Meet the ‘staging pets’ helping real estate agents appeal to buyers

19 September 2024
Cat in property listing

Research by Money.com.au reveals a growing trend of using ‘staging pets’ in property listing photos to appeal to homebuyers with animals.

Canberra real estate agent, Catherine Halloran, uses pets, including her French bulldog, Rollo, specifically for staging property listing photos and social media. She said this approach encourages buyers to spend more time on a listing and makes it more memorable.

“Showing pets in real estate photos is a good way to break down barriers between sellers and buyers. I’ve had so many buyers look at whether a house will suit their pets before they even check whether their fridge fits,” she said.

French bulldog Rollo on social media
Source: Catherine Halloran Real Estate.
Pug dog named Rollo
Source: Open2View ACT. Rollo often features in property listings.

With nearly 70% of Australian households owning a pet, the demand for pet-friendly living continues to grow. Analysis by Money.com.au found 3,428 properties — nearly 2% of all national listings — available for sale under the ‘pet-friendly’ filter on realestate.com.au. Of those, 1,345 are in Queensland (3% of the state’s total listings), 1,139 are in New South Wales (2% of the state’s total), and 509 are in Victoria (2% of the state’s total).

Money.com.au found 5,375 properties — 3% of all national listings — available for sale under the ‘pet-friendly’ filter on Domain. Of those, 5,378 are in New South Wales (3% of the state’s total), 1,570 are in Victoria (nearly 3% of the state’s total), and 1,104 are in Queensland (4% of the state’s total listings).

A dog named Drax with owners Lucy and Aaron
Source: provided. Lucy, and her husband Aaron and their American staffy (Drax).

Lucy Yang, recently bought a 4-bedroom home in Richardson, ACT, with plenty of space for her three dogs, Drax, Hulk and Cheeky, and her cat, Sassy. She said seeing pets in real estate photos was particularly appealing when she was house hunting.

“Having a picture where there was a dog on the couch or a cat sitting in the sun by the back door made it that much easier for us to imagine ourselves and our pets living there. It showed us that pets had previously lived in and thrived in the comfort of that home,” she said.

“It wasn’t the case where we didn’t consider other listings, but knowing a backyard was already ‘dog-proofed’ meant it was one less thing we had to be concerned about during the stressful process of moving.”

Lucy said she would even consider placing a higher offer on a property with the right pet-friendly features for her fur babies.

“If a property already included a safe, sturdy cat enclosure or had other special pet features, we definitely would’ve considered placing a higher offer. Colorbond fencing was also incredibly desirable and was a must in any listing we viewed.”

ALX Creative Media Real Estate Photographer, Alexandra Wetzel, said real estate marketing is shifting away from selling a property to selling a lifestyle.

“Staging pets in real estate photos has become fairly common over the last few years. However, it ultimately depends on the agent and vendor’s personal preferences,” she said.

“Pets are a big part of our lifestyle. The idea is to draw buyers in by creating an emotional connection — who doesn’t love a cute puppy? Properties with larger yards, often suited to families with young kids and a family dog, tend to feature pets.”

Horses in a barn
Source: ALX Creative Media.

“For rural properties, having pets, animals, or livestock in the shots is a must, as they are an essential part of the lifestyle. It also helps to showcase property features, like equestrian facilities, where showing horses and people riding makes the photos and videos more engaging.”