Out with the old, in with the new. With the heavily internet-driven times, people have become more goal-oriented and efficient with their time while multi-tasking different responsibilities at once. It is also safe to say that we have become more meticulous and harder to impress. Our buying decision has become largely influenced by how much information is available for us to ensure that it would serve its purpose and satisfy our needs.
Hence, the transformative real estate 3D virtual tours are sweeping the real estate industry by storm and every real estate broker are getting their hands on it incorporating it to their business model. Along with that, realtors are also using virtual staging to take photos, videos and create virtual tours to market the properties they’re handling.
Not only because it is a lot more affordable compared to traditional home staging but also because it is a lot more practical in general. Although just because it’s less expensive and taxing to produce doesn’t mean every virtual staging company provides the same quality of output.
You may find that while more and more real estate agencies are leaning towards the latest marketing techniques, not all of them can actually deliver what the homeowners and buyers are looking for. Virtual staging should encourage online home shoppers to ask for a tour and eventually make an offer out of it. So how do you know if a virtual staging company is actually any good? Here are the qualities that you should look for, and if you look around long enough you’ll soon notice that the experts in this field have all of these in common.
It Should Reflect Realism
Remember, the goal is to deliver the same effect as traditional home staging only with less work and money. If the finished product doesn’t look anything close to the real thing then there’s no point. Because at the end of the day, home buyers are trying to visualize themselves living in that house. But if a virtually staged space doesn’t look real, they will take one look and immediately lose interest which means a failed attempt to lure a potential buyer to spend any more time with what else the listing has to offer. It’s not just about choosing the best furniture that matches the space, it has to look realistic as well.
Direct And Open Line Of Communication
When a service provider is responsive, it already makes the company look better. The amount of customers who give up on a company is staggering, no matter how interested they are in the service they’re offering, simply because it’s so difficult to get answers to their inquiries or updates.
So when a virtual staging company has a direct, open line of communication with you, it’s a good sign. It makes things easier for both of you as well. They can ask you about your preferences and you can provide any guidance upfront. It eliminates any unnecessary delays and even helps avoid revisions along the way. Because when the communication between a service provider and customer is clear and in a timely manner, the provider usually gets it right the first attempt.
Turn-Around Time
Traditional virtual staging takes more or less two weeks to finish. This includes two hours of consultation, pre-staging where they clean, declutter, maintain and update the house, 1-2 days of staging on-site, and 2-3 hours of de-staging.
Now, since virtual staging only needs to take images of the vacant rooms and do the rest digitally, a reasonable timeframe for high-quality staged photos can be expected within 2 business days. Anything longer than that not only means marketing time lost but the company may also be trying to pull something on you.
100% Money-Back Guarantee
For a realtor to be able to sell a vacant property, they need outstanding marketing tools like virtually staged photos as well as immersive and interactive 3D virtual tours. What better way to promise that kind of high-quality service than a 100% money-back guarantee! If a company offers this, you know you’re in good hands.
BOTTOM LINE
The execution quality of a virtual staging company will always be the most important aspect that you’ll have to look for. You’ll know that they are great with this one when both their technical executions and design executions are on point. Sure, the price plays a role as well. But if you’re going to get a poorly staged photo for spending less, then you’ve probably actually spent more. Because those kinds of photos won’t sell the property so you just spent money for nothing.
