The real estate industry is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing markets. To remain competitive in the industry, businesses must quickly adapt to changes and implement new methods.
Among the most influential factors in recent years is the COVID-19 pandemic. This has forced companies to do business differently and has also changed the way customers make purchasing decisions. COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation in the real estate sector in many ways. The emergence of new tools and tendencies, such as off-plan 3D virtual tours, has changed the approach to real estate sales and promotion.
Today, 3D virtual tours have become one of the most effective ways to showcase new properties. Real estate agents and companies can now allow people to explore houses, apartments, offices, or commercial buildings from the comfort of their homes.
It’s one thing when we have a finished building and create a 3D tour to promote it—another when the property is under construction or does not yet exist in reality. With the latest computer technology in architectural design, it is now possible to demonstrate real estate in a realistic and immersive manner, thereby increasing the chance of a successful deal.
The target audience expects to collect as much information as possible about the object of interest to them. This is why it is very important to showcase and visualize the plan understandably while it is on paper. To achieve this, real estate companies collaborate with developers, interior designers, and real estate agents. Using technical 3D marketing solutions such as 360-degree virtual tours is a great way to attract new potential clients.
360 virtual tours allow users to walk around the space. These tours provide the client with complete immersion through high-quality photorealistic images, videos, and animations. 3D architectural renderings are of a high standard and realistically depict surroundings so potential buyers know exactly what to expect.
Since time is money in real estate, it is crucial to use it effectively to achieve the set goals.
What Is An Off-Plan 360 Virtual Tour?
Conceptually, an off-plan 360-degree virtual tour is a rendered virtual environment that combines a series of panoramic architectural images in a custom-built application that is compatible with desktop computers, mobile devices, tablets, and virtual reality devices.
This environment is created according to the layout and modern software, which uses the existing interior design layout to recreate it in a virtual environment. This approach allows companies and real estate agents to conduct virtual show tours of homes, apartments, and commercial buildings during or before the construction.
The 360° virtual tour includes aspects such as:
- Comprehensive floor plan
- Information access point
- Integrated social media and email sharing during the tour
- The potential of virtual reality technology
- Automatic rotation of each position
- Thumbnail gallery
How Off-Plan 360 Virtual Tours Are Created
The process of creating virtual tours in 360 includes several steps:
Step 1: Creation Of A Digital 3D Model
Both exterior and interior digital 3D models of objects are created. To accomplish this task, various architectural 3D visualization software packages are used.
Step 2. Virtual Staging
Once the detailed 3D digital model is ready, the architects and designers begin the virtual staging process. At this stage, design mood boards and photographs are used to fill the space with 3D models of design elements, such as furniture, plumbing, and fittings.
Step 3. Draft Previews
This step involves adjusting the position of the various cameras in the digital model. The preview option renders from different areas of the model to ensure that the virtual scene matches the designer’s concept and vision.
Step 4. Visualization
At this stage, all preliminary drawings and sketches are confirmed, followed by full lighting and texturing. For these tasks, interior designers use software such as 3Ds Max and vRay rendering in most cases. However, different studios may use various rendering software.
The rendering stage involves setting up photorealistic lighting and all the room’s decor, such as walls, floors, ceilings, texturing, and other objects. Then, the material draft previews are evaluated.
Step 5. High-Resolution Rendering
Once the material draft is approved, the studio begins rendering and processing the entire set of high-resolution 360-degree images. These 360-degree images are the basis for the subsequent creation of a virtual tour for off-plan 360 apps.
Step 6. An Application Build
The final 360-degree graphics are integrated into the application, and user interface elements are added to create the tour.
When everything is ready, the 3D virtual tour can be conducted online on any website, computer, tablet, mobile phone, or virtual reality device.
How Off-Plan 360-Degree Virtual Tours Are Used In Real Estate
Virtual tours have been a trend for the last few years. Thanks to the capabilities of 3D technology, virtual environments, and 360° images, real estate agents can show properties more precisely and improve the efficiency of their jobs.
Most often, virtual tours are created for construction companies, real estate agents, and interior designers to showcase a project in detail to potential investors and buyers before construction work is completed.
The value of 360-degree tours is that the technology can be used to pre-sell and promote yet-to-be-built properties such as apartment buildings, residential buildings, student housing, office complexes, and retail properties.
Due to photorealistic 360 images and interactive technology, parties involved in the project design and construction have more opportunities to promote the property and demonstrate key features and the concept of the project online, making it an effective tool for increasing sales and attracting investment.
