Updated October 2026. Every price, free tier and platform below was checked on each company's own website on October 26, 2026.

One disclosure first: Bella Virtual is a done-for-you service. Our designers remove and restage furniture by hand, and we don't use AI for it. For plenty of jobs an app is the right call anyway, and we have tried to be fair to them. Bella appears near the end of this guide as the "have a person do it" option, not as a ranked app.

If you typed "remove furniture from photo" into an app store, you saw dozens of results. They do two different jobs. An AI furniture remover empties the room photo and rebuilds the floor and wall sections behind the furniture, so you get a clean slate: a blank canvas for virtual staging. An object remover erases one item at a time, which is fine for a lamp or a laundry basket but struggles with a sectional sofa. Both are useful for real estate agents. Pick the tool by the job, not by the ad.

AI furniture removal tools at a glance

"Free" means very different things here: a few free designs, a daily credit allowance, a watermark, or a phone feature you already own. That trade off matters, so read the details before you plan a listing around a free app.

The best AI furniture removal tools to create an empty room

These apps are built for removing furniture from a room photo, not just for erasing small objects. Each one generates the floor, baseboards and walls that were hidden, which is the hard part. With every AI furniture removal tool below, you upload a photo, choose what goes, and download a new image of the room.

1. REimagineHome: an "Occupied to Vacant" tool for agents

REimagineHome has a dedicated Empty Your Space tool. You upload one or several photos and type a prompt such as "empty the room" or "keep the chair, remove the table", then refine with follow-up prompts. Its site quotes an average of about 60 seconds per result, and you can restage the empty room with virtual furniture in the same app. New users get 5 free designs; paid plans run from $14 to $99 a month on a credit based system, and each new generation costs a credit. REimagineHome also has a partner page for CRMLS members, so check whether your MLS already gives you access.

2. RoomLab: empty a room, then restyle the same room

RoomLab lists "Empty a room" and "Declutter rooms" among its tools. An image generation uses about 10 credits and takes around 25 seconds. There is no free tier on its pricing page: the Personal pack is a one-time $15, and Pro is $20 a month for 400 credits, roughly 40 images. One catch for agents: RoomLab deletes generated images a month after creation on Pro and Ultra, so download your finished room image right away.

3. Decoratly: one-tap removal options, sold as a 30-day pass

Decoratly runs in the browser on a phone or a computer, with no app to install. Its Remove Objects tool has six one-tap options (all furniture, clutter, wall decor, lighting fixtures, plants and accessories, carpets and rugs) or a text box such as "remove the armchair by the window". Results take about 30 seconds. Removal is part of Pro, a one-time $9.99 for 30 days that does not renew. The trial is 1 style redesign, watermarked, and it doesn't include removal. Decoratly's own FAQ is refreshingly honest: the floor behind a removed item "is a plausible guess, not what is really there."

4. DecAI Furniture Remover: free to try on web, iPhone and Android

DecAI works from a prompt: describe what to remove ("remove everything except the bed") or use "Empty entire room" for full AI furniture removal. It runs in any browser and on mobile devices through its iOS and Android apps, with results in about 30 seconds. You can try it without paying; the iPhone app is a free download with in-app purchases and sells weekly, monthly, yearly and lifetime plans. Its tips page recommends removing similar objects together and not mixing too many tasks in one prompt.

5. Ideal House: free daily credits and a "Remove All" button

Ideal House has two modes: Remove All clears the whole room, and Click to Remove erases a single piece. It works in the browser on desktop and mobile devices, and there is also an Ideal House app. The pricing page mentions 10 free daily credits, with paid Lite, Plus and Pro plans for more. Its page pitches the tool to real estate agents and interior designers as "the first step to creating perfect virtual staging." Its FAQ adds that when you try to remove people, harsh shadows or reflections, results "may vary".

6. Home-Design.ai: free furniture removal with no signup

Home-Design.ai advertises a free AI furniture removal tool with no signup. You upload a room photo, then remove all the furniture or select specific pieces, such as just a sofa. A basic generation uses 1 credit. For more, one-time credit packs start at $9.99 for 30 credits, and those credits never expire.

7. Spacely AI: an "Empty the Room" tool for designers

Spacely AI added a Remove All Furniture feature in 2024 that clears a room photo in a single click, and lists "Empty the Room" among the tools on its Personal, Studio and Agency plans. It is built mainly for architects and interior designers, with integrations for SketchUp, Revit, AutoCAD and Rhino. Credit top-ups start at $9 for 200 credits.

Free object remover apps to erase distractions

If you only need to remove unwanted objects, such as a laundry basket, a stack of boxes or a single chair, a general object remover is often a free app already on your phone. These tools remove objects by filling the gap from the surrounding pixels. That works on plain walls and simple floors, and it gets weaker as the object gets bigger. Some erasers that show up for this search, such as Photoroom's object remover, are built mainly for product photos and product images for online sellers.

Google Photos Magic Eraser (Android and iPhone)

Magic Eraser is free for eligible Google Photos users on Android and iOS. Open a photo, tap Edit, then Tools (iOS) or Actions (Android), choose Magic Eraser, and tap or brush over what should go. Google's own advice is that Magic Eraser works best for quick fixes on smaller parts of a photo, while Magic Editor's Erase handles larger, more prominent objects better.

Apple Photos Clean Up (iPhone 15 Pro and later)

Clean Up is built into the Photos app on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 models or later, with iOS 18.1 or later and Apple Intelligence turned on. Open a photo, tap the edit button, choose Clean Up, then tap, brush or circle the object. It costs nothing extra and suits small background clutter. Emptying an entire room is a stretch.

Canva Magic Eraser

Canva's Magic Eraser lets you brush over an object, click to select it, or pick the foreground, and a brush size slider handles tight spots. It is a Canva Pro feature: Pro is US$120 a year for one person, with a 30-day trial. Useful if you already create flyers and social posts in Canva.

Adobe Photoshop Remove tool and Generative Fill

Photoshop on desktop is the most controllable option. The Remove tool lets you brush or loop around an object, has a "Find distractions" option that can find and remove people, wires and cables, and lets you switch generative AI on or off. Adobe says generative credits are not deducted for the Remove tool. For a big sofa, select it with a little room around it and use Generative Fill, which offers three variations to choose from. The trade off is time and skill: this is a photo editor for people who already know one.

PhotoDirector (iPhone, Android and Windows)

CyberLink's PhotoDirector is a free download on iPhone and Google Play with an Object Removal tool. Core editing is free; its AI tools run on credits, and Premium adds 4K export. It is a general photo editing app aimed more at portraits and social posts than at property listings.

How to remove furniture from a photo with AI, step by step

The steps are nearly the same in every AI furniture removal app:

1. Start with a well lit photo. Open the blinds, turn on the lights, and shoot wide and level at chest height with as much of the space in frame as you can. The AI can only rebuild what it can guess from the visible floor and walls.
2. Upload a photo at full resolution. Use the original file, not a screenshot. Several tools also offer high resolution output or 4K on paid plans.
3. Pick "empty the room" or select pieces. Decide what goes: the furniture, the decor, personal photos on the walls, or everything. To empty the room, use the one-click option. For a single photo with one bad piece, mark it or name it in the prompt.
4. Remove in one pass, then refine. If the first pass changes too much, run the removals one at a time. Decoratly and DecAI both recommend this.
5. Check the new image at full size. Zoom in on baseboards, floor patterns, window frames and the corners where the furniture stood, and compare it with the original room photo.
6. Keep the original photo. You will need it for disclosure, and some MLSs and states now require buyers to be able to see it.

Where AI furniture removal still goes wrong

AI furniture removal tools are genuinely good at simple rooms. They struggle in the same places every time, so check these before a listing photo goes live:

• Invented floors and walls. The tool generates what was behind the furniture. A herringbone floor can turn into planks, and a removed rug can reveal a floor that doesn't exist, which misstates the space.
• Missing built-ins. Shelves, radiators and window seats sometimes vanish with the furniture next to them. Those are part of the house, and removing them misrepresents it.
• Shadows and light. Harsh shadows from a removed sofa can stay on the floor, and reflections in glass rarely update.
• Consistency across a listing. When several photos show the same room from two angles, each generation guesses differently, so the floor or the wall color may not match from one shot to the next.

Disclose what you removed in listing photos

Removing furniture is legal and common, but an altered photo can create a misleading picture, so it has to stay honest. NAR's Code of Ethics requires REALTORS to avoid exaggerating, misrepresenting or concealing pertinent facts (Article 2) and to present a "true picture" in advertising (Article 12). NAR reported in October 2026 that California's AB 723, in effect since January 1, 2026, requires a disclosure whenever an altered image adds, removes or changes elements of a property, including furniture, plus access to the original image. The same article suggests specific labels such as "Objects digitally removed" rather than a vague "AI was used". NAR has also reported that NorthstarMLS asks for altered images to be labeled and paired with an unaltered photo, and that Wisconsin has similar requirements coming in 2027.

The practical rules: label every photo where furniture was removed, keep the original, and never remove anything permanent or anything that hides a defect, such as a crack, a stain or water damage. Check your own MLS's photo rules before you upload anything.

When a human editor is worth it

For a rental, a quick test or a pitch to a seller, an app is usually enough. For the photos that sell an occupied home (the first photo on the MLS, a luxury listing, a room with a patterned floor or built-ins, anything printed), a person checking every edge, and how the space reads, is worth paying for. Two human options:

• BoxBrownie lists Standard Item Removal at US$10 a photo (furniture, large rugs, even people) and Minor Item Removal at US$5, with a 24-hour turnaround.
• Bella Virtual offers furniture removal and virtual staging at US$39 a photo. A designer with an interior design background removes everything or only the pieces you name, restores the room behind them, and restages it in 24 to 48 hours, with unlimited revisions for two weeks and volume discounts from 5% at 3 photos to 20% at 21. If you only need a few items erased, item removal is part of our photo editing service at US$15 a photo. Every edit is done by hand by a designer, not by AI.

For more on how the job works, see our guides to item removal in photo editing and virtual staging for occupied homes.

Which tool should you use?

• One or two small pieces: Google Photos Magic Eraser or iPhone Clean Up, already on your phone at no cost.
• An empty room, free: Ideal House's daily credits, Home-Design.ai, or REimagineHome's 5 free designs.
• An empty room, then AI staging: REimagineHome or RoomLab, which both restage the same room in one app.
• One listing, low commitment: Decoratly's $9.99 one-time pass.
• Full control: Photoshop's Remove tool and Generative Fill.
• The photos that sell the home: a human editor. If you're weighing that choice, our DIY vs hiring a service guide walks through it.

FAQ: removing furniture from photos

Can AI remove furniture from a picture?

Yes. Dedicated AI furniture removers such as REimagineHome, RoomLab, Decoratly, DecAI and Ideal House can empty a room photo in about a minute or less. The floor and walls behind the furniture are generated, not real, so check the result at full size and label it in a listing.

Which photo app can remove objects for free?

Google Photos Magic Eraser is free for eligible users on Android and iPhone, and Apple's Clean Up is built into Photos on iPhone 15 Pro and later. For whole-room furniture removal, Ideal House offers free daily credits, Home-Design.ai needs no signup, and REimagineHome gives new users 5 free designs.

Can an iPhone remove unwanted objects from photos?

Yes. On iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 models or later with iOS 18.1 or later, open a photo in Photos, tap the edit button, choose Clean Up, and tap, brush or circle the object. Older iPhones on iOS 15 or later can use the free Google Photos app instead.

Is Google Magic Eraser free?

Yes. Google says Magic Eraser and its other AI editing tools are available to eligible Google Photos users at no cost, on Android and iOS. It works best on smaller objects.

Do I have to disclose furniture removal on the MLS?

You should, everywhere. NAR's Code of Ethics requires a "true picture" in advertising, California's AB 723 requires disclosure and access to the original image for digitally altered listing photos, and many MLSs have their own labeling rules. A clear label such as "Furniture digitally removed" on or next to the photo is the safe default.

How much does it cost to remove furniture from a photo?

AI furniture removal apps start free, and the paid entry points we checked run from about $9 to $20 for a pass, a credit pack or a month of credits. Human services charge per photo: BoxBrownie lists US$10 for standard item removal, and Bella charges US$15 for item removal or US$39 for removal plus virtual staging.

What is the difference between furniture removal and virtual staging?

Furniture removal takes things out of a room photo and leaves an empty room. Virtual staging adds virtual furniture to an empty room. Agents with occupied homes often need both: remove the seller's furniture first, then add virtual furniture that suits the buyer.

Keep reading

• Best free virtual staging apps, verified
• DIY virtual staging vs hiring a service
• Virtual staging for occupied homes
• What is item removal in photo editing?

The sale at a glance

The living room: furniture that faces the river

The living room's corner of windows looks across the East River, and the listing calls out its recently refinished hardwood floors. Empty, the room was a pale box with a great view. Our designers placed a cream sectional with soft pillows, a marble-topped coffee table on a black and white striped rug, a rust-coloured lounge chair by the window, an arc floor lamp and a wall-mounted TV. The furniture stays below the window sill, so the river view stays clear.

The living room from the other side: living and dining in one view

From the window end, the photo shows how the living room connects to the dining area and the kitchen pass-through. With the sofa, coffee table and a round dining table with four chairs in place, buyers can see that a 765 sq ft one-bedroom holds a full living room and a table for four.

The dining area: a table next to the kitchen

The listing mentions a generous dining area next to the kitchen. We staged it with a round pedestal table, four cream upholstered chairs with wood frames, a bowl of fruit, a framed print and a potted olive tree, so the corner reads as a dining room and not leftover space.

The bedroom: waking up to the river

The bedroom shares the river view through its own curved run of windows. A wood bed with white bedding and a rust throw, a nightstand with a lamp, a white dresser, a tall plant and a framed print show that a full bedroom setup fits, with the view left clear.

A note on light fixtures

The staged dining photos show a pendant light over the table in place of the existing ceiling fixture. Like furniture, a changed fixture is part of the virtual staging and should be disclosed with the photos.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this apartment. It is a high-floor unit with river views in a full-service building with a pool, a gym and a 24-hour doorman. What the record shows is that the staged photos were ordered five days before the listing went live, the apartment was in contract 18 days later, and it closed $35,000 below its asking price.

Takeaways for one-bedroom condos

• Prove the table fits. In a one-bedroom, buyers want to know if there is room to eat as well as sit.
• Keep the view clear. Low furniture below the window sill lets the river view do the selling.
• Stage more than one angle. A second view of the same room shows how the spaces connect.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms in New York listings in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in New York page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

For more New York results, see our luxury virtual staging work and the other sold listings we staged.

Sale details come from public listing data and New York City Department of Finance records (ACRIS) and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The living and dining room: one big loft room, clearly zoned

The listing describes a loft space bathed in sunlight by oversized windows, with ceilings that soar to 12 feet. The floor plan puts the living and dining room at about 30 by 24 feet. In the original photo, the room was full: Persian rugs, a leather sofa, an armchair, a round dining table, shelves and dozens of framed pictures, on beige walls. Our designers cleared it, showed the walls in white with the red accent wall kept, and staged two zones: a grey sofa, a white coffee table and two wood-framed armchairs on a light rug, and a long wood dining table with eight black chairs by the windows. A small desk and a tall plant fill the far corner. Buyers can now see how big the room is.

The primary bedroom: from yellow gallery wall to a quiet room

The primary bedroom had bright yellow walls covered with framed art. We removed everything, showed the walls in white, and staged it simply: a bed with white bedding and an olive throw, a light wood dresser with a TV above it, a framed landscape print and a coat stand. The mirrored closet doors and the high clerestory window stay in view.

The second bedroom: built-in shelves and arched windows

The second bedroom has built-in bookshelves and two tall windows set in arched brick openings. We replaced the twin bed, desk and wall of posters with a navy upholstered bed with blue and grey pillows, styled the shelves with books and objects, and hung one large abstract print, so the room reads as a real bedroom with views over the neighbourhood.

The kitchen: a renovation concept

The galley kitchen had maple cabinets, granite counters and a black refrigerator. For this photo, Bella did a virtual renovation, not a staging: wood-look cabinets, pale stone counters and a tiled floor, to show buyers one way the kitchen could look after an update. It is a design concept, not the kitchen as it was.

A note on paint, renovation and disclosure

Three of these photos show the walls repainted, and the kitchen photo shows finishes the apartment does not have. Changes to fixed features like these should always be labelled clearly, for example "virtually renovated, for illustration only", and the original photos should be available to buyers. Bella recommends that label on every edited image.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this apartment. It is a rare top-floor corner unit, on the market for the first time in over 25 years, with roof rights included and low monthly charges. What the record shows is that the restaged photos were ordered the day before the listing went live, the apartment was in contract 26 days later, and it closed $40,000 below its asking price.

