlessdesigns8!
Written by Esther Hernandez
Edited by Victoria Roberts
Comments