Staging is worth it before you list in Las Vegas in most cases, but not the same way for every property. NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Staging found that 29% of agents saw a 1% to 10% increase in dollar value from staging, and 49% saw a reduction in time on market, with a professional staging cost that runs a median of about $1,500. The real question is not whether to stage, it is what to spend that money on first.
I get asked this constantly by sellers who assume every staging dollar comes back the same way. It usually does not. Some rooms move buyers and some do not, so let’s break down where staging money actually works in this market.
Does staging really increase the sale price?
In most cases, yes, though the size of the bump depends heavily on the home and the price point. National data from NAR points to a 1% to 10% increase in offered price when a home is staged, and close to half of listing agents report a faster time on market as a result. On a typical Las Vegas single-family home priced near the current countywide median of $480,000, even the low end of that range is a meaningful number, but it is not guaranteed and depends on your specific home, price point, and how the rest of the listing is handled.
Which rooms should you actually spend on?
NAR’s buyer research consistently ranks the living room as the most important space to stage, cited by 37% of buyers, followed by the primary bedroom at 34% and the kitchen at 23%. If your staging budget is limited, that is the order I tell sellers to prioritize rather than spreading a small budget evenly across every room in the house.
Is virtual staging a reasonable substitute?
Virtual staging can work for listing photos on a vacant home, especially in a price range where buyers expect to see the potential of a space rather than furniture. It does not help once a buyer walks through the door, so for homes that get a lot of in-person showings before going under contract, physical staging or at least decluttering and light furniture placement in the living room and primary bedroom tends to perform better in my experience.
What if you do not want to pay for full staging?
A partial approach, professional staging in the living room, primary bedroom, and kitchen only, along with a deep clean and decluttering everywhere else, captures most of the benefit at a fraction of full-home staging cost. This is usually the right call for sellers who are price-sensitive on prep costs but still want their listing to compete with staged homes nearby.
| Approach | Typical Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Full professional staging | Around $1,500 or more depending on home size | Vacant homes, higher price points, listings that need to stand out |
| Partial staging, key rooms only | $500 to $1,000 | Occupied homes on a tighter prep budget |
| Virtual staging | $30 to $100 per room, photos only | Vacant homes marketed mainly online before showings begin |
| Declutter and clean only | Minimal to none | Sellers who want the lowest cost prep option |
If you are weighing whether staging makes sense for your specific home, send me a few photos and I will tell you honestly where I would and would not spend the money, no pressure, just a straight answer before you list.
Geoff Zahler | Broker/Owner, Zahler Properties
775-351-4699 | [email protected] | zahlerproperties.com