Luxury Virtual Staging: How to Sell High-End Property

In this article we'll talk about using virtual staging on luxury properties, and how to use it to sell high-end homes faster and for more money.

Here's an overview of the topics we'll cover:

• What is Luxury Virtual Staging?
• Benefits of Luxury Virtual Staging
• Luxury 3D Virtual Tours and Enhancements
• What Advanced Photo Editing Services Make High-End Properties Stand Out?

According to industry pro Michael Altneu, Vice President of Global Luxury for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, achieving success in the luxury real estate domain hinges on two crucial elements: "standout staging and marketing".

Luxury virtual staging refers to high end virtual staging services, which allow real estate professionals to create stunning visual representations without the need for physical furniture. This technique leverages advanced computer software to transform empty or poorly furnished spaces into beautifully styled homes that appeal to potential buyers, especially in the high-end market.

To truly tap into its potential, it's crucial to determine the properties that stand to gain the most from it. In other words, we need to discern what constitutes a 'luxury' property in the first place, setting the criteria for effectively employing this innovative tool.

According to the National Association of REALTORSⓇ, the benchmark for luxury residential real estate is typically set at over $1 million. 

However, this definition can vary significantly across different markets and regions. That’s why Redfin defines luxury homes as those valued within the top 5% of their respective metro area's market. For example, in metro areas like San Francisco, CA, and San Jose, CA, where a substantial percentage of homes are valued at $1 million or more, the luxury threshold is much higher than the national benchmark. In contrast, markets like Detroit, MI, have a much lower threshold due to fewer homes meeting the $1 million valuation.

The December 2023 Luxury Market Report provides further insights into the luxury real estate landscape, indicating that the median threshold price for luxury homes stands at $925,000, while the median sales price is $1,300,000. This variation underscores the importance of tailored marketing strategies for different regions, a need that virtual staging meets with exceptional flexibility.

High end digital staging offers a myriad of benefits that can significantly enhance the marketing and sale of high-end properties. Virtual staging uses advanced technology to create realistic images of homes, solving many problems that come with traditional staging.

Here are some key benefits:

Enhanced Visual Appeal

Luxury virtual staging makes properties look high-end and inviting. It turns vacant or poorly furnished properties into refined, inviting spaces, captivating the imagination of potential buyers. This matters in the luxury market, where buyers expect homes to look their absolute best.

A crucial factor for staging working is the quality of the 3D models used. Furnishing models need to be sourced from top-notch, prestigious brands, ensuring every piece resonates with luxury and sophistication. They add a touch of elegance and create an ambiance that perfectly reflects the property's esteemed value.

As the NAR’s 2023 Profile of Home Staging underlines, such staging can indeed sway decisions. An impressive 81% of buyers' agents agree that staging enables buyers to visualize the property as their future home. This facet is so influential that it prompts 40% of buyers to physically inspect properties they initially discovered online. Not just that, 34% of agents further validate that staging boosts property values when decorated to resonate with buyers' preferences.

Cost-Effectiveness

Traditional staging can be prohibitively expensive, especially for luxury properties that require high-end furnishings and decor. The costs associated with renting furniture, hiring professional stagers, and arranging logistics can add up quickly. 

Luxury virtual staging, on the other hand, offers a more cost-effective solution. By digitally furnishing a property, real estate agents and homeowners can achieve a similar or even superior visual impact without the substantial financial outlay. This makes it an attractive option for those looking to maximize their marketing budget.

Breaking Down the Costs

According to Home Staging Statistics from RubyHome, the average cost of staging a vacant luxury home is $6,800 per month. Most professional stagers require a minimum three-month contract, even if the home sells quickly, bringing the total average cost to $20,400.

In contrast, virtual staging operates on a different pricing model, which can vary significantly depending on the provider and the number of photos staged. At VirtualStaging.com, we offer transparent pricing with no hidden costs. The cost of luxury virtual staging is only $24 per image.

To drive the point home, let's compare the costs for a typical luxury home staging scenario:

1. Traditional Staging:
   • Monthly Cost: $6,800
   • Minimum Contract Duration: 3 months
   • Total Cost: $6,800 * 3 = $20,400
2. Virtual Staging:
   • Cost Per Image: $24
   • Number of Images: 10 (assuming a comprehensive staging that covers all key areas of the property)
   • Total Cost: $24 * 10 = $240

The difference is staggering:

• Total Cost of Traditional Staging: $20,400
• Total Cost of Virtual Staging: $240

By choosing luxury virtual staging, homeowners and real estate agents can save $20,160. This substantial saving can be redirected towards other marketing efforts, enhancing the overall sales strategy without compromising on the visual appeal of the property.

