In today’s competitive housing market, the way you stage your home can have a deep effect on how quickly it sells, not to mention your sales price. Unfortunately, having a home professionally staged can get expensive, and since sellers have their own biases, it’s not always advisable to try and stage it yourself. However, a new technology is transforming the way people sell their homes via a method called virtual staging.
Using an Augmented Reality (AR) app like Curate, buyers can now visualize the space in real time by superimposing a set of furnishings over an image of the room through the camera of a smartphone or tablet. This technology personalizes the showing experience by letting buyers move and change pieces using the touchscreen. It’s just as effective as physical staging (if not more so), and it’s far less expensive.
Virtual staging obviously works differently than conventional staging methods. If you’re new to the technology, here’s a quick overview on how to virtual home staging is utilized sell your home.
The Home Is Left Vacant
Remember, virtual staging takes place on the screen of a mobile device — no physical staging required. In fact, virtual staging works best when the room is completely vacant of furniture and accents. Empty the rooms to create a clean palette for the app. Let the AR do the staging for you.
Have Agents Download the App
If your sales agent is doing the selling (e.g., for an open house), they will already have the app installed on a device for viewing in real-time. You can also leave instructions for buyer’s agents to download and use the app during showings.
View the Rooms Using the App
While viewing the room through the device, prospective buyers select from a set of furnishings and design styles which are superimposed on the image using Augmented Reality. Buyers can change styles with a few taps and move pieces by swiping. This adds a new dimension to the staging experience because it is more versatile and personalized.
A New Approach
If you’ve ever staged a home before, it may take a little time to adapt to this fresh, new approach. However, by trusting the process, you’ll find that virtual staging can be just as effective in helping buyers see your home as theirs. To learn more about the Curate app and how it can enhance your selling process, call Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 404.948.4812.