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Virtual staging is here, but at what cost?

If you leave a comment, Jim will visit your blog and leave a comment. We all know the benefits of staging, or at least I hope we do.

Unfortunately, it's sometimes difficult to convince our Clients about the benefits of staging, especially when there's a fairly significant expense involved.

I take the position that I'm only out to sell my services, and if I can at least get my Clients to call a stager, or a home inspector for a pre-listing inspection, those professionals can sell their own services.

I think Realtors trying to sell the services of other professionals is simply the wrong way to go about it, although it seems that Realtors do more and more of that all the time.

Nonetheless, I just found out about a virtual staging company that will take photographs of a property and stage it virtually by inserting landscaping, furniture, pictures, changing paint colors, etc. I am aware of a lawsuit against a Seller about eight years ago because the Seller took a photo of his property, a property with a view, and erased the utility wires in the view by using Photoshop. At that time it was considered fraud.

I'm wondering now about whether there are new lawsuits or statutes that say virtual staging is okay, or whether the benefits, or lack thereof, have not yet made it through the court system. The company claims -- and probably truthfully -- that they "improve" the property without the hassles of physically redecorating, without the significant cost of staging. Virtual staging then gives online properties a distinct advantage over similar properties, but at what cost to the reputation of the Seller or the Seller's Realtor for fraud and misrepresentation when the Buyer finds out that the property is absolutely nothing like that shown in the pictures?

I haven't checked out the company in detail, but if others want to, the name of the company is Virtually Staging Propeties.

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Jim Frimmer, Realtor, Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California real estate license #01458572
619-729-5701 -- jimfrimmer@century21award.com

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Posted by Jim Frimmer, San Diego Mission Valley Realtor on 07/02/2009 04:16 PM

Comments (17)

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17 Comments on Virtual staging is here, but at what cost?

JUL

I think buyers would be disappointed to walk into a home that looked very different from the pictures. I think that would leave a negative impression.

This does not strike me as a good idea if there is a "misrepresentation" of the property! Just like when listings don't show or disclose the very long driveway... which is not always a plus when you have to plow through 2 feet of snow! It just irritates the buyer and doesn't get the house sold.

I have no idea, some say it works on a vacant home. Otherwise I would not I don't think. But I could be wrong!

Hey Jim! Think this might have a negative effect. The Buyer would arrive all pumped by the "staged" pictures and then have their air taken out when they see reality! That being said, Builders do it all the time with their renderings. Andrea has a point, it may help on vacant homes.

Hi Jim

Virtual staging can be a benefits in marketing at a reasonable cost.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

JUL

Hi Jim,

I follow your and Russel's blogs whenever I see them. Not only do they have wonderful content, but I love the cats!

To see how my company discloses conceptual staging to buyers in an obvious manner, you can go HERE and then simply click on the "virtual tour."

No one wants to be fooled, and we certainly do not want to be the one's doing the fooling. We just want to show buyers what potential a property holds, so they can see the value in the purchase.

I don't know how Virtually Staging Properties handles their disclosures, but I would imagine it would be similar.

~Michelle

Hi Jim - The only way I would use virtually staged photos would be if I captioned them clearly to show what the home could look like - what you can do if you buy this home. But I don't worry much about showing a home with more or less furniture than when the prospects see it in person. But changing photos to eliminate defects or adding "pretend" landscaping without explanation is bordering on fraud in my opinion.

P.S. If the virtual staging is only for the benefit of the seller seeing what a difference staging can make, then that is a different issue, of course, and I think it is a good idea. I checked out the links in your post and in Michelle's comment and I can see how that concept would help me to show clients why they might want to consider staging.

Meanwhile, I usually do some staging myself, as I imagine many Realtors do. If I can use the seller's own furniture and accessories and just reararange things, I will do it. And I sometimes also bring a few things to add, such as keeping the dining room table set with nice things that coordinate with the decor. Many folks have nice dishes, but they are not appropriate for staging. For staging, they need to be nice, but not fussy or patterned in a way that draws attention to them instead of the house. I have a few coordinated solid color plates, cups and saucers, placemats and napkins that I loan to sellers and set up. They can remove them when they dine, then return them to the table when they are through eating.