Takeaways for lived-in listings

• Clear the owner's things first. A collector's apartment full of art is personal. Buyers need to see the room, not the collection.
• Show the size of a loft. Two clear zones, living and dining, make a big open room easy to read.
• Label every change. Repainted walls and a renovated kitchen are fine to show, as long as the photos say so.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty and furnished rooms in New York and Brooklyn listings in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in New York page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

For more New York results, see our luxury virtual staging work and the other sold listings we staged.

Sale details come from public listing data and New York City Department of Finance records (ACRIS) and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged and virtually renovated photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

Why restage a furnished penthouse

The apartment was still furnished, and the outdoor spaces were set up for storage, not for selling: patio chairs on the balcony and furniture under a tarp on the roof deck. For a $2.45 million penthouse, the two private outdoor spaces are a big part of the price, so the photos needed to show them at their best. Our designers removed what was there and staged each space from scratch. The three photos below show the biggest changes. The two bathroom photos only needed small finishing touches.

The primary bedroom: a calmer room with the balcony in view

The primary suite sits at the back of the apartment, with a wall of windows and a door to the private balcony. We replaced the existing bed and chair with a tufted tan upholstered bed, layered bedding in brown and cream, a bench at the foot of the bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a large rug and a pair of framed prints. The furniture stays low, so the windows, the light and the balcony door stay the focus.

The balcony: a place to sit, not a place to store chairs

The original balcony photo showed folding bistro chairs and a row of pots. We staged it with an outdoor loveseat with white cushions on a dark woven frame, white hydrangeas in a pot and big pots of white flowering plants, so a buyer sees a private place to sit a step from the bedroom.

In this photo the before image is inset at bottom right, so it does not cover the new seating.

The roof deck: dinner with a skyline view

The listing calls the private roof deck the home's crowning glory, with views of the Manhattan skyline. In the original photo, the furniture was under a tarp. Our designers staged it as an outdoor dining room: a teak table with six woven chairs, a vase of red flowers, an outdoor rug, potted evergreens and white hydrangeas along the edge. The skyline stays in the background of the shot.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this penthouse. It is a full-floor unit in a small boutique building near McCarren Park, and the same apartment had sold for $2,200,000 in 2023. What the record shows is the timeline: the restaged photos were ordered eight days before the listing went live, the penthouse was in contract about three weeks later, and it closed at its full asking price.

Takeaways for furnished listings

• You don't need an empty home to stage. Furniture can be removed digitally, then each room restaged to suit buyers.
• Stage the outdoor space. A balcony and a roof deck are worth a lot in New York, and photos of storage or covered furniture undersell them.
• Keep the view in the frame. Low furniture and a clear sightline let the skyline do the selling.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty and furnished rooms in New York listings in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in New York page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

For more New York results, see our luxury virtual staging work and the other sold listings we staged.

Sale details come from public listing data and New York City Department of Finance records (ACRIS) and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

Why stage only the deck

The listing sells the house on its layout and upgrades: first-floor living, a third-floor flex room with a separate gym space, and rooftop access it calls ideal for entertaining. In the photos, the deck was an empty run of boards behind a railing, which says nothing about entertaining. On a 2,033 sq ft lot, the deck is one of the home's main outdoor spaces, so the listing agent ordered staging for just those two photos.

The deck from the doors

The first view looks along the deck past the French doors. Our designers added a long outdoor sofa with a woven frame, cream cushions and green pillows, two rattan lounge chairs, a round wicker side table with a magazine, and a bistro table with chairs at the far end, with potted plants along the wall. The photo now answers the buyer's question: yes, a full seating area and a table both fit.

The deck from the corner

The second view looks across the deck toward the neighbouring rooftops and the open sky. The same furniture, seen from the other side, shows a lounge area and a bistro dining set with room to move between them, which is what "ideal for entertaining" looks like in a photo.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this house. It came with a long list of recent upgrades in a gated community close to central Houston, and two staged photos were a small part of its marketing. What the record shows is that the staged deck photos were ready the day before the listing went live, the house was under contract 16 days later, and it sold close to its asking price.

Takeaways for homes with outdoor space

• Stage the space that sells the lifestyle. On a small lot, a roof deck or balcony is the yard. One or two staged photos can carry that message.
• You don't have to stage the whole house. Stage the spaces that look empty or unclear in the photos.
• Show both lounging and dining. Buyers want to see that a deck holds a seating group and a table, not just one or the other.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms, patios and roof decks in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Texas page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

For more ideas on outdoor photos, read our guide to virtual staging for outdoor spaces, or browse more sold listings we staged.

Listing dates come from the Houston Association of REALTORS (HAR) MLS data and were checked against more than one source. Texas does not publish sale prices; the $615,000 figure is from an MLS-fed listing site, and HAR.com reports a sold-price range that includes it. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The living room: a seating group around the fireplace

The listing describes a stately living room centred on a working fireplace, with beamed ceilings and thick parquet floors. Empty, the room looked long and pale, and the fireplace sat alone on one wall. Our designers built a seating area facing it: a cognac leather sofa, two green velvet ottomans, a round coffee table on a black and white rug, two cream lounge chairs by the far wall and a pair of framed prints. The parquet and the beams stay visible around the furniture.

The dining nook: a table beside the windowed kitchen

The kitchen opens onto a dining nook, which empty looked like a bare corner. We placed a long walnut table with six curved upholstered chairs, a vase of white flowers and a set of warm-toned prints, so buyers can see that a table for six fits next to the kitchen.

The primary bedroom: proving a king fits

The listing calls the primary bedroom king-sized, with south and west exposures and skyline views. A wood bed with layered white bedding and a green plaid throw, two wood nightstands with globe lamps, a striped rug and a dresser with plants show the scale, with space left to walk around the bed and the windows in full view.

The second bedroom: a real bedroom, not a box room

The second bedroom faces south with a city view. We staged it with a blue upholstered bed, a wood dresser under a round mirror, a tall plant, a striped rug and an abstract print, so it reads as a full bedroom for a guest or a family member.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this co-op. It was fully renovated, in a prewar doorman building close to Central Park and the museums, and three other two-bedrooms in the building had closed between $1,295,000 and $1,360,000 since October 2025. What the record shows is that the staged photos were ordered four days before the listing went live, the apartment was in contract 17 days later, and it closed within $20,000 of its asking price.

Takeaways for prewar co-ops

• Anchor the room on its best feature. A working fireplace is a selling point, and a seating group facing it shows how the room lives.
• Answer the bed-size question. When a listing says a bedroom fits a king, a staged photo can prove it.
• Let the details show. Furniture should sit on the parquet and under the beams, not cover them.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms in New York listings in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in New York page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

For more Manhattan results, see our luxury virtual staging work and the other sold listings we staged.

Sale details come from public listing data and New York City Department of Finance records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The living room: furniture that keeps the skyline in view

The living room wraps around a corner of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the apartment had just been renovated, with new 7.5-inch light oak floorboards. Empty, the room showed the view and nothing else, so it was hard to judge how much furniture it holds. Our designers placed a low white sofa with yellow and blue pillows, a round black coffee table on an organic-shaped rug and a large ocean print, with a round dining table and cane chairs in the foreground. Everything sits below the window line, so the skyline stays the main subject.

The dining area: using the pass-through

The kitchen opens to the dining area through a pass-through window with counter seating, a feature the listing calls out. We put two counter stools at the pass-through, then a round white pedestal table with four cane chairs, a fiddle-leaf fig and a coastal print, so buyers can see that the space works for breakfast at the counter and a sit-down dinner a few steps away.

The primary bedroom: a bed, a chair and the view

The primary bedroom has a corner of glass looking over Midtown. Our designers staged it with a light wood bed and navy bedding, matching nightstands with lamps, a bold striped rug, an arc floor lamp and a green armchair by the window, so the room reads as a place to sleep and a place to sit.

The second bedroom: staged for a child

To show one clear use for the second bedroom, we staged it as a child's room: a bed with yellow and blue bedding, a small desk, a bookshelf of toys and a row of framed prints. The big window and the city view are left clear.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this apartment. It was freshly renovated, high up, with a skyline view, in a full-service building, and two other two-bedrooms in the building had closed that spring at $1,620,000 and $1,650,000. What the record shows is the timeline: the staged photos were ordered a week before the listing went live, the apartment was in contract 34 days later, and it closed $40,000 above its asking price.

Takeaways for New York condos

• Keep furniture below the window line. In a high-floor apartment, the view is what buyers pay for, so staging should frame it, not block it.
• Show how the features are used. A pass-through counter becomes a selling point when the photo shows stools in front of it.
• Give the second bedroom a job. Staged as a child's room, a guest room or an office, it stops reading as an empty box.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms in New York listings in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in New York page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

For more Manhattan results, see our luxury virtual staging work and the other sold listings we staged.

Sale details come from public listing data and New York City Department of Finance records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

We make these images for a living. Real interior designers, never AI-generated staging. So consider this an inside look at how to read a virtually staged photo, what gives a weak one away, and why labeling beats guessing every single time.

What does it mean when a photo is virtually staged?

When a photo is virtually staged, a designer has digitally added furniture and decor to an empty room so buyers can picture the space furnished. The walls, windows, floors, and fixtures in the listing photos? All real. The sofa, the rug, the artwork were placed into the image afterward. It is a marketing tool, not a trick, and it works for one simple reason: most buyers struggle to imagine a vacant room with anything in it at all.

Think of virtual staging as the digital cousin of traditional staging. Rather than renting physical furniture and arranging it on site, a designer builds the scene in software and drops it into the original photo. Done well, the result is a virtually staged image that helps a listing stand out, draws traffic, and gives buyers a real first impression of how the home could look.

How can you tell if a photo is real or not?

You can usually tell if a listing photo is real or virtually staged by checking a handful of details that cheap editing tends to get wrong. No single one is proof. But stack two or three together and the staging starts to show. Here is what to look for:

• Furniture scale and perspective. Does the sofa look too big for the wall, or float slightly off the floor? Added furniture that ignores the room's perspective is the most common giveaway of all.
• Shadows and reflections. Real objects cast shadows and bounce light around. So if a chair throws no shadow, or a mirror refuses to reflect the furniture sitting right in front of it, the photo was likely altered.
• Lighting that does not match. Does the light in one room look oddly different from the next? Staged furniture lit from the wrong direction is a quiet but reliable tell.
• Styling that is too perfect. Showroom-clean rooms, zero clutter, every pillow chopped to a crisp 45-degree angle. That can read as staged rather than lived in.
• Smudged or duplicated edges. Look where furniture meets the wall. Do fixtures like railings, outlets, or baseboards look strangely blurred or copied? Sloppy masking leaves traces.

The catch is that these clues only catch sloppy work. When a skilled designer matches the scale, perspective, shadows, and light to the real room, a virtually staged photo can look indistinguishable from a furnished one. That is the whole point of doing it properly. It is also why eyeballing the images is never a substitute for a clear label.

What is the difference between virtually staged and altered photos?

The difference between virtually staged and altered photos comes down to one question: what actually changed? Virtual staging adds movable items, furniture, rugs, plants, and art, to a room without touching the space itself. Virtually altered photos go further. They change the property's actual features: removing a power line, repainting kitchen cabinets, or erasing a stain on the floor. One shows how a home could be furnished. The other can misrepresent the home's true condition.

That line matters a lot to a buyer. Adding decor or swapping a dull sofa is fair game when it is disclosed. Digitally fixing a cracked wall or hiding a defect is not, because it creates an image of something online that doesn't exist in the real room. Honest virtual staging stages the furniture and leaves the bones of the house exactly as they are.

Why should agents disclose virtually staged photos?

Agents should disclose virtually staged photos because honest advertising is both an ethical duty and, increasingly, a legal one. The National Association of Realtors is direct about it. As its guidance on virtual staging puts it, Article 12 of NAR's Code of Ethics requires that real estate agents who are REALTORS® be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and present a true picture in their advertising, marketing and other representations. The takeaway for any virtually staged image is short: Make sure listing photos that have been virtually staged are clearly labeled as such.

Disclosure is also what keeps virtual staging on the right side of MLS rules. Most MLS systems and many state laws now require that altered photos be clearly labeled, often with a caption like "virtually staged" placed directly on the photo or noted in the listing details. Skip the label and a staged photo can turn misleading, the kind of thing that leaves prospective buyers disappointed when they arrive to find the home looks nothing like the pictures. Add the label, though, and the same photo becomes an honest, useful piece of real estate marketing.

Does virtual staging mislead buyers?

Virtual staging does not mislead buyers when it is disclosed and when it only adds furniture to a real room. The trouble starts somewhere else: when staging is undisclosed, or when it crosses the line into altering the property itself. A buyer who knows a photo is virtually staged can read it for what it is. An idea of the space furnished, not a literal inventory of what comes with the house.

That is why we build every staged image to be realistic enough to sell the space and honest enough to disclose with confidence. The goal is never to fool anyone. It is to help a home buyer visualize an empty room, then let a clear label do the rest. A disclosed staged photo presents a true picture. An undisclosed one risks a misrepresentation complaint, and no faster sale is ever worth that.

What do realtors use for virtual staging?

Realtors typically use a professional virtual staging service that hands the work to skilled designers rather than leaning on quick AI tools. The agent sends over the original empty-room photos, picks a decor style to match the home and its likely buyers, and gets back furnished listing photos ready for the MLS. A good studio keeps the staging consistent across every image and makes the lighting and perspective match the real space.

Quality is what separates a photo that helps from one that gets flagged. Our images are hand-crafted in Photoshop and 3D software by real interior designers, never AI-generated staging, so the furniture sits naturally in the room and the result holds up to a close look. And if your listing needs more than furniture? A virtual renovation can show a home's full potential, as long as the changes are disclosed the same way.

Frequently asked questions

Can you always tell if a photo is virtually staged?

No, not always. Low-quality virtual staging gives itself away through furniture at the wrong scale, missing shadows or reflections, mismatched lighting, and styling that looks too perfect. High-quality staging by real designers is much harder to spot, which is exactly why a listing should disclose virtually staged photos rather than leave buyers guessing.

What does virtually staged mean on a listing?

It means a designer digitally added furniture and decor to the photo so buyers can picture the empty room furnished. The room itself, including walls, floors, windows, and fixtures, is real and unchanged. Only the movable items were added in editing, and the listing should clearly label those photos as virtually staged.

Is it legal to use virtually staged photos in the MLS?

Yes, virtual staging is legal and widely used, but most MLS systems require staged images to be clearly labeled as digitally altered. The NAR Code of Ethics also requires honest, truthful advertising, and some states now mandate disclosure of altered listing photos. Label every staged image and note it in the listing description to stay compliant.

What is the difference between virtual staging and virtual renovation?

Virtual staging adds furniture and decor to a room without changing the space, while a virtual renovation digitally updates fixed features like flooring, cabinets, or wall color. Staging shows how a home could be furnished; renovation shows how it could be remodeled. Both should be clearly disclosed so buyers understand exactly what they are looking at.

This guide is written for home builders in Texas and Florida, the two busiest new-construction states, but the plan works anywhere. In 2025, permit offices in Texas authorized 210,217 new housing units and Florida 178,297, first and second in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More homes going up means more communities competing for the same buyers, and the images are often what decides which community a buyer clicks on.

Why new construction marketing is different

A resale agent markets one finished home. A builder markets homes in three states at once: planned, under construction and finished. Each needs a different kind of image, and buyers commit at every stage. Census Bureau sales data for new single-family homes shows the mix:

• In 2025, about 58% of new homes sold (396,000 of 678,000) were already completed when they sold.
• The other 42% sold before they were finished: 215,000 while under construction and 67,000 before construction had started.
• In 2021, only about 25% of new homes sold were completed at the time of sale (196,000 of 771,000).

Figures are annual totals from the Census Bureau and HUD New Residential Sales survey, by stage of construction. Two lessons follow. More inventory now sits finished and empty, so spec homes have to photograph well. And a large share of buyers still sign before the home is done, which means they decide from renderings and floor plans.

Which visual to use at each stage

Stage 1: Marketing before ground breaks

Pre-construction marketing has one job: give buyers something real enough to commit to. That means images of the finished home, not a lot with a sign on it.

Exterior renderings for every elevation

Render each elevation you sell, from the street, with realistic landscaping and light. The exterior is the first image on the plan page, the ad and the sign, so it does the most work. A dusk version gives you a second hero image for social media and signage.

Interior renderings of the rooms buyers judge first

You don't need every room. In NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Staging, buyers' agents named the living room as the most important room to stage (37%), followed by the primary bedroom (34%) and the kitchen (23%). Render the great room, kitchen and primary suite of each plan first, then add outdoor living where it sells the plan.

