There are a lot of vacant properties currently on the market, and modern technology is affording a way for these houses to look like “homes”…. without a stitch of actual furniture!  It’s called virtual staging, and although it’s been around for a while, it is gaining in popularity. There are many companies who have combined the talents of software developers with those of professional stagers to  develop this unique service. Here’s how it works.  Photographs of actual furniture and decor are added to photos of your vacant rooms to create realistic, albeit virtual, images of a fully staged home for a fraction of the cost of traditional staging.

An article this month is Realtor magazine explains, “Cynthia Temple, a sales associate with First Weber Group Inc. in Middleton, Wis., used the service to create staged images of a vacant condo. Turnaround time: less than one week. Cost: less than $225. ‘The images are stunningly realistic,’ Temple says. ‘It’s hard to believe they’re computer-generated.’

The company also provides its customers with high-resolution 8-by-10-inch images, which the Bells recommend leaving in each room of the house.

Before virtual staging, Temple’s condo listing had been on the market for more than two months without a showing. Within days of uploading the new photos, she says, traffic increased significantly and she quickly had six showings.”

This is just another way that cutting edge computer technology is enhancing the real estate industry and making the process easier and more affordable for buyers and sellers.  For more details about virtual staging and for some recommendations of companies who specialize in the service, read the full article in October’s Realtor Magazine.