Quantifying evidence virtual staging really hits home with buyers comes from a couple of likely sources, but the findings do mirror data from focus groups and other studies on the subject.

Easily considered self-serving data from visual marketing firm VHT, Inc. and digital virtual staging company PropertyPreviews.com, the survey nevertheless reveals that videos and photography used in home marketing can increase a property's perceived value by tens of thousands of dollars.

According to their survey, video tours increased the perceived value of a home by nearly six percent, or about $30,000 on a $500,000 home, while professional photography increased the perceived value twice as much, by nearly $60,000.

VHT, which offers photography and video services and PropertyPreviews.com, which produces videos from photos online at no cost, surveyed 320 men and women between the ages of 35 and 54 with more than $75,000 in household income. Those surveyed were shown descriptions of homes in the $400,000 to $600,000 price range. Each property was shown with a description only or with a description and professional photography, unprofessional photography or video.

Those surveyed were then asked about their perceived value of the home; how likely they were to visit a home; and how quickly they thought the property would sell.

Those who viewed listing information accompanied by professional photography, valued the property at an average price of $460,735, an increase of 11.5 percent or $52,896 over the average perceived price of the description-only property, $407,839.

Those who watched a listing's video valued the home at an average price of $432,329, an increase of 5.7 percent or $24,490, over the average perceived price of the description-only property, $407,839.

"While perceived value is not the same as what someone ultimately pays for a property, it sets the benchmark as to what this property is worth in a buyer's mind compared to other homes in the same neighborhood. First impressions often have a big impact on a buyers' decision-making process on which homes to visit and how much to offer," said Brian Balduf, VHT's CEO.

Survey respondents, were not professional real estate agents, but believed a home with professional photography was three times more likely to sell within the standard listing period than a home marketed with only descriptive information.

When asked how likely they were to visit the homes listed with professional photography, seven times as many respondents indicated that they were "very likely" to visit the home as those who said they were "very likely" to visit a home with only descriptive information.

"More than 84 percent of prospective home buyers start their search on the Internet, so the use of video to market a property is essential," said Jeff Harris, General Manager of PropertyPreviews.com.

The study is in line with other reports that extol the value of virtual staging the use of digital images and photos to market a home. The technique is often used, hand-in-hand, with live, on-site staging.

After some impromptu focus groups, Freeland, WA-based online content expert Barbara Moran founded a virtual staging company, Virtual Staging to teach real estate agents what she and good Web designers already know: content -- good, eye-catching and revealing content -- remains king.

Moran has helped clients boost sales so much they rave, but fear going public about their location so as not to give up their competitive edge in their local market.

The National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents cautions about staging that tricks the eye, but concedes honest staging can net sellers more cash and faster sales. The association says the relatively small expense of cleaning, decluttering, lightening and brightening, and other home staging efforts can generate an average sales price increase that can be more than the cost of staging.

Published: September 11, 2008

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Broderick Perkins parlayed a career in old-school journalism into a contemporary digital news service that really hits home. The award-winning consumer journalist, originally from Wilmington, DE, is founder, publisher and executive editor of the bootstrap DeadlineNews Group, a Silicon Valley-based editorial content and consulting service specializing in residential real estate, consumer news and related editorial consulting services. The DeadlineNews Group includes the website, DeadlineNews.com, offering real estate editorial content and consulting services, and its back shop, the Deadline Newsroom, an open house on news that really hits home. Perkins obtained his formal journalism education from University of Delaware and a journalism boot camp, the Institute of Journalism Education at the University of California-Berkeley. He went on to 20 years of service as a daily newspaper journalist at the Wilmington, DE News Journal and San Jose, CA Mercury News. Perkins covered housing on the San Jose Mercury News reporting team which earned a General News Reporting Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He has also produced real estate, consumer and small business content for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, RealtyTimes.com, Nolo.com, Better Homes and Gardens, the National Association of Realtors, Homestore/Move and Intuit/Quicken among more than three dozen publications. In addition to managing the DeadlineNews Group, Perkins most recently served as chief editorial consultant for Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home, Nolo, and writes real estate television scripts for RealtyTimes.com.