Flexibility and Customization

Luxury virtual staging provides unparalleled flexibility and customization options. Unlike traditional staging, which is limited by the availability of physical furniture and decor, virtual staging allows for limitless design possibilities. 

Real estate professionals can tailor the staging to suit the tastes and preferences of their target market, creating different styles and themes to appeal to various buyer demographics. This adaptability ensures that each property is presented in a way that resonates with potential buyers, increasing the likelihood of a successful sale.

What's more, this service isn't a one-and-done deal. With luxury virtual staging, you get the added perk of unlimited revisions. Not quite right on the first go? No problem. You can revise the design over and over until it's a perfect match for your target market. It's this level of adaptability that makes luxury virtual staging a powerhouse tool, increasing the likelihood of a successful sale.

Speed and Efficiency

Time is often of the essence in real estate. Traditional staging can be time-consuming, involving scheduling, delivery, and setup of physical furnishings. 

Luxury virtual staging, however, can be completed much more quickly. Once high-quality photographs of the property are provided, the virtual staging process can transform the images in a matter of hours. This rapid turnaround allows real estate agents to list properties faster, capturing the interest of buyers more quickly and reducing the time a property spends on the market.

Broad Reach and Marketing Impact

High-quality images are crucial for online listings, where most buyers begin their property search. Luxury virtual staging produces visually striking images that stand out on real estate websites, social media platforms, and marketing materials. 

These images not only attract more views and clicks but also engage potential buyers more effectively, encouraging them to schedule viewings and ultimately make offers. The enhanced marketing impact of luxury virtual staging can lead to higher selling prices and faster sales.

Overcoming Challenges of Vacant Properties

Selling a vacant property can be challenging, as empty rooms often fail to convey warmth and livability. Buyers may find it difficult to visualize how the space can be used and whether their furniture will fit. Luxury virtual staging solves this problem by filling the space with stylish, appropriately scaled furniture and decor. This helps buyers envision themselves living in the property, making it easier for them to form an emotional connection with the home.

Marketing Properties Under Construction or Renovation

Luxury virtual staging is particularly beneficial for properties that are still under construction or undergoing renovations. By creating lifelike renderings of what the finished space will look like, virtual staging allows potential buyers to see the property's full potential before it's completed. This can generate interest and offers even before the property is move-in ready, providing a significant advantage in competitive markets.

Buyers are now, more than ever, seeking a more immersive and engaging way to view properties. Combining luxury virtual staging with 3D tours is a potent tool that is fulfilling this need.

Now, let’s delve into some hard-hitting statistics from Zillow's 2023 Buyers’ Housing Trends report, which provide an insightful perspective on this growing demand:

• 72% of buyers somewhat or completely agreed that 3D tours give them a better feel for the space compared to static photos.
• 68% of buyers believed that unlocking properties on their phone and touring them in person on their own time would be easier.
• 67% of buyers somewhat or completely agreed that they wished more listings included 3D tours.
• 40% of buyers preferred virtual tours to in-person ones 

Home buyers today have shown a distinct appetite for two immersive experiences - 360° virtual tours and virtual walkthroughs. 

360° Virtual Tours offer an unprecedented level of interactivity. These panoramic tours hand the reins over to the viewer, allowing them to examine every corner of every room at their leisure. With total control over their viewing direction, potential buyers can delve into the details that interest them the most.

In contrast, virtual walkthroughs present the property via a pre-determined path. These walkthroughs sketch out the property's narrative, simulating the experience of a physical visit. It's the next best thing to stepping into the home, providing viewers with a seamless journey through the property.

Both of these experiences benefit immensely from luxury virtual staging. It allows properties to be presented in their most appealing light, complete with tasteful furniture, artful décor, and welcoming ambience. This added detail enables prospective buyers to grasp the full potential of spaces better, transforming them from cold, empty shells into vibrant, desirable homes.

Additionally, good staging eases the visualization of scale and layout for potential buyers. The placement of high-quality virtual furniture provides reference points, helping viewers understand room dimensions and spatial relations in ways empty space cannot.

Merging virtually staged properties with virtual tours also helps to highlight and emphasize the exclusive features of luxury properties, whether it's the architectural details, the scope of the spaces, or custom design elements.

