Home staging, especially over the last year, has proven to be a good way for buyers to visualize and help Realtors sell homes faster. Not only that, buyers are turning to television shows depicting the homebuying process to help guide their decisions.

According to a new survey from the National Association of Realtors, 82% of buyers’ agents said that staging made it easier for a buyer to see the property as a future home. More than 7 in 10 agents find that photos, videos and virtual tours have become more important since the start of the pandemic.  Also, agents said television shows have impacted their business.

“Staging a home helps consumers see the full potential of a given space or property,” said Jessica Lautz, NAR’s vice president of demographics and behavioral insights, in a press release. “It features the home in its best light and helps would-be buyers envision its various possibilities.”

Both buyers’ and sellers’ agents agree that home-staging is important, according to the survey. Photographs, videos and virtual tours were also important according to buyer’s agents. Sellers’ agents noted that home staging increased the dollar value of a residence between 6% and 10% and none reported a negative impact on the property’s dollar value.

While deciding on what parts of a home to stage, living rooms (90%) and kitchens (80%) proved to be the most common rooms to display. Master bedrooms and dining rooms closely followed. Also, since the pandemic, staging of the office space or home office has also become popular.

Television shows may set unrealistic or increased expectations for buyers, according to the survey. Nevertheless, television shows greatly influence a buyer’s perspective of the home.

It is always important to find a trusted Realtor to get a reasonable sense of what’s out there, said Charlie Oppler, NAR president and a broker/owner of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, in the press release.