Kevin Sears President | Official website
Nearly three out of ten real estate agents have reported that staging their sellers' homes led to a 1% to 10% increase in the dollar value offered, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2025 Profile of Home Staging. The report also indicates that almost half of home sellers' agents observed that home staging reduced the time homes spent on the market.
The study highlights how home staging affects real estate transactions from both buyers' and sellers' perspectives. Sixty percent of home buyers' real estate agents noted that staging had some effect on buyers, with 26% saying it affected most buyers and only 12% reporting no impact.
"Staging a home makes it easier for a buyer to envision the property as their future home," said Jessica Lautz, NAR deputy chief economist and vice president of research. Lautz emphasized the importance of strategically highlighting a home's best features to ensure competitive offers.
Home buyers found staging most important in living rooms (37%), primary bedrooms (34%), and kitchens (23%). Conversely, guest bedrooms were deemed least important for staging at 7%. Buyers’ agents valued photos (73%), traditional physical staging (57%), videos (48%), and virtual tours (43%) highly in listings.
Seventeen percent of buyers’ agents reported a 1% to 5% increase in dollar value for staged homes compared to un-staged ones. Twenty-one percent of sellers' agents staged all properties before listing, while more than half recommended decluttering or correcting faults instead.
The living room was staged by 91% of sellers' agents, followed by primary bedrooms (83%) and dining rooms (69%). Kitchens were staged by 68%, with guest and children's bedrooms being least common at 22%.
Compensation for staging varied: 26% said it depended on circumstances, while others either offered personal services or required seller payment. The median cost for professional services was $1,500; when handled by an agent, it dropped to $500.
Decluttering topped improvement recommendations at 91%, followed by cleaning entire homes at 88%, and enhancing curb appeal at 77%. Incorporating photos was prioritized by sellers’ agents at 88%, while virtual staging held less importance for many.
Television shows impacted expectations significantly; nearly half believed they influenced buyer expectations about home appearances. Seventy-seven percent felt TV shows set unrealistic standards, affecting perceptions during the buying process.
In February 2025, NAR conducted an online survey among a random sample of active Realtors, yielding a response rate of approximately 2.5%. The findings are based on responses from over twelve hundred participants with a margin of error at +/-2.75%.
