For most luxury listings, yes. Buyers at the top of the market compare a small number of similar homes, and staging shapes the photos, the first minutes of the showing and how the scale and view of the home are understood. In NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Staging, 49% of sellers' agents said staging reduced time on market.
Why the luxury market is different
A buyer looking at a $6 million home in Newport Coast or Laguna Beach is not scrolling through hundreds of listings. They are comparing five or six homes with similar views and similar square footage, usually with an agent who has walked all of them. Small differences in how a home is presented carry more weight when the shortlist is that short.
Empty luxury homes have a particular problem: volume. A large, empty great room looks cavernous in photos and echoes at the showing, and expensive finishes look cold without furniture, art and textiles around them. Staging restores the sense of scale and gives the buyer something to respond to.
What the national data says
The National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Profile of Home Staging surveyed agents about staging. 49% of sellers' agents said staging reduced the time a home spent on the market, including 19% who said it reduced it greatly. Buyers' agents named the living room (37%), the primary bedroom (34%) and the kitchen (23%) as the most important rooms to stage.
These are national figures for all price points. We cite them because they are the most widely used survey on staging, not because they predict any one home's result.
When staging matters most
- The home is vacant, especially with large rooms or high ceilings.
- The view is the selling point and the rooms do not yet frame it.
- The home is new construction or a remodel and feels like a showroom without furniture.
- The owner's furniture is dated or too personal and works against the architecture.
- Outdoor spaces such as terraces, roof decks and pool areas are empty.
When a lighter touch is enough
If the home is already beautifully furnished, lived-in staging or a design consultation may be all it needs: editing, rearranging and a few new pieces to make the photos read clearly.
Read more about what luxury staging costs on the coast.
Quick answers
Does staging help sell luxury homes faster?
In NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Staging, 49% of sellers' agents said staging reduced time on market. Results vary by home and market.
Which rooms matter most to stage?
In NAR's 2025 survey, buyers' agents named the living room (37%), primary bedroom (34%) and kitchen (23%) as the most important rooms to stage. On the coast, terraces and view decks matter too.
