Newest Home Staging Trend -- Placing Pets in MLS Photos?

Newest Home Staging Trend -- Placing Pets in MLS Photos?

I guess it was bound to happen ... anytime that someone says "don't ever have pets shown in the online listing photos" someone else is bound to have a different opinion about the subject.

This article in AOL Real Estate by Ann Brenoff says that "pet placement" may be the newest home staging trend. As a professional home stager, I don't see this "trend" becoming popular, but you never know ...

We usually want pets to be "not seen, not heard, and not smelled" when a house is for sale. We love our pets, and they're part of our families, but we don't know how potential buyers feel about dogs, cats, or other pets. Our advice is to make sure the evidence of pets in your home is kept to a minimum, since buyers might be fearful of dogs, not like cats, or might be allergic to their fur.

What do you think? Do you think we'll see this new trend gaining popularity? We've seen "virtual families" hired to help sell homes, how about "Pet Placement" as the newest real estate trend?

*** *** ***

Maureen Bray is the owner of Room Solutions Staging in Portland, Oregon. Her Portland home staging blog provides tips, home staging Before & After photos, and stories about home staging for consumers as well as helpful advice for other home stagers.