According to a study co-authored by a professor of real estate and finance at the College of William and Mary, a survey of 820 homebuyers found that, contrary to conventional wisdome, staging a home doesn't impact its sales price. In the survey, the homebuyers were shown virtual tours of 6 different homes, including one without furniture, the same home with "ugly" furniture, and the same home with "pretty" furniture. In addition, the home had variations in wall colors from a "neutral" beige to a less attractive purple. The results of the survey indicate that neither the furniture nor the wall color had any impact whatsoever on the amount the homebuyers were willing to bid for the property. The takeaway from the survey - that buyers are savvy these days and they know that cosmetic changes can be done at relatively little cost. Traditional realtors balked at the results of the survey and argue that even if staging has no impact on sales price, it still helps a property stand out, which can lead to a decrease in the days a property is on the market. My opinion is that while fundamentals (square footage, number of bedrooms, neighborhood, etc.) may drive a buyer's decision, it certainly doesn't hurt to make a great first impression!