No Furnishings? No Problem: How REMAX Agents are Utilizing AI for Real Estate Listings

AI image generation may have started as a novelty, but it’s quickly become a powerful professional tool across several industries including real estate. AI tools allow real estate professionals to digitally stage empty rooms with stylish designs, making spaces look furnished and inviting. The room exists, but the furniture doesn’t. So, there’s no need for moving crews, expensive prop furniture and a day of staging to sell the vision.

Hassle-Free Staging

Virtual staging is a cost-effective, low-risk alternative to traditional staging. By eliminating real furniture from the equation, the risk of wear and tear, tripping, electrical malfunctions, and lost or broken items goes with it. Christy Walker, Broker/Owner of REMAX Signature in Phoenix, Arizona, explains that the cost-cutting goes beyond furniture.

“Since it also reduces the cost of hiring a professional who has to have insurance coverage and movers, we can then funnel more dollars into strategic marketing,” Walker says.

Faster listing prep leaves more time for client service, and customizable staging images attract a wider audience.

Virtual Dream Homes

While physical staging can enhance a room, virtual staging can offer a unique array of styles in minutes. Todd Luong, Sales Associate with REMAX DFW Associates in Frisco, Texas, shares his experience.

“I can easily tweak furniture styles to match buyer demographics,” Luong says.

AI’s ease of use and low price makes it possible to test multiple styles and show buyers multiple options instead of just one.

Tony Iacoviello with REMAX Escarpment Realty in Stoney Creek, Ontario, finds that AI can be just as helpful for decluttering.

“Sometimes the best use of AI is actually to remove all the existing furniture and clutter, so a potential buyer can see the room empty and use their own imagination,” Iacoviello says.

Whether filling – or clearing – a room, virtual staging helps match a space to the buyer’s vision.

Virtual staging can be the difference between a click and a skip on an online listing. Especially with unconventional spaces, according to Luong.

“In these types of rooms, buyers see wasted space rather than opportunity,” he says.

With a little help from AI, the possibilities are endless.

“AI staging steps in by showcasing creative, multifunctional uses, such as transforming an attic nook into a cozy reading spot with bookshelves and soft lighting,” Luong explains. “This helps give buyers ideas, demonstrates the home’s versatility and highlights hidden values that physical tours might miss.”

AI makes it easy to reveal a property’s potential in ways traditional staging can’t.

Ricky Cantore with REMAX Advantage Realty in Columbia, Maryland, adds, “[AI staging can] help buyers envision themselves in the home.”

REMAX Tools That Do the Heavy Lifting

REMAX agents have access to Marketing as a Service (MaaS) – a powerful, AI-driven platform that automates listing promotion and enhances property visuals.

MaaS generates digital, video and social materials automatically when a listing hits the MLS and includes real-time performance tracking that agents can share with sellers. The base package is included at no additional cost, and agents can upgrade to advanced campaigns with targeted social ads.

AI-staged images can help buyers see the possibility of a space, but even the most stunning visuals can’t produce results unless they’re seen by the right eyes. MaaS helps that happen by pairing appealing images with targeted advertising to connect agents with prospective buyers and produce measurable results for clients.

Jennifer Fields, a Sales Associate with REMAX At Home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, says showing clients that result is a gamechanger.

“It differentiates me from other agents in the market,” Fields says. “In today’s world, where the first showing happens online and the second showing happens in person, these campaigns help sellers truly understand how many eyes are on their property before anyone ever walks through the door.”

MaaS features AI created videos that transform still photos into dynamic marketing videos, bringing listings to life in a whole new way.

Navigating AI Use in Real Estate

Although useful, AI image generation can be controversial. On social media, AI-generated images can misrepresent or fabricate newsworthy content. As such, transparency is key. Cantore says disclosing the use of AI is important to avoid misrepresenting the space.

“A disclosure won’t hurt the marketing; it will only bolster confidence in potential buyers,” he says.

Walker suggests crafting intentional prompts to ensure a fair representation of the space while still improving the presentation.

“When writing an AI prompt, include specifics, such as ‘keep the picture size, walls, windows and flooring to their current scale, and add only furniture and accessories,’” she says.

While AI staging can be a game-changer, it must be used responsibly. AI-generated images should enhance a buyer’s imagination – not distort reality. Overly enhanced or misleading visuals – sometimes referred to as “AI slop” – can erode trust and lead to buyer frustration.

The Future of Staging

AI staging helps buyers envision themselves in a home – and REMAX professionals are leading the way with tools that are smart and effective. With MaaS and its AI-powered video features, REMAX continues to raise the bar in real estate marketing.

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