The Evolution of Luxury Home Staging
/SOURCE: Sotheby’s
A high-end property is almost ready to be put on the market. But before buyers ever set their eyes on it, sellers and their real estate representatives consult with luxury interior designers and decor rental companies to re-envision the home, and set the scene in a way that will capture the interests and imaginations of those who may want to live in it.
This is the aptly named process of home staging; and though it seems second nature to many agents and sellers now, there was a time when it was a novel concept — albeit one that would revolutionize the world of real estate.
A Paradigm Shift in Marketing Properties
Why is the term “staging” so fitting? It’s because Barb Schwarz, a relatively new real estate agent in Bellevue, Washington, previously had a career staging musicals for off-broadway productions. She realized the skills she had cultivated in that industry could be translated to real estate to make her marketing initiatives more effective and in 1972, she coined the concept of home staging.
Before that, agents would simply advise their clients to present their properties as attractively as possible in accordance with current styles. Aesthetics such as minimalism, mid-century modern, and Scandinavian design were popular back then, and would become mainstays in showcasing tidy, trendy homes into the present day.
When Schwarz invented staging, more eclectic and bohemian styles were in vogue. But the essential philosophy of staging — to show an idealized version of the home that clients could still project their own visions onto — remained true.
The Professionalization of Home Staging
The 1980s saw new styles dominate the luxury interior design magazines and influence the still-nascent real estate staging industry, with bolder prints and patterns and a “country chic” finish. At this time, the idea of staging was growing in popularity and gaining momentum, but it wasn’t until the 1990s — a period that saw a resurgence of the functional, minimalist aesthetics that are hallmarks of modern home staging — that it would truly go global.
In 1998, House Doctor premiered on Channel 5 in the UK with the iconic Ann Maurice, launching a new era of television programs that would introduce home staging to a worldwide audience. And in 1999, the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) was established.
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House Doctor was just the beginning. In the 2000s, reality television truly took over the world, and series that focused on designing, renovating, marketing, and acquiring beautiful homes proved to be some of the most popular features for networks like HGTV and TLC.
With home staging trends and luxury real estate entering the mainstream through the media and entertainment industry, aesthetics at this time tended to feature internationally influenced styles, frequently with industrial accents such as mixed metals and exposed brick. Another milestone for home staging was reached in 2007, with the creation of the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA).
Through the 2010s, home stagers stayed true to the design principles set during the 1990s and 2000s — sleek, chic, and simple, though with the addition of rustic or organic finishes. By now, the benefits of home staging were well-known. Not only was it a thriving and diversifying industry, but the prevalence of increasingly sophisticated digital technology introduced the value of virtual staging software.
Top Home Staging Tips and Trends Today
Now, in the 2020s, home staging has become a real estate best practice. According to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 81% of buyers’ agents agree that staging enables clients to more easily envision a property as their future home, and 58% report that staging meaningfully affected clients’ perception of potential homes.
Moreover, 48% — almost half — of sellers’ agents have noted that home staging reduced properties’ time on the market. And 23% — nearly a quarter — always stage their clients’ homes before listing them.
New innovations and integration with technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) continue to expand the horizons of how immersive staging experiences can be created for buyers. And in terms of aesthetics, sustainability holds immense appeal — such as energy-efficient appliances, recycled and repurposed materials, and smart home devices to automate lighting and heating controls. So too does a maximalist approach to personalization that brings excitement and expression, interest and inspiration, into the interior environment.
While consumer preferences will continue to shift and evolve, it’s quite certain that the demand for luxury home staging will not.
SOURCE: Sotheby’s
