Going too minimal
Bland, cookie-cutter staging is a miss, says Kimberly Casey, an agent with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in DC: “We work with stagers to build a layered look tailored to the buyer profile.”
Staying sentimental
“That cherished heirloom piece or bulky favorite table that seats 20 people—remove it,” says Kris Paolini, a principal agent with Redfin in Rockville. “Items that are of significance to you are not important to potential buyers.”
Over-staging
“There’s a sweet spot between staging too much and staging too little,” says Laura Sacher, a senior vice president with Compass in Alexandria. “You do want to stage the main rooms—don’t do the living room and then no other room. But you don’t have to stage the whole house unless it’s very spacious with many rooms and you run the risk of buyers wondering what to do with a room.”
Forgetting curb appeal
Your front entry sets the tone for the whole house, says Brian Block, managing broker for RE/MAX Allegiance in Alexandria. Consider painting the front door, replacing dated lighting, and adding plants for a quick fix.
Being stingy
Sellers often don’t want to spend money on staging or do the bare minimum, says Daryl Judy, an agent with Washington Fine Properties in DC. But staging can increase the eventual sales price by as much as 10 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Getting in Sync
For a launch event in Cleveland Park, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty had synchronized swimmers perform in the home’s pool. “Keep in mind this was October and not exactly pool weather, which made the experience even more unforgettable,” Casey says. “We didn’t just want people to drop in. We wanted them to stay, to imagine entertaining there.” That meant curated music, food, and Casey’s “margarita recipe.” “The property came alive,” she says. “There were 150 people—there would have been more except the street got too crowded.” And in the end? “We got a full-price, all-cash offer at $5.995 million in three days.”
This article appears in the April 2026 issue of Washingtonian.
