A picture might be worth a thousand words, but Baton Rouge’s real estate community has gone a step further, banking on virtual staging, 3D renderings and drone photos as ways to attract more 21st century buyers.
Calls for “Insta-worthy” spaces aren’t confined to the retail sector. The buzzword has also entered other areas of real estate as attention-grabbing photos become a critical part of the sales and leasing process.
The trend is perhaps clearest in the residential sphere, where online photos are no longer an additive to real estate marketing, but a necessary component. When it comes to buying or renting properties, nearly every home search begins online, with deals often struck without in-person showings.
Virtual staging is emerging as a much cheaper option than traditional onsite staging—and one that enables sellers to do far more than show what sort of furniture a room can fit.
Not only has its popularity given rise to studios specializing in the craft, such as the Hammond-based ecko360, but it has also forced traditional staging professionals to rethink the way they do business.
Seeing a need to promote her projects via Instagram and other channels, Becky Walker, founder and CEO of The Design Studio—which uses the software program Revit to give clients 3D renderings of interiors, complete with furniture and other options—hired directors for marketing and social marketing.
“The whole objective of real estate is you don’t want it to sit,” Walker says, noting staged homes have a 70% higher chance of selling than non-staged homes. “[Looking good] is almost required now.” Read the full story from the latest edition of Business Report.
