{"id":64673,"date":"2025-11-13T12:38:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T20:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=64673"},"modified":"2025-11-13T12:38:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T20:38:07","slug":"virtual-staging-vs-real-staging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/virtual-staging-vs-real-staging\/","title":{"rendered":"Staging vs Virtual Staging: Cost, ROI, and What Buyers Really Notice"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a potential buyer walks into your home, the experience might be reminiscent of a first date arranged online. The buyer is meeting the home in person for the first time. But what if their online profile doesn\u2019t match what they see? This question is fueling a growing debate when listing a home for sale: virtual staging vs. real staging.<\/p>\n

There is no question that a well-presented home allows buyers to envision themselves living there, turning a simple property viewing into an emotional connection. But can your home achieve that connection with virtual staging \u2014 teasing buyers with AI-generated or digitally-altered listing photos?<\/p>\n

This guide can help you decide what\u2019s best for your home sale, comparing traditional and virtual staging in terms of cost, return on investment (ROI), and what buyers actually notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Looking to Get Top Dollar? Connect With a Top Agent<\/h3>\n

It takes just two minutes to match clients with the best real estate agents, who will contact you and guide you through the process. Our data shows the top 5% of agents across the U.S. help clients sell their home for as much as 10% more than the average real estate agent.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Should I stage my home to sell?<\/h2>\n

Numerous studies have shown that staged homes can sell faster and for more money. According to the National Association of Realtors<\/a> (NAR), 83% of buyers\u2019 agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as their future home. Furthermore, 17% of agents reported that staging increased the dollar value offered between 1% to 5%.<\/p>\n

In a separate HomeLight survey<\/a>, top agents estimated your increase in offer price could be even higher \u2014 up to 13% \u2014 if you hire a professional staging company.<\/p>\n

To give you an idea of what these additional proceeds might look like, we’ve applied some estimates to the following set of home prices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Potential increases based on NAR and HomeLight research; your results may vary<\/caption>\n
Unstaged home offer price<\/strong><\/td>\nStaged home offer price 3% increase<\/strong><\/td>\nStaged home offer price 5% increase<\/strong><\/td>\nStaged home offer price 10% increase<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$200,000<\/td>\n$206,000<\/td>\n$210,000<\/td>\n$220,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$300,000<\/td>\n$309,000<\/td>\n$315,000<\/td>\n$330,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$400,000<\/td>\n$412,000<\/td>\n$420,000<\/td>\n$440,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$500,000<\/td>\n$515,000<\/td>\n$525,000<\/td>\n$550,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$600,000<\/td>\n$618,000<\/td>\n$630,000<\/td>\n$660,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$700,000<\/td>\n$721,000<\/td>\n$735,000<\/td>\n$770,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$800,000<\/td>\n$824,000<\/td>\n$840,000<\/td>\n$880,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$900,000<\/td>\n$927,000<\/td>\n$945,000<\/td>\n$990,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$1,000,000<\/td>\n$1,030,000<\/td>\n$1,050,000<\/td>\n$1,100,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
$1,500,000<\/td>\n$1,545,000<\/td>\n$1,575,000<\/td>\n$1,650,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The possibility of earning higher proceeds and selling sooner makes home staging an attractive option for many sellers. A top real estate agent can connect you with professional stagers<\/a> and advise on the most impactful changes for your specific market. To estimate your potential sale profits, try our Seller Closing Cost and Proceeds Calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Deciding between physical and virtual staging? Compare costs, ROI, and what buyers notice to help you sell your home faster and for more money.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":64674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[240,319],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-staging","category-selling-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStaging vs Virtual Staging: Cost, ROI, and What Buyers Really Notice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Deciding between physical and virtual staging? 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