3D floor plans

Most buyers can't read an architectural drawing. A furnished 3D floor plan shows how the rooms connect and how big they are next to a bed or a sofa. Make one for every plan and use the same file on the website, in the brochure and on portals. Our 2D vs 3D floor plan guide explains when each type is enough.

A community page and an interest list

Put the renderings and floor plans on one page per community with a sign-up form, and email that list whenever there is news: a plan release, pricing, a lot release. When sales open, those are the first people to call.

Order renderings as soon as the drawings and finish schedule are settled. Our guide to render services covers what to send a studio and what to expect back, and 3D rendering for pre-selling new builds sets out a basic pre-sale image package. Bella's 3D rendering service works from your plans, elevations and finish schedule; pricing depends on the project, so ask for a quote.

Stage 2: While the home is under construction

• Show progress. Photograph each milestone and send it to the interest list. It proves the project is real and moving.
• Invite agents in. Hard-hat tours once the framing is up let co-op agents preview the plan before they bring buyers.
• Keep renderings current. If a plan or finish package changes, update the images so the marketing matches what you are building.
• List early, label clearly. Market under-construction homes with the renderings, labeled as renderings, and swap in real photos as soon as they exist.

Stage 3: Finished but empty spec homes

A finished spec home is the easiest thing to photograph and one of the hardest to make look good. Empty rooms give buyers no sense of scale, and a bare great room looks the same as every other bare great room on the portal. In the same NAR report, 83% of buyers' agents said staging a home made it easier for buyers to picture the property as their future home.

Physically staging every quick move-in home is expensive and slow. Virtual staging furnishes the photos instead: a photographer shoots the vacant home, and designers add furniture to the key rooms. Bella's virtual staging is US$37 per photo, designed by people and never AI, delivered in 24 to 48 hours, so staged photos can be ready when the listing goes live.

• Stage the great room, the primary bedroom and the kitchen or dining area at a minimum, plus any flex room buyers won't understand empty.
• Match the furniture to the buyer the plan is built for, and keep the style consistent across a community.
• Label staged photos "virtually staged" on the MLS, portals and your website, and keep the unstaged originals.

For the workflow side, such as photo standards, approvals and launch timing, see our guide to virtual staging for Texas home builders.

Do you still need a model home?

A model home is still the strongest tool for buyers who visit in person: they walk through it, touch the finishes and talk to your sales team. But it shows one plan in one style, and it ties up a finished house. Most builders keep the model for the flagship plan and cover everything else with visuals:

• Renderings for plans and elevations that have never been built.
• Virtually staged photos of finished specs of the other plans.
• 3D floor plans and virtual tours for buyers who can't visit.

If a community opens without a model, the renderings and floor plans are the model home online. Our home builder marketing page brings the whole visual program together in one place.

Where to put the visuals

• Your website. One page per community and per plan, with renderings, a 3D floor plan, elevations, available homes and a clear next step.
• The MLS. List specs and to-be-built homes so co-op agents can find them, with renderings or staged photos labeled. Check your board's rules on renderings and altered photos first.
• Zillow and other portals. Zillow's Promoted Communities program shows builders' new construction listings on Zillow, Trulia and Redfin, including spec homes and buildable plans, with floor plans and exterior design options.
• Co-op agents. Give them a download kit: renderings, staged photos, floor plans and a one-page feature sheet.
• Social media and ads. Rendering reveals, progress clips and before-and-after staging posts. Ads for homes have their own targeting rules on most ad platforms, so check them before you build audiences.
• Signage and the sales center. Large prints show every flaw, so ask your rendering studio for full-resolution files up front.

What to show buyers in Texas and Florida

Texas

In master-planned communities around Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, builders often sell several plans and elevations with only one or two models. Render the elevations you won't build as models, and stage the rooms that set your plans apart, such as game rooms, flex spaces and covered patios. Buyers relocating from other states often shortlist homes online before they fly in, so the plan page has to work on its own. See our virtual staging for Texas home builders and Dallas pages.

Florida

In Florida, outdoor living often sells the plan: lanais, pools, outdoor kitchens and screened porches. Render them, and stage them in finished specs, not just the interiors. Fit the style to the market, from coastal looks near the water to transitional interiors inland. Relocating and second-home buyers often see the home online long before they visit, so renderings, 3D floor plans and staged photos are their first tour. See virtual staging for Florida home builders and our Tampa page.

Keep the marketing honest

Label renderings as artist's renderings and staged photos as virtually staged, everywhere they appear. Don't show upgrades, options or lot views a buyer won't get without saying so, and keep renderings in step with the current plans and finish schedule. Agents who are REALTORS must "present a true picture" in their advertising under Article 12 of the NAR Code of Ethics, and your MLS will have its own rules on renderings and altered photos. Buyers who feel misled at the walkthrough don't send referrals.

Launch checklist for a new community

1. An exterior rendering of every elevation, plus a streetscape if several plans sit side by side.
2. Interior renderings of the great room, kitchen and primary suite for each plan.
3. A 3D floor plan for every plan.
4. A community page with an interest-list form.
5. Labeled rendering listings on the MLS and portals for to-be-built homes.
6. A photo shoot and virtual staging booked for each spec as it is finished.
7. An agent kit with every image, floor plan and feature sheet.

Frequently asked questions

How do you market a new construction home before it is built?

With photoreal renderings of the exterior and the key rooms, a 3D floor plan, and a community page that collects an interest list. List to-be-built homes with the renderings, clearly labeled, so agents and portal shoppers can find them.

When should builders start marketing a new community?

As soon as the plans and finishes are settled enough to render. The pre-construction months are when you build the interest list that buys first.

Do builders still need a model home?

For in-person buyers, a model is still the best sales tool. But it shows one plan, so most builders use renderings, staged spec homes and 3D floor plans to show the rest.

Can you virtually stage a new construction home?

Yes, once it is built and photographed. Before that, use 3D renderings. Bella stages spec home photos for US$37 per photo, delivered in 24 to 48 hours.

What is the difference between a rendering and virtual staging?

A rendering is a computer-made image built from plans, so it works before the home exists. Virtual staging adds furniture to a real photo of a finished room. Both must be labeled.

How much do new construction renderings cost?

It depends on the number of images, the views and the detail. Bella quotes rendering projects individually; see the 3D rendering service page.

Planning a launch in Texas or Florida?

Send us your plans and elevations for a rendering quote, order 3D floor plans for each plan, or upload spec home photos for virtual staging. See how other builders use them in our home builder case studies.

Updated October 2026. Prices re-checked on each company's own site on October 26, 2026.

One disclosure first: Bella Virtual Staging is a done-for-you service. Our interior designers stage every photo by hand, and we don't use AI. We have tried to be fair to DIY anyway, because for plenty of jobs it is the right call. This page is a decision guide for real estate agents, brokers and other real estate professionals who want to know whether DIY virtual staging is worth it. If you already know you want an app, our roundups of the best AI virtual staging software and free virtual staging apps compare the tools one by one.

What "DIY virtual staging" means in 2026

Doing it yourself used to mean Photoshop and a folder of furniture cutouts. Today there are three DIY routes, and they are very different jobs:

• One-click AI staging apps. You upload a photo of an empty room, choose a room type and a style, and the app generates virtually staged images in seconds. You keep the best result or generate again. Most also offer furniture removal, so you can remove furniture from an occupied room first.
• Drag-and-drop editors. You place 3D virtual furniture in the photo yourself, so you control the layout instead of rerolling. Apply Design's DIY editor works this way.
• Manual editing. Compositing furniture in Photoshop or GIMP, or rebuilding the room in a 3D program. These editing tools give you full creative control, but matching perspective, light and shadows takes real skill and hours per room.

Hiring a service means you upload the property photos, add a note on the style and the target buyer, and a designer sends back finished, checked images. Some virtual staging services use professional designers from start to finish (traditional virtual staging, sometimes called human virtual staging); others run an AI virtual staging tool and add a review step. Ask which one you are paying for.

DIY vs hiring a service at a glance

What each option really costs per image

DIY is cheaper per photo, by a lot, and both options cost a fraction of physical staging. The National Association of REALTORS' 2025 Profile of Home Staging put the median cost of a traditional staging service at $1,500, and the same National Association of REALTORS survey found 83% of buyers' agents say staging helps buyers picture a property as their future home. Virtual staging aims for that effect in listing photos, especially for vacant homes, at a small share of the cost of traditional staging. These are virtual staging prices we checked on each company's own site on October 26, 2026:

• Virtual Staging AI (app): subscriptions from $16 a month for 6 photos to $79 a month for 150 photos, billed yearly. That works out to about $2.67 down to $0.53 a photo, with unlimited renders and downloads within the plan.
• Apply Design (app): no subscription. You buy Apply Coins at $7 to $10 each. A one-click staged photo uses 1.5 coins ($10.50 to $15), and a photo you stage yourself in the drag-and-drop editor uses 1 coin ($7 to $10). The first image is free.
• BoxBrownie (service): virtual staging is listed at US$30 per image, with turnaround in under 48 hours. Its professional editors also sell item removal, image enhancement and floor plan redraws.
• Bella (service): US$37 per photo, designed by people, delivered in 24 to 48 hours, before volume discounts.

The sticker price leaves out two costs. The first is your time. With an app, you are the designer and the quality checker, so every image needs a look at full size, and some rooms take several attempts. The second is the cost of a bad image, because poor image quality undercuts your property marketing. A sofa that could never fit the room, or a window the software quietly moved, can cost you more in wasted showings and awkward questions than the staging itself.

Take an eight-photo listing. On Virtual Staging AI's $19-a-month plan (20 photos, billed yearly), the staging costs less than one photo from a service, but you will spend part of your evening generating, comparing and checking. At Bella, the same eight photos are US$296 before volume discounts, and a designer has done the checking before the images reach you. Which is cheaper depends on what an hour of your time is worth and how much the photos matter for that listing. If you stage multiple listings a month, an app's yearly plan gets cheaper still per image, which is why many real estate agents keep a DIY virtual staging app for volume.

Virtual staging DIY, step by step

If you decide to do it yourself, this is the workflow that keeps a virtual staging project out of trouble, whichever virtual staging software you pick:

1. Start with high quality photos. Well-lit photos, shot level and straight on, ideally by a real estate photographer, at full resolution. No app can fix dark, tilted listing photos, and image quality in decides image quality out.
2. Clear the room. Declutter before the shoot, or use the app's furniture removal or object removal to remove existing furniture and leave an empty room.
3. Pick one style for the target buyer. Choose it for who will buy the home, and keep the same style across multiple rooms so the listing reads as one home.
4. Generate a few versions and pick the best. Most AI powered virtual staging tools let you regenerate the same photo or try multiple furniture styles at no extra cost.
5. Check it against the original photo. Scale, shadows, windows, floors and walls. Realistic furniture in the wrong size still fails.
6. Download high resolution images and label them. Mark virtually staged photos as such, keep the originals, and follow your MLS's photo rules before you upload them to your real estate listings.

Which DIY virtual staging software to use

There is no single best virtual staging software for DIY; it depends on how many listings you stage and how much control you want. Four common starting points, with prices checked October 26, 2026:

• Virtual Staging AI: AI virtual staging from $16 a month (6 photos) to $79 (150 photos) billed yearly, with furniture removal included and about a 10-second turnaround. Best for multiple listings a month.
• Apply Design: pay per image ($7 to $15), with a drag-and-drop editor for virtual furniture and item removal included. Best when you want creative control over the layout.
• Collov AI: $19 to $127 a month billed yearly, with a furniture removal tool, a one-click virtual staging disclaimer and, from the $49 plan, multi-angle staging.
• AI HomeDesign: $19 a month billed yearly for 30 photos ($35 month to month), where one credit covers staging, object removal and image enhancement on the same photo.

Our full AI virtual staging software comparison covers seven tools, including free trials and MLS-ready output.

Where DIY virtual staging goes wrong

AI staging has improved quickly, and on a simple, well-lit bedroom it can produce realistic images. The problems show up on harder rooms and on a closer look. Check for these whatever virtual staging tool you use.

Wrong scale

An app does not measure the room; it guesses from the photo. Compare the furniture with things of known size, such as doors, windows and kitchen counters. A bed that is too small makes a bedroom look huge, and a sofa that is too big makes a living room look cramped. Either way, the buyer arrives at the showing expecting a different room.

Warped lines and changed architecture

Generative tools sometimes change what they should leave alone: a window changes shape, the flooring changes color, a light fixture appears or disappears, a straight wall bends. Staging adds furniture. It must not change the property, so compare all staged images with the original before you publish them.

Floating furniture and missing shadows

Legs that don't touch the floor, rugs with no shadow, light that falls from the wrong side of the room. Potential buyers may not name the problem, but they sense the photo is off, and that doubt carries over to the listing.

Rooms that change from shot to shot

If you photograph a living room from two angles, most apps stage each photo separately, and the sofa can change color or shape between the staged images. Buyers scrolling the gallery notice. A few tools, such as Collov AI (on its $49-a-month plan and up) and Stager AI, now offer multi-angle staging to keep the furniture the same.

Style that doesn't fit the buyer

Presets are generic. A downtown condo, a suburban family home and a beach house each call for different furniture, and the style tells buyers who the home is for.

Our comparison of AI virtual staging vs human designers goes deeper on each of these and shows how to vet any staged photo.

Disclosure applies either way

Whether you stage a photo yourself or hire someone, a virtually staged photo should be disclosed as one. Label each staged image "virtually staged", keep the original empty-room photo on file, and check your MLS's photo rules before you upload, since each board sets its own. For REALTORS, Article 12 of the NAR Code of Ethics requires them to "present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations." In California, a state law in force since January 1, 2026 (Business and Professions Code section 10140.8) also requires a link or QR code to the original, unaltered image. A label covers the furniture. It does not cover a changed window or floor. See our guide to disclosing virtual staging.

When DIY virtual staging is the right call

• Rentals. Rental listings rarely justify a designer's fee, and a few dollars a photo fits the budget.
• Quick tests and seller pitches. Show a seller three styles for their living room in a listing presentation, or try a look before you commit to it.
• Lower-priced listings with simple rooms. Square rooms, good light and a straight-on shot are the easiest cases for an app.
• Social posts and ideas, where the image starts a conversation rather than selling the home.
• You have the eye and the time. If you can spot a scale problem in seconds and enjoy the work, an app is a fast, cheap tool.

When to hire a virtual staging service

• Luxury listings. Buyers look longer and closer, often on large screens, and expect furniture that matches the price. See luxury virtual staging.
• Empty new construction. Builders need every plan staged in a consistent style across a community, often from many angles. That is designer work.
• Listings that will be printed. Brochures, feature sheets and signs show flaws a phone screen hides, and they need full-resolution files.
• Difficult rooms. Vaulted ceilings, open plans with no clear zones, lofts, odd angles and very wide shots.
• Several angles of one room. A designer keeps the furniture identical in every shot.
• Listings you will be judged on. If a seller hired you partly for your real estate marketing, a few dollars more per image is small next to your reputation.

Five questions to decide

1. Will this be the main photo on the MLS, or printed? If yes, hire a service.
2. Is the room simple: square, bright and shot straight on? If yes, DIY can work.
3. Do you have time to generate, check and fix every image before the listing goes live? If not, hire a service.
4. Does one room need to match across several photos? If yes, hire a service, or use an app with multi-angle staging and check every frame.
5. Is it a rental, a test or a pitch? If yes, DIY is probably enough.

Our recommendation

Use DIY virtual staging apps for drafts, rentals, quick tests and simple rooms on lower-priced listings, and compare every image with the original before it goes anywhere. Hire a service for the photos that sell the listing: the hero shots on the MLS, luxury homes, new construction and anything printed. Many agents end up doing both: an app to test ideas with a seller, then a designer for the final images.

If you are comparing services, our comparison of virtual staging companies lists prices and turnaround side by side. If you hire Bella, virtual staging is US$37 per photo, designed by people and never AI, delivered in 24 to 48 hours with unlimited revisions for two weeks.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Can I do virtual staging myself?

Yes. An AI app or a drag-and-drop editor lets you stage listing photos yourself in minutes, from about $0.50 to $15 a photo. The catch is that you are the quality check: compare every staged photo with the original for scale, shadows and changed walls, windows or floors before you upload it.

Is DIY virtual staging good enough for the MLS?

It can be, if the image is realistic, the room's permanent features are unchanged and the photo is labeled as virtually staged. The risk is that you are the only quality check, so compare every staged photo with the original before you upload it.

How much does it cost to virtually stage a house?

