Virtual Staging is Helping People Get Their Homes “Screen-Ready”

Wichita, Kansas-based Realtor Dan Madrigal has been the Berkshire Hathaway #1 agent for his company for five years in a row. Dan Madrigal was also recognized in the Wall Street Journal as one of the nation’s top salesmen and is the most-reviewed real estate agent in Wichita on Zillow.

One of the most important parts of selling a home is making it look appealing to the buyer. That can be a big expense if the home is empty but virtual staging technology is making the process a lot simpler and less expensive. Virtual staging allows agents to add furniture, paint, and other accessories to a home that is entirely vacant using imaging technology.

Listing a vacant home with no furnishings is a lot less impactful and has a reduced “screen appeal” for online browsers. However, furnishing a home is not always an option since there are budgetary and time constraints usually linked to a sale. Virtual staging is an effective way to get all the benefits of physical staging with a fraction of the investment. Of course, physical staging still has a place with buyers that visit the home in person.

The VW Buses’ Road to Popularity in the US

Recognized among the highest-rated Realtors in Wichita, Kansas, Dan Madrigal leads the Madrigal Team Gold at Berkshire Hathaway. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Dan Madrigal owns four restored Volkswagen (VW) buses, which he takes to car shows.

German automaker Volkswagen entered the US markets in the 1950s with its iconic VW Beetle. Although initially accepted by American consumers with tepidity because of its Nazi connections, the VW Beetle eventually became a top seller among imported autos in America. In March 1950, Volkswagen expanded its product line by producing a microbus, which was officially known as VW Type 2.

The concept of the VW bus was invented by Ben Pon, a Dutch importer of Beetles to the Netherlands, who produced the earliest sketches of a small bus. In 1947, Volkswagen engineers developed the idea into a “boxy, utilitarian, rear-engine” vehicle.

The VW bus became known for many nicknames, such as Transporter, Combi (short for the combined-use vehicle), and Splittie (referring to its split windshield). For Americans, the VW bus became known as hippie van since it was used by youth groups in transporting their camping gears and supplies to anti-war rallies and concerts. Throughout the 1960’ the VW bus became an icon for the counterculture movement in America.