Making the Best First Impression: The Art of Staging

Staging is a valuable strategy for effectively marketing your home. It enhances the visual appeal of a property and can play a critical role in the selling process, from attracting potential buyers to maximizing the final sale price.

Different levels of staging may be necessary based on your property’s current condition.

• Complete staging is ideal for vacant apartments, transforming them into inviting spaces and offering an appealing design for buyers. Empty apartments often take longer to sell, appear smaller without furniture, and any flaws in the apartment are more apparent.
• Partial staging utilizes some or all the resident’s furnishings and art, using accessories such as pillows, lighting, rugs, and furniture rearrangement to make an apartment more appealing.
• For more significant impact, minor upgrades or repairs—such as renovating bathrooms or kitchens, or simply updating hardware and appliances—can make a substantial difference.
• Last, virtual staging can be a cost-effective option, but it's often not the best recommendation, as it lacks the tangible presence that potential buyers appreciate in a physical showing.

Top Reasons to Stage your Property

First Impressions Online: As the saying goes: there is only one chance to make a great first impression! This also holds true in real estate. It’s crucial to present your property in the best light from the very beginning, as critical opportunities can be lost. Stunning photos are the best introduction to a property and will draw buyers in to see the apartment.  It is well known that some buyers don’t visit a property based solely on the photos. Good staging will ensure that both online and in person buyers are impressed by what they see.

Return on Investment: In our experience, the investment in staging typically not only pays for itself but can often yield a higher sales price and provide a return of two to four times the investment.

Creating the Right Look and Ambience in line with a Home’s Value: Great staging can elevate the luxury ‘feel’ of the home. Renovated and mint condition homes, as well as luxury new development properties typically generate higher sales prices. In addition, if the apartment is not a high-end listing, buyers will be drawn to purchase homes that are move-in ready.  The more luxurious and mint, the more a home is to sell quickly and at strong prices.

Standing out Among the Competition: Staging can help your property stand out among the competition. In a challenging market where buyers have options, it is critical to do everything possible to make your property as broadly appealing as possible.

Minimizing Flaws: Staging helps highlight a property's best features, like its views, natural light, spaciousness, and scale, while downplaying any drawbacks or flaws. It can diminish attention to less appealing elements, such as low ceilings, dim rooms, awkward layouts, dated finishes, smaller spaces, or unattractive views.

Shorter Time on Market: Investing in staging often leads to quicker sales, reducing overall costs for the seller. A property that lingers on the market too long can appear "stale," which may negatively impact its final sale price. In addition, prolonged listings can make buyers wonder if there are underlying issues with the property.

Selling at the Highest Possible Price: The ultimate goal for a seller is to achieve the highest possible sale price. Staging enhances the home’s look and feel, highlights its best features, minimizes flaws, shortens its time on the market, and helps buyers envision how the property can best suit their lifestyle.