Short answer: physical staging still rates higher with agents. In NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Staging, 57% of buyers' agents said traditional physical staging was much more or more important to their clients, while 38% said virtual staging was less important. Physical staging costs more, though: the median spent on a staging service was $1,500. Virtual staging makes the most sense on a vacant listing where physical staging isn't in the budget, and only when it's disclosed exactly as Stellar MLS requires.
Plain-English summary for Florida agents and home sellers, not legal advice. ListingAce isn't affiliated with Stellar MLS or NAR. The survey figures are national, not Tampa Bay specific.
What the survey asked
The 2025 Profile of Home Staging is a National Association of REALTORS® survey. In February 2025, NAR invited a random sample of 49,806 active REALTORS® and got 1,266 usable responses, a 2.5% response rate, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.75% at the 95% confidence level. It asked both buyers' agents and sellers' agents about staging, photos, video and virtual tours.
It measures what agents believe about their clients. It isn't a controlled test of sale prices, so treat the numbers as agent opinion, not proof.
How agents rank virtual and physical staging
| Listing feature | Buyers' agents: much more or more important | Sellers' agents: much more or more important |
|---|---|---|
| Photos | 73% | 88% |
| Traditional physical staging | 57% | 43% |
| Videos | 48% | 47% |
| Virtual tours | 43% | 41% |
| Virtual staging | 18% (5% much more, 13% more) | 16% (4% much more, 12% more) |
The virtual staging figures, and the sellers' agents' virtual tours figure, are the "much more important" and "more important" shares added together from the report's charts. The report's own summary adds that 38% of buyers' agents and 34% of sellers' agents rated virtual staging as less important, and 24% of sellers' agents called it of equal importance.
Two things stand out. Photos matter more than anything else to both groups, and real furniture beats digital furniture in agents' eyes. Virtual staging isn't a replacement for physical staging when the budget allows it.
What staging does, according to agents
- It helps buyers picture the home. 83% of buyers' agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.
- It doesn't move every buyer. 60% of buyers' agents said staging had an effect on some buyers, but not always. 26% said it affected most buyers, and 12% said it had no effect.
- Price effects are modest and uncertain. 17% of buyers' agents said staging increased the dollar value offered by 1% to 5% compared with similar unstaged homes, and 41% said it had no impact on the dollar value. Among sellers' agents, 19% reported a 1% to 5% increase, 30% saw no impact, and 34% weren't sure.
- Time on market. 30% of sellers' agents said staging slightly decreased time on market and 19% said it greatly decreased it. 17% said it had no impact.
None of those figures is specific to virtual staging, so don't quote them as results of virtual staging.
Which rooms to stage first
Buyers' agents rated the living room (37% very important), the primary bedroom (34%) and the kitchen (23%) as the most important rooms to stage. The guest bedroom was the least important, at 7%. Sellers' agents most often staged the living room (91%), primary bedroom (83%) and dining room (69%).
That lines up with a sensible virtual staging order too: the main living area first, then the primary bedroom, then a dining or flex space. A kitchen usually needs only a few accessories, since you can't change its cabinets or counters in a staged photo. Our guide to which listing photos to virtually stage goes room by room.
Cost
NAR reports a median of $1,500 spent when sellers' agents used a staging service, and $500 when the agent staged the home personally. Who pays varies: 26% of sellers' agents said it depends on the situation, 23% personally offer to stage the home, and 17% said the seller pays before listing.
Virtual staging is usually priced per photo or per listing, so the cost is far lower. At ListingAce, Listing Essentials is $49 for virtual staging and photo cleanup on up to 5 photos, and the Launch Kit is $89 with staging, video, a flyer, social graphics and listing copy. Lower cost is the main reason to choose it, not a claim that it sells homes faster.
When each one fits
Physical staging is the stronger choice when:
- The budget allows it and the house will have a lot of showings. Buyers walk through the same rooms they saw online.
- The home is occupied and the seller can declutter instead. NAR found 51% of sellers' agents don't stage but suggest the seller declutter or fix property faults.
Virtual staging fits when:
- The listing is vacant and physical staging isn't affordable.
- A room's purpose isn't obvious, such as a loft or bonus room, and one staged photo can show a realistic use.
- You need staged photos quickly for a new listing or a relaunch.
Some agents use both. NAR found 8% of sellers' agents only virtually stage homes.
The Stellar MLS rules that apply to virtual staging
Physical staging needs no special MLS disclosure. Virtual staging does. Under Stellar MLS Article 04.04 (last updated Sep 27, 2026):
- Each staged photo needs "Virtually staged" in the photo description field, and the virtually staged field has to be checked.
- The public remarks must begin with "One or more photo(s) was virtually staged."
- You can add furniture, mirrors, artwork and plants, or replace existing furniture with digital furniture.
- You can't change permanent fixtures, add views the property doesn't have, hide defects such as holes in the wall or damaged flooring, or use small furniture to make a room look bigger.
- Exteriors can't be staged except with unattached furniture or décor, and virtual staging isn't allowed at all on pre-construction or under-construction properties.
Breaking the rule gets the staged photos removed and a Level I automatic fine. Outside the MLS, label staged photos on flyers and social posts too; see virtual staging disclosure on social media and flyers.
Common questions
Is virtual staging as effective as physical staging?
NAR's 2025 survey doesn't compare results directly, but agents rated physical staging as more important: 57% of buyers' agents rated physical staging much more or more important, compared with 18% for virtual staging. Virtual staging is a lower-cost option, not an equal substitute.
How much does home staging cost?
NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Staging reports a median of $1,500 spent when sellers' agents used a staging service, and $500 when the agent staged the home personally. Local prices vary.
Do I have to disclose virtual staging in Stellar MLS?
Yes. Under Article 04.04, each staged photo needs "Virtually staged" in its description field with the virtually staged field checked, and the public remarks must start with "One or more photo(s) was virtually staged."
Can I virtually stage a new-construction listing?
Not on Stellar MLS if it's a pre-construction or under-construction property. Article 04.04 bans virtual staging on those listings.
Vacant listing and no budget for physical staging? ListingAce stages your own listing photos with true-to-size furniture, labels every staged photo "Virtually staged," and gives you Stellar's remarks wording ready to paste. A person reviews every image. Listing Essentials is $49 and the Launch Kit is $89. Get a free sample kit →
Related
- Virtual staging for Tampa Bay listings (primary CTA)
- Stellar MLS virtual staging rules
- Pricing
- Which listing photos to virtually stage
- Virtual staging disclosure on social media and flyers
Sources checked Oct 21, 2026: National Association of REALTORS®, 2025 Profile of Home Staging (PDF, June 2025), executive summary, charts and methodology; Stellar MLS Rules & Regulations, Article 04.04 (last updated Sep 27, 2026).