{"id":517070,"date":"2025-05-06T21:48:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T21:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daltxrealestate.com\/?p=517070"},"modified":"2025-05-06T21:48:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T21:48:19","slug":"survey-reveals-tv-shows-have-homebuyers-expecting-open-houses-with-popcorn-and-plot-twists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/survey-reveals-tv-shows-have-homebuyers-expecting-open-houses-with-popcorn-and-plot-twists\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey Reveals: TV Shows Have Homebuyers Expecting Open Houses With Popcorn and Plot Twists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

DALLAS, TX \u2014 The National Association of REALTORS\u00ae (NAR) Research Group just released a new report based on their 2025 survey<\/a>. It looks at how home staging is affecting real estate deals from both the buyer\u2019s and seller\u2019s point of view. The study also digs into how TV shows are shaping what buyers expect, along with other trends in the home buying process. The findings come from 1,266 REALTORS\u00ae who responded out of nearly 50,000 surveyed, giving a response rate of just 2.5% and a margin of error of \u00b12.75%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, home staging<\/a> has been touted as a secret weapon for sellers. Now, hard numbers back up its reputation. According to NAR\u2019s findings, a striking 60% of buyers\u2019 agents said staging affects most buyers\u2019 perceptions of a home \u201cmost of the time,\u201d while an additional 26% said it sways buyers, albeit not always. Only a small minority 12% believed staging had no impact at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStaging isn\u2019t just about pretty pillows and fresh flowers<\/em>,\u201d explained Dr. Jessica Lautz, NAR\u2019s Deputy Chief Economist. \u201cIt\u2019s about helping people see themselves living in that space. Our research shows 83% of buyers\u2019 agents agree\u2014it makes it easier for buyers to visualize a property as their future home<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Source: nar.realtor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to which rooms matter most, the hierarchy is clear. The living room tops the list, with 37% of agents calling it the most important space to stage, followed by the primary bedroom (34%) and the kitchen (23%). Guest bedrooms and children\u2019s rooms, by contrast, barely register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact is financial too. 17% of buyers\u2019 agents reported that staging nudged offers up by 1\u20135% compared to similar unstaged homes. While 41% saw no effect on price, the potential upside is enough to keep sellers investing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the seller\u2019s side, the commitment to staging varies. Just 21% of sellers\u2019 agents said they stage every listing, while 10% reserve staging for hard-to-sell homes. A majority\u201451%\u2014prefer to recommend decluttering or minor repairs rather than full-scale staging. For those who do stage, the median spend is $1,500 with a professional service, but drops to $500 when agents roll up their own sleeves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuality of design and price are the top factors when picking a staging company<\/em>,\u201d noted Brandi Snowden, NAR\u2019s Director of Member and Consumer Survey Research. \u201cIt\u2019s a business decision, not just an aesthetic one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staging can even help homes sell faster. Thirty percent of sellers\u2019 agents noted a slight decrease in days on market for staged homes, and 19% reported a significant drop. Only a handful (4%) saw staging actually slow down a sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TV Shows and Family: The New Influencers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s not just fresh paint and throw blankets shaping buyer behavior. The media\u2014especially home-buying TV shows\u2014now wields outsized influence. Nearly half (48%) of agents said their clients expected homes to look \u201clike they were staged on TV,\u201d and 58% reported buyers were disappointed when reality fell short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTV has set a standard that\u2019s often unattainable,\u201d admitted one survey respondent. \u201cBuyers come in with expectations that just don\u2019t match the real world.\u201d In fact, 73% of agents said TV shows had impacted their business by setting unrealistic or heightened expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, despite the media\u2019s sway, 77% of agents say they aren\u2019t influenced to stage homes exactly as seen on TV. \u201cWe have to balance what sells with what\u2019s feasible,\u201d said another agent. \u201cNot every home can\u2014or should\u2014look like a set.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Family dynamics also play a growing role. A median of 23% of buyers brought non-purchasing family members to viewings, and 40% consulted family during the process, even if relatives wouldn\u2019t live in the home. \u201cIt\u2019s a multigenerational decision for many,\u201d Lautz observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buyers are also coming to the table with clear ideas\u201479% know where they want to live, and 76% have an ideal home in mind before starting their search. But the process itself remains daunting: 42% expect it to be difficult, and 38% find it even harder than they imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Noteworthy Findings:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • 27% of agents report that more buyers are planning to flip homes, and 42% say there’s an increase in those looking to remodel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 61% of buyers don\u2019t have a set number of homes in mind, but for those who do, the median is eight in-person showings and 20 virtual tours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 55% of agents say buyers\u2019 expectations around how many homes they\u2019ll see before buying are aligned with market realities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Staging remains a powerful tool\u2014especially for the living room, bedroom, and kitchen\u2014but today\u2019s buyers are also guided by television, family, and a growing desire for customization. For REALTORS\u00ae, the challenge is clear: bridge the gap between fantasy and reality, one open house at a time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    DALLAS, TX \u2014 The National Association of REALTORS\u00ae (NAR) Research Group just released a new report based on their 2025 survey. It looks at how home staging is affecting real estate deals from both the buyer\u2019s and seller\u2019s point of view. The study also digs into how TV shows are shaping what buyers expect, along […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":517071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[2912,2913,329,388,227,242,91,646,2914,2834,2802,2915,2050,2916,2917,2918,2340,251,2919,58,2920],"class_list":["post-517070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-buyer-expectations","tag-hgtv-effect","tag-home-buying-tips","tag-home-decor-2","tag-home-design","tag-home-selling-tips-2","tag-home-staging","tag-home-tour","tag-home-tours-open-house","tag-homebuyers","tag-housing-market","tag-lifestyle-real-estate","tag-market-insights","tag-millennial-buyers","tag-open-house","tag-pop-culture","tag-real-estate-insights","tag-real-estate-marketing","tag-real-estate-survey","tag-real-estate-trends","tag-tv-shows"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=517070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517070\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=517070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=517070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.gcu.edu.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=517070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}