High-quality images can be the crucial difference between just another listing and a property that genuinely stands out. Garnering attention requires more than traditional photography and this is where advanced photo editing services step in. Apart from virtual staging, several other services can help your listings truly shine:

Virtual Twilight: For properties where the ambience matters just as much as architecture, virtual twilight can be a game-changer. This service digitally transforms daylight photos into stunning twilight scenes, showcasing properties under the enchanting dusk glow. It not only highlights the home's exterior lighting but also adds a dramatic, romantic flair to the listing. Notably, data shows that twilight photos are primed for higher-priced homes, with 59% used for homes priced over $500k, and 32% for those between $300k-$500k.

Virtual Renovation: There's significant potential in properties under construction or in need of a serious makeover. But how do you get buyers to see past the present? With the help of virtual renovation. This service digitally transforms unfinished spaces or dated interiors into aesthetically pleasing environments, helping buyers visualize the potential of a space that's still a work in progress.

Photorealistic 3D Floor Plan Renders: For buyers, understanding the layout of a property is essential. Offering a photorealistic 3D rendering of your property's floor plan can provide a clearer sense of space, circulation, and property potential. This top-down visualization approach breaks down layout complexities into easily understandable graphics, offering a holistic view of the property and the connections between its spaces.

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^{8 Expert Tips to Virtually Stage Luxury Properties}

Here are some tips on how to make your luxury property really stand out:

1. Keep Things Minimal

You've heard it time and time again: first impressions are everything. And the truth is, they really are that important—not only in business, but in life too. So when you're selling your home, it's crucial to make a strong first impression on potential buyers.

You may be wondering how minimalism comes into play here. The idea of staging often brings up images of staged bedrooms from the set of a romantic comedy—lots of furniture and decoration that serve no purpose other than to look good on camera.

But minimalism is actually an especially valuable tool in staging because it's one of the fastest, most economical ways to create a visually appealing environment without over-furnishing your space (which can sometimes feel cluttered or overwhelming).

Be careful not to overcrowd the area with bulky furniture pieces, as that can achieve the opposite effect than the one you were hoping for — making the space feel small and cramped. Nothing turns away a potential home-buyer faster than a cluttered and overcrowded space, as that implies stress to potential buyers on a subconscious level.

Minimalist staging makes your home look clean and spacious—a very attractive quality for people who are looking at potential homes to buy. 

Staging is a powerful tool in selling a home, but it can also be a little intimidating to know where to start. There are so many options for furniture and decoration, and it's easy to get carried away with lavish purchases or unneeded additions. Getting the right amount of staging is key, so it's important to consider the purpose of your staging as you're choosing décor.

A modest amount of furniture will accomplish this goal without going overboard. It'll create enough space for buyers to envision their own furniture in the space and won't distract them from the layout or the home's features.

Minimalist staging aims to create an open and inviting home without showing off or over-accessorizing. Avoid adding busy and ornate accessories as they will serve as visual distractions. Minimalist staging also means removing anything that is unnecessary or that might distract from the room's purpose.

2. Stick to the Neutral Color Palette

One of the easiest ways to make a home feel more valuable is by using neutral colors.

Shades like beige, cream, and taupe make spaces feel clean, elegant, and timeless-perfect for appealing to more buyers.

Bold or trendy colors might be fun, but they can turn people off or make rooms feel dated. Neutral colors also help everything match better, from flooring to cabinets, and make the home feel like a blank slate buyers can picture themselves in. In luxury staging, that clean, move-in-ready look goes a long way.

3. Add Interest with a Range of Textures

Liven up your staging with rich textures. This can be done by adding a Persian rug over hardwood floors or by placing a woven basket next to a leather ottoman. As far as furniture goes, velvet and leather are especially effective—and if you're going with leather, bring out a velvet pillow to balance it out.

Textures are also present in artwork and wall coverings—if you're using bold colors in an accent piece, like a vibrant painting or an antique mirror, pair it with neutrals (like white) so that it doesn't become too overwhelming for potential buyers.

You can use different textures throughout your house to add visual interest and create a sense of depth in your staging. From polished wood floors and stainless steel appliances to rough-hewn wooden shelves and hand-thrown pottery, including contrasting textures will make the space feel much more interesting, even if it's not the most obvious choice for your space.

In order to really make the space pop, always go for texture—it can go a long way towards creating a luxurious feel in any room.

4. Showcase Unique Artwork

Whether we're selling our home or helping a client who wants to sell theirs, the artwork is one of the most important staging elements. A painting or a sculpture can change how a space looks and how it feels. The use of even a single work of art can be enough to set the tone for an entire room. But, of course, the right art can also be a powerful way to add value to your property.

