Bethany Poole, Bella Staging & Design SLC, Utah

I've heard a lot of opinions about virtual / conceptual home staging from home stagers. But I am curious what realtors think about it. Virtual / conceptual home staging is basically taking a photo of a vacant room and photoshopping in furniture and accessories to give an idea of what it could look like staged.

Would you, the Realtor, suggest this type service to your seller?

Do you think it is decieving?

Just curious of the thoughts from fellow Realtors out there!

So what's the deal with all this controversy about "virtual/conceptual" staging? What is virtual staging, you might ask? It is taking pictures of vacant homes and using photoshop or some other software to add photos of furnishings in the home to make it appear staged.

Is it ethical? I believe it is ethical and not deceiving as long as the person looking at the photo knows, one way or another, that it has been virtually staged. It's all about disclosure. And as long as nothing has been changed to the home like wall colors, counter-tops, or light fixtures etc.

Benefits:

1. It's very inexpensive.

2. It gives a visual that is needed when selling a vacant home,

3. It's a great way to talk a seller into going forward with actual staging, since they can actually see what it might look like before hand.

So what do you think? Are you willing to accept the new, and embrace the future or would you rather try and stop it from becoming mainstream, if it isn't too late?

For the people who are embracing the future, please e-mail a picture of one vacant room in your current listing and I will be selecting 10 photos to give away free virtual/conceptual staged photo! bellastager@gmail.com

www.bellastaginganddesign.com

This condo was already darling, but it was one great room with no defined areas, so we brought in smaller scale furniture and layed out a dining area and seating area for the family room! We also added some extra lighting, because even though there was great natural light in the day, the nighttime needed to show just as well! I now have a new camera so my future pics should be better than these!

I have come across Realtors who feel "inadequate" if they can't tell their sellers everything a stager should know. My personal opinion is that way of thinking is harming you and your business. As a licensed Realtor you are not necessarily a home stager. Your job is to list the home and come up with effective marketing to sale the home. There is nothing wrong with getting advice and opinions from others who are professionals in their area. Don't be afraid to bring on other professionals, such as home stager's or photographers to help you do your job to the highest caliber. Take pride in knowing you have time to focus on what your job is and you can delegate the rest to others. Besides isn't it nice knowing you have a professional photographer to do your photos so you know they will turn out great! The same goes for staging. There are tricks of the trade and a good professional stager has the time and the resources to get the job done and get it done right! Also, when you build relationships with other proffesionals in your area a lot of times you can get discounts on these services to pass on to your clients making you look even better and your client that much happier!

The article below is written by Debra Gould who I was trained by and look up to as a mentor in the staging business. If you or a client has considered staging but need a few more reasons to finally decide to take that crucial step to sell your home, keep on reading and I think you'll understand the importance! If you need a stager in Utah contact Bethany Poole with Bella Staging and Design, bethany@bellsatginganddesign.com (801) 688-7026 www.bellastaginganddesign.com

"Why Hire a Professional Home Stager?

There are lots of simple things homeowners can do on their own to decorate their

homes to sell. They can get rid of clutter, repaint, clean or put out fresh flowers. So why

hire a home stager?

Many homeowners are unsure of what paint colors to choose or where to move the

clutter. The process of selling a home can be completely overwhelming. They often lack

real estate knowledge about their local markets and how homes in their price range

should look.

A home stager has the ability to look at a home with a fresh pair of eyes. They view the

home as a highly critical buyer would see it. Home staging expert Debra Gould provides

five examples of how a professional home stager can benefit you:

1. A home stager knows what's needed to create the right environment quickly and

at the lowest cost.

2. A home stager knows what homes in different price ranges look like and what's

selling. They will give homeowners suggestions that their real estate agent may

be afraid to offer because the agent does not want to risk losing the listing.

3. A home stager is not emotionally attached to any of the home's contents, which

means that they can see the home in a way that someone who has been living

there for years simply cannot. Using their fresh vision, they recommend the

optimal way to rearrange existing furniture, art and accessories.

4. A home stager can quickly choose new paint colors, flooring, tiles, countertops or

any number of finishes. They have a ready source of painters, cleaners,

handymen, off-site storage and a myriad of other services that may be needed

on short notice.

5. A home stager can bring in replacement furniture, accessories and art if what is

there isn't appropriate for the home's target market or the home is empty.

Home staging is not just for multimillion dollar homes. Even for modest homes, staging

can have a dramatic effect on the selling price and the number of days spent on the

market. For example, one of the homes Gould staged had previously been on the

market for months with the best offer being $350,000. She spent 90 minutes with the

owner rearranging the furniture, putting items in storage and telling him what needed to

be cleaned. He sold the house the following week for $361,000!

How many other (legal) ways can you think of to invest $600 and get an $11,000 return

on your investment the following week?"

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and

creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has staged

hundreds of homes and uses her expertise to train others worldwide. Visit her at

www.stagingdiva.com and www.sixelements.com

Written by internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®,

www.stagingdiva.com. © 2008, Six Elements Inc. Used with permission.