Table of Contents

5 min read Apr 08, 2024

What Is Virtual Staging? Learn How to Stage Your Home Digitally

Editor
Edited By

Carol Coutinho

icon
Editor
Edited By

Carol Coutinho

Editor, Houzeo
About

Carol is a versatile content editor and writer, crafting riveting narratives with precision and finesse. When not reading a novel, she is immersed in the enthralling world of the theater.

Find Carol Here

Imagine selling your home for 23% more than the asking price and closing the deal 9 days faster. Professionally staged homes have achieved these remarkable results.

Staging your home with furniture rentals and professional decorators can be expensive. However, virtual staging offers a budget-friendly solution to traditional staging.

Virtual staging digitally stages your home using graphic tools and software. This results in realistic photos or videos for the MLS which makes your home stand out.

Virtual Staging vs Traditional Staging

Let’s break down the key differences between virtual staging and traditional staging to help you make an informed decision.

Virtual StagingTraditional Staging
Ranges from $20 to $100Ranges from $500 to $2000
Fast turnaround, often takes 24-48 hoursSlow turnaround, often takes 7-14 days
Easier to experiment with different design stylesLimited by available rental furniture options

How to Prepare for Virtual Staging?

Virtual staging involves several steps to ensure the best outcome for your property’s digital presentation:

  1. Declutter and Clean: Remove personal items, excess furniture, and any clutter that might distract buyers from the staged look.
  2. Take High-Quality Photos: Use a professional photographer to take high-quality photos of each room from multiple angles. This guarantees good lighting and clear shots and also leads to homes selling 32% faster.
  3. Provide Room Measurements: Accurate room measurements will help the virtual stager create furniture layouts that fit the space perfectly.
  4. Publish the Listing Online: Pair the staged images with a detailed property description and publish it to the MLS.

Pros and Cons

Virtual staging offers a modern solution to traditional home staging. Here are the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision when selling your home.

Pros

  1. Affordable: Virtual staging is cheaper than traditional home staging. This enables you to use the budget efficiently, especially for homes with multiple rooms that require staging.
  2. Flexible Designs: You can choose from a range of design styles such as modern, traditional, or minimalist to best showcase your property.
  3. Targeted Marketing: It lets you showcase the property in ways that appeal to specific buyers. For instance, If the target market is families, virtual staging can emphasize spacious living areas and child-friendly spaces.
  4. Convenience: You can stage your property virtually without any physical labor which makes the process quicker and more efficient.
  5. Improved Listings: High-quality images of your staged home can improve listings on the MLS. This attracts more attention from potential buyers.

Cons

  1. Lack of Physical Experience: The inability to physically interact with the staged space may leave some buyers feeling disconnected.
  2. Online Focus: Virtual staging excels in enhancing online listings so it may not translate as effectively to in-person showings.
  3. Quality: The quality of staging can vary widely based on the software used and the skill of the designer.
  4. Ethical Concerns: It’s important to use virtual staging ethically. The staged images should accurately represent the property’s potential and not create a completely fabricated space.

Rankings: Top Virtual Staging Companies of 2024

Staging CompanyTurnaround TimePrice
1. BoxBrownie24-48 hours$24 per photo
2. Barion Design Inc.Up to 10 daysDepends on the space
3. Real Tour Vision48 hours From $15 per photo
4. Stuccco12-24 hours $29 per photo
5. Styledod24-48 hours$16 per photo

Reviews: 5 Best Virtual Staging Companies of 2024

Let’s take a closer look at the 5 best home staging companies leading the industry in 2024.

1. BoxBrownie

Best Virtual Staging Company

BoxBrownie

logo image
  • Staging Fee: $24 per photo
  • 4.75 Stars 4.9/5 (660+ reviews)

The pricing structure of BoxBrownie includes:

  • Pay-Per-Image: Virtual staging starts at $24 per photo.
  • Monthly Plans: $299/month for up to 20 images or $599/month for up to 60 images.
  • Overage Fees: Any additional images beyond plan limits are charged extra.
  • Bundle Discounts: These are available when adding on services like enhancements, floor plans, etc.