For an eight-photo listing, roughly the price of a monthly app plan if you do it yourself (Virtual Staging AI's 20-photo plan is $19 a month, billed yearly), or US$240 to US$296 with a service at BoxBrownie's US$30 or Bella's US$37 per photo, before any volume discounts.

How much does it cost to hire a virtual stager?

Services usually charge per photo. As of October 2026, BoxBrownie lists virtual staging at US$30 per image and Bella charges US$37 per photo. Our companies roundup compares more providers.

What do realtors use for virtual staging?

Realtors use either AI virtual staging apps such as Virtual Staging AI, Apply Design or Collov AI, or virtual staging services such as BoxBrownie, Styldod and Bella. Many use an app for quick tests and a service for the photos that go on the MLS.

Can I virtually stage photos for free?

Some apps give you a free first image or a few free credits, often with a watermark or limits, which is enough to test DIY staging on one room. Our guide to free virtual staging apps lists what each one actually includes.

Can ChatGPT do virtual staging?

It can add furniture to an uploaded photo, but it is a general image tool, not virtual staging software, and it often redraws walls, windows and floors. Check the result against the original photo even more carefully than with a staging app.

Is virtual staging legal?

Yes, as long as virtually staged images do not misrepresent the property and are disclosed. Label staged photos, keep the originals and follow your MLS's rules; in California, ads with altered images also need a link or QR code to the original.

Do I have to disclose virtual staging?

You should, whether you staged the photo yourself or hired someone. Label staged photos, keep the originals and follow your MLS's rules.

How long does a virtual staging service take?

It varies by company. Bella delivers in 24 to 48 hours, and BoxBrownie in under 48 hours. An app returns a render in seconds, but checking and fixing the results takes your time.

Is AI virtual staging the same as DIY?

Most DIY staging today uses AI, but not all AI staging is DIY. Some services run AI and add a human review, and some, like Bella, use designers throughout. Ask any service how its images are made.

Want a designer to do the checking?

Send us your empty-room real estate photos and a Bella designer will stage them to scale, in a style that fits your buyer, in 24 to 48 hours. Order virtual staging or see pricing and volume discounts.

The sale at a glance

The living room: furniture for scale

The house was freshly remodeled and completely empty: new floors, new paint, recessed lights and nothing else. Empty, the living room photographs as a long, blank box. Our designers staged it with a cream sofa with blue and striped pillows, two cream barrel chairs with wood frames, a round dark wood coffee table, a patterned rug, a round mirror over a console and a tall plant, so buyers can see how a seating group sits under the big window.

The dining area: built-ins and a view of the yard

The dining area has a sliding glass door to the backyard on one side and a wall of white built-in cabinets with a desk niche on the other. An oval marble-top table with grey boucle chairs on gold legs, a wave-patterned rug and a large landscape print show that a full dining table fits without crowding the cabinets.

The family room: giving a plain room a purpose

This room has two doors, a small window and wainscoting, and empty it could be anything. A green modular sectional, a cream armchair, a low round coffee table on a jute rug, a side table and a graphic print make it an obvious family room, a second place to sit apart from the living room.

The primary bedroom: down to the reflection

The primary bedroom was staged with a sage green channel-tufted bed, layered neutral bedding, walnut nightstands with ceramic lamps, a large rug and an abstract print. The bed also appears in the mirrored closet doors, a detail our designers added so the photo holds up when a buyer looks closely.

The backyard: furniture on the new patio

The listing calls the backyard an oasis with new hardscaping, but the photo showed a wide slab of bare concrete. We added an outdoor sofa and two lounge chairs with cream cushions, two round metal coffee tables on an outdoor rug, a dining table with rattan chairs, a grill, lanterns and potted plants. The yard now reads as an outdoor living room, and all of it is virtual, which the listing disclosed.

What we can and cannot say

This was not a quick sale, and we do not claim staging made it one. The house was listed under three MLS numbers between April and June, the asking price came down from $1,299,000 to $1,175,998, and it sold for $1,125,000, 13.4% below where it started. Price, not photos, decided the outcome. What the record shows is that the staged photos were ready two days before the first listing, and the MLS remarks disclosed them: "Virtually Staged. Property is unfurnished."

Takeaways for remodeled houses

• Stage the rooms that need explaining. A plain family room or a second living space is where buyers need the most help.
• Stage the outdoor space too. A new patio is a selling point only if the photo shows how it is used.
• Staging does not fix the price. Good photos bring buyers in; the price still has to match the market.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms, patios and yards in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in California page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public MLS listings and Alameda County records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The living area: one long room, clearly furnished

The suite is one long room, with the living area by the window and the kitchen and front door down the hall. In the original photo, a TV on a low stand, a laptop on a small table, a cushion on the floor and loose cables made the room look smaller than it is. Our designers cleared it and staged a white sofa with blue and grey pillows, a light oak coffee table on a cream rug, a wall-mounted TV over a slim console and a large soft-toned print, with a small dining table visible down the hall.

The dining nook: a table where the slide was

The stretch of floor beside the kitchen held a red toy slide, with a toy car hung on the wall. In a 485 sq ft suite, buyers want to know where they will eat, so we placed a round light wood table with woven chairs and a small plant, and styled the counter with an espresso machine and a bowl of fruit. The kitchen photo itself only needed its counter cleared and restyled.

The bedroom: from mattress on the floor to a real bed

The bedroom photo showed a bare mattress on the floor, boxes by the closet and a chair in the corner. Our designers replaced it with a light oak bed, grey bedding and a taupe knit throw, a white nightstand with a globe lamp, a framed print, a rug and a fiddle-leaf fig, scaled so the closet doors and the walkway around the bed stay visible.

The balcony: proof that a bistro set fits

The balcony is long and narrow, and empty it reads as a corridor. A small round wood table with two chairs, a blue patterned outdoor rug and a few potted plants show it works as a place for coffee, with the brick buildings and the city beyond.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this suite. It took 63 days to sell and went for 2.3% under its asking price, so this is not a bidding-war story, and the price and the listing agent's marketing did most of the work. What the record shows is that the staged photos were ready two days before the listing went live, and the suite sold close to its asking price.

Takeaways for small condos

• Clear before you stage. In a one-bedroom, everyday items fill the frame quickly. Removing them is half the job.
• Answer the small-space questions. Where does the sofa go, where do you eat, does a real bed fit? Each staged photo answers one of them.
• Stage the balcony. In a suite this size, outdoor space is a big part of what buyers pay for.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty and lived-in rooms in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Toronto page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public MLS listings and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The living room: from squat rack to sofa

The best feature of this unit is the corner of windows looking out over the treetops. In the original photo, a squat rack loaded with plates, a weight bench and rubber floor mats stood in front of them, with a desk and an office chair by the glass. Our designers removed all of it and staged a living room: a light grey sofa with soft cushions, a white armchair by the window, a black square coffee table, a round pouf and a grey marbled rug, with a large black-and-white print on the half wall. The windows stay completely clear.

The dining area: a table where the gym was

The open area beside the kitchen held a cable machine, a weight bench, cardio equipment and more mats. In its place we set a white marble-top table with tan upholstered chairs, a walnut sideboard, open shelves with a few books and plants, and a large abstract print. Buyers can now see that the unit fits a real dining table next to the kitchen. A second angle toward the front door was staged the same way.

The bedroom: office out, bed in

The narrow bedroom was set up as an office, with a desk, a mesh office chair, a tall pine armoire and an armchair. We staged it as a bedroom with a walnut bed, white bedding with navy pillows and a teal throw, walnut nightstands with brass lamps, a patterned rug and two framed black-and-white architectural prints. The built-in blue cubby shelves by the window stay in the photo.

The kitchen: a light touch

The kitchen itself needed little: boxes and gym gear around the island were removed, and two grey counter stools and a potted plant were added. With the gym gone, the view through to the staged living room and the windows makes the whole unit read as one bright space.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this condo. A two-bedroom, three-bathroom unit in a concrete building near Cambie Village sells on its location, size and price, and the listing agent's marketing plays a big part. What the record shows is the timeline: the staged photos were ready two days before the listing went live, the unit sold in seven days, and the sale completed at C$1,185,000, 1.2% below the asking price.

Takeaways for lived-in listings

• Show the home, not the hobby. A home gym or an office tells buyers how the seller lives, not how they could. Stage each room for its intended use.
• Removal plus staging beats removal alone. An emptied room still leaves buyers guessing about scale. Furniture answers the question.
• Keep the best feature clear. Here that was the corner windows, so nothing tall went in front of them.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty and furnished rooms in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Vancouver page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public MLS listings and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The main room: letting the loft carry the photo

The heart of the unit is a double-height room with fir posts and beams, a steel deck ceiling, tall windows and a mezzanine with wrought-iron railings above the kitchen. In the original photos it was furnished for daily life: a green sofa with blue cushions, a leather armchair and a dark rug, all of which pulled the eye away from the architecture. Our designers replaced that furniture with a low cream sofa, a pale wood coffee table and a soft rug, and set a dark dining table with rush-seat chairs under the mezzanine. The timber, the windows and the mezzanine now lead the photo.

Under the tall windows, the old sofa, armchair, ottoman and TV stand gave way to a cream sofa, a chunky pale oak coffee table and a low oak media console. The gas fireplace and the view over the treetops stay clear, which is what a buyer of a loft like this is paying for.

The dining area: lighter furniture under the beams

Below the mezzanine, a heavy wooden dining set with tall slatted chairs filled the space between the posts. We swapped it for a dark wood table with black chairs and woven rush seats, a cream accent chair at the end and a simple plant on the table. The lower chair backs let the window and the beams read clearly.

The mezzanine: a reading spot above the room

In a two-level loft, the upper level is easy to miss in a photo gallery. Here it holds a small sitting area by a window and the railing. Two cream lounge chairs with pale wood frames, a round side table with books and a framed graphic print turn it into an obvious reading corner.

The bedroom: same room, calmer styling

The bedroom had a pine bed with light blue bedding and dark wood nightstands. Our designers replaced them with a grey upholstered bed, white and charcoal bedding, white lamps, floating shelves with plants and a large abstract print, so the exposed ducts and the fir post look intentional rather than busy.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging produced the 13.2% premium. A rare live/work loft in Strathcona, priced at C$972,000, drew buyers quickly, and the price and the listing agent's marketing matter most. What the record shows is the timeline: Bella's photos were ordered three days before the listing went live, the loft sold over asking three days after it was listed, and the transfer completed at C$1,100,000. The listing told buyers the photos were digitally staged and that the unit was tenanted. For context, the unit last changed hands in 2012 for C$623,000.

Takeaways for tenanted listings

• Restage instead of moving people out. When tenants live in a home, their furniture is in every photo. Virtual restaging shows the space at its best without disturbing anyone.
• Let the architecture lead. Low, light furniture keeps posts, beams, ceilings and windows as the focus.
• Disclose it. This listing said "Digitally staged" in the description, which is what buyers and boards expect.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty and tenant-occupied rooms in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Vancouver page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public MLS listings and BC land title records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

Can they picture themselves relaxing in the living room? Hosting friends around the dining table? Enjoying family movie nights or creating a comfortable retreat at the end of the day?

At Bella Virtual Staging, our goal is to answer those questions visually. For 661 Capella Court in Prosper, Texas, we virtually staged the listing images to showcase the home’s scale, functionality, and luxury potential.

The sale at a glance

We do not claim staging alone sold this house. New-construction pricing, incentives and the builder's sales team all play a part, and the asking price had been adjusted several times. What the public record shows is the timeline: a spec home that had been on the market for about a year went under contract one week after the staged photos were ordered and closed a month later. Sale details come from public MLS records and were checked against more than one source.

A Luxury Home with Impressive Possibilities

661 Capella Court is a new Highland Homes build, a two-story residence offering approximately 4,240 square feet, four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, and a split three-car garage. Public listing information also highlights an oversized corner lot, a dramatic curved staircase, cathedral ceilings, custom beams, and expansive indoor-outdoor living areas.

The home includes several spaces designed for both everyday living and entertaining, including:

• An open family room with soaring ceilings

• A gourmet kitchen with a large island

• A formal dining room

• A downstairs media room

• An upstairs game room and retreat

• A private courtyard and covered outdoor patio

These architectural features gave us a strong foundation for creating a polished and inviting visual presentation.

The Challenge: Turning Beautiful Rooms into an Emotional Experience

An empty room may show its dimensions, but it does not always communicate how the space can be used.

Without furniture, buyers may struggle to understand where a sofa should go, how many people a dining area can accommodate, or whether a large room can still feel comfortable and welcoming.

That is where virtual staging makes a difference.

Rather than leaving buyers to interpret empty spaces on their own, we used carefully selected digital furnishings and décor to give the listing a clear visual identity. Across the staged images, our staging created a consistent design story while allowing the home’s existing architecture to remain the focus.

Our Virtual Staging Approach

For 661 Capella Court, the objective was to create an elevated presentation appropriate for a spacious luxury property.

Each image was designed to help buyers understand the room while preserving realistic proportions, natural pathways, architectural details, and sightlines. The furniture arrangements demonstrated how the home’s open spaces could support both comfortable daily living and larger gatherings.

The finished images added warmth and personality without overwhelming the rooms. Instead of competing with the cathedral ceilings, curved staircase, large windows, and open layout, the virtual furnishings helped direct attention toward those features.

The result was a more complete visual experience—one that encouraged buyers to look beyond square footage and imagine a lifestyle.

Creating a Stronger Online First Impression

Most buyers encounter a property online before they ever schedule a showing. That makes listing photography one of the most important parts of a property’s marketing presentation.

Virtual staging helps transform vacant-room photographs into images that feel intentional, welcoming, and memorable. It can also help real estate professionals present a cohesive design style throughout a listing without coordinating furniture delivery, installation, storage, or removal.

For agents, builders, investors, and property owners, professionally staged images can support:

• A stronger visual presence on listing websites

• Clearer demonstrations of room purpose and scale

• More engaging social media and digital advertising

• Consistent presentation across multiple rooms

• A polished marketing package without physical staging logistics

At 661 Capella Court, the staged images worked together to guide buyers through the property and demonstrate how its generous spaces could look when fully furnished.

Why Choose Bella Virtual Staging?

Every property has a story, but vacant rooms do not always tell it clearly.

Bella Virtual Staging helps real estate professionals turn empty or unfinished spaces into compelling marketing images. We focus on realistic furniture placement, thoughtful design, proper scale, and a style that supports each property’s architecture and target market.

Whether you are marketing a luxury home, new construction, an investment property, or a vacant listing, virtual staging can help buyers recognize its potential from the first photograph.

The transformation of 661 Capella Court demonstrates what a handful of strategically staged images can accomplish: a warmer presentation, clearer room functionality, and a more engaging visual journey through the home.

Make Your Next Listing Stand Out

Your listing photos should do more than document a property. They should help buyers connect with it.

Let Bella Virtual Staging create realistic, professionally styled images that bring your vacant spaces to life and strengthen your property marketing.

Contact Bella Virtual Staging today to get started on your next listing.

That was the starting point for 4423 156th Place SE in Bellevue, Washington—a refreshed two-story home with four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, 2,690 square feet, and a landscaped lot just over 10,000 square feet. The property combines classic scale with updated finishes, dramatic natural light, and a layout designed for both everyday living and entertaining.

The sale at a glance

We do not claim the photos sold this house; price, location and the listing agent's marketing matter most. The record shows the timeline: the images were ready for the first day on the market, and the house sold above asking about a month later. Sale details come from public NWMLS records and were checked against more than one source.

For this project, Bella Virtual Staging created a cohesive visual set by staging the rooms that needed more definition and carefully retouching the images that already had a strong foundation.

The goal was simple: make the home feel as considered online as it does in person.

The first impression starts with light

The living room immediately gives the home a sense of scale. Vaulted ceilings and expansive windows bring in natural light, while the custom tile fireplace creates a strong architectural focal point.

The staging direction was intentionally calm and contemporary. The furniture adds warmth and proportion without competing with the room’s best features. Instead of filling the space, the design gives the eye somewhere to land.

That balance is especially important in a room with large windows and high ceilings. The image needs to communicate openness, but it should still feel comfortable enough to imagine living in.

A kitchen made for staying awhile

The kitchen is finished with slab granite counters, custom cabinetry, and stainless-steel appliances. It also opens directly into the family room, making it part of the home’s social center rather than a separate work zone.

The visual styling keeps that connection clear. The kitchen feels polished and functional, while the adjacent family room feels ready for conversation, casual meals, and the kind of everyday activity that makes a house feel lived in.

This is where thoughtful staging can make a real difference. Buyers are not only looking at cabinets and countertops. They are trying to understand how the space will carry a normal Tuesday night, a holiday gathering, or a house full of guests.

