Virtual home staging is a digital do-over of the classic physical staging. Conventionally, a prospective buyer is led through a mockup of the home interiors, with a singular objective – to create an aesthetic experience that lets the buyer imagine what their home could look like. So, at what point did virtual staging enter the block?
People looking to buy a home today go to the internet before they take the decision to visit the property. Therefore, the pictures are essentially the ‘first sell’. With the emergence of no-broker sites, the onus is on the builders in Chennai to make sure their inventory isn’t just one of the many white-beige pixels waiting to be swiped over.
When a property consultant comes on board, they work with the developer to understand the target demographic and gauge their preferred decor. If the inventory comprises of mid-range homes designed for the millennials, the space can be digitally designed to have a minimalist appeal. With a corner dedicated to an entertainment unit and a generous array of indoor plants by the foldable work desk, the setup would unquestionably appeal to the zeitgeist of the era.
When it comes to virtual home staging, everything from soft furnishings to metal fixtures is customizable. The consultant leverages their expertise in design and digital execution to strategize presentation of the property in terms of cosmetic work, colour palette, and mapping of decor. Photorealistic images of homes give potential buyers an idea of the scale and layout of the house.
Apart from being cost-effective, the seller can visually position the property for the desired price bracket without breaking the bank. When discussing creative integrity, presenting the visually staged pictures along with those of the unaltered space inspires trust and imagination for an interested buyer.
Visual staging also gives people an opt to look to for new a home without having to shift base. The existing layout can be rearranged, take photographs according to the consultant’s specifications, to be digitally altered.
Real estate has caught up with other industries in bringing 360-degree viewing experience to the table. Physical property visits, combined with VR headsets that give the viewer a walk-through of what their dream home could look like, could be an immersive experience with a payoff for the seller.
Alternatively, technological advancements are enabling the development of interior design apps that can be downloaded on a phone. Users can have easy access to this kind of virtual home staging experience without having to wait their turn on-premise.
Looking at the Indian market, proprietary virtual home staging is lucrative for sellers engaging with local and overseas clients who are interested in buying property for reinvestment.
Virtually staged property is especially useful for NRIs who can use this facility, to plan and prioritise their physical visits. For builders in Chennai looking at turnkey sales, physical staging can be combined with visual staging. Many agents already choose to prop up copies of 3D rendered images on easels, in the interiors of the property. So, this would just be going a step further.
15 Dec 2021
Kottivakkam, Chennai
