Virtual Staging and Photos for Property Listings: Does It Really Help Sell Homes?

A listing’s visual components are arguably the most important part of garnering interest. The right virtual home staging requires delicate placement and precise photo editing, which prevent your listing from getting lost among the thousands of other properties available in the area.

The Inseparable Part of Every Listing

Think of an online Multiple Listing Service (MLS) you consider the best and look at any of the listed properties. You'll notice that the best, most enticing listings all include floor plans, aerial shots, and multiple angles of every room.

While some listings include video introductions and self-directed room tours, photography remains the backbone of every listing.

Photos are a central and reliable way to judge a property. Including appealing photo elements converts casual visitors into determined buyers before they ever set foot into the space. And while raw images are better than nothing, advanced techniques like virtual staging often seal the deal!

Common Photo Enhancement Techniques for Property Listing

Regardless of how experienced the photographer is or how neat the set is, your photos will always have imperfections. A professional editor can tactfully gloss over these issues without misrepresenting the property.

For example, the right editor can diagnose and address the following issues:

• Unflattering lighting
• Obscuring shadows
• Distortions due to improper camera settings
• Unwanted reflections or glints
• Highlighted wall or window markings

Even if your photos don't suffer from these imperfections, there are always improvements that can better impress home buyers. Below is a list of the most essential photo enhancement techniques that help enhance your listing photos.

Virtual staging

According to Home Advisor, home staging costs range from $835 to $2,931 per month, but the average monthly furniture rental fee comes to $1,847.

However, most properties linger on the market for a long time, making traditional home staging unsustainable. In other cases, the property type isn't cost-efficient to furnish, such as condos, rentals, or those that are too far from home staging companies.

In such cases, the suitable choice is virtual staging real estate.

Virtual staging refers to enhancing property photos by digitally adding furnishings and décor to the space. Compared to traditional home staging, virtual staging provides a faster, more cost-effective, and flexible alternative.

Extensive discussion continues regarding virtual staging's practicality and appeal. However, the practice is gaining undeniable traction due to a growing number of participating companies and the technology's compatibility with AI. Machine learning can almost instantly populate an empty space with furniture and décor in a true-to-life manner.

Photo enhancement

A house hunter's first impression of a property often comes from the listing photos. Maximizing the impact and appeal of the images will increase the likelihood of house visits. Enhancement techniques like noise removal, image sharpening, contrast adjustments, brightness, and perspective correction can turn a dull property into a must-visit home.

Item removal

Excessive clutter makes a space appear cramped and repellant. Homeowners often forget to remove these objects because they look familiar and are part of the space.

Photo editors can remove distracting elements like mismatched furniture or out-of-place objects in the virtual house staging process. This method eliminates restaging and reshooting costs and ensures the property makes the best first impression possible.

Virtual twilight

The property's front-view shot is typically the first photo potential buyers see on the listing. That's why they call it the hook! You can also view virtual representations of the property’s location, offering a more immersive experience of the surrounding area.

"Twilight," also called "Golden Hour," is the transitional period from day to night that best captures architectural features in photographs. The sun has barely set, leaving the sky with an orange-reddish glow. Properties look more appealing when captured in this warm light that highlights their features and invites onlookers inside.

Today, regardless of the time of the shot, photographers or even agents can create that twilight effect thanks to the virtual twilight, aka day-to-dusk, technique.

AI-Powered Photo Enhancement on the Rise

In 2021, AI solutions started integrating into various industries, including real estate. Since then, AI photo enhancement has experienced rapid progress in believability and speed.

Professional photo editors are no longer required for digital edits or virtual staging. AI virtual home staging software can now replicate what once took a photo editor hours to accomplish. AI allows anyone to virtually stage a room, remove visual clutter, or adjust lighting and colors to achieve the "twilight" effect.

Agents and photographers who want to enhance the quality of their photos without losing too much time should consider AI photo editing tools.

Let's be honest: Great listings don't just happen. They're tailor-made. While no photo edit or virtual couch can magically sell a house, the right visual upgrades can turn an endless scroll into a second look and a second look into a showing.

Think of virtual staging, item removal, twilight effects, and AI touch-ups as your secret arsenal; not a replacement for strategy, but a powerful extension of it.

When combined with smart pricing, strategic advertising, and strong local connections, these visual tools become more than just eye candy. They become conversion catalysts.

So, next time you're prepping a property, don't just list it. Dress it up, light it well, and let it shine. The right buyer might just fall in love at first swipe.