A piece of art displayed in a prominent place is the home staging idea that makes the biggest impression on buyers. The room instantly becomes more personalized and cozy when you add the artwork to your staging. Some types of art immediately give off a warm or rustic vibe; others can serve as a conversation starter or evoke an emotion or memory in your buyer. 

Make sure that you're choosing pieces that are appropriate for your target audience; if you're trying to sell to an older crowd, you should probably stick with more traditional pieces that aren't too avant-garde. 

Abstract art has become the most popular style among buyers—it immediately draws their eyes and gives them something to talk about while looking around the house. Abstract art pieces pair well with modern homes with cutting-edge architecture.

Be sure to always keep in mind how the placement of your artwork impacts the flow from room to room. For example, if you're going from an entryway into a living room, take care not to place any larger pieces directly between the two rooms, so you don't block off any part of your home unnecessarily.

5. Sell Your Clients on the Luxury Lifestyle

Luxury staging is about creating an experience that feels exclusive and high-end. If you're selling a home over $1M, buyers expect more—and staging helps deliver that.

When you're marketing to potential buyers in the >1M range, it's essential to give them everything they're looking for — and then some. Luxury staging is key when you're trying to sell a property in this bracket.

Small touches like fresh linens, clean and styled spaces, and elegant tableware can make a big impact. Focus on showing off the lifestyle: a well-dressed bar, a cozy but sophisticated bedroom, or an entertainment setup that feels like a hotel suite.

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Don’t forget curb appeal—fresh flowers and a tidy exterior help, too. The goal is to make buyers feel like they’re stepping into something rare and worth paying for.

6. Choose Lighting Fixtures That Look High-End

Lighting can make or break how a home feels to buyers. It’s one of the easiest ways to upgrade the space and make it more appealing. When staging a home, use lighting fixtures that feel modern and high-quality-they help create a polished look and give the space more warmth or brightness, depending on what the room needs. Simple, clean designs work best.

Think about the mood you want: warm and cozy or bright and open. A well-placed light or even a bold fixture like a chandelier can make the space more memorable without being over-the-top.

This is also an excellent time to consider what kind of light you want to create in the space—warm or cool? Bright or dim? Elegant and soft, or sharp and crisp? This is important because matching the right lighting with the right mood will give off the right impression to buyers visiting your property.

Don't be afraid to make a grand statement with your choice of lighting. For example, if you opt for an eye-catching chandelier, the chances are that the potential buyers will remember the property long after they've left it.

7. Don’t Forget About the Exterior Spaces

Proper landscaping makes a home look more attractive and increases its curb appeal. Consider that your lawn is also one of your biggest marketing tools—a well-maintained lawn can be worth thousands of dollars when putting your home on the market.

Well-maintained landscaping can have a massive impact on how a buyer feels about the property. Not only can it help you sell your home quickly, but your buyers will appreciate the extra effort you put into maintaining your yard and garden. 

One of the direct consequences of the pandemic is that home-buyers care about exterior spaces now more than ever. If you want to sell your property for top dollar, you need to make sure that the exterior is staged correctly. That may include a fire pit, sunbeds, a pool house, and more. It will be worth the effort, trust me.

8. Spotlight Unique Amenities

Real estate agents will tell you that the number one way to attract buyers is to have unique amenities in your home. Immaculate, updated kitchens are great for selling a house. However, luxury kitchens with chef-quality appliances and the latest in high-end design are the type of amenities that will put your house at the top of everyone's wish list.

Some examples of luxe amenities include:

• Built-in wine cooler and handcrafted cabinets
• Master bath with whirlpool tub and steam shower
• Fireplace with surround sound system and state of the art heating
• Indoor/outdoor kitchen with gas line to hook up the grill and pizza oven
• A room dedicated solely to games, including a pool table, dartboard, foosball table, and more

So, think about it — what sets your house apart from the others on the market? Do you have a mountain view? Is there a hot tub or pool in your backyard? Maybe you have an onsite gym or even a putting green. Whatever it is, make sure it's included in all of your photos.

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Final Thoughts

Luxury virtual staging helps high-end homes look their best by digitally adding stylish furniture and decor. It’s a flexible, affordable way to show buyers what a space could look like—without the time and cost of traditional staging. That makes it easier to stand out and sell faster in a crowded market.

Adding luxury 3D virtual tours takes this to the next level, allowing buyers to explore staged homes from anywhere. These immersive tours boost engagement and interest, making properties more attractive to discerning buyers. Together, digital staging and 3D tours create a powerful marketing strategy that drives faster, more successful sales in the luxury real estate market.

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