Market Shifts Push Top Brokers to Make Staging a First Priority

Written by:

Rudi Davis

Date:

09 Sep 2025

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The Piedmont Triad’s real estate market is experiencing a significant shift in how top-performing brokers approach property marketing, with many now proactively seeking professional staging services, a dramatic change from just a few years ago, according to one industry expert.

“We’re seeing a lot more interest as a strategy among some top performing brokers, where they’re like, ‘We really get it. We get the value of staging,'” says Tesia Lambert, Franchise Owner of Linden Creek in the Piedmont Triad.

Market Dynamics Driving Change

Lambert observes a fundamental shift in market conditions driving this trend. “Right now, the market feels somewhat balanced. I wouldn’t say it’s a buyer’s market. I wouldn’t say it’s a seller’s market. We are seeing more buyers asking for more things like repairs and updates to a home,” she notes.

This represents a significant change from the COVID-era market when, as Lambert points out, “things were flying off the shelves. You had just historic record-breaking movement with inventory.”

The Luxury Market Challenge

The impact is particularly pronounced in luxury properties, where staging has become increasingly critical. “In the luxury market, if they’re not staged, they do sit longer. Luxury market doesn’t fly off the shelves to begin with, but especially if it’s not staged, it will sit longer,” Lambert explains.

Data-Driven Results

Lambert’s firm tracks specific metrics around staging’s impact, including time on market, sale price versus asking price, and likelihood of competing offers. She points to concrete examples, including a luxury property that sat for 649 days unstaged, then sold in just 13 days after professional staging.

“We’re seeing metrics come through around how long a home will sit on the market if it’s unstaged versus staged,” Lambert says. “What kind of money are you leaving on the table if you don’t stage a home? Are you getting the top offer? Are you getting what you’re asking for? Are you getting competing offers?”