The primary suite brings in the view

Upstairs, the home’s four bedrooms create a quieter, more private side of the floor plan. The primary retreat includes peek views toward Lake Sammamish and the Cascade Mountains, giving the room a subtle connection to the surrounding Bellevue landscape.

The staging keeps the bedroom understated so the view and natural light remain part of the story. Soft textures and a restrained palette make the room feel finished without making it feel over-designed.

The result is a primary suite that reads as a retreat rather than simply another bedroom.

Indoor-outdoor living without the fuss

One of the home’s strongest lifestyle features is the flow from the family room to the private landscaped grounds and expansive covered patio. The covered outdoor area is designed for easy entertaining, while the fenced yard gives the property a sense of privacy.

The photography and retouching work together here. Clean, natural-looking images allow buyers to understand the relationship between the interior and exterior spaces without making the garden feel artificially perfect.

The home also includes a detached shed/workout studio, adding another layer of flexibility for wellness, hobbies, creative work, or a remote office.

A visual refresh, not a visual rewrite

The strongest part of this project was knowing where to intervene and where to preserve what was already working.

Some rooms benefited from furniture, scale, and styling. Other images needed careful retouching to refine distractions, balance the light, and keep the full gallery consistent.

That combination creates a more believable listing experience. The home still feels like itself—just clearer, brighter, and easier to understand from the first image to the last.

4423 156th Place SE is ultimately a home built around contrast: open and private, polished and comfortable, connected to Bellevue while still offering room to breathe.

The visual story simply gives those qualities the attention they deserve.

The sale at a glance

Five empty bedrooms, five different looks

The listing describes a lower level with four more bedrooms and a large rec room, which is exactly what a family buyer in this school district is looking for. In the photos, though, every bedroom was the same: grey carpet, white walls and one window. Our designers staged each room with its own bed, bedding and art, from a tufted headboard with teal pillows to a natural-wood frame with striped linen, so the gallery shows several distinct bedrooms instead of one room repeated.

The deck: an outdoor living room under the trees

The cedar deck looks over a large yard and tall evergreens. Empty, it is just boards and railings. A sectional, lounge chairs and a coffee table on an outdoor rug turn it into a second living room, which is how buyers in the Pacific Northwest use a deck from spring to fall.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this house, and it sold below its asking price. Price, timing and the listing agent's marketing matter most. What the record shows is that the staged photos were ready before the listing went live, and the house sold about six weeks later. We include it because it shows how virtual staging handles a house with many similar empty rooms.

Takeaways for family homes

• Give every bedroom its own identity. Buyers count bedrooms in the photos, and identical empty rooms are easy to skip past.
• Stage the deck in the Northwest. Outdoor living space is a real selling point, and furniture shows its size.
• Stage the lower level as carefully as the main floor. It is often where the extra bedrooms are, and the hardest part of the house to picture.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms, decks and patios in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Seattle page, read how we stage outdoor spaces, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public NWMLS and county records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The deck: giving the view somewhere to sit

The selling point of this house is outside: a long wraparound deck above the pool with a wide lake view. Empty, the deck photographs as grey boards and railings, and the eye has nowhere to land. Our designers added a wicker lounge set with white cushions, angled toward the water, so the photo reads as a place to spend a summer evening rather than a stretch of decking. The view stays clear above the furniture.

A second angle along the deck shows a sofa, chairs and a coffee table by the big windows of the house, so buyers can see the deck works as an outdoor living room right outside the kitchen.

The bedrooms: empty white boxes made into rooms

Inside, the bedrooms were clean and white with carpet, and almost identical in the photos. We staged each one a little differently, with upholstered beds, layered navy and white bedding, nightstands and coastal art, so buyers can tell the rooms apart and see that a queen bed fits with space to walk around it.

The pool: a lounger and an umbrella

The pool needed only a light touch. A pair of loungers and an umbrella on the pool deck give the photo scale and suggest how the space is used, without hiding the pool or the house behind it.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging produced the 14.2% premium. A house with a pool and lake views in Kirkland draws strong demand in spring, and the price and the listing agent's marketing matter most. What the record shows is the timeline: the staged photos were ready before the listing went live, and the house sold well above asking in under four weeks.

Takeaways for view homes

• Stage the outdoor spaces. When the view is the selling point, furniture on the deck turns it into a place buyers want to be.
• Make similar rooms look different. Varied bedding and art stop a set of white bedrooms from blurring together in the gallery.
• Use light touches where the space already works. A lounger and an umbrella were enough for the pool.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms, decks and patios in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Seattle page, read how we stage outdoor spaces, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public NWMLS and county records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The ADU: showing buyers it is a real home

An accessory dwelling unit is one of the strongest selling points a California house can have, because buyers picture guests, family or rental income. Empty, though, an ADU photographs like an office suite: a kitchenette against one wall, a wood floor and nothing that tells you how people would live there. Our designers furnished it as a small home, with a dining table for four by the kitchen, a cream sofa, a coffee table and a rug.

The second photo shows the open studio end of the ADU, where a bed and a seating area share one long room with doors to the garden. Staging it this way shows that the unit works as a self-contained place to stay, not just a spare room.

The backyard: a virtual lawn, clearly disclosed

The yard behind the patio was gravel when the photos were taken. We digitally replaced the gravel with a lawn, so buyers could see the yard as a green space next to the outdoor dining area. This is virtual landscaping, not furniture staging, and like any virtual edit it should be labelled as such in the listing.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging sold this house. It is a fully renovated 1921 home with an ADU and a large lot in Pasadena, and the price and the listing agent's marketing matter most. What the record shows is the timeline: the photos were ordered before the listing went live, and the house closed above asking about five weeks later. For context, the property last sold in January 2021 for $1,110,000, before its renovation.

Takeaways for listings with an ADU

• Stage the ADU as a home. A table, a sofa and a bed tell buyers it can house a guest, a parent or a tenant.
• Show the yard at its best, honestly. Virtual landscaping can show potential, but disclose it clearly next to the photo.
• Spend where the photos are weakest. The main house was already finished, so all five photos went to the ADU and the yard.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Los Angeles and luxury virtual staging pages, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public MLS and county records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

The sale at a glance

The big room: polished concrete, chandeliers and nothing to sit on

The largest room in the house has a wall of French windows onto the patio, polished concrete floors and two wrought-iron chandeliers. It is the kind of space that impresses in person and confuses in a photo: empty, it could be a studio, a gym or a party room, and a buyer scrolling on a phone has no sense of scale. Our designers staged it as a primary suite with a sitting area, using a low bed, a long bench, a rug to soften the concrete and a sectional by the windows. The chandeliers and the light stay the focus.

The second angle looks across the room toward the arched doorway. It answers the questions buyers ask about a room this size: where the bed goes, and whether there is still space to sit and read.

The small room: a home office between the built-ins

The third photo is a narrow room lined with built-in cabinets and a mirrored wall. Empty, with only a wall-mounted TV, it reads as a storage room. A compact desk, a leather office chair, a rug and a few plants make it a clear home office, which is what many buyers at this price need.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging alone sold this house. A 1927 home on a large Glendale lot sells on its architecture, location and price, and the listing agents' marketing plays a big part. Public records also show the house was listed in 2025 at higher prices and that listing expired, so the 2026 price was set differently. What the record does show is the timeline: the staging was ordered before the listing went live, and the house closed above asking within weeks.

Takeaways for luxury listings

• Stage the room that is hardest to read. Here that was the biggest room, not the smallest. Unusual spaces need a clear purpose in the photo.
• Keep the architecture visible. Low furniture kept the windows, arches and chandeliers in view.
• Three photos can be enough. The rest of the house photographed well on its own; staging went only where it was needed.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in Los Angeles and luxury virtual staging pages, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public MLS and county records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

We wrote it from our work at Bella Virtual Staging, a Vancouver-based studio serving real estate agents, photographers and builders in the US and Canada. We don't shoot properties. We edit, stage and render the images that photographers and agents send us, including 360 panoramas for tours, so this is the view from the post-production side.

What is 3D real estate photography?

3D real estate photography is a way of capturing a property so that potential buyers can move through it online, room by room, as if they were walking the house. Instead of choosing a handful of angles, the photographer sets a camera on a tripod at many points around the home. At each point the camera records a full 360-degree image, and depth or lidar data when the camera supports it. Software then aligns those scans into one model, sometimes called a digital twin.

The result is usually shared as a link. Buyers can click through the rooms, look up and down, switch to a cut-away dollhouse view of the whole property or open a floor plan view. In real estate marketing it is one part of the listing media, alongside the photo gallery, the floor plan and video walkthroughs, not a replacement for them. Its job is to give potential buyers an immersive experience of the layout before they visit.

How is 3D different from 360 photos and HDR photography?

The three terms get mixed up, and they describe different products:

HDR photography still does most of the work. It is what buyers scroll on their phones, and the first photo decides whether they click. A virtual tour, 360 or 3D, gives the buyers who are already interested a way to explore. For the shooting side of still photos, see our real estate photography tips.

How is a 3D tour captured?

There are three common kinds of capture setup for 3D real estate photography, and the choice sets the quality, the features you get and the cost:

• Dedicated 3D cameras. Matterport's Pro3 and Pro2 and iGUIDE's PLANIX cameras pair 360 imaging with depth sensing. iGUIDE's PLANIX R1 uses a time-of-flight lidar scanner and a Ricoh THETA X, and iGUIDE produces measured floor plans from the same scan. This is the professional real estate photographers' tier.
• Consumer 360 cameras. Matterport supports several Ricoh THETA and Insta360 models, and Zillow 3D Home works with Ricoh THETA (X, V, Z1, SC2) and Insta360 (X5, X4, X3, X2, ONE RS 1-inch) cameras. Our 360 camera guide compares the models.
• Phones. The Matterport app can scan with a phone on its own, and lidar-equipped iPhones give better results. Zillow 3D Home can build a basic virtual tour from a phone, but Zillow requires a compatible 360 camera to create its interactive floor plan.

The process is similar on every system. The photographer prepares the space, sets the tripod at about chest height, captures a scan in each room, doorway and hallway, and keeps a clear line of sight between scan points so the software can align them. The data is uploaded and processed into the tour, and the photographer can then edit labels, tags and the starting view before sharing the link.

What do you get from a 3D real estate photography shoot?

A good 3D package gives buyers more than one way to understand the space:

• The walkable tour. Buyers can virtually walk from the front door to the back yard and explore at their own pace.
• Dollhouse view. A cut-away model of the whole property that shows how the rooms and floors connect.
• Floor plan view and schematic floor plans. Most platforms show a top-down plan inside the tour, and some sell a drawn floor plan as an extra. Matterport offers schematic floor plans as a paid add-on, and iGUIDE packages can include measured floor plans.
• Still images. Many systems let you export snapshots from the panoramas. They're handy for social posts, but they rarely match a dedicated HDR shoot for the hero images.
• A shareable link. The virtual tour goes on the listing, your website, emails and social posts. Buyers need only a browser on a phone or computer.

A built-in floor plan view and a rendered 3D floor plan aren't the same thing. The tour's view is functional, while a 3D floor plan is a finished, furnished image for the listing and the flyer. See what a 3D floor plan is for the difference.

Which camera works for a Zillow 3D tour?

For a Zillow 3D Home tour, Zillow lists the supported 360 cameras as the Ricoh THETA X, V, Z1, Z1 51GB, SC2 and SC2 for Business, and the Insta360 X5, X4, X3, X2 and ONE RS 1-inch 360 edition. The Zillow 3D Home app is free. You can shoot a basic tour with a phone, but the interactive floor plan needs one of those 360 cameras.

One thing to know before you choose a platform: in October 2025 Zillow removed Matterport tours from Zillow and StreetEasy listings, blaming CoStar, which owns Matterport. CoStar says Matterport customers can post their tours anywhere. As of mid-2026 the two companies were still disputing it, and Zillow was still not showing Matterport tours. Realtor.com and Homes.com do display them. If Zillow matters in your market, check which tours it accepts before you book a shoot.

How much does 3D real estate photography cost?

There is no single price, because the cost depends on a few choices:

• Who captures it. Shooting it yourself with a 360 camera and a free app costs time, not service fees. Hiring a photographer with a dedicated 3D camera costs more, and it is usually sold as a package with photos.
• Size of the property. More rooms mean more scan points and more time on site, and some platforms count large spaces as more than one hosted tour.
• Hosting. Matterport hosts tours on a subscription plan with a limited number of active spaces. Zillow 3D Home is free but tied to Zillow.
• Add-ons. Measured or schematic floor plans, aerial photos, video tours and virtual staging are each priced separately.

So the honest answer to "how much does a 3D photo cost?" is to get quotes from two or three local photographers for the same property, and ask what is included: hosting time, floor plans, still photos and how long the tour link stays live.

For the post-production side of 3D real estate photography, our prices are public. Staged 360° photos are US$37 each, and we can stitch your panoramas into a tour for US$99. 3D floor plans start at US$70 and 2D plans at US$20. Photo editing starts at US$5 a photo.

When are 3D tours worth it for real estate agents and their listings?

A 3D tour earns its cost when buyers can't easily visit, or can't easily picture the space:

• Out-of-town and relocating buyers, who use the tour to decide whether a trip is worth it. The ones who book a showing after the tour have already pre-qualified the house for themselves.
• New construction and model homes, where a builder sells several homes from one finished plan.
• Larger homes and unusual layouts, where photos can't show how the rooms connect.
• Commercial properties, such as offices, retail units and venues, where tenants want to check the layout before a site visit.
• A competitive market, where a tour stands out on the listing and acts like an open house that never closes.

It's easier to skip a 3D tour for a small, simple unit with a clear layout, or when the home will sell from the photos and the first weekend of showings. Matterport's own learning center makes a case for using both a 3D tour and a video walkthrough, and plenty of listings sell with neither. We don't have data showing that a 3D tour on its own leads to faster sales, so treat it as one tool among several, not a guarantee.

How do you prepare real estate listings for a 3D shoot?

The camera sees every corner, so preparation matters more than for still photos:

1. Tidy every room, including closets and the laundry room, because buyers can look in any direction.
2. Turn on all the lights and open the interior doors.
3. Turn off fans, TVs and anything else that moves, since motion shows up as ghosting where scans are stitched together.
4. Plan the route through the house and start at the front door or the street.
5. Hide personal photos, paperwork and valuables. A 3D tour is public and stays online.

The steps for 360 photos are in our real estate tours guide.

Can you virtually stage a 3D tour?

Yes. Empty rooms are the hardest to read in a virtual tour, because potential buyers turn around and see four bare walls from every angle. Virtual staging solves that the same way it does for still photos. A designer adds furniture to each panorama so the room has scale and a purpose.

How it works with Bella: you or your real estate photographer shoot 360 panoramas with any 360 camera, and a real interior designer, never AI, stages each one. Staged panoramas come back in 360 format, typically within 24 to 48 hours, ready to load into your tour software. If you'd rather we build the tour too, we stitch and stage it within about three days. Revisions are unlimited for two weeks, and if a result isn't right we rework it or refund it.

One limit: we work on the 360 images themselves, so tours that live only inside Matterport's platform can't be staged in place. For a Matterport listing, we stage the still photos and supply the floor plan.

Disclose virtually staged images wherever they appear. Many MLSs require it, and in California a law in force since January 2026 (AB 723) requires agents to disclose digitally altered listing images and show or link to the originals.

How can photographers offer 3D tours to potential clients?

For photographers, 3D real estate photography is an upsell that fits naturally into a listing presentation. It gives you something to offer beyond more photos, and it brings you back to the same clients for more listings. The capture equipment is the photographer's own set of tools, and the post-production doesn't have to be. Many photographers send us the HDR edits, floor plans and staging and deliver everything under their own brand, so they can spend their time shooting. That is what our white-label program for photographers is for.

Is real estate photography profitable? Like any real estate business, it depends on the local market, how many shoots a day you can fit in and how many add-ons each client buys. Photographers who offer a complete package, with photos, a tour, a floor plan and staging, have more to sell on each listing than those who offer stills alone, while their trade-offs are equipment cost and time on site.

Frequently asked questions

Is 3D real estate photography the same as 3D rendering?

No. 3D photography captures a property that already exists. 3D rendering builds images of a home from plans, often before it's built, so builders can pre-sell.

What is the 3-3-3 rule in real estate?

It is an informal rule of thumb, not an official standard, and people use it in different ways. One common listing version checks a home's marketing after 3 days (is it getting views?), 3 weeks (is the price right?) and 3 months (has the market moved on?). Buyer versions use threes for budgeting and planning instead. Either way, your photos and tour are what buyers see in those first days, so have them ready before the listing goes live.

