We’ve all seen those picture-perfect homes on Instagram. The lighting is dreamy, the furniture looks like it came from a magazine, and the throw blanket is draped like a work of art. That’s staging for the camera. And it works, because today, most buyers start their home search online.
But the thing is, what looks great in a photo doesn’t always work in real life.
When I walk into a home with buyers, they’re not just judging how it looks, they’re thinking about how it feels, trying to imagine themselves living there. So, staging for showings is a whole different game.
Staging for the camera is about first impressions
Photos flatten space. What feels open and spacious in person can look tight and busy on a phone screen. That’s why photo staging leans toward minimalism. We’re editing the space to make it feel clean, open, and inviting in two dimensions.
This often means removing things you use every day… Extra chairs, busy rugs, family photos, pet beds, colorful kitchen appliances.
You’ll notice photographers moving things around to get the right angles. They might reposition furniture, angle chairs, or remove a lamp that’s great in real life but awkward in a shot.
We’re just making sure the eye is drawn to the space itself, not the stuff inside it.
Staging for showings is about how the home feels
Once a buyer schedules a showing, the job shifts. They’ve already seen the photos. Now they’re stepping into the space. And this is when the “feel” of the home becomes everything.
You want them to imagine their life there. That means the space needs to feel comfortable, functional, and just enough like home. You don’t want it to feel like a sterile model house. You also don’t want it to feel like someone else’s life is still happening in every corner.
In person, buyers notice things that don’t show up in photos: the smell, the temperature, how easily they can move through the space, where the light falls at certain times of day. That gorgeous blanket tossed just so on the edge of the couch? It might photograph well, but it could look awkward or out of place in real life. Or worse, it could feel like the home is too “staged” to be real.
You also want to think about function. Are walkways clear? Can doors open without hitting furniture? Is it easy to see the size of the rooms without distractions? These are small details, but they’re the things people remember when they walk out of a showing.
So what do we do? Both. Just not at the same time.
When I work with sellers, we often prep the home one way for photography and another way for showings. That might mean restyling the coffee table, turning on different lights, or adding back a few cozy elements to warm up the space for in-person visits.
The photo version of your home is your marketing tool. It’s what gets buyers in the door. The showing version is what gets them to make an offer. When both are done right, you create a smooth experience from screen to front door.
A few tips I always share with sellers:
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Start with photos in mind. Once the home is cleaned and decluttered, we’ll walk through and prep for photography. Think light, open, and neutral.
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Be ready to make small adjustments after photos. This might mean bringing back a few lived-in touches, like a kitchen towel, a soft throw, or a bench by the door.
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Think about flow. During showings, make sure buyers can move easily through the space. If something’s not clicking, we adjust. Sometimes it’s as simple as swapping a rug or removing a chair.
Every home is different, but the overall goal is always the same: create a space that shows well online and feels like home in person.
Kelli Eggen
