5 Reasons Why Real Estate Agents Should Stage All Their Listings

Home staging can be a superpower for real estate agents who want to become top producers in their market. Beyond merely decorating a space, home staging creates an emotional connection that carries the target buyer to the closing table.

Let's dive into why home staging is such a game-changer for agents.

1. First Impressions Matter

In real estate, first impressions make or break a deal.

When potential buyers step into a well-staged home, they enter a curated atmosphere that encourages them to imagine living in the space.

On the other hand, if they have a bad impression within those crucial first few seconds, their feelings about the entire house will be soured – no matter how much potential the listing has.

2. Speed Up Sales

We often see agents list homes unstaged. They want to see if they can sell it without staging, and if no acceptable offers come in, maybe they will invest in staging.

For example, this home in San Antonio, where our own staging business is located, was listed vacant, and then it sat stagnant on the market for 5 months.

This strategy always backfires! Months later, after taking price cuts and paying carrying costs, agents will finally choose to hire a home stager.

Once we were brought in to stage this home, it sold within 3 days.

Imagine how much time and money would have been saved if this home was staged when it went on the market. A speedy sale is a huge win for Realtors®, who can then move on to take on more listings and make more commissions.

3. Highlight Key Features

When an agent takes their client house-hunting, they try to squeeze in as many properties as possible in a short time. Very quickly, the listings all start to blur together and they begin to take on nicknames.

"The cat house."

"The bachelor pad."

"The home with the rusty wall."

Those are a few of the nicknames that the seller's agent doesn't want. And yes, this is a real home that we staged.

Professional home staging focuses the buyer's attention on the most desirable assets of the home. It also helps the agent redirect attention away from the liabilities.

Staging may even turn a negative into a positive, without any costly renovations!

4. Capture Attention Online

Top agents know that in a sea of real estate listings, the home with the best photos online will attract the most in-person viewings.

In fact, 83% of buyers say photos are the most important factor when picking homes to tour, according to the National Association of Realtors®. A whopping 99% of millennial buyers start their home search online.

Home staging ensures that a property photographs well. When an agent hires a certified home stager, they know that any furniture, art, and accessories will be placed with the camera in mind. Trained home stagers are experts in getting online browsers to stop the scroll with their eye-catching designs.

5. Maximize Profits

Some real estate agents may think home staging is just an extra expense, but later find that it's worth every penny. Most sellers see a return-on-investment of over 400% when they invested in staging, according to a survey done by the Real Estate Staging Association®.

Home staging statistics show that staged homes are more likely to fetch higher prices and sell faster, padding both the seller's pockets and the Realtor's® reputation.

So, there you have it – the power of home staging in a nutshell. In a world where first impressions are everything, real estate agents who embrace home staging are the ones who come out on top.

Find a certified home stager near you to uplevel your listings today!

Or, if you're ready to take the jump and begin staging your own listings, click here to learn more about home staging certifications for real estate agents.