Home staging is the act of preparing a home for sale in the real estate market by making the home more appealing to multiple buyers by placing furniture, accessories and art as well as decluttering and organization within the home.

A report, the first of its kind from NAR, found that 49 percent of surveyed REALTORS® who work with buyers believe staging usually has an effect on the buyer’s view of the home. Another 47 percent believe that staging only sometimes has an impact on a buyer’s view of the home only. Only 4 percent of Realtors® says staging has no impact on buyer perceptions.

It's difficult to view your home as a potential buyer because you have lived in it and decorated it to your own style. By having a home stager come in knowing what potential buyers are looking for in today's marketplace, they can objectively assess how best to use what you have, add to it or remove it.

In a market where home's are selling fast, having a home staged gives the advantage of multiple offers and/or higher selling prices.

You can contact a home stager either before you hire a realtor or after. Either way before the realtor schedules for pictures, it is important to have the home staged. Research shows that the majority of people look at pictures online to help them make a decision to view the house. It is important that your home show it's best!

Either the homeowner or the realtor will pay for the initial consultation. Should the homeowner decide to hire the home staging company to complete the recommendations, the homeowner will be responsible for payment.