How much should staging cost?

I think most sellers aren't thinking rationally when it comes to the cost of staging - unless they had some past experience with it.

Your price structure in Utah sounds comparible to Colorado Springs.  It is funny to think that sellers would rather pay their mortgage waiting for their house to sell, typically several thousand dollars as compared to preparing the property to sell faster with professional staging.  Factor in the $5,000-10,000 price reduction their realtor will be urging just a few weeks after listing and $500-$2000 seems pretty good.

Similarly, realtor's should  consider staging as another marketing tool in their arsonal to sell homes faster = more likely without a price reduction.

I find that investors get it.  I've have yet to meet with an investor who even quibbled with a staqing fee.  The longer an investment property sits on the market the more it cuts into their profit from the investment.  Basic accounting.  Motivated home sellers also get it, do what evern they can to sell their homes quickly and for the most money.  Delays in a sale lead to dramatic price drops.  That's a big deal to a home seller with plans for their profit, less important to a realtor who's only going to lose percentage of the price drop with their comission.

However, its possible that realtor's have had bad experiences with staging either delivering little or no value for the cost.  Staging is a profession.  Not everyone who can drive in a nail with a hammer is a carpenter, not everyone who thinks they can stage because they watch a show on TV is a stager.  Just as one might dismiss a restaurant for 1 bad meal, it can be hard for people to support something they've seen not make a difference.