Virtual Staging- What it's Really Costing You

AI can do a lot of great things but when it comes to working with a person's biggest investment, it should not be used. Tangible purchases need tangible experiences to match what they are buying.

I get it. Using AI is so convenient and cheap. It doesn't require any physical labor to create a home that looks appealing to buyers online. How is it affecting buyers when they are in the home though? Is using AI really cheaper?

I am a home stager so I am a little biased. I will admit that. After a recent experience with one of our rental properties, it made me understand how buyers feel about AI listing photos.

Story time. We have a rental that is very basic. It is an older home built in 1950 and has been renovated in the 90s/ early 2000s. We haven't been able to update it yet. So, we staged it. It was rented within the week of being staged.

Fast forward to the next time the unit was vacant. We used the pictures we had from when we staged the unit to market the property online. It was the same home. We cleaned it up in preparation for the next renters but we didn't do much else. Meaning, we left the home empty. Ready for the next renter. It is reasonably priced and not something we could really budge on. We had a lot of interest but time after time, people were leaving unimpressed. We couldn't figure out why.

Until one person told my husband, visibly upset, that this wasn't the same home online. He said we had used AI and that there was no way that this was the same home.

When my husband told me this I was initially so mad. I would NEVER use AI to stage a home when I own a staging company and believe that it is stealing from creatives like myself. I understood where he was coming from though. It can seem misleading when you see a home online that doesn't look the same in person.

This is what is happening when you use AI to stage a listing. Using AI for staging doesn't create an accurate picture of what the room actually looks like. It could make the room appear bigger in order to accomadate a large sofa or dining table. It could alter the paint color with a filter. It could completely change what a fireplace looks like. All things that might not seem like a big deal but could be a deal breaker for the buyer.

AI is becoming more and more advanced and it can be hard for people to decipher what is real and what isn't. It is now required for Real Estate Agents to disclose when AI is used in a listing but people might not read that disclosure.

Physically staging your listing can't be beat when selling a home. Physically staged homes are still the top performers in the market. They create an inviting environment that encourages buyers to sit and enjoy the home for a while. AI might get them in the door but physically staging encourages them to stay.

When working with the right stager, you get a partner who is committed to helping you market the home to the right buyer.

When we stage a home, we have the buyer in mind. We think about the lifestyle that they are hoping to achieve in the home. We stage to the style of the home with this intent, creating an experience that helps the buyer feel like this is their home.

In addition to mindful staging, you get a partner who also shares the home with others putting additional eyes on the listing. Can AI do that? Probably. But it isn't invested in the success of the sale and your clients deserve more than what virtual staging can offer.

So, is it really cheaper? You can't buy trust but you can build it. That is priceless and worth way more. Your clients deserve more.

We get feedback all the time from clients we have worked with that appreciate that their agent works with us. They feel like their agent actually cares and are invested in them by using a professional to stage their home. They refer their agent to their friends because this is the standard practice that their agent offers. Staging might seem like a large investment up front but it pays off when they are busy with a long list of clients who continue to refer and use them. This could be you.

To work with us on your next listing click here and get a free quote!