Jim, I have seen examples of the interior virtual staging. The furnishings looked kinda hokey.

JUL

Well now you've got me curious.....I have to go to their site and check it out.

I hope you have a great holiday weekend!

Hi Jim: Virtual staging - I had never thought of that before - hmmm.

JUL

ToulaRosebrock,com

Hi Jim:

I'll go and check it out also...

Staging, of any kind, is very important!

Hey Jim, hope you are enjoying your weekend. Take a minute and enjoy this:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1135593/requiem-for-a-real-estate-agent

I have not dealt with virtual staging much, now I am curious. As far as the fraud case with the photo-shopped photos... I have to agree with you. That is just not right, period.

Hey, Allen - I keep thinking back to all the times that Clients have expressed disappointment when they walk into a vacant home after the Sellers had moved out but the MLS pictures hadn't been changed. It just seems wrong, even if the MLS description says that the place is vacant. Maybe one could put a big "representation" on the picture if it's been photoshopped in any way.

Hey, Joan - I can understand the long driveway with snow. Out here everyone wants their view, and they consider the view ruined if there's a utility pole, utility wires, or trees blocking the view, so Sellers and their Realtors have been known to photoshop or crop the pictures to present a "better" view.

Hey, Andrea - See my comment to Allen.

Hey, Al and Peggy - See my comment to Allen. Putting "rendering" on the pictures might work.

Hey, Lou - The cost certainly seems reasonable, and my marketing guru has photoshopped pictures but only to lighten them to provide more detail after I took an underexposed picture.

Hey, Michelle - Thanks so much for the link. I'll do some more reading and pay closer attention next time I visit you. Thanks again.

Hey, Susan - I agree. I'm looking forward to visiting and reading in great detail Michelle's blog. I also do some staging, with the visionary help of my marketing guru.

Hey, Rich - Probably like the architect's renderings whenever they want to build a new building. The furnishings they put in the various rooms look kind of like they might need some Feng Shui help from Carole Provenzale.

Hey, Ann - My curiosity is piqued, too, so I'm going to do some more research on it.

Hey, Matt - I think our cats are virtually staged, aren't they? LOL

Hey, Toula - My marketing guru got me hooked on staging, even if it's just cleaning up the place and making it look lived in without looking lived in.

Hey, Al and Peggy - I'll have to go back to Requiem later to listen to it.

Hey, Betina - I'm thinking that good disclosure could help. We're experts on disclosure, aren't we? LOL

JUL

I think I understand some of the opposition to this new service, as with almost every new technology people tend to be weary of change. I think it's a great idea though, if you have a vacant listing on the market it would look much more appealing and give the buyer a sense of the room and what they could do with it.

I did a quick search on virtual staging and found this website which covers the topic much better, and has some very nice samples, you can order right online with a 100% money back guaruntee and they even address the issue of it being "manipulative". I'm going to give them a call today and give a try for one of my vacant listings.

http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/

An informative page to direct buyers to:

http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/resources/informative/

Here's a passage from their site... interesting...

"Won’t prospective buyers see this as manipulative?
Not unless you intend to manipulate them, knowing that the persuasive powers of virtual staging can be used for evil purposes should alert us. But the powers themselves are neither inherently evil nor inherently good; how we use them determines whether their effect is destructive or constructive. “Condemning persuasion because of deceit is like condemning eating because of gluttony.” – D. Myers

In numerous case studies, surveys and experiences that we have had, we have not seen a single upset customer because of virtual staging. In fact, most people embrace the experience and are grateful for providing them with such valuable insight. Virtual staging is no different than physically staging a home or marketing a home with furniture in it, but not selling the furniture with the house.

Virtual Staging Solutions will even provide you with a link to a page that you can choose to have watermarked on your pictures or included in the description of your home for sale that will inform buyers that the home was virtually staged. It will let them know what virtual staging is and that you chose the highest quality virtual staging company. Our code of conduct will also be clearly displayed to let them know no structural damage was modified in the pictures and only furniture was placed in the home. Since only 10% of the population can picture the true potential of a vacant home, you will be amazed at the comments and appreciation you will receive from interested buyers.

woops, incase that link didn't work:

Virtual Staging

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