👉 Our Take: BoxBrownie offers a versatile pricing structure to stage your home.  If you only need a few key rooms virtually staged, the pay-per-image option might be sufficient. However, you can explore alternatives like monthly plans for a full property showcase.

These features make BoxBrownie a compelling choice for virtual staging:

  • Real Estate Specialization: The visual staging services they provide are optimized for listings and tours.
  • Diverse Style Library: The company provides customizable furniture sets that contain modern and traditional assets.
  • Lifelike 3D Renderings:  Boxbrownie uses specialized software and interior design skills to stage your homes.

Box Brownie has some drawbacks that you should be aware of.

  • Limited Revisions: Basic packages lack unlimited revisions, so factor in potential extra costs if you’re detail-oriented.
  • Overage Costs: Monthly plans can get pricey for high image volumes due to overages if you opt for extra features like day to dusk renders.

BoxBrownie has a stellar rating of 4.9 out of 5 on Google Reviews.

BoxBrownie offers one of the best real estate virtual staging services. Their staging process includes using 3D tech to create realistic staged photos.

For additional fees, BoxBrownie also offers image enhancement, day-to-dusk image retouching, and 360-degree services.

2. Barion Design Inc.

For Luxury Staging

Barion Design Inc.

Barion Design Home Staging Company Logo
  • Staging Fee: Depends on the property size
  • 5 Stars 5/5 (20+ reviews)

Pricing not publicly available: Barion Design offers custom quotes based on the project size and level of detail.

👉 Our Take: Barion Design stands out for its tech-driven approach and focus on customization. We recommend choosing this company if you want to upscale commercial and luxurious properties that require a personalized touch.

Some of the key features of Barion Design include:

  • Luxury Focus: The company specializes in virtual staging for high-end properties.
  • State-of-the-art Technology: They use advanced rendering technology to create realistic and visually stunning images.
  • Proven Track Record: With over 50,000 homes virtually staged, Bariom Design shows deep experience in the field.

Some drawbacks of using Barion Design:

  • Higher Costs: The company’s focus on luxury properties leads to higher pricing than budget-friendly options.
  • Limited Transparency: It’s difficult to compare costs with other providers without public pricing information.

Barion Design’s virtual staging services are rated 5 stars on Google Reviews.

Barion Design was founded by Ilaria Barion in 2005. The company creates a luxurious staging experience for high-end properties.

Barion also stages commercial spaces and new construction projects. Their designers use 3D rendering and modern landscaping tools to stage the homes.

3. Real Tour Vision

Best Value Pick

Real Tour Vision

logo image
  • Staging Fee: $15 per photo
  • 4.5stars 4.4/5 (10+ reviews)

Real Tour Vision has an affordable pricing model which includes:

  • Pay-Per-Image: Virtual staging starts at just $15 per image.
  • Full-Service Option: This is offered as a custom quote based on project needs.
  • Software Purchase: A one-time fee starts at $99 for the basic version of the software.

👉 Our Take: Real Tour Vision’s pricing model makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious sellers looking to enhance their property listings with virtual staging. We recommend the pay-per-image option that provides flexibility for those with a smaller budget.

RTV has some advantages like:

  • Budget-Friendly Rates: Real Tour Vision is one of the most affordable virtual staging options.
  • Property Website Integration: Staged photos can be seamlessly added to your listing website.
  • Additional Services: The company also provides other staging services like HDR image editing.

These are some factors to consider when evaluating Real Tour Vision.

  • Smaller Furniture Library: It has fewer furnishing options that might limit design customization for a unique look.
  • Standard Staging: Template-based staging can lead to a generic aesthetic.
  • Limited Transparency: Full-service pricing is unclear and requires contacting the company for a quote.

Real Tour Vision has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.

Real Tour Vision provides one of the most affordable staging services. The company offers quality renderings with fast turnaround times.

You can take advantage of the real tour vision furniture removal tool for DIY virtual staging. They also offer a full-service staging option for those who prefer a professional touch.

4. Stuccco

Quick Turnaround

Stuccco

Stuccco Company Logo
  • Staging Fee: $29 per photo
  • No reviews found

Stuccco offers a simple pricing model:

  • Basic virtual staging: $29 per image.
  • Luxury staging: $39 per image
  • Landscaping: $39 per image

👉 Our Take: We recommend opting for the basic virtual staging for standard needs or the luxury staging for more upscale properties. However, be sure to review sample work for consistency before committing.

