Nothing is more reminiscent of the best holiday memories than the feeling of being in a cozy home. This time of year is perfect for real estate agents to combine holiday cheer with purposeful home staging. Whether you’re still in pre-licensing or building your skills through continuing education courses, it’s a great chance to learn how seasonal touches can influence buyers. 

In this blog, we’ll share creative home-staging and decoration techniques you can use to showcase properties during the holiday season and attract motivated buyers.

Why Staging Is Important

There are no guarantees in real estate. However, if your client wants potential buyers to fall in love with their home, staging can be a major factor in winning people over and helping your property to stand out.

Your home has been the backdrop to your life for years. Staging it allows potential buyers to picture their own futures within the walls. The numbers back this up. Over 80% of real estate agents believe staging helps buyers visualize living in a house, and staged homes often sell faster and for higher prices. Since staging can speed up the selling process and possibly draw offers well above the asking price, it's frequently a more cost-effective option than lowering the price. 

How to Stage Your Listings for the Holidays

Staging is about creating an emotional connection, not just about decorating. A well-staged home invites a potential buyer to imagine themselves in the space. With the holiday season upon us, everyone has their minds towards new beginnings and fresh starts. During this time of year, holiday home staging can make people feel warm, cozy, and full of possibilities. These feelings can stay with buyers long after the showing is over. 

By making small changes, you can more effectively make your house appealing. If you're a real estate agent looking to stage your listings for the holidays, here are some creative techniques to give properties that special seasonal touch.

1. Use Neutral and Universal Decorations

Keep the holiday decorations neutral and universal, considering not everyone celebrates the same holidays. Think of wintry scenes rather than religious themes so everyone feels included. Snowflakes, pinecones, and warm twinkling lights can evoke the holiday spirit without being exclusive.

2. Set the Scene with a Festive Entrance

First impressions count. Consider placing a beautiful wreath on the front door and lining the walkway with soft, glowing lanterns. A simple doormat with a holiday message is another inviting and quick touch you can add.

3. Create Cozy Vibes

Enhance the home's coziness by using soft throws, plush rugs, unlit candles, and decorative pillows in wintry shades of white, gray, and deep red. Make sure to incorporate classic fall and winter patterns. This not only makes spaces more inviting but also gives potential buyers a visual of what their future holiday home could look like.

4. Set Tablescapes that Dazzle

Set the dining room table with a festive holiday spread. Use gold or silver chargers, elegant stemware, and cloth napkins to create a sophisticated look. A centerpiece with winter greenery, candles, and pinecones can be the cherry on top.

5. Put Focus on the Fireplace

If the property has a fireplace, make it a focal point. A tastefully decorated mantle with stockings, garland, and candles can make buyers envision themselves curled up by the fire on a cold winter night.

6. Add Holiday Scents

Use subtle and natural scents to enhance the holiday feeling. Fresh-baked cookies, pine, or cinnamon can make a home feel warm and inviting. However, always be cautious not to overdo it, as strong fragrances can be off-putting to some.

7. Bake Some Holiday Treats

Speaking of fresh-baked cookies and cinnamon scents, why not make holiday treats to add a cozy holiday smell?

On open house days, consider baking some holiday cookies or treats. The scent of freshly baked goods can create a comforting atmosphere, and offering snacks to potential buyers makes the experience memorable.

8. Minimalist Tree Decor

If you choose to include a Christmas tree, keep it understated and elegant. Avoid personal or kitschy ornaments. Instead, choose a theme, like silver and gold, and stick to it. A tastefully decorated tree can be a beautiful addition without overshadowing the property's features.

9. Highlight Outdoor Spaces

If the property has an outdoor space like a patio or a garden, string some lights and add a fire pit or heater. Show potential buyers how they can utilize this space even in colder months. Consider taking aerial photos or videos by using a drone so clients can get a 360° view of the entire property.

10. Create Warmth with Lighting

Swap out bright white bulbs for softer, warmer ones. The right lighting can make a home feel intimate and cozy. Add some candles, lanterns, or fairy lights for that extra festive touch.

Make Your Listing Shine This Holiday Season

Staging a property for the holidays isn't just about adding decorations; it's about evoking an emotional response.

When potential buyers walk into a home and feel the warmth, comfort, and joy of the holiday season, they're more likely to envision themselves living there. This makes it the perfect opportunity for any real estate agent to embrace the magic of the season and let it shine through their listings.

Additionally, don’t forget to leave something that potential clients will remember you by. Whether it’s a business card attached to a candy cane or a personalized pack of festive colored mints with your contact information on it, you want to leave a lasting impression on everyone who walks into the open house. This will make them think of you for their next real estate needs.

Home Staging Statistics

Staging your home is not just a bit of make-up for your house’s first date with a buyer; it's a smart investment that can significantly impact your sale price and speed, according to the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA). Staged homes are more market-ready. This is a huge advantage to everyone: agents, sellers, and buyers.

• Staged Houses Sell More Quickly - By cutting down on preparation and staging time, staged properties sell 72% faster than unstaged ones. 

• Better Visualization for Buyers - According to 81% of buyers' agents, staging helps buyers see a property as their future home.

• A Small Investment Means Huge Returns - Staging is generally affordable. The average cost being about $1,500. Even simple staging can have a big impact on sales, with one-third of real estate agents reporting faster sales and some buyers even offering as much as 5% more than the asking price. 

Home Sales During the Holidays

The holiday season is about more than catchy carols, spiced cookies, and snowy scenery. In real estate, the holiday season is all about timing.  Once winter hits, the market has already slowed down considerably. Most buyers prefer to move in the spring or summer before the start of the new school year. 

However, this isn't so much a bad thing. Buyers who choose to purchase a home during the colder months have more negotiating power, face less competition, and avoid bidding wars. New numbers show that prices went down on 14% of listings in December 2023 and almost 19% of listings in November 2023.

If your home is staged, you already have an advantage. There will be less competition for your home because many families take their homes off the market over the holidays. This means that active buyers often have more options and can negotiate with motivated sellers, even though sales are slower from November to January.

Because you won’t have as many clients during the holidays, you should use this time as a real estate agent to offer a more personalized service. Sellers may also be more flexible, especially if their home has been on the market for a long time.

All that being said, buying a home in the winter presents its own unique difficulties. It can be hard to work with professionals in the field during certain times of the year, so many sellers wait to list until after the holidays. 

None of this should stop you from helping your clients get the home of their dreams. Buyers should take advantage of the winter market's unique potential. Just remind them to stay organized, book services ahead of time, and remain flexible.

Next Steps

This holiday season, make staging one of your top priorities. It not only boosts the property’s appeal, but it also helps to reduce market time and can even lead to a higher offer price. When the market fluctuates so much in the winter, it doesn’t pay to skimp on staging. 

Another place to invest is in yourself. VanEd is a great option for anyone who wants to work in real estate since it offers online real estate pre-licensing courses that are a quick and efficient way to get started. 

If you’re already a real estate agent, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered, too. At VanEd, we also offer real estate Continuing Education (CE) courses so you can quickly and effectively renew and maintain your real estate license. Sign up today!