Home staging isn’t just for luxury listings — the data says it measurably speeds the sale and can lift your offer. But you don’t need to stage every room or spend a fortune. Here’s what the national research shows actually adds value when you sell in Maryland, which rooms matter most, and what it really costs.
Key Takeaways
- 49% of sellers’ agents said staging reduced a home’s time on market, and 29% said it raised the offer by 1%–10% (NAR, 2025).
- Buyers care most about three rooms: the living room (37%), primary bedroom (34%), and kitchen (23%).
- Professional photos are the top-rated marketing element — 88% of agents called them more or much more important to their clients (NAR, 2025).
- Staging is affordable: a median of $1,500 for a professional service, or about $500 when your agent stages it.
Does home staging actually work?
The evidence says yes. In its 2025 Profile of Home Staging, the National Association of REALTORS® found that 49% of sellers’ agents said staging reduced the time a home spent on the market, and 83% of buyers’ agents said it made it easier for buyers to picture the home as their own (NAR, 2025).
That “easier to picture it” effect is the whole point. A staged home helps a buyer emotionally move in before they’ve made an offer — and buyers who can imagine themselves living there tend to act faster and compete harder.
How much does staging add to your offer?
Staging can move the number, though it’s not a guarantee. In the 2025 NAR report, 29% of agents said staging led to a 1% to 10% increase in the dollar value offered on a home (NAR, 2025). On a median-priced Maryland home — $465,000 in June 2026 (Maryland REALTORS®) — even the low end of that range is real money against a modest staging cost.
And the cost is modest. NAR pegs the median at about $1,500 for a professional staging service, or roughly $500 when the listing agent handles the staging. That’s a small, high-leverage investment relative to the price of the home — one reason we build a staging plan into every listing.
Which rooms should you stage?
You don’t have to stage the whole house. From the buyer’s perspective, three rooms carry the most weight: the living room (37%), the primary bedroom (34%), and the kitchen (23%) (NAR, 2025). Focus your effort — and budget — there first.
It matches how agents work, too: sellers’ agents most often stage the living room (91%), primary bedroom (83%), dining room (69%), and kitchen (68%). Start with the spaces buyers stand in and imagine their lives — declutter, depersonalize, and let the light in.
Photos matter as much as the staging
Here’s the piece sellers underestimate: the staging only pays off if the photos capture it. In the same research, sellers’ agents rated professional photos as more or much more important to their clients than any other marketing element — 88%, ahead of video (47%) and physical staging (43%) (NAR, 2025).
In a market where the typical Maryland home goes under contract in 11 days, those listing photos are what earn the first-week showings that create competition. Stage the key rooms, then shoot them professionally — the two work together.
Does staging matter in Maryland’s seller-friendly market?
It still does. Maryland is fast — a median of 11 days on market statewide in June 2026, with homes in Howard, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore County moving in 7–8 days (Maryland REALTORS®). But “fast” doesn’t mean “top dollar automatically.” Even in a seller’s market, staged, well-photographed homes are the ones that draw multiple offers and push the final number up. Presentation is how you convert a quick sale into a strong one. Our guide to selling a home in Maryland walks through the full timeline.
DIY or professional staging?
Both work; it’s a question of budget and time. Agent-led or DIY staging — decluttering, rearranging your own furniture, and refreshing the key rooms — runs around $500 and captures much of the benefit. A professional stager, at a median of about $1,500, brings furniture and a designer’s eye, which pays off most on vacant homes or higher-end listings. The right call depends on your price point and how the home shows empty. We’ll tell you honestly which one your home needs.
Get a staging plan for your home
Thinking about selling? Talk with a Next Step Realty agent and we’ll walk your home room by room, tell you exactly what to stage (and what to skip), and pair it with professional photography built to win those first-week showings. Explore our full seller resources to see what listing with Next Step looks like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does staging a home really help it sell?
Yes. In NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Staging, 49% of sellers’ agents said staging reduced time on market and 83% of buyers’ agents said it made it easier for buyers to visualize the home as their own. It helps buyers commit faster — which matters even in a fast market.
How much does home staging cost?
According to NAR (2025), the median cost is about $1,500 for a professional staging service, or roughly $500 when the listing agent stages the home. That’s a small investment relative to a median-priced Maryland home ($465,000 in June 2026) and the potential offer lift.
Which rooms should I stage first?
The three buyers weigh most, per NAR (2025): the living room (37%), the primary bedroom (34%), and the kitchen (23%). Sellers’ agents most often stage the living room, primary bedroom, dining room, and kitchen. Focus your budget on the spaces buyers stand in and imagine living in.
Does staging increase the sale price?
It can. In NAR’s 2025 report, 29% of agents said staging led to a 1% to 10% increase in the dollar value offered — not a guarantee, but a meaningful lift against a modest staging cost. Great photos of the staged rooms are what convert the effort into offers.
Is staging worth it in a seller’s market like Maryland’s?
Yes. Maryland homes sold in a median of 11 days in June 2026 (Maryland REALTORS®), but a fast sale isn’t automatically a high one. Staged, professionally photographed homes are the ones that attract multiple offers and push the final price up.
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS® — “2025 Profile of Home Staging” (press release, May 6, 2025), retrieved 2026-08-10, https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-report-reveals-home-staging-boosts-sale-prices-and-reduces-time-on-market
- National Association of REALTORS® — Profile of Home Staging (research report), retrieved 2026-08-10, https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/profile-of-home-staging
- GlobeNewswire — NAR Report Reveals Home Staging Boosts Sale Prices (official wire, May 6, 2025), retrieved 2026-08-10, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/05/06/3075133/0/en/NAR-Report-Reveals-Home-Staging-Boosts-Sale-Prices-and-Reduces-Time-on-Market.html
- Maryland REALTORS® — Housing Statistics June 2026, retrieved 2026-08-10, https://www.mdrealtor.org/HousingStats