Stuccco offers the following advantages:

  • Diverse Style Options: Stuccco offers modern, traditional, minimalist, and other design styles to choose from.
  • Easy Upload Process: You can simply submit photos through their online interface to get started. This saves time and streamlines the overall experience for clients.
  • Fast Turnaround: Staged photos are edited and delivered within 24 hours which gets your home listed quicker.

Some of the drawbacks of Stuccco are as follows:

  • Inconsistent Quality: Since edits rely on templates, the final staged images might not always look as realistic or impactful as you might expect.
  • Service Add-Ons: While Stuccco’s base rate for virtual staging is low, extra services like custom furniture or room layout adjustments are priced separately
  • No Credible Reviews: Stuccco has no credible reviews on any of the review websites.

Stuccco has no customer reviews on popular sites like Google or Trustpilot.

Stuccco’s efficient services ensure you receive your staged photos just within 24 hours. This allows you to quickly enhance your listings and attract more buyers.

They also provide extra services like image enhancements and virtual renovations in a bundle. The company prides itself on providing friendly and responsive customer service to clients.

5. Styledod

Unlimited Revisions

Styledod

logo image
  • Staging Fee: $16 per photo
  • No reviews found

Styledod offers a pay-per-image price model:

  • Budget-Friendly: $16 per image for orders of 8 or more vacant photos.
  • For Smaller Projects: $23 per image for orders less than 8 photos.
  • For Businesses: $24 per image for commercial virtual staging.
  • Additional Services: Prices vary for additional services like object removal, image enhancement, and floor plans.

👉Our Take: We recommend opting for Styledod’s budget-friendly pay-per-image model for smaller projects. You can also choose additional services like object removal and image enhancement to suit your specific needs.

Here are some of the key highlights of Styledod:

  • Affordable Pricing: This makes it an attractive option for homeowners and businesses alike who are looking to stage multiple rooms or properties without breaking the budget.
  • Unlimited Revisions:  One of the standout features of Styledod is their offer of unlimited revisions on virtual staging projects.
  • Money-Back Guarantee: Styledod offers a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the final result.

Styledod also has some disadvantages like:

  • Quality: While the pricing may be attractive, there can be variations in the realism and effectiveness of the staged images.
  • Limited Service Options:  While they excel in virtual staging, additional services such as image enhancement, floor plans, or object removal come at extra costs.
  • Vacant Property Focus: The pricing structure is less favorable for furnished properties requiring object removal before staging.
  • No Credible Reviews: Styledod has no credible reviews on any of the review websites.

Styledod has no customer reviews on popular sites like Google or Trustpilot.

Styledod was founded by a team with extensive real estate experience. They understand how to create virtual staging that appeals to potential buyers and drives results.

The company also offers unlimited revisions on their virtual staging projects. This ensures you get a final product that meets your expectations.

Is Virtual Staging Worth It?

Yes! Hiring a home staging company is worth the cost. Homes staged by a professional sell for an average of $40,000 over the list price.

Homes photographed by a professional also sell 32% faster. So we recommend combining home staging with professional real estate photography to attract maximum buyers.

Eager to Know How Houzeo Works?

We’ve got you covered. Check out the following video to understand how Houzeo works and why it is one of the best For Sale By Owner websites in the U.S.

What is Houzeo?

An overview of what the platform is all about

Start Your MLS Listing NOW!

» Still Confused? Read this exclusive Houzeo review and learn why the platform is the best in America’s competitive housing market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is virtual staging?

Virtual staging means digitally transforming a property by adding realistic furniture and decor. This makes the house appear more attractive and valuable to the buyers.

What are the best virtual staging companies?

BoxBrownie is widely considered one of the top virtual staging companies of 2024. Real Tour Vision and Styledod are some of the more affordable options to stage your home digitally.

What are the benefits of virtual staging compared to traditional home staging?

Virtual staging offer several advantages like affordability, flexibility and faster turnaround time compared to traditional home staging.

Seller

Save $20

On Silver & up plans

Use Coupon Code:

Copied
Need help? Call us on
(844) 448-0110