Do buyers need special equipment to view a 3D tour?

No. A 3D tour opens in a web browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

Can I shoot a 3D tour myself?

Yes. With a supported 360 camera and the Matterport or Zillow 3D Home app, an agent can capture a home without hiring anyone. A professional photographer will usually get cleaner stitching, better light and more polished real estate photos to go with it.

Can you stage a 3D tour of an occupied home?

We can remove the existing furniture from photos and restage the rooms, which suits occupied or cluttered homes. Ask us about your listing first, because heavily furnished panoramas take more work.

Shot a tour of an empty listing? Send us the panoramas through our 360° virtual tour staging service, or start with the still photos through our virtual staging service.

What is a virtual reality home tour?

A virtual reality home tour is a virtual tour of a property viewed through a VR headset instead of on a screen. The buyer is surrounded by the room: turning their head looks around, and pointing a controller at a spot on the floor moves them there. It is the most immersive experience a listing can offer short of walking in the front door.

Three terms get mixed up, so it helps to separate them:

• 360 virtual tour: a set of linked 360-degree photos, one or more per room. Viewers click or drag on a phone or laptop. Most can also open in VR.
• 3D tour (digital twin): a scanned 3D model, such as a Matterport Space, with a dollhouse view and measurements. These can open in VR too.
• VR house tour: either of the above, viewed in a headset. "VR" describes how the tour is viewed, not a different kind of capture.

So when a seller or buyer asks whether you offer VR tours, the honest answer is usually "yes, if the tour is hosted on a VR-capable platform", not "we need to hire a VR studio".

How do VR house tours work?

Every VR real estate tour has the same three steps: capture, build, view.

1. Capture. You or your photographer shoot the property with a 360 camera or a 3D scanning camera. Our guide to 360 cameras for real estate compares the main options and how to shoot a home room by room.
2. Build. Software links the panoramas into a tour, with hotspots to move between rooms. If you use a 3D platform, it processes the scan into a model.
3. View. Buyers open the tour link. On a phone or laptop they drag to look around. In a headset they press a VR button and the tour wraps around them.

Most VR viewing today happens through the web browser built into the headset, using a standard called WebXR, so buyers don't need to install an app. Matterport, for example, lets visitors open almost any Space in VR on Meta Quest headsets and Apple Vision Pro, from a "View in VR" option in the tour menu. Matterport notes that tags, the floor plan and dollhouse views and measurements are not available inside VR. Kuula, a popular 360 tour host, has a VR button that works on Meta Quest 2 and 3 headsets and on phones placed in a cardboard viewer. Kuula says it can't guarantee VR on some headsets, including HTC Vive, Pico and Apple Vision Pro, so test your tour on the device a buyer will actually use.

Real estate virtual reality: why agents use it

VR is not for every listing. It earns its place when a buyer can't be physically present, or when a home has a layout that is hard to judge from photos.

• Out-of-town and international buyers. Relocating families and international buyers can narrow a shortlist before they fly in and only travel for the homes they are seriously interested in. A headset walk-through answers "how big does it really feel?" better than a gallery.
• Luxury listings. High-end buyers expect a polished presentation, and VR is a memorable way to show volume, ceiling height and views. It pairs well with luxury virtual staging.
• New construction and pre-sales. Builders and developers use VR to show homes and apartments in a development that is not finished. If there is nothing to shoot yet, the tour is built from 3D renderings instead of photos; see our 3D rendering services.
• Listing presentations. Handing a seller a headset with one of your past tours shows them, in a minute, how their home will be marketed. It is a strong visual in a pitch against other agents and tells potential clients your business invests in marketing.
• Open house follow-up. Buyers who toured in person can revisit the home in VR without needing access to the property again, before making an offer, which is often when doubts about room sizes come up.

Keep expectations realistic: most potential buyers will still open your tour on a phone. Treat VR as a bonus way to view the same tour, not as the main way people will experience the listing. Our guide to real estate tours covers when a virtual tour should replace an in-person showing and how to measure whether it is working.

Empty rooms look emptier in VR

An empty room is hard to read in a photo, and harder in a headset. With nothing in the space, potential homebuyers lose their sense of scale: a 12-foot living room and an 18-foot one can feel the same, and a bedroom can look too small for a bed. The immersive experience that makes VR impressive also makes bare walls and bare floors the first thing a buyer notices.

Virtual staging fixes this. A designer furnishes each 360 panorama so the room has a sofa, a dining table or a bed at the right size, and the furniture holds its position as the buyer looks around. Bella's designers stage 360 photos the same way they stage regular listing photos: by hand, with real furniture styles, never with AI.

If you already have a tour, we stage the 360 photos and send them back as 360 JPGs ready to load into your tour software. That works with any tour software except Matterport. If you only have the raw panoramas, our 360 virtual tour + staging service stitches them into a tour and stages every room. Staged images should always be disclosed as virtually staged; our tours guide explains the disclosure rules.

How to create a VR home tour, step by step

1. Pick a VR-capable host. Check that your tour platform has a VR mode before you shoot. Matterport and Kuula both do.
2. Prepare the property. Declutter, open blinds, turn on every light. A 360 camera sees the whole room, including the corner you would normally crop out.
3. Shoot every room. Use a tripod at the same height in every room, one panorama per room (two for large rooms), and step out of the shot.
4. Stage the empty rooms. Send the panoramas for 360 virtual staging before you build the tour, so buyers never see the bare version.
5. Build and link the tour. Add hotspots between rooms and a clear starting point, usually the entry or the main living space.
6. Test it in a headset. Walk the whole tour in VR, check that every hotspot works and that the floor height feels natural.
7. Share it everywhere. Put the link on the MLS virtual tour field, your website, email and social media, and offer headset viewings at your office or open house. Realtors who keep a headset at the office can let buyers try the tour there.

How much does a VR house tour cost?

Costs depend on who captures the home and which platform hosts it:

• Do it yourself: a consumer 360 camera plus a tour host. Zillow's 3D Home app, for example, is free and works with supported iPhone and Android phones or 360 cameras from Insta360 and Ricoh Theta.
• Hire a photographer: many real estate photographers offer 360 or 3D tours as an add-on to the photo shoot. Prices vary by market and home size, so ask for a quote.
• Bella: send us your panoramas and we stitch them into a tour for US$99, then stage each room at US$37 per 360 photo, before volume discounts. Staged 360 photos come back in 24 to 48 hours, with unlimited revisions for two weeks.

Hosting usually carries a monthly or per-listing fee, so compare features and check what happens to the tour link after the listing closes. For a side-by-side look at platforms and prices, read our roundup of virtual tour software for real estate.

What is a virtual real estate agent?

"Virtual reality estate agent" and "virtual real estate agent" usually mean two different things. The first is an agent who uses VR tools, like the tours above, to market listings. The second is an agent who works without a traditional office, usually at a cloud-based brokerage rather than a traditional firm or one of the independent brokerages with a storefront office. eXp Realty is the best-known example: it describes itself as a cloud-based brokerage without brick-and-mortar offices, and its agents have trained and met in a virtual campus called eXp World.

Can you be a virtual real estate agent? Yes, but the rules don't change: you still need an active license in the state or province where you practice, and a broker you work under. How much a virtual agent makes depends on the same things as any agent, mainly sales volume and the brokerage's commission split, so be wary of anyone promising a specific income.

"Virtual real estate" can also mean land in metaverse games and platforms, which is unrelated to selling homes. This guide is only about real-world property.

Is virtual reality the future of real estate marketing?

Virtual reality technology has been "the next big thing" in the real estate industry for years, and it has not replaced photos, video or in-person showings. What has stuck is the virtual tour itself: buyers now expect to explore a property online before they book a visit. VR is the premium layer on top. As headsets get lighter and cheaper, more buyers will view tours that way, and because the same tour works on a phone and in a headset, a well-made tour today will still work then.

The part that won't change is that buyers judge a space by how it looks furnished. Whatever device they use, a staged room helps them picture living there.

Frequently asked questions

What is virtual reality real estate?

It is the use of VR headsets to tour, market or design real property: VR house tours of listings, VR walkthroughs of homes that aren't built yet, and VR design reviews for builders and developers.

Do buyers need a VR headset to see a VR tour?

No. A VR-capable tour still works in a normal web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. The headset is optional, for buyers who want the immersive version.

Which headsets work with real estate VR tours?

Meta Quest headsets are the most widely supported. Matterport also supports Apple Vision Pro. Support for other headsets varies by platform, so test before you promise it to a client.

Can you virtually stage a VR tour?

Yes. Each 360 photo in the tour is staged by a designer, then loaded back into the tour, so the furniture appears all around the buyer in VR. Bella stages 360 photos for any tour software except Matterport.

How long does it take to make a VR home tour?

Shooting time depends on the size of the home and the number of rooms, and most tour platforms build the tour soon after you upload. If you add virtual staging, Bella returns staged 360 photos in 24 to 48 hours.

Are VR tours worth it for every listing?

Not always. The advantage is greatest for remote buyers, luxury homes and new construction. For any listing with a virtual tour, staging the empty rooms usually does more for buyers than the headset itself.

Ready to stage your next tour?

Send us your 360 photos and Bella's designers will furnish every room in 24 to 48 hours, with unlimited revisions for two weeks. If it still isn't right, we rework it or refund you. Order a staged 360 virtual tour, see how it works on walk-through tours, or browse our lookbook.

The 3D house tours luxury buyers expect

Luxury buyers often shop from out of town, from overseas or between meetings. Many first hear about a home from a broker's email, and will short-list it from virtual tours before they ever step inside. A good tour answers the questions they would otherwise ask on a first visit:

• Flow. How the entry, living room, kitchen and bedrooms connect, and whether the layout works for how they live.
• Scale. Ceiling height, room proportions and whether a dining table for ten actually fits.
• Light and views. Which rooms get the park, river or skyline view, and how the windows frame it.
• Detail. Millwork, finishes, the kitchen, the primary bath: the things that justify the price.

A tour that skips rooms, stitches badly or shows bare, echoing spaces raises questions instead of answering them. At this price point, buyers notice, and a weak tour experience reflects on the home.

3D tour, 360 tour or video: which one fits the listing?

People use "virtual tours" for three different things, and they are not interchangeable. Each gives a different experience of the home.

• 3D tours (digital twins). Systems such as Matterport scan the home and build a 3D model. Matterport's own materials describe a Dollhouse view that shows the whole home as if a wall were removed, a Floor Plan view of each level, and a Measurement Mode so viewers can measure walls, windows and doors. Of all virtual tours, that is the closest thing to walking the home yourself.
• 360 tours. A set of 360° photos, one or more per room, linked so the viewer can click from space to space. They are faster and cheaper to shoot, work with almost any 360 camera, and give a strong sense of each room, but not a measured model. Matterport notes that standalone 360° views do not feed its Dollhouse or Floor Plan views.
• Video walkthroughs. A cinematic path chosen by the filmmaker. Beautiful for social and brand marketing, but the buyer can't stop and look around.

For most luxury listings, a 3D or 360 tour plus a polished video and strong stills is the right mix. Our guide to real estate tours covers when to use each one, and our comparison of virtual tour software for real estate lists the tools and prices.

Where can a 3D tour go in New York? Check StreetEasy first

In New York, StreetEasy is where many buyers start, so check before you pay for a tour. StreetEasy's help center says listings accept 3D tour links only from Zillow 3D Home, Peek, Skyward 360 Tours, EyeSpy360, The 3D app, Giraffe360 and Listing3D, and that a tour from any other provider cannot be added to a StreetEasy listing. Matterport is not on that list, so a Matterport tour can go on your own website, the brokerage site and social, but not into the StreetEasy 3D Tour field.

It is worth the effort: in 2023 StreetEasy said listings with a 3D home tour and/or an interactive floor plan were saved 78% more than listings without one.

How do you make an empty luxury home look its best inside a tour?

Vacant homes are where virtual tours struggle. A camera that captures every corner also captures every bare wall, and empty rooms often look smaller and colder in a tour than in person. Physically staging a large New York apartment is a serious cost, and it has to stay in place for weeks. Virtual staging inside the tour solves that, and the home still feels lived-in when buyers move from room to room.

Here is how it works with Bella:

1. Shoot the 360 photos. Use any 360 camera, or have your photographer shoot the panoramas. Our 360 camera guide helps if you are choosing one.
2. Send them to us. Our designers furnish each room by hand, never with AI, choosing furniture scaled to the room and in a style that fits the building, whether that is a prewar co-op or a glass-walled new development.
3. Get the tour back. With our 360° virtual tour and staging service we stitch the staged panoramas into a tour you can share as a link, for $99 per tour plus $37 per staged 360° photo. If you or your photographer build the tour yourselves, our 360 photo staging service returns the staged panoramas as 360° JPGs ready for your tour software.

For StreetEasy, put the staged 360° photos into one of its accepted providers. EyeSpy360, for example, says it works with any 360 camera that exports 2:1 equirectangular JPGs. One limit to know: our 360 photo staging works with every tour platform except Matterport.

Most orders are delivered in 24 to 48 hours, revisions are unlimited for two weeks, and if a room isn't right we rework it or refund it.

Can you virtually stage a Matterport tour?

Not with our service. Matterport offers its own Defurnish feature, which uses AI to remove all movable furniture and creates a second, empty view of the space; it can't remove only some items, and it doesn't add new furniture. Matterport also points users to third-party partners for staging inside its tours. If your listing needs both StreetEasy and a staged walkthrough, a 360 tour from an accepted provider is often the simpler route.

Disclosure: staged tours must still tell the truth

The same rules apply to a tour as to listing photos. The NAR Code of Ethics asks REALTORS® to "present a true picture" in their advertising, and StreetEasy's listing quality policy requires photos of the actual unit, advertised as it exists today. Label staged rooms in the tour, don't change permanent features such as walls, windows or floors, and keep the originals. Our guide to staging a NYC apartment for sale covers the REBNY RLS and StreetEasy rules in more detail. Bella adds furniture and decor only, and includes disclosure guidance with every order.

Luxury virtual tours: a checklist for New York listings

• Decide where the tour must appear, and confirm the provider is accepted there, StreetEasy in particular.
• Capture every room buyers will ask about, including terraces, closets and the primary bath.
• Shoot at the best time of day for the view, and keep the windows the hero of each room.
• Stage the empty rooms, sized for the space, in a style that suits the building and its buyer.
• Pair the tour with a floor plan, a short video and strong stills.
• Label staged rooms and keep the original photos.
• Share the tour link in every email, ad and agent-to-agent pitch, so everyone who hears about the home can see it.

Frequently asked questions

Are 3D house tours worth it for luxury listings?

Usually, yes. Luxury buyers are often remote, and virtual tours let them short-list a home without a trip. On StreetEasy, listings with a 3D tour and/or an interactive floor plan were saved 78% more, according to StreetEasy in 2023. A tour does not replace great photos; it adds to them.

What is the difference between a 3D tour and a 360 tour?

A 3D tour is a scanned model of the home, with views like Dollhouse and Floor Plan and measurements. A 360 tour links 360° photos of each room. 3D gives more spatial detail; 360 is quicker, cheaper and works with almost any camera.

Can I add a Matterport tour to StreetEasy?

According to StreetEasy's help center, only tours from Zillow 3D Home, Peek, Skyward 360 Tours, EyeSpy360, The 3D app, Giraffe360 and Listing3D can be added. A Matterport tour can still go on your website and social channels.

How much does it cost to stage a luxury virtual tour?

With Bella, a stitched and staged 360° tour is $99 per tour plus $37 per staged 360° photo. Physical staging has to be delivered, rented and left in the home for the length of the listing; our NYC staging guide compares the two.

Do you stage luxury homes outside New York?

Yes. We stage listings across the US and Canada. See luxury virtual staging for high-end work in other markets.

More for New York luxury listings

• Luxury staging NYC and virtual staging for Manhattan
• Luxury virtual staging for high-end listings
• Luxury home staging New York: 10 top NYC companies
• Luxury 3D rendering and 3D rendering services in New York, for homes that aren't built yet
• NYC new-development marketing

Have an empty luxury home and a tour to shoot? We'd love to hear about the listing and talk through staging every room in the tour. Contact us, or order a staged 360° tour today.

The sale at a glance

Living and dining room: one long room, two clear zones

The main room is long, white and bright, with beamed ceilings and two windows looking out over the East Village rooftops. Empty, it photographs as a white box with a wood floor, and a buyer can't tell where the sofa goes or whether a dining table fits as well. Our designers split the room into two zones: a cream curved sofa, two cane lounge chairs and a round wood coffee table on a textured rug at the front, and a round dining table for four by the far windows. Warm wood, rattan and two large pieces of art keep it calm, and nothing blocks the windows.

