Table of Contents

Section 1: Home Staging: Buyer’s Agent Perspective

Section II: Home Staging: Seller’s Agent Perspective 

Section III: TV Influence and Buyer Expectations

1. Home Staging: Buyers’ Agent Perspective

• 58% of buyers’ agents cited that home staging had an effect on most buyers’ view of the home most of the time, while 31% said staging had an effect, but not always.
• 81% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.
• Staging the following areas was found to be most important for buyers:
  • Living room: 39%
  • Primary bedroom: 36%
  • Kitchen: 30%
• Among buyers’ agents, the following listing materials were more or much more important to clients:
  • Photos: 77%
  • Traditional physical staging: 58%
  • Videos: 74%
  • Virtual tours: 42%
• 20% of buyers’ agents said staging a home increased the dollar value offered between 1% and 5%, compared to other similar homes on the market that were not staged.

2. Home Staging: Buyers’ Agent Perspective

• 23% of sellers’ agents reported that they staged all sellers’ homes before listing them for sale, while 10% mentioned they only staged homes that were difficult to sell.
• The most commonly staged rooms included:
  • Living room: 91%
  • Kitchen: 81%
  • Primary bedroom: 81%
  • Dining room: 69%
• It was most common for sellers’ agents to use a staging service (24%). Other options included:
  • It depends on the situation: 24%
  • Sellers’ agents personally offered to stage the home: 22%
• The median cost for using a staging service was $600, compared to $400 when the sellers’ agent personally staged the home.
• 20% of sellers’ agents reported that staging a home resulted in a 1% to 5% increase in the dollar value offered by buyers compared to similar unstaged homes.
• 27% of sellers’ agents indicated that staging led to slight decreases in the time on the market.
• Among sellers’ agents, the following listing materials were considered more or much more important to clients:
  • Photos: 89%
  • Traditional physical staging: 44%
  • Videos: 44%

3. TV Influence and Buyer Expectations

• 81% of respondents noted that buyers clearly knew where they wanted to live and what they desired in an ideal home (76%) before starting their home search.
• 44% of respondents mentioned that buyers generally thought the home buying process would be neither easy nor difficult.
• A median of 5% of respondents observed that buyers expected homes to look like those staged on TV shows.
• A median of 10% of respondents reported that buyers were disappointed with how homes appeared compared to the TV show portrayals.
• A median of 20% of respondents found that buyers often brought family members along to view homes.
• A median of 30% of respondents indicated that buyers regularly consulted with family members during the buying process.
• 24% of respondents stated that TV shows depicting the buying process had an impact on their business.
• 73% of respondents said that TV shows influenced their business by creating unrealistic or heightened expectations among buyers.
• Over the last five years:
  • 51% of respondents reported seeing a rise in the number of buyers planning to remodel a home.
  • A median of 25% of respondents stated that buyers planning to remodel intended to do so within the first three months of owning a home.
• 56% of respondents mentioned that buyers typically did not have a set expectation of how many homes they would view before making a purchase.
• For those who did have an expectation:
  • Buyers expected to visit a median of 7 homes in person.
  • Buyers expected to view a median of 12 homes virtually.
• 56% of respondents noted that the number of homes buyers expected to see before buying was aligned with the market trends.

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