When it comes to marketing real estate objects, the situation has changed rather significantly in the past years: Rather than displaying empty rooms, marketers have been adding furniture and furnishing elements: This so-called staging (derived from “stage”) started in the USA around the year 1970 and is now widely used here as well — in real or a virtual form. In today’s Valdivia Expert Tip, we discuss the benefits of this sales tool.
Selling Real Estate in a Better Way
Initially used in the residential sector only, offices spaces have long been made more attractive by means of staging. This corresponds with the current trend: for many prospective tenants, work-life balance includes friendlier surroundings in the working environment — even if their own stationary desk in many companies is a thing of the past.
Whether residential or office space — the most tangible advantage of staging is certainly better sales. Buyers decide more easily and accept higher prices if rooms are attracrively staged. Various studies carried out by the National Association of Realtors (USA), the most recent one from 2021, only confirm this:
- According to the participating realtors, staging has a medium to strong positive influence on 91 % of buyers.
- 23 % of brokers observed a higher price acceptance (1 to 5 % of the value) in the market for properties with staging. In some cases, even value increases of up to 20 % were achieved.
- 53 % of the properties offered could be sold slightly to significantly faster due to the implementation of staging.
Contracts being closed more speedily and the acceptance of higher prices speak for themselves. Especially properties that are, for some reason, difficult to sell (location, cut, condition, etc) often get an extra chance with staging.
Making Rooms Vivid
One aspect that should not be underestimated is the fact that staging helps many people to better visualise the dimensions of rooms. Even if on a tight budget, a chair and a table can give you an idea of the dimensions or space available. Fresh plants transform dull office floors into a living space . And virtual staging is increasingly supplementing or replacing real furnishings. Even if walk-in 3D applications are still rare, virtual sample furnishings offer an unbeatable advantage: the rooms can be adapted to individual wishes and needs – with the click on a mouse. Depending on the software tool, this can even include existing furniture that is being inserted into the representation.
Learn more
As you can see in the examples, staging does not have to be a costly marketing tool. Professional advice and self-assembled rental furnishing for an average flat or team office are available for just a few hundred euros. However, for higher-quality properties, you should be willing to spend a little more: For professional real-estate staging, one to three percent of the sales price should be set aside. As the above-mentioned study has shown, such a sales aid is well worth its money. Further information and contacts — also for office staging — can be found on the Internet or by getting in touch with the German Society for Home Staging and Re-Design (DGHR), www.dghr-info.de
The above figures and examples are proof enough: staging is a win-win strategy. For sellers, the chance of a successful deal increases with relatively little effort. For buyers and especially future owners or tenants, the offer may even only come to live, i.e. more concrete and tangible, or even conceivable.
1 2015 / 2021 Profile of Home Staging — National Association of REALTORS® Research Group
