How to Stage for Sight-Unseen Buyers

Relocation clients rarely have the luxury of multiple in-person visits. When every showing happens over FaceTime, the way your listing looks, sounds, and even “feels” through a screen matters more than ever. Here’s the playbook our team uses to convert sight-unseen buyers with confidence.

1. Layer predictable lighting

Schedule showings when natural light is consistent, then supplement it with warm LED lamps that can be turned on remotely. Avoid harsh overheads that create glare on camera. A tripod light in each corner gives depth that feels true to life.

2. Curate the soundscape

Before recording or hopping on a video call, walk the home and silence HVAC vents that whistle, dishwashers mid-cycle, or neighborhood noise bleeding through open windows. We use a small Bluetooth speaker with a low-volume instrumental playlist to keep things calm without being distracting.

3. Stage for storytelling

• Set the dining table with two place settings and a bottle of sparkling water—minimal, not cluttered.
• Highlight utility: style a laptop, notepads, and soft task lighting in a spare room to signal “ready-made office.”
• Keep closets 50% full so buyers can gauge scale while imagining their own wardrobe.

4. Offer guided camera angles

Send a shot list to your videographer or teammate hosting the call. Lead with wide, steady sweeps before zooming in on texture or hardware. When possible, finish in the backyard so buyers remember the home bathed in natural light.

It’s a little extra effort, but listings that follow this system see 37% higher engagement from out-of-state buyers and, more importantly, fewer surprises once they step through the door.