Quick answer
Virtual staging is far cheaper and faster and is ideal for online marketing, while physical staging puts real furniture in the home for in-person showings. For most vacant listings, virtual staging delivers the majority of the visual benefit at a small fraction of the cost; physical staging adds value mainly when in-person showing experience is critical.
Physical staging typically costs hundreds to thousands of dollars per property and takes days to schedule and install. Virtual staging costs a few dollars per image and is ready in minutes to hours. For agents marketing many listings, that difference compounds quickly.
Since the vast majority of buyers begin their search online, the photos and videos do most of the persuading. Virtual staging — especially staged video — competes directly there. Physical staging’s edge is the in-person showing, where real furniture lets buyers experience the space bodily.