How Much To Charge For Virtual Staging As A Real Estate Photographer
Determining the cost of virtual staging as a real estate photographer depends on a few factors.
In this article, I’ll discuss how to determine how much to charge for virtual staging and share the factors that go into making that decision.
Table of Contents
What Is Virtual Staging?
Virtual staging involves digitally furnishing and decorating a property’s photographs to make it more appealing to potential buyers.
Unlike physical staging, it requires no furniture or decor, relying instead on software and digital pieces to transform empty or outdated spaces into attractive, well designed homes.
This process not only helps in showcasing a property’s potential but also in attracting a wider audience by enabling buyers to visualize how spaces in a home can be used and to give empty spaces a better sense of scale.
Who’s Doing The Virtual Staging?
The first question you need to answer is “who’s doing the virtual staging?” If it’s you, then how much you’ll charge your clients comes down to how much you value your time, as well as the going market rate.
If you’re outsourcing the virtual staging, which is the most common wayas a real estate photographer, then you’ll have to decide how much you want to mark up the price.
If you’re just getting started in real estate photography, have a lot of free time on your hands, and are genuinely interested in editing and virtual staging, then it can be a good idea to learn how to virtually stage your own images.
If you’re a seasoned professional with a full schedule, there is almost no benefit to taking the time to learn how to do it yourself. You can outsource your virtual staging to a professional and spend your time photographing more homes and serving your clients.
If You’re Virtually Staging The Photos Yourself
If you have enough time to virtually stage your own images, then you need to decide how much your time is worth.
Most real estate photographers that offer virtual staging as a service don’t do it themselves for two reasons: one, they simply don’t have the editing skills necessary, or two, they would rather spend time focusing on doing things like landing more jobs.
Initially, the investment in high-quality virtual staging software or subscriptions to libraries of digital assets that you’ll need to properly digital stage images must be considered.
The learning curve associated with mastering these tools also plays a significant role in determining how much to charge since you’ll be spending hours and hours just to get things started.
Once you’ve raised your virtual staging skill level to a point where you’re happy to sell it as a service to your clients you should plan to charge anywhere between $25 to $100 per image.
This relatively large price range accounts for the use of software, the time spent staging each photo, the creative input required to produce realistic and appealing results and the current market rate.
However, prices can vary based on the complexity of the staging, the number of rooms, and the specific requirements of each project.
And like most other things in real estate photography, the price will be based on your skill level. The better you are at virtual staging, the more you can charge.
If You’re Outsourcing Virtual Staging
Outsourcing virtual staging to professionals or companies that specialize in digital interior design will save you a ton of time and very likely will result in higher quality images, at least in the beginning.
When outsourcing, the cost generally ranges from $25 to $100 per image, depending on the provider’s expertise and the detail level of the staging. While outsourcing increases per-image costs, it allows photographers to take on more jobs.
When considering outsourcing, it’s essential to factor in these costs when setting your prices. Marking up the outsourced service cost by 20% – 50% is standard practice in the industry at this time. Meaning that if you’re paying $25 per image, you can charge anywhere between $30 – $40 per image.
Personally, I outsource virtual staging anytime a client of mine asks for it, which is not very often at the moment. I’ll pay between $25 – $40 per image and mark up the cost by around 20%.
A.I. Is Changing The Game
You may have already seen some companies offering A.I.-powered virtual staging at a fraction of the cost compared to the numbers and prices I’ve outlined above. I’ve seen per-image rates as low as $10, which naturally is very appealing as someone who outsources the work.
I have no doubt that A.I. will eventually be able to virtually stage a photo beautifully. However, I find the creativity for virtually staging a space is much better when put in the hands of a human with real design capabilities as opposed to an A.I. system
A.I. is currently best suited to expedite work with the help of creative humans, but not necessarily take on or make creative decisions on its own.
Hiring a person that is excellent at virtually staging and has a great deal of knowledge of interior design is currently going to give you a much better result than A.I.
Additional Information
If you’re just getting started in real estate photography, check out our Beginners Guide. It’s full of helpful articles and tips that will guide you in the right direction as you begin your real estate photography journey.
You can check out our Gear section as well to see reviews and recommendations on the latest real estate photography gear.
If you’re more interested in other resources that can help your real estate photography business, check out our Business Resources page.
The statements, opinions, and thoughts provided above reflect an individual’s account. This account reflects one individual’s experience and advice which is unique and outcomes and experiences may vary per individual. Neither ShowingTime+ or Zillow shall be liable for any and all damages attributed to the use of this information. Matthew Digati is an independent contributor to ShowingTime+
