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From depersonalising spaces to balancing design styles, agents can use property styling to create emotional connection with buyers. One expert shares advice on how staging can influence price, widen buyer pools, and overcome the challenges of lived-in homes.
Agents must take the time to understand buyer psychology to improve their listings, with property styling playing a critical role in helping buyers emotionally connect with a home, picture its functionality, and make the instinctive decision to attend an inspection.
One of the simplest ways to achieve this is by depersonalising the property, with items such as family photos, children’s artwork, or religious icons often creating subconscious barriers for buyers seeking to visualise themselves in the space.
Justine Wilson, director of Vault Interiors Property Styling, said on a recent REB podcast that it can be difficult for vendors to emotionally detach, but agents need to stress that achieving broad appeal is critical in securing the best price.
“It’s such an emotional thing for a vendor, because it’s their home, full of memories, and it can be very hard to emotionally detach,” Wilson explained. “But the reality is, you’ve made the decision to sell, and the buyer doesn’t want to feel like they’re in someone else’s home.”
Another common pitfall, Wilson warned, is going too far in the opposite direction with hyperspecific styling, particularly ultra-modern looks that may only resonate with a fraction of the market.
A property’s presentation must highlight its architectural features and lifestyle, Wilson said, but doing so in a way that maintains broad appeal to both classic and contemporary tastes is essential to drawing the largest pool of buyers.
“There are scenarios where a period home might lean towards a more classic look, or a warehouse conversion might feature industrial touches,” she said. “But going too extreme can alienate serious buyers who don’t see themselves in that space.”
Wilson added that there is no single approach to property styling, with agents needing to present flexible solutions that reflect the vendor’s circumstances, budget, and lifestyle.
Partial styling, where vendors remain in their home while stylists remove, store, and replace select furniture, can be an effective compromise that improves presentation without requiring a full-scale relocation.
“Often families can’t vacate completely because of financial or practical reasons, so we work with what they have,” Wilson said. “It might mean swapping out an oversized sofa that makes the room feel smaller, or reconfiguring a spare room to show its potential.”
Wilson emphasised that staging is not a cost but an investment, often increasing the final sale price while helping buyers connect with the property as a “move-in ready” opportunity.
For agents, understanding the psychology of buyers and the flexibility of styling options can transform a listing, making it stand out in a competitive market and attracting the widest possible pool of interest.
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