Real estate ‘stagers’ prep homes for market. It’s about more than furniture. - The Boston Globe (2024)

Welcome to the world of home staging, a phenomenon that has grown over a half-century into an essential part of the real estate industry — helping buyers imagine their glorious new lives in a new home.

It’s a complex and sought-after profession, especially for luxury homes, which can cost upwards of $30,000 to stage, according to local stagers. And during the Boston area’s bustling spring real estate market, which typically lasts through June, stagers are slammed with work — Harrington even spends the night in a bedroom in her warehouse sometimes. Her efforts, she says, pay off with an added layer of comfort and sophistication.

“Almost every single time, [staging] is 100 percent worth the money,” said Hans Nagrath, a Boston-area realtor and broker. “It gives [a home] so much of a higher chance to sell quickly and ultimately for more.”

Despite fluctuations in the market with the COVID-19 pandemic and the relatively low amount of home inventory, the staging industry, which often targets middle-to-high-end homes, has flourished. Harrington charges between $4,000 and $30,000 per home, depending on its size, scope, and staging duration, and currently has a total of 38 properties staged across the Boston area.

Yet having so many properties staged means one thing: a lot of furniture.

That’s where Harrington’s 9,300-square-foot warehouse, the heart of her staging operation, comes in. From a room filled almost entirely with pillows, to furniture in nearly every opening, to a bed just in case Harrington needs a place to crash after a long day, the company’s Peabody warehouse is where all the pre-staging magic happens. It’s also where Harrington’s team can store some sellers’ furniture — and all that clutter that comes from actually living in a place.

In preparation for the home staging in Watertown, Harrington and her team marked each piece of furniture with a small piece of green tape to denote which house it was going to. Harrington and one of her staff members, Janine Hannibal, carefully selected every item to match the home, from design to size — a home can’t be staged if the furniture doesn’t fit through the door. Her movers, A.J. Rodriguez and Nathan Espejo, then loaded everything into a truck and transported it to the home.

While the team staged the house, Harrington visited two of her staged luxury properties in Boston. The residences, a newly constructed home in the South End and a 2,964-square-foot home in Beacon Hill, were listed at about $3.9 million and $5.6 million, respectively.

Harrington said luxury homes like these can take longer to sell, based on her experience, making the staging process especially crucial. These homes also bring in higher margins for the seller, making it easier for them to afford high-quality staging. The builder for the South End home, Michelle Hediger, said there’s only so much the house can do alone — the furnishings and decor play a key role.

“You can have a $4 million house that is luxury and a $4 million house that is not luxury,” said Hediger. “Luxury is not a price tag — it’s a sensation, and it’s a feeling.”

That’s why, when Harrington stages luxury homes, she considers every detail. At the Beacon Hill residence, Harrington and her team filled office shelves with books like “Forbidden Fruit” and “Cowgirl Cuisine” and small decor items, decorated bathrooms with pieces of art, and even decked out a laundry room with houseplants and a picture of Santorini. Harrington said she also hired a painter and had the lights changed, floors refinished, hardware replaced, and the house cleaned to make it look less outdated.

Each of these components come together to create an enriching experience for the buyer, Harrington said. It’s why traditional staging has more impact than not staging at all or virtual staging, according to local real estate agents.

Virtual staging, which involves adding digital images of furnishings and decor, has taken off in online listings in recent years as a low-cost alternative to traditional staging. But the home itself remains empty — and, agents warn, you get what you pay for.

“Virtual staging is important if you are not going to pay for real staging,” said Charlie Ring, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, who’s worked with Harrington. But, he added, “It doesn’t bring you in once you’re actually in the property.”

Traditional staging is especially important in today’s digital age, according to Harrington, when people have high expectations when they come to see homes.

“We’re such a media-driven society now,” she said. “It’s like we live on Instagram or Pinterest and everyone’s looking at everyone’s houses that look perfect.”

In Harrington’s view, traditional staging has proven to be an extremely effective option. The luxury property she staged on Beacon Hill, for example, was initially on the market last fall without staging. It sat for 88 days.

This time around, months later, Harrington staged the home, and a buyer presented an offer nine days after it was back on the market, according to listing agent Joelle Maguire.

That day in June, Harrington returned to the Watertown house hours after her crew descended on it.

It was completely transformed. There was a nursery, complete with a crib, fur blanket, and giraffe plush; a family room with a gray couch and loveseats; and four matching barstools, meticulously paired with the silver tones of the kitchen.

It all paid off. The day after the house was staged, it was under agreement, according to listing agent Matthew Diozzi — and it went for above asking price. Diozzi said the quick turnaround time was a testament to the effectiveness of home staging.

“When the buyers first saw the property,” Diozzi said, “they could immediately envision themselves in the home.”

Esha Walia can be reached at esha.walia@globe.com.