For long, virtual staging has become a common practice in the real estate industry, proving quite functional during COVID when visiting properties in person was a great risk. Even before that, many agents had turned to this technique due to its cost-effectiveness and ability to enhance property appeal. Still, some were comparing physical staging vs. virtual staging.
It was at this time that Artificial Intelligence (AI) entered the game, adding another dimension to the already complex dilemma. Soon, the term AI virtual staging gained popularity in real estate circles, and since then, lots of virtual staging apps have been developed. Today, we’re going to see if AI virtual staging for real estate listings is a safe choice and if so, what we should know before using it.
How Does AI Virtual Staging Help With Property Listing?
Time is no longer an issue
Most real estate photo editing companies need about 24 hours to stage a set of photos digitally. That might not sound like a long time at first, but when you factor in revision requests, the time it takes for orders to be processed, and how often agents use this service throughout the year, those hours start to add up. Before you know it, these delays can slow down how quickly agents can market and sell their properties.
On the other hand, AI virtual staging cuts out the waiting entirely. Agents can upload their photos and start staging right away after signing up for a plan. Each photo is ready in just 10-20 seconds, and any further edits can be done on the spot.
Doable even with tight budgets
Many real estate agents struggle to allocate a high-end marketing budget. Factors like low income from recent sales, uncertain market conditions, or the need to focus on more immediate, client-specific priorities often limit the funds available for marketing efforts.
Traditional physical staging can cost agents thousands of dollars per property, making it a less viable option for those on a tight budget. Digital staging through photo editing companies offers a more affordable alternative, typically reducing costs to a few hundred dollars. Yet, AI virtual staging takes affordability to another level. With some tools, staging a room can cost less than a dollar. For instance, AI HomeDesign offers rates as low as $0.24 per image, making this solution accessible to agents with even the smallest budgets.
No limits to styles or layouts
Virtual staging with AI opens up a range of possibilities for presenting a property in different styles, colors, and layouts. Unlike traditional methods, it allows for easy customization of details to suit various preferences. A room can be showcased in several styles with minimal effort. This flexibility makes it possible to adapt the space to the tastes of different buyers or renters.
No risks involved
Another benefit of AI Virtual staging is that it comes with almost no risks as everything is done digitally. There’s no need to rent furniture, hire movers, or physically rearrange anything in the property. This means you avoid the costs, damages, or mishaps that can happen with traditional staging. Plus, if a design doesn’t work or doesn’t appeal to potential buyers, you can easily change it with just a few clicks.
Does AI Virtual Staging Really Work?
So, does AI virtual staging really work? Well, it all depends on the tool you choose. Some have criticized AI virtual staging on the grounds that it might misrepresent the property’s dimensions or add/remove certain fixtures. Others argue that it doesn’t work with irregularly shaped or poorly lit spaces.
The truth is that there are hundreds of AI tools that do virtual staging and not all of them do the job properly. Artificial intelligence is heavily reliant on data and training. When an AI tool is poorly fed or improperly trained, no good result can be expected.
With so many design styles and properties varying so much in terms of architecture, design, and size, only tools that have robust training data, advanced algorithms, and the ability to adapt to unique property characteristics deliver good results. In other words, AI virtual staging works but only if you are using the right tool. This brings us to another discussion and that is how to choose a reliable AI virtual staging tool that works.
How Do You Choose an AI Virtual Staging Tool?
Make a list of providers
Never fall for what the developers themselves say about their product. If you intend to find the best AI virtual staging provider, rely on independent reviews, user feedback, and comparison articles to get a more objective understanding of each tool’s performance. Doing so, you can make a list of at least 10-20 tools and then start comparing them.
Compare features
If you’re an experienced agent, you sure know that, in most cases, real estate photos need certain improvements before being ready for virtual staging. So, a good virtual staging tool must offer a number of complementary features like house decluttering (also called item removal), or image enhancement as well. Therefore, you should go through your list and remove the tools that offer only virtual staging without complementary services.
Compare quality
Most reliable AI virtual staging tools allow a few free generations to give users first-hand experience before committing. After updating your list, it’s a good idea to try the remaining providers to see how well they stage various rooms.
In doing so, you’ll notice that some of those tools have fundamental issues like inaccurate room dimensions, limited design styles, poor rendering quality, or lack of customization options.
Compare providers’ support
Next, check if the tools on your list offer multiple support channels such as live chat, email, or phone assistance. You can look for reviews or testimonials that mention the responsiveness of the customer support team. If a tool has poor customer support, it could lead to unnecessary delays and frustration, especially when you encounter issues that require immediate resolution. Therefore, prioritize tools that offer reliable and efficient support.
Compare pricing
While AI tools are typically more cost-effective than human virtual staging, you still need to make sure that you’re not overpaying. If the tools you’re considering match in all respects, it only makes sense to prioritize the most budget-friendly option.
Final Considerations
Before wrapping up our discussion, there is one more thing you should keep in mind. While AI tools are efficient and cost-effective, they may not always capture the subtle nuances or creative customizations required for unique spaces.
Therefore, it’s better to choose providers that offer both AI and human virtual staging options. This way, when a project requires more intricate details or personalized touches, you’ll have the flexibility to rely on human expertise to achieve the best possible results.
