The Silicon Valley startup is redefining the art of real estate marketing with cutting-edge AI.
In a world where Zillow scrolling happens at lightning speed and 97% of buyers begin their journey online (National Association of Realtors’ 2021 Real Estate in a Digital Age report), the quality of listing visuals isn’t just a differentiator—it’s a dealmaker. Yet most staging workflows still belong to the pre-digital, pre-AI era.
According to a recent survey of 750 CFOs at major real estate firms, only 14% of real estate companies are actively using AI. And for many professionals, “using AI” still means little more than drafting listing descriptions or social media copies with ChatGPT.
Listing visuals, meanwhile, remain largely untouched by AI innovation. The process continues to be dominated by stagers, photographers, marketing agencies, and human virtual staging providers—leaving sellers to shoulder the cost, time, and coordination.
Payton Stiewe, Real Estate Advisor at Engel & Völkers San Francisco, who brings 22 years of real estate experience and a background working with top-tier designers, now questions the model: “With today’s economic uncertainty, I’m rethinking the necessity of spending $20,000 to $40,000 on staging.”
One AI startup is challenging that status quo—and has already been adopted by over 10,000 agents, developers, and investors from leading real estate firms.
Collov AI, a Silicon Valley-based startup, is redefining property marketing with its AI-powered virtual staging platform, built on its proprietary World Engine. View how it works:
“We believe agents should focus on selling, not photo editing,” said Xiao Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Collov AI, who holds a Ph.D. from Stanford.
While the design outcomes are similar to physical staging and human virtual staging, Collov AI removes stagers and photographers entirely – a move that the company said can save sellers up to 98% of the cost of physical staging and reduce virtual staging turnaround time by one-third.
In a “time is money” industry, creating an MLS-ready image on Collov AI takes just seconds. With traditional methods, agents are still coordinating furniture rentals, photography sessions, and back-and-forth revisions with outsourced teams. That era may soon be over.
Stiewe shared: “We’ve used Collov AI on multiple listings and buyer consultations. The turnaround is fast, the cost is a fraction of traditional staging, and in this market, it’s a smart, strategic move.”
For as little as $0.17 per photo, sellers can virtually stage listings in on-trend styles with photorealistic results, 2K resolution—even from low-quality input photos.
With extensive industry knowledge and a clear understanding of real estate regulations, Collov AI is built to protect listing integrity. It does not modify photos in ways that distort room dimensions or alter permanent fixtures. The system also adds virtual staging disclaimers automatically, ensuring full transparency for MLS and online listing platforms.
For those needing customization and flexibility, Collov AI’s $39 plan includes powerful editing tools like one-click decluttering, twilight conversion, wall color swapping, and individual furniture changes—features that are typically charged separately per photo and per task by traditional human virtual staging platforms.
Collov AI’s customers are already seeing results. Samuel Yang, PREC* at Nu Stream Realty, called it “jaw-droppingly realistic,” crediting it for reviving a listing that sold after two months of inactivity. James Choi, a NYC property manager, said it helped him attract higher-quality tenants at better rental rates.
This user-friendly product has helped many agents—especially those new to AI—build confidence and interest in integrating technology into their daily workflow. The simplicity of the one-click design has even inspired some buyer agents to snap photos of empty properties during showings and present AI-staged versions to clients on the spot.
“We know agents are too busy to learn another complicated tool,” said Markk Tong, Founding Marketing & Sales Manager at Collov AI. “That’s why we designed the experience to require zero learning. If you can take a photo, you can do the design.”
Collov AI is also planning to launch new features to support listing prep—from generating social media posts and listing videos to one-click property websites—helping sellers market listings faster and more effectively.
The platform now offers two free photos for all new users. Click here to try it out.