"Showing the Goods in Lifestyle Scenes"

I just read an article (WSJ, 11/23/11, by Katherine Rosman) describing how high-end goods (carpets, sofas etc.) are being sold on-line through photographic advertising.  The products, ranging from faux mantles to office decor to furniture) are photographed in a (faux) homey setting and published on-line, or in print catalogs, "showing the goods in lifestyle scenes that resemble glossy magazine layouts."

The scenes are created, one after the other, in a faux home and the photographer lights, captures and crops the scene to emphasize quality and to improve customer comfort in buying sight-unseen.  Ms. Rosman calls it "an evolution in online shopping."

What's that got to do with real estate photography?  Seems like a perfect segueway to me.  High quality photography (what we do) of big ticket items (like homes) emphasizes quality and improves customer comfort in the shopping/evaluation process.  I think this article describes a cultural change going on right now, as people are requiring less 'touch' in shopping and are more willing to use on-line evaluation methods, provided the visual quality on-line is high.  This seems like a Good Thing to me, as a real estate photographer.