The Benefits of Home Staging: An Influential Tool to Decrease Time on Market

First impressions are everything! When it comes to selling a home and attracting potential buyers, appearance can make or break a sale, especially in a competitive market.

"REALTORS® know how important it is for buyers to be able to picture themselves living in a home and, according to NAR's most recent report, staging a home makes that process much easier for potential buyers. While all real estate is local, and many factors play into what a home is worth and how much buyers are will to pay for it, staging can be the extra step sellers take to help sell their home more quickly and for a higher dollar value," shared NAR President, William E. Brown.

Putting up a "for sale" sign and hoping for the best outcome is no longer enough. According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2017 Profile of Home Staging, "77 percent of buyers' agents said that staging a home makes it easier for buyers to visualize the property as their future home." While some home sellers don't know the importance of going the the extra mile to make a positive impression through staging, it's up to you to convince them. Here are a few highlights from the report to help you.

Important to stage vs. Rooms commonly staged

Buyers' agents and sellers' agents both ranked the living room as the most important and commonly staged room. They also agreed that the master bedroom and kitchen should be staged.

How much of a difference does home staging make?

When it comes to home staging, 49 percent of buyer's agents believed that it caused an increase in the offered dollar value while only 1 percent saw a negative impact, 25 percent saw no impact on value, and 26 percent weren't sure whether their home staging efforts had any impact on the dollar value.

Alternatively, 58 percent of sellers' agents reported an increase in the dollar value offered by buyers, while 14 percent noted no impact on the dollar value, 27 percent weren't sure of any impact, and there weren't any sellers' agents that saw negative effects from home staging.

Decrease in time on market

While cleaning, decluttering, and depersonalizing are customary, "62 percent of sellers' agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market."

To real estate pros that represent sellers and buyers, staging is seen as an ultimate plus! As with anything in real estate, buying and selling a home will still require hard work and dedication, but staging a home can help you make a great impression right off the bat.

Got a client who isn't so sure about the benefits of home staging? Share the full infographic so they understand the true value!

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