The second angle shows the same room from the kitchen side, so buyers can see how the seating area, the dining corner and the kitchen island connect. In a one-bedroom, that is the question buyers ask most: does the room hold a real sofa and a real table at the same time? Here the answer is in the photo.

Bedroom: proving a queen bed and a reading chair fit

The bedroom has two windows on adjoining walls and a beamed ceiling, which is lovely in person and hard to read in an empty photo. We placed a bed with layered linen bedding, a rounded lounge chair with a side table in the window corner and a small desk by the far wall. The furniture is scaled to the room, so the photo answers the size question honestly instead of making the room look bigger than it is.

The kitchen and entry hall got lighter touches: two counter stools at the island and a small console, mirror and art in the hall, enough to make them feel finished without hiding the finishes.

What we can and cannot say

We do not claim staging alone sold this apartment. The Christodora House is a well-known building, and price, location and the broker's marketing all play a part. What the record shows is the timeline: the staging was ordered before the listing went live, the apartment was in contract 44 days later, and it closed 2.7% below its asking price. For comparison, the same unit last sold in December 2024 for $1,025,000.

Takeaways for New York listings

• Zone the long room. Prewar and loft-style living rooms read better when the photo shows a clear seating area and a clear dining area.
• Stage before the listing goes live. The first photos on StreetEasy and the MLS set the first impression, and this apartment was staged four days before it launched.
• Light touches work for small rooms. A kitchen or hallway often needs only stools or a console to feel lived in.

Want your next listing to look like this?

Bella's designers stage empty rooms in New York listings in 24 to 48 hours, from US$37 per photo, and every image is designed by a person, never AI. See more on our virtual staging in New York page, browse the lookbook, check pricing, or order virtual staging now.

Sale details come from public listing and city records and were checked against more than one source. Virtually staged photos should be disclosed as such wherever they are published.

We are Bella Virtual, a real estate visualization studio, and we stage with real interior designers, never AI-generated staging. So here is the honest, room-by-room version of how to do this well, whether you furnish the house or furnish the photos.

Why do empty houses feel cold and sell slower?

Empty houses underperform because a blank slate is hard to read. Walk into a vacant home and your eye has nothing to land on. Every flaw gets louder. That scuff on the baseboard, the slightly off paint color, the odd little nook nobody knows what to do with. There is no furniture to set the scale, so rooms can look smaller than they are, and a generous master bedroom can read as cramped on camera.

The bigger issue is emotional. Buyers do not buy square footage. They buy a feeling, the sense that this could be home. An empty living room gives them nothing to hold onto. As Wikipedia's overview of the practice puts it, The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. An unstaged, vacant space does the opposite. It asks the buyer to do all the imagining, and most people simply will not.

That gap shows up in time on the market. Empty houses do not sell faster, despite the myth that a clean, blank space lets buyers project freely. In practice, they linger.

Is staging a vacant home worth it?

Yes. Staging a vacant home is almost always worth it, because the entire job of a listing is to help buyers picture themselves living there, and an empty room makes that hard. The data backs this up. In its 2025 Profile of Home Staging, the National Association of Realtors reports that A majority (83%) of home buyers' real estate agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to envision the property as their future home. That is the whole point of staging the home, and it is exactly what a vacant property cannot do on its own.

Staging also moves the timeline. In the same report, NAR found that almost half (49%) of home sellers' agents observed that home staging reduced the time homes spent on the market. For a vacant home, where you may be paying a mortgage on a place nobody lives in, days matter. The return on investment is rarely a close call.

How do you know which rooms to stage first?

Stage the rooms buyers care about most, in order: the living room, the primary bedroom, and the kitchen. You do not have to furnish the entire home to get the effect, and you should not waste budget on every closet and hallway. NAR's research lines up neatly here. It found that For home buyers, staging the living room was considered the most important (37%), followed closely by the primary bedroom (34%) and the kitchen (23%).

So if you are staging a home without furniture in every room, prioritize like this:

• Living room. This is the first impression and the room buyers picture themselves relaxing in. Anchor it with a sofa, a rug to define the space, and a coffee table.
• Primary bedroom. A bed, side tables, and soft layers turn a blank box into a retreat. Scale the bed to the room so it reads as roomy, not stuffed.
• Kitchen and dining. A dining table near the kitchen suggests the everyday life buyers want. You rarely need much else here.

The rooms you can usually leave alone? Spare bedrooms, a finished basement, and anything purely functional. A great photo of three staged rooms beats mediocre photos of ten.

How do you stage an empty house without furniture?

To stage an empty house without furniture, you furnish the listing photos digitally instead of the rooms. This is virtual staging, and it is the fastest, lowest-cost way to make a vacant home look lived-in for the listing. A designer takes your photo of a bare room and builds a styled version of it, adding a sofa, a rug, light fixtures, art, and the small touches that signal home. The room stays empty. The photo does not.

Here is the workflow we use. You send clear, well-lit photos of each empty space. Our designers pick furniture and decor that fit the home's style and price point, then hand-build the staged image in Photoshop and 3D tools. At Bella, every virtual staging image is crafted by a real interior designer, not generated by an algorithm, which is what keeps the furniture sitting correctly in the room with believable shadows and scale.

Virtual staging shines for vacant properties because it solves the online side of selling, where most buyers start. It is cheap relative to physical staging, the turnaround is fast (ours is 24 to 48 hours, with unlimited revisions for two weeks), and you can show the same empty room in more than one design direction. Want the living room in modern, then transitional? Easy. A virtual renovation can even hint at a dated kitchen's potential without anyone swinging a hammer.

Does virtual staging help with online listings?

Yes, and that is where it earns its keep. Almost every buyer scrolls listing photos long before they book a showing, so the staged photo is doing the real work of attracting interest. A vacant listing with cold, empty photos gets passed over. The same listing with warm, furnished images gets clicks and tours. For a home for sale that is sitting empty, strong listing photos are the difference between a slow scroll-past and a saved favorite.

One caveat, and it matters. You should always disclose virtually staged photos. Label any image that has been digitally altered so buyers know the furniture is not physically there. Most MLS rules already require it, and disclosure is simply the honest way to use the tool. Stage it beautifully, then say you staged it. A disclosed staged photo builds interest without burning trust at the showing.

How much does it cost to stage a vacant home?

It depends on the method, and the gap is large. Physical staging of a vacant home runs into the thousands, because you are renting furniture, paying a delivery crew, and often covering a monthly fee until the house sells. Full-service staging of an empty home is the priciest version of all, since there is nothing already in the house to work with. Those staging costs add up fast on a property nobody is living in.

Virtual staging costs a small fraction of that. You pay per image instead of per month, with no furniture to rent and no warehouse behind it. We do not publish a flat price, because every project differs, but for a vacant listing on a budget the math usually favors virtual staging by a wide margin. The smartest play for many sellers is a blend: virtually stage the photos for the online listing, and physically stage one or two key rooms if buyers will tour the space in person.

Frequently asked questions

Do empty houses sell faster?

No. Empty houses tend to sit longer, not sell faster, because buyers struggle to gauge room size and picture themselves living in a blank space. Staging, whether physical or virtual, gives them something to connect with. NAR found that about half of sellers' agents saw staging reduce time on the market.

Can I stage just a few rooms instead of the whole house?

Yes, and you should. Focus on the rooms buyers weigh most heavily: the living room, the primary bedroom, and the kitchen or dining area. Staging those three well does more than spreading a thin budget across every room. Spare bedrooms and functional spaces can usually stay empty.

How long does it take to stage a vacant home?

Physical staging of an empty house usually takes several days to a couple of weeks, since a stager has to assess the home, pull inventory, schedule delivery, and set up each room. Virtual staging is far faster. At Bella Virtual we deliver staged photos in 24 to 48 hours, with unlimited revisions for two weeks.

Do I need to disclose a virtually staged photo?

Yes. Any listing photo that was digitally furnished or altered should be clearly labeled as virtually staged. Most MLS rules require it, and disclosure protects both you and the buyer from a mismatch between the photos and the empty rooms at the showing. Stage it well, then disclose it.

We wrote it from our work at Bella Virtual Staging, a Vancouver-based studio that stages listing photos for agents, builders and photographers in the US and Canada. Every image is made by real interior designers, never AI.

What does "virtually staged" mean?

"Virtually staged" means the furniture in the photos was added with software, not placed in the room. A stager or designer takes a photo of an empty or sparsely furnished room and layers in sofas, tables, rugs, art and plants at the right scale and with matching light.

The aim is to help buyers see how a room can be used. Empty rooms are hard to judge on screen, and a staged photo shows where a bed or a dining table would fit.

How can you tell if a home is virtually staged?

Listings should say so, and a few visual clues help when they do not.

• A label. Look in the photo caption, the listing remarks or a note such as "virtually staged" or "digitally altered."
• The original photo. In some markets the unaltered image must sit beside the staged one or be linked from it.
• Furniture that never appears twice. If the same room appears in other photos or a video without furniture, it was probably added.
• Shadows and scale. Cheap or automated staging can show furniture that floats, has soft shadows or is the wrong size for the room.

If a listing does not say, ask the agent, and always judge a home by a showing, not by photos alone.

How does virtual staging work?

The process is the same whether a studio uses designers or software.

1. Send photos. Wide, well-lit photos of each room, shot level and at a consistent height.
2. Choose a style. Modern, traditional, family or luxury, matched to the likely buyer.
3. Design. Furniture and decor are selected and placed to suit the room's size, windows and traffic flow.
4. Review. Small changes, such as a different sofa or rug colour, are routine.
5. Deliver. You receive the staged photos and the originals so both can be shown.

For a room-by-room approach, see how to stage a living room and stage an apartment.

Is a virtually staged home misleading?

Not when it is labelled and kept honest. The test is whether the photo changes what the buyer thinks they are buying.

Furniture is a removable item, so adding it is generally accepted as long as it is disclosed. Changing the structure, hiding damage, enlarging rooms or altering views is not acceptable. We keep edits cosmetic: walls, windows, doors and views stay as they are, and we supply the original photo with every staged image.

What do the disclosure rules say?

Rules vary, so check your local MLS and state law. In California, AB 723 took effect on January 1, 2026. It requires a licensed broker or salesperson who uses a digitally altered image in a sale advertisement to state that the image is altered and to link to or include the original unaltered image. The law lists added, removed or changed furniture, fixtures, flooring, walls and similar items as alterations, and it excludes routine adjustments such as exposure, colour correction and cropping.

Many MLSs elsewhere require a similar label in the listing remarks. When in doubt, label every staged photo as "virtually staged" and keep the originals.

Virtual staging or physical staging?

Choose by budget, timeline and the kind of home.

• Virtual staging is faster and cheaper, works on vacant or occupied homes and can be done across a whole listing in a day or two. Our service starts at US$39, see virtual staging.
• Physical staging lets buyers touch and feel the furniture at showings, but it needs rental furniture, delivery and removal, and it takes longer.
• Both can work for a luxury listing: virtual staging for the online photos and a light physical refresh for showings.

For luxury apartments in particular, see our luxury virtual staging page, and for a budget approach see cheap home staging in NYC.

What if the room is not empty?

Furniture can be removed and replaced. A cluttered or dated room can be cleared digitally and restaged, which is useful for occupied homes and estate sales. If the finishes are the problem, see what a virtual renovation is.

Frequently asked questions

Is virtual staging legal?

Yes, when it is disclosed as your MLS and state law require. It is not acceptable to use it to hide defects or change structure.

Does virtual staging help a home sell?

It helps buyers picture a room, which is the reason agents use it. It does not guarantee a sale or a price, and we do not claim that it does.

How long does it take?

Virtual staging is typically delivered in 24 to 48 hours.

Can I stage only some rooms?

Yes. Most listings stage the main living areas and the primary bedroom, which buyers look at first.

Ready to stage your listing? Send your photos through our virtual staging service.

We wrote it from our work at Bella Virtual Staging, a Vancouver-based studio serving agents, builders and developers in the US and Canada. Our images are made by real interior designers and 3D artists, not AI.

What is virtual home design?

Virtual home design means planning, visualising and presenting a home digitally instead of physically. It covers anything from a homeowner trying paint colours in an app to a builder commissioning photorealistic renderings of homes that do not exist yet.

In real estate it usually shows up as four services:

• Virtual staging. Furniture and decor added to photos of empty or outdated rooms.
• Virtual renovation. Finishes such as floors, cabinets and wall colour changed in an existing photo.
• 3D rendering. A fully modelled image built from plans, used before construction or during pre-sales.
• Floor plans. 2D or rendered 3D layouts that help buyers read the space.

What is the difference between DIY design software and a design service?

DIY tools let you experiment, and a service delivers images you can publish.

Apps and 3D planners are useful for a homeowner deciding on a layout or a color scheme, and they cost little or nothing. They are less suited to marketing a property, because the output may not match your real photos, lighting or room proportions. A service starts from your actual photos or plans, so furniture scale, shadows and finishes match the real room. If you are weighing the two, our guides to 3D building plans and virtual renovation cover the tools and trade-offs.

How does a virtual home design project work?

Most projects follow the same path, whether the starting point is a photo or a set of plans.

1. Send source material. High-resolution photos of each room, or floor plans and elevations for a home that is not built yet.
2. Agree the scope. Which rooms, which style and what must stay unchanged, such as windows, views and structure.
3. Design. Designers choose furniture, finishes and layout that suit the likely buyer, for example a family room, a home office or a primary suite.
4. Render or edit. The images are produced with realistic light and shadow, matched to the original photo or model.
5. Review. Small changes such as swapping a sofa or a rug colour are routine. Moving walls or windows is a bigger change and should be settled early.
6. Deliver and label. You receive final files and the original photos so staged or altered images can be labelled correctly.

Which virtual home design service fits your project?

Match the service to the question buyers will ask.

• "What could this room look like furnished?" Use virtual staging. It suits vacant or sparsely furnished resale listings, and our service starts at US$39.
• "What if the finishes were updated?" Use virtual renovation for dated kitchens, floors or colours.
• "What will this home look like when built?" Use 3D rendering, which is the right choice for builders and developers pre-selling a project. See renderings for real estate for how they are used.
• "How do the rooms connect?" Add a rendered floor plan and read our layout guide.
• "Can I design my own room?" Try our Design My Room service, which delivers three design options for a room.

What should you check before you hire a studio?

Ask for proof, not promises.

• Realism. Look at several finished images for consistent scale, lighting and shadows, not just one showpiece.
• Who makes the images. Ask whether designers and 3D artists do the work or an automated tool does. Automated output can distort proportions.
• Honest edits. Structure, windows and views should stay as they are in the photo, and the studio should supply originals for labelling.
• Clear pricing and turnaround. Confirm what each service costs, how many revisions are included and how fast files arrive.
• Usage rights. Confirm you can use the images in listings, brochures and ads.

What do disclosure rules say?

Altered images should be labelled, and some jurisdictions also require the original.

California's AB 723, effective January 1, 2026, requires licensed brokers and salespeople to disclose digitally altered images in sale advertising and to link to or show the original, unaltered image. Common edits like exposure and colour correction are excluded, but added or removed furniture, changed floors or walls and similar changes are not. Check your MLS rules, and see our render services guide for how pre-construction renderings should be labelled.

Frequently asked questions

Is virtual home design the same as virtual staging?

No. Virtual staging is one part of it. Virtual home design also includes renovation visuals, 3D renderings and floor plans.

Can virtual design change the structure of a home?

For listing photos, keep structure, windows and views unchanged so images are not misleading. Renderings of a home that is not built yet can show the planned structure, labelled as artist's renderings.

Do I need floor plans to start?

Not for staging, which works from photos. For renderings, plans or CAD files make the result more accurate.

How long does it take?

Virtual staging and photo edits are typically delivered in 24 to 48 hours. Full 3D renderings follow a schedule agreed for each project.

Ready to start? Send your photos or plans through our virtual staging service, or request a quote on our 3D rendering services page.

Picture a before-and-after that skips the construction entirely. No dumpster in the driveway. No permits, no demo, no dust. Nothing physical changes in the home at all. What changes is the picture, and the story it tells a buyer who's half-asleep, scrolling a listing at 11 p.m. and deciding in two seconds whether to keep reading.

What does a virtual renovation actually do?

A virtual renovation takes an existing listing photo and edits it to preview a renovated version of that exact space, swapping in new flooring, updated wall color, modern cabinetry, fixtures, and finishes while keeping the room's real dimensions and layout intact. The result is a virtually renovated image that reads like a finished remodel. Not a generic showroom. Not a stock photo of someone else's house. Your room, modernized.

