Worth knowing
- 19 percent of sellers’ agents saw a 1 to 5 percent higher offer for staged homes; 30 percent saw no impact; 34 percent were not sure.
- 49 percent of sellers’ agents said staging reduced time on market slightly or greatly.
- IRS Publication 523: selling expenses reduce the amount realized; painting is a repair, not an improvement.
Staging companies often quote dramatic results. The most careful national data available, from the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Profile of Home Staging, is more modest and more useful. It asks agents what they actually saw, and a large share of them answer “not sure”. That honesty is worth keeping in mind when you decide how much to spend.
Effect on price: what sellers’ agents reported
| Effect on dollar value offered, compared with similar unstaged homes | Sellers’ agents |
|---|---|
| Negative impact | 1% |
| No impact | 30% |
| Increase of 1% to 5% | 19% |
| Increase of 6% to 10% | 10% |
| Increase of 11% to 15% | 5% |
| Increase of 16% to 20% | 1% |
| Increase of more than 20% | 1% |
| Not sure | 34% |
Buyers’ agents were more cautious: 41 percent said staging had no impact on the dollar value offered, while 17 percent saw an increase of one to five percent. Only a single respondent among sellers’ agents reported that staging hurt the price.
Effect on time on market
Sellers’ agents were more confident about speed than price. Thirty percent said staging slightly decreased time on the market and 19 percent said it greatly decreased it, together about half. Seventeen percent said it had no effect, 9 percent said it slightly increased time on market, 4 percent said it greatly increased it and 21 percent did not know.
Key takeaways
- Roughly a third of agents saw a higher offer; roughly a third saw none; a third could not tell.
- About half saw homes sell faster when staged.
- Big gains were rare: 2 percent of sellers’ agents reported increases above 15 percent.
Why buyers respond at all
The survey’s other findings explain the mechanism. Eighty-three percent of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for buyers to visualize the property as a future home. Thirty-two percent said it positively affects value when the home is decorated to the buyer’s taste, and 31 percent said buyers were more willing to walk through a home they had seen online. Staging works mostly by getting the right buyers through the door and helping them picture living there.
A simple way to think about the math
Because outcomes vary so much, compare the cost of staging with what a delay or a weaker offer would cost you rather than with a promised return. If a staging package costs the national median of $1,500, it pays for itself if it shortens the listing enough to save a month of mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities, or if it nudges one offer up by a small fraction of the price. If your house is already clean, furnished and in demand, the same money may do more as a repair.
| Your situation | Staging likely to matter |
|---|---|
| Vacant home | More: buyers otherwise see empty rooms |
| Occupied, well-furnished, popular neighborhood | Less: declutter and clean first |
| Dated furniture or awkward layout | More, at least in the living room and primary bedroom |
| Visible defects | Fix them first; staging cannot cover them, and North Carolina’s disclosure form requires honest answers |
Staging and taxes
IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home, explains how gain on the sale of a main home is figured: the selling price minus selling expenses gives the amount realized, and the amount realized minus your adjusted basis gives your gain or loss. Its worksheet lists selling expenses as costs directly associated with selling the home, including sales commissions, advertising fees, legal fees, certain loan charges the seller paid for the buyer and “any other fees or costs to sell your home”.
The publication also separates improvements from repairs. Improvements that are still part of the home at sale can increase your basis. Repairs and maintenance that keep the home in good condition without adding value, and it gives painting, fixing leaks, filling holes or cracks and replacing broken hardware as examples, generally cannot be added to basis. Most sellers who qualify can exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, so these details matter mainly for larger gains.
Tip: Keep every staging and pre-listing receipt in one folder. Whether a particular cost counts as a selling expense depends on your situation; ask a tax professional when you file.
The bottom line
The evidence supports staging as a way to sell faster and, in a minority of cases, for more. It does not support spending heavily on every house. Start with the free work agents recommend most, decluttering and cleaning, then spend on the rooms buyers care about and on any vacant space. Our The North Carolina Home Staging Checklist: Six Weeks From Cluttered to Listed and DIY Staging or a Professional Stager? A Side-by-Side for North Carolina Sellers guides help you decide where your own line is.