Choosing the Right Presentation Strategy

Furniture can either help buyers understand a home or make it harder for them to see it. I've seen homes with beautiful furniture that needed almost no changes before going on the market. I've also seen homes where the furniture was working against the house. Large sectionals made family rooms feel smaller, while too many pieces hid the natural flow from one room to the next. In those cases, removing furniture did more to improve the presentation than bringing in something new.

When I evaluate a home, I'm looking for anything that may keep buyers from seeing the space clearly. Sometimes the solution is surprisingly simple. A staging consultation may identify a better furniture layout or suggest removing a few pieces. Other times, the existing furniture simply isn't helping, and the home presents better with much less of it—or none of it at all.

Vacant homes deserve the same kind of evaluation. There was a time when I would have recommended filling almost every vacant home with rented furniture. Today, virtual staging gives us another option. Buyers viewing the listing online can see how each room might be furnished, while the home itself remains clean, open, and easy to show. In many cases, it's a practical solution that avoids a significant staging expense.

I've never believed that every home should be prepared the same way. Each property has its own strengths and challenges, and the presentation should reflect them. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for buyers to understand the space and see the home's potential before deciding where a seller should spend money.