And this is where it parts ways with a render built from scratch. A 3D rendering models a space from a floor plan or blueprint, often before a single wall exists. A virtual renovation does the opposite: it works from the property as it stands today. So the bones of the room, the windows, the ceiling height, the footprint, all of it stays true to life. You're still showing the same house. You're just showing the better version of it.

Because our designers handle every edit by hand in professional software, the lighting falls where it should and the new finishes settle naturally into the frame. No melted countertops. No doors that open onto nothing. No floor that bends at the wrong angle. Just a clean, believable look at what the space can become, the kind of image a buyer trusts because nothing about it feels off.

How is virtual renovation different from virtual staging?

Virtual staging adds furniture and decor to an empty room; virtual renovation changes the room itself. Staging answers a simple question: "how would my things look here?" Renovation answers a bigger one: "what would this place look like if I actually updated it?" One dresses the space. The other rebuilds it on screen.

So why does the line matter? Because the two solve genuinely different problems. An empty but move-in-ready condo needs virtual staging to feel like a home someone could live in. A tired ranch with mustard tile and worn carpet? That needs a virtual renovation to help buyers see past the dated interiors. Plenty of listings benefit from both at once, which is exactly why we often pair renovation and staging in a single project, modernizing the surfaces first and then furnishing the result.

As a working definition, "Virtual home staging is a type of home staging in which an interior design is created in a graphic editor," according to Wikipedia. Virtual renovation simply extends that same idea past the furniture and into the floors, the walls, and the fixtures.

What can you actually change in a virtual renovation?

Almost any visible, non-structural element of a space can be updated in a virtual renovation, from new flooring and wall color to a full kitchen or bathroom remodel. The load-bearing stuff stays put. But the finishes that drive a buyer's first impression? Those are completely fair game.

Here's the kind of work our designers handle every day, woven together into a single believable image:

• New flooring, whether you want wide-plank wood, tile, or polished concrete
• Fresh wall color and refinished trim to brighten or warm a room
• A kitchen refresh: cabinetry, countertops, backsplash, and hardware
• A bathroom remodel with updated vanities, tile, and lighting
• Modernized fixtures and lighting throughout the space
• Landscaping, fresh exterior paint, and outdoor areas to lift curb appeal

Want a pool sketched into the backyard? A deck added off the kitchen? That works too. Here's the thing, though: the more reference images and notes you share up front, the closer the first draft lands to the look that's already in your head.

Can I choose the design style?

Yes. You pick the design style, and our designers build the renovation around it, whether you're after warm modern, classic transitional, coastal, or something specific to your market. Hand us a detailed brief with reference images. Or just describe the feel you want and let the design team propose a few options. Either way works.

Because this is hand work and not a fixed template, the look is genuinely yours. Targeting first-time buyers in Chicago? We can keep it bright and budget-conscious. Marketing a luxury listing in LA? We can lean into high-end finishes and richer materials. The same source photo can become several different design styles, which turns out to be useful when you want to test what resonates with buyers before committing to a real renovation project.

Who uses virtual renovation, and why?

Real estate agents, brokerages, builders, and sellers use virtual renovation to help buyers visualize a property's full potential, sell dated or damaged homes faster, and lift perceived value without spending on a physical renovation first. In short, it turns a "needs work" listing into a "look what this could be" listing.

For agents, the payoff is buyer interest, plain and simple. Outdated interiors and ugly listing photos make people scroll right past. A virtually renovated image of that same room can stop the scroll and earn the showing. For sellers weighing a remodel before listing, it's a low-cost way to test a direction and gauge ROI before paying for the physical work. And for builders marketing under-construction properties, it shows a finished, lived-in result long before the dust ever settles.

There's a quieter use, too, one that gets overlooked. Investors and homeowners reach for it to plan their own projects, comparing design options side by side so they can commit with confidence instead of squinting at a paint chip and hoping for the best.

Are virtual renovations allowed on the MLS?

Generally yes, as long as the altered images are clearly labeled and you do not misrepresent the home's current condition. Most MLS rules and professional standards allow edited or virtually renovated photos when they're disclosed, so buyers know they're looking at a concept rather than reality. Do check your local MLS guidelines first, though. The specifics vary from board to board.

The ethics here are straightforward, and for us they're non-negotiable. A virtual renovation should inspire a buyer. It should never deceive one. That means labeling renovated or edited images clearly, keeping the original photos available, and never, not once, letting an enhanced image stand in for the property's true state.

National standards back this up. The REALTOR Code of Ethics states that members "shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations," per the National Association of REALTORS. Disclosure is simply how you stay on the right side of that line.

Do I have to disclose a virtual renovation?

Yes, you should always disclose when a listing image has been virtually renovated, and in some places it's now the law. The honest move is simple. Label the image, and keep the unedited original within reach, so a buyer understands the renovated look is a vision, not the current condition.

California made this explicit. Under AB 723, a real estate professional who uses a digitally altered image "shall include in the advertisement or promotional material a statement disclosing that the image has been altered and a link to a publicly accessible internet website, URL, or QR code that includes, and clearly identifies, the original, unaltered image," according to the California Legislature. Even where no statute applies, that approach, disclose and link the original, is the standard we recommend everywhere. It's good ethics, and it's good business.

How does the process work?

You send us clear photos of the space and a quick brief on the look you want, our designers create the virtually renovated images by hand, and you review and request changes until it's right. No site visit. No contractors. No waiting on a renovation timeline that stretches for months.

One quick tip to get you started: the better your source photos, the better the result, so we ask for well-lit, straight-on shots of each room you want updated. From there, you tell us the design direction, share any reference images, and flag the must-keep details. We deliver photorealistic results fast, and revisions are part of the deal, not an upsell. When you're ready, you can start a virtual renovation or reach out through our contact page for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean when a property is virtually renovated?

It means a listing photo has been digitally edited to preview how the space would look after updates like new flooring, paint, or a kitchen remodel. The home itself has not changed; only the image shows the renovated version. The renovated look should be clearly labeled so buyers understand it is a concept, not the property's current condition.

What is the difference between virtual renovation and virtual staging?

Virtual staging adds furniture and decor to an empty room to help buyers picture living there. Virtual renovation changes the space itself, updating finishes such as floors, wall color, cabinetry, and fixtures. Many listings use both together, modernizing the room and then furnishing it.

Are virtual renovations created with AI?

Not at Bella Virtual. Our virtual renovations are crafted by real interior designers in professional software, not generated by an AI tool. Hand work gives you accurate lighting, true-to-life finishes, and a result that reflects the actual room rather than a generic approximation.

Do you have to disclose virtually renovated photos?

Yes. You should always label a virtually renovated image and keep the original, unedited photo available so buyers are not misled about the home's current state. In California, AB 723 now requires disclosing that an image has been altered and providing a link to the unaltered original. Disclosure is best practice everywhere, even where no specific law applies.

Bella Virtual Staging works with home builders and developers across the US and Canada, including Highland Homes in Austin and San Antonio. Every image is made by real interior designers and 3D artists, never AI.

What is virtual staging for home builders?

It is the digital addition of furniture and decor to a photo of an empty room, or to a 3D render of a home that does not exist yet, so buyers can picture living in each space.

There are two workflows. The first uses real photos of finished spec homes or models: the house is built and vacant, a photographer shoots each room, and designers place furniture into the photos. The second uses 3D renders built from your CAD or plan files, so a home still on paper can be shown with finishes, lighting and furniture before a single photo exists.

Consider a Dallas production builder with six empty specs and one half-finished model. Instead of listing bare rooms or waiting weeks for physical staging, the builder photographs the specs and has each room virtually staged in 24–48 hours, while 3D renders cover the model that is not ready. The images run on plan pages, community pages, MLS listings, email and paid ads.

Virtual staging adds furniture and decor only. It does not change walls, windows or permanent finishes. Layout and finish changes are virtual renovation, a separate service that must also be disclosed.

How do Texas builders use it to sell new construction?

They give every plan and elevation a staged visual so no buyer scrolls past an empty room.

• Austin and San Antonio, multiple plans, one model. A community with four plans and three elevations may have a single physical model home. Staged interiors and rendered exteriors let the builder show the other combinations online from opening day.
• Dallas–Fort Worth, inventory homes. Finished but unfurnished specs in growth corridors such as Frisco, Celina and Prosper compete for attention on MLS and portals. Staging the great room, primary suite and kitchen makes the listing photos work. See our Dallas virtual staging page.
• Houston, pre-sales. In master-planned communities that launch phases while only slabs and framing exist, 3D rendering shows photoreal interiors and exteriors from plan files, giving sales something to sell before drywall.
• Out-of-state relocators. Buyers moving to Texas often browse many new builds online before booking a trip. Staged images, renders and tours help them narrow the list remotely.

Our Texas virtual staging page covers the state in more detail.

How do you build a virtual staging workflow for your team?

Treat it like any other spec-home standard: define, document, repeat.

1. Audit plans and inventory. List the plans, elevations and communities that need visuals first. Start with top sellers and quick-move-in homes that sit vacant.
2. Standardise inputs. Give superintendents and photographers a short guide for angles in the great room, primary suite, kitchen and flex spaces. For unbuilt homes, make sure plans and elevations are current.
3. Choose styles per product line. Match furniture to the buyer: modern farmhouse for Hill Country homes, transitional for suburban Dallas, and so on. Consistent styles keep each community looking intentional.
4. Set approval rules. Decide who signs off and check every staged image against the floor plan and finishes. Bella includes revisions, so use them to get details right.
5. Tie it to the launch calendar. With 24–48 hour delivery on staging, schedule it like photography or signage ahead of each go-live.

Our home builder marketing page shows how we set this up with builder marketing teams.

What do MLS rules and NAR say about staged builder listings?

Virtual staging is generally acceptable when it is clearly disclosed and does not misrepresent the property.

Article 12 of the NAR Code of Ethics asks REALTORS® to present a true picture in their advertising and marketing. Each Texas MLS, including HAR in Houston, NTREIS in Dallas–Fort Worth, Unlock MLS in Austin and SABOR in San Antonio, publishes its own photo and disclosure rules, so check the current rules for your board before uploading. Good practice for builders:

• Label every altered image. Use "virtually staged" or "artist's rendering" in the caption or as an overlay, on your website and ads as well as on the MLS.
• Do not alter permanent structures. Staging adds furniture and decor only. A structural option shown as a rendering must be labelled as one.
• Keep unaltered originals of key rooms and the exterior. Some boards require paired photos, and originals protect you either way.

Disclosure rules are changing in several states, so ask your broker or counsel about current requirements.

Virtual staging, model homes or 3D renderings: which should builders use?

Most programmes combine all three, depending on the community, phase and budget.

A model home delivers the real-world experience, but it shows one plan in one style and is costly to build and maintain. Virtual staging and renders cover the rest of your portfolio. Bella provides both virtual staging and 3D rendering services, so you can mix them by community.

What are the best practices for staging spec and model homes?

Show the home's best features accurately and keep the style believable for the buyer.

• Pick the right rooms. The great room, primary bedroom and at least one flex space or home office. In Texas, consider covered patios and outdoor living areas, since they drive lifestyle decisions.
• Know your buyer. Family-friendly, durable-looking layouts for suburban master-planned communities, and more minimal, design-forward styling for urban infill.
• Do not hide the architecture. Keep sight lines open to volume ceilings, patios and stairs, and avoid oversized furniture that makes rooms look smaller.
• Keep styling consistent across elevations in a series with a simple style guide so brochures and web pages match.
• Refresh when plans change. If a kitchen island or primary bath layout is revised, update the staged image set so marketing stays accurate.

Ready to try it? Send one plan or community as a pilot through our home builder marketing page.

Frequently asked questions

Is virtual staging worth it if we already have model homes?

Yes. With one or two models per community, virtual staging lets you show other plans, elevations and decor styles online without building more models, and it covers quick-move-in homes in sections with no model.

Can virtual staging help sell homes before construction is finished?

Yes, paired with 3D renders. Some builders also photograph and stage a past build of the same plan to market a new phase, and labelled renders cover plans with no previous build.

Do you use AI for virtual staging or 3D rendering?

No. Furniture placement, materials and lighting are done by human interior designers and 3D artists. AI tools can misjudge furniture scale and alter windows or walls, which is a problem when accuracy to the plan is your reputation.

What is the difference between virtual staging and virtual renovation for builders?

Virtual staging adds furniture and decor without changing structure or finishes. Virtual renovation changes materials, cabinets, counters or flooring to preview upgrades or option packages. Both must be disclosed.

What is the cheapest way to stage an NYC apartment for sale?

Virtually stage three to six key rooms instead of renting and installing physical furniture.

New York adds costs that suburban staging does not have: furniture delivery, movers, building move-in rules, elevator reservations, insurance on rented pieces and monthly holding fees. Co-op boards can restrict deliveries, and a walk-up with narrow stairs turns one sofa into a long job. Virtual staging avoids all of it because the work happens on photos, not inside the unit.

Take an empty one-bedroom walk-up. Instead of hauling a bed, sofa and desk up four flights, the agent sends photos of the vacant rooms to a virtual staging service and gets back a furnished living room, a styled bedroom and a work nook within 24–48 hours. If you want to test a minimalist look against a warmer transitional one, virtual staging lets you change direction without renting a second set of furniture.

How do you stage an NYC home on a tight budget?

Combine a low-cost physical refresh with virtual staging for the photos that drive online interest.

• Declutter. Clear counters, extra chairs and open-shelf clutter. Store the overflow in a closet system, under-bed boxes or short-term storage.
• Fix the small things. Touch up scuffed walls, swap yellow bulbs for daylight LEDs and tighten loose cabinet pulls. These cost little and change how the unit reads in photos.
• Edit what is already there. In an occupied home, pull the sofa off the wall, remove one bulky bookcase and keep sight lines to windows open.
• Pick the right photos. Stage the rooms buyers scrutinise most: the living room, primary bedroom, dining area and any flexible space that could be a home office.
• Match style to the building. Sleek contemporary for a new Financial District development, warmer traditional or transitional for a prewar Upper West Side co-op.
• Clean up the photos. HDR and colour correction brighten dark rooms and straighten vertical lines, and a day-to-dusk edit helps listings with skyline views.
• Disclose. Label virtually staged images and keep the unaltered originals available.

For a fuller walkthrough, see our guide to staging a NYC apartment for sale.

What do NYC MLS rules say about virtual staging?

Virtual staging is acceptable when it represents the property truthfully and is clearly disclosed.

MLS rules differ, so agents should confirm requirements with their own MLS (REBNY RLS, OneKey MLS or another board) and their managing broker. Article 12 of the NAR Code of Ethics asks REALTORS® to present a true picture in their advertising and marketing. In practice that means no adding or removing walls, windows or structure in standard virtual staging, a visible "virtually staged" label and, where your MLS allows it, before-and-after images. Changes to floors, cabinets or layout are virtual renovation, which should be labelled separately.

How does the cost compare with other options?

Virtual staging is priced per photo, while physical staging is priced per project and month.

Six staged photos at $37 come to $222. See our pricing page for volume tiers.

How should you stage condos, co-ops and rentals on a budget?

The goal is the same everywhere: make a small city space look bright, usable and worth the asking price.

• Condos. Show views, open-plan living and amenities, and stage a balcony or terrace with minimal outdoor furniture.
• Co-ops. Let prewar details such as crown molding and herringbone floors shine, with lighter transitional furniture. Virtual staging also sidesteps the board's delivery rules.
• Rentals and investment units. Use neutral, durable-looking styles that suit a wide range of tenants. Staged photos stand out in listing thumbnail grids on sites like StreetEasy.

Ready to list? Start a project with Bella's New York virtual staging service.

Frequently asked questions

Can cheap virtual staging work for luxury NYC listings?

Yes, if the furniture matches the building and price point. A Park Avenue co-op or a Tribeca loft needs pieces that reflect the space. Bella's luxury virtual staging uses curated furniture sets for high-end Manhattan listings at the same $37 USD per photo, with no storage or insurance for rented designer furniture.

Which rooms should I stage first in a small apartment?

The living room, the primary sleeping area and any flexible alcove or den. In a studio, virtual staging can show separate sleeping, working and entertaining zones within one room. Kitchens and bathrooms often benefit more from photo editing and small physical fixes.

Do you use AI to create staging images?

No. Every staged photo is made by Bella's interior designers and 3D artists, who place each piece by hand. AI staging tools can misjudge scale in tight rooms and alter windows or views, which is risky in a market where buyers check room proportions closely.

What is the difference between virtual staging and virtual renovation?

Virtual staging adds furniture and decor and leaves walls, floors and fixtures untouched. Virtual renovation changes finishes such as floors, cabinets and counters, so buyers can see what a dated space could become. Both should be disclosed on the listing.