Canberra agents turn to virtual staging to sell homes

In a world of Instagram and Pinterest, photos are a valuable currency – and nowhere is this more evident than in real estate.

People looking for a home are scrolling through thousands of options and with the average person having an attention span of eight seconds, a photo can be the difference between a potential buyer and just another scroll-by.

Furniture, styling and the overall interior design is one way to make your home stand out above the rest, but what happens when a home doesn’t have any furniture?

Professional stylists are a very popular option and can add to the final selling price, but it does require some effort and can be costly.

For those who aren’t willing to take this route, another option has proven effective on the Canberra real estate scene.

Over recent months, real estate agents across Canberra have started to take up “virtual staging” – the digital addition of furniture to images.

Bertram Ellis principal Tom Ellis has used virtual staging for five of his property listings this year.

“It gives the purchaser the ability to see how they could fit furniture into their space, and their lifestyle,” he said.

“The advantages of virtual staging is there is no time limit. With professional styling you pay a rental cost for the furniture and if it doesn’t sell within the time you either have to extend or return the furniture.”

Mr Ellis most recently used virtual staging on 2/61 De Graaff Street in Holder, which sold in less than two weeks. However, he doesn’t believe it will replace professional styling.

“I don’t see it as something that replaces physical styling, but as an alternative to some properties,” he said.

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Ray White Canberra agent Kate Coultas said the use of virtual staging helps “present the property in the best possible light”.

“It creates a first impression for a property that’s vacant and helps increase the interest. It’s also substantially cheaper than a stylist.”

Ms Coultas has employed the technology on her current listing 117 Munro Road in Crestwood, Queanbeyan.

“A few buyers didn’t realise it was virtual furniture, they just thought the photos were taken prior to the vendor moving out,” she said.

David Tate of Tate Pictures is a Canberra-based photographer who has been offering a virtual staging service to clients for about six months.

“From my experience in the industry, there is a greater potential for a better price on a property that is staged well,” he said.

Mr Tate said agents also have the option of digitally altering images to edit unflattering furniture.

“As a photographer I’m excited about the whole aspect of adding furniture because the job can be a little easier for the agent,” he added.

“Agents and vendors want images online that inspire people to inspect the home. If I can do that then I have done my job.”

Buyers also have the option to style their homes in off-the-plan developments. An example of this is Allhomes Snaploader 3D models.