Every listing agent worth their salt has a personally curated a set of marketing tools they use to strategically craft effective marketing plans for the homes they sell. From postcards to Facebook ads, we use hundreds of various channels and mediums to sell homes fast and for top dollar, and it’s no secret that technology has a big hand in many of our methods.

But have you ever met a real estate agent who uses CGI to sell homes?

Computer-generated imagery, or CGI, is the use of computer graphics to enhance photos and videos. It’s used in every summer blockbuster, and Hollywood filmmakers are definitely the biggest patrons of the massive CGI industry, but we’re thrilled to bring a little Hollywood magic right here to the Western Slope of Colorado!

Virtual home staging is the tech I’m referring to, and no, it might not be as exciting as watching your favorite action star run from a fiery explosion in slo-mo, but trust me, you’re going to love what it can do for your home selling prospects. Plus, it’s included with our listing services! Let me break it down a bit.

As I’m sure you’re aware, the positive effects of home staging have been reported and documented for many years now, and while every market and every house and every buyer will all be a bit different, the benefits of home staging are fairly clear:

  • In a 2018 study of over 4,000 homes, 68% of staged homes sold for at least 9% more than their unstaged neighbors’ homes.
  • 83% of staged properties sell for the asking price or above.
  • Homes that are staged sell 75% faster than those that are not.

Seeing the advantages of home staging is easy, however, traditional home staging can actually be pretty hard. The exorbitant cost eats away at the seller’s profit, and it can take 7, 15, or even 30 days to get a home staged! The price and headache may cause you to wonder if traditional home staging is really worth it…

…And that’s exactly why virtual home staging is becoming so popular. It’s a fraction of the cost of traditional home staging, and can happen in days instead of weeks.

What is virtual staging?

Virtual staging is the melding of high-quality photography with a savvy interior designer and a talented graphic artist. First, an interior designer (such as our own Carol, who happens to be professionally trained in home staging) chooses decor for the home, which can include anything from rugs, sofas, and bookshelves to light fixtures, lamps, and shower curtains.

Next, the graphic artist will look at what furnishings are going in what rooms, analyze the best photos of each room, and get to work. High-resolution images of these furnishings are resized for the space, angled appropriately for placement, color-corrected to match the lighting, and situated within the photo according to how the interior designer instructs.

The end result is beautiful photos of an impeccably furnished home, which can then be used as eye-catching and impactful marketing that will resonate with potential buyers far more than photos of empty rooms.

The best part? Virtual staging is included as part of our full service real estate listing services! Take a look at this video highlighting some of the virtual staging projects we’ve done for our clients…

Since over 90% of home buyers begin their home buying journey on the internet, their first impression of a home is through the listing photos. Listing photos that show a staged home will not only help the listing stand out from competing listings, but will also help potential buyers envision living in that space.

Listen, I love all the magical cinematic moments that CGI has given us over the years, but I think virtual home staging is an even better use of the technology. Lightsaber fights are pretty cool, but using CGI to help home buyers see the possibilities of an empty room? Using CGI to bring more value to home sellers? Now, that’s truly magical!

If you’d like to know more about virtual home staging, or if you’re interested in selling your home, reach out to us today!