When you’re selling a house or condo, you need to do absolutely everything you can to stand out. Especially if there’s lots of inventory – or similar properties for sale on the street or in the building. That’s where marketing and staging come in. Presenting your property in the absolute best possible light is vital in this market – and truthfully, any market.
I think sellers who don’t invest in staging are doing themselves a real disservice. And I use the word “invest” purposefully there – you shouldn’t consider it a cost, but an investment in getting the best possible outcome for your property. After all, this is one of the most important (if not THE most important) sales of your life. By not doing everything you can, you’re leaving money on the table – and here’s why:
Almost everyone starts their search online and judges the listing photos. And you know what they say about first impressions: those images are what make people decide to book a showing. When selling a home, the goal is to drive as many people to the listings as possible. The more people who come to see it, the higher the chances of selling quickly for the price you want, which can easily lead to multiple offers. And you want as many people as possible in the first couple of weeks, when the listing is still fresh.
Staging helps buyers picture themselves living there.
Think about the listings you’ve looked at yourself. Which ones pop out to you? Probably the ones with great furniture and art, nice design, great photos, and virtual tours. Investing in staging attracts more people – I can honestly say that I’ve never seen money spent on it not come back to sellers on the back end.
And even if your place is already really well-designed, there’s always something you can do to make the space more appealing – decluttering and depersonalizing, styling, adding accessories, moving things around, or removing stuff you don’t need. I always recommend at least getting a staging consultation. It’s great advice from a pro on giving your place the “wow” factor that will capture attention both online and in person. You can take all the stager’s advice, some of it or none. (I always suggest taking ALL of it – great stagers know exactly what to do.)
A staging success story
Last year, I sold this house for a client where staging (plus a few light renovations) made a huge difference. It was a big place in Woodbridge that hadn’t seen any updates in 20 or 30 years. I mean, the kids have all moved out and have families of their own, but their rooms still had the same furniture, trophies and old posters. And there was lots and lots (and LOTS) of stuff. (As you can see from the before and after photos in this blog.)
The timing of the sale wasn’t the best – we were starting to trend into higher interest rates and many buyers had stepped out of the market. If we’d put it up for sale “as is,” selling would likely have been a challenge.
My client agreed to do what I recommended. We brought in a great stager/renovator who completely transformed this 1990s house into a showpiece, tackling both the interior and the exterior. We put in new carpets, new lighting, sprayed out the kitchen cabinets and put in all new hardware inside and out. We added a new sink, new appliances, new washer and dryer, repainted the entire house and even ripped down a wall. It was mostly cosmetic stuff, and it was exactly what was needed. And we got a great premium for the house. “As is” would have sold for about $1.1M. The staged version? We got $1.5M!
So yes, we spent some money, but my client got it all back and then some – and the sale was a huge success. My seller was ecstatic!
Not every house needs this much, but this one really did. And this is where it’s super-important to work with the right people: my client trusted me, did what I suggested – and got an amazing result.
One thing to note: not all stagers are created equal. You really want to work with professionals who do this for a living, have great taste and solid track records, and know exactly what to do to make the home look incredible in photos and in person. And while virtual staging has become popular, I’m a big believer in actual staging – you want the full impact when people come through. It's not just about driving them to the home – it’s also about making them feel like this is home when they come in. That's how you sell real estate for top dollar.
Got questions about staging or the market in general? Get in touch!
About Sean Miller
Recognized as one of the most dynamic, high-performing agents in the Toronto market, Sean is the #1 performer at Property.ca Inc. Brokerage and is in the top 1% of Toronto realtors for sales volume.*
Over the last decade, Sean has built a strong real estate career based on his uncompromising professionalism, relentless work ethic, and tenacious drive. He strives to provide the best possible outcome and to make the process seamless and transparent. Sean has proven that his exceptional service and attention to all of his clients are the recipes for his success. His deep understanding of the market makes him an ideal advisor for buyers, sellers, and investors alike. Sean’s tough negotiating skills, coupled with his “no-nonsense” approach to closing deals, put him in a league of his own.
*Toronto Real Estate Board (TRREB) 2021, 2022