It used to be that real estate agents and brokers had to schedule a common time with their buyers, make trips to different properties, and manually take them on a real estate tour.

Since technology’s far-reaching influence has reached the real estate market as well, the reliance on old-school tours like these has significantly lessened. Instead, real estate players are learning to use 3D renders and 360-degree virtual tours to showcase properties and attract buyers. 

While they don’t have to create these immersive and photorealistic tours themselves, they can easily outsource their production and reap all the benefits of delivering a superior and more memorable customer experience.

Let’s explore all there is to know about virtual tours and 3D renders — what they are, why they are beneficial, and when to use them.

3D Renders: The Complete Rundown

3D renders involve digital models that accurately portray the structure and interiors of a space by employing photorealistic renders.

These typically showcase a specific property or an area within the property, but they can also portray virtual surroundings, depending on the type of 3D render. Different types of renders have different purposes that are accomplished through external and internal visuals of a property.

3D renders are beneficial to architects, construction crews, and real estate or marketing agents as they have several uses. Here are some types of architectural 3D models available:

Wireframe Modeling

Also known as edge modeling, wireframes are often used to help illustrate the underlying structure of a model or design. It aids in aligning a 3D model with its 2D reference by matching the vertex points.

Solid Modeling 

Solid models are slightly more detailed versions of wireframes. They incorporate topological information into the geometric design of a model. They essentially add surface areas to the geometric shapes of wireframe models.

Surface Modeling 

Surface models are used to depict how a plan is meant to appear in 3D or in the real world. It provides an accurate portrayal of the topographical surface’s texture and design in the form of a digital 3D model.

What Are the Benefits of 3D Renders?

3D renders offer several advantages. Everyone in the field of real estate — architects, builders, agents, and buyers — can benefit from them.

Here are some reasons why 3D renders are so crucial today:

Offer an Element of Realism

3D renders incorporate minute, important details such as colors, textures, and other architectural and design elements. These provide an accurate idea of the property to all the stakeholders involved. Buyers get an accurate picture of what to expect from the finished design and architects can easily explain what the final outcome of their design will look like. 

Easy To Correct and Modify, Thereby Enhancing Productivity

In the case of physical models and drawings, it can be tedious to make corrections and modifications. However, changing a 3D render is relatively simpler and can be achieved with less effort compared to traditional designs. This can expedite the design and its sign-off while making issues easier to address. A project build can thus be carried out faster as 3D renders optimize productivity by reducing the time required to make modifications.

Improves Communication 

3D renders allow everyone to get a clear picture of what the finished project, as well as all the nitty gritty details involved, will look like. This helps improve communication as architects can clearly and explicitly showcase their designs to clients and construction teams. Everyone involved is thus on the same page and has a clear and accurate idea of what to expect. By bridging communication gaps, 3D renders make the design and build process more seamless.

Cost-effective 

Inaccuracies and miscommunication can lead to mistakes and errors. 3D renders ensure that the design process is not delayed and changes can be finalized faster so a renovation or construction project can be carried out properly. It reduces the changes and rework involved in property development and gives engineers a clearer idea of the desired outcome. This ensures the optimum use of building materials, reducing waste and making the project more cost-effective.

Aids With Marketing 

3D renders help create compelling marketing campaigns that real estate agents and buyers can benefit from. Companies don’t have to wait for the project to be completed before they begin planning and executing their marketing strategy which can be a lengthy process. They can simply use the 3D renders in their brochures and websites to optimize their time. This can make marketing more effective and impactful.

What Are 3D Renders Used For?

3D renders help bring drawings to life and create a realistic depiction of a property and its surroundings. This can be used for several purposes:

• Provides marketers with visuals for brochures, listings, and websites to enhance advertisements and improve the likelihood of attracting potential clients
• Improve communication across stakeholders, thereby reducing delays and waste while optimizing the resources of a project
• Aids architects in addressing issues and making changes with ease which reduces expenses 
• Improves productivity and saleability for real estate agents as it reduces restrictions in geography, time zones, and schedules. It also improves the viewing process
• Encourages a better understanding of the potential of a space so buyers can visualize the changes they can make to tailor the property to suit their tastes and requirements
• Illustrates all the possible design options for a particular project or property, making the decision-making process easier and more streamlined

3D renders offer a lot of freedom and flexibility that can be used in different ways from planning to marketing to property tours. After all, visual aids are more effective and impactful across all aspects of real estate, including construction and sales.

3D Virtual Tours: Understanding All the Angles

3D virtual tours offer a 360-degree viewing experience and have completely transformed the world of real estate. They allow viewers to enjoy an immersive experience and tour a property as though they are actually there without being physically present. Viewers can look at the internal and external areas of a property as well as the surrounding environment to fully gauge what it looks like without actually visiting it.

3D virtual tours can be offered to clients to enhance their understanding of a space. They can also be incorporated as part of real estate agents’ marketing strategies. They make property viewings more efficient and optimized.

Architects, builders, and construction workers can also benefit from having updated views of the project site or property. This allows them to be actively involved in every step of the process, even when they aren’t physically present.

By offering improved accessibility and an immersive experience, 3D virtual tours can completely change the game of real estate, be it an industrial, residential, or commercial property. 

What Are the Advantages of 3D Virtual Tours?

Here are some benefits that 3D virtual tours offer:

• Allows real estate agents to show multiple properties within a shorter span of time as they do not have to spend time traveling from one property to another
• Reduces waste of time and resources as clients can shortlist properties through a virtual tour and before visiting it in person, thereby reducing travel time, gas, and other expenses
• Provides an immersive experience with the latest technology that can improve branding and give potential clients the impression that they are in good hands
• Allows consultants to freely and safely navigate the site from anywhere they please to stay updated on the latest developments in a project
• Enables supervisors to keep an eye on the project and address issues or make changes without wasting time traveling to the site
• Encourages easier decision-making as clients can get a feel of a space and also access it from anywhere, especially if they are trying to make design decisions regarding tiles, paints, furnishings, etc. from a store 
• Provides an accurate idea of a property and its surroundings 
• Allows viewers to interact with the space by clicking on objects, zooming in and out, and interacting with items to gain more information about specific features within the space

3D virtual tours can make all aspects of real estate convenient and more efficient. 

When To Use 3D Renders and When To Use Virtual Tours

3D renders are used to create virtual tours. When scenes and frames of renders are pieced together, they become a video of a virtual tour that takes the viewer through the property. 

Because of this, renders provide more versatility and are often used during the construction and design process when there are many changes that still have to be made to the structure. 

Virtual tours, on the other hand, are more popularly used for marketing. They are what real estate agents present to clients who want to visit a listing online.

How To Incorporate 3D Virtual Tours and 3D Renders

3D renders are very useful — from planning to construction and design to marketing.

They can be a great addition to your property listing, website, brochure, or banner. They help create appealing visuals that catch the eye of potential clients and pique their interest, which makes for highly effective marketing. Once you manage to get the client’s attention, you can then encourage them to view the property.

Whether you’re an architect looking to bring your designs to life, or a real estate agent trying to enhance your marketing strategies, Plus Render will help you out with all your 3D photorealistic render and virtual tour needs.Get in touch with us and let us help you out!