Mike Johnston Architectural walkthroughs have been something like science fiction for a long time. But in just a decade and a half, we’ve seen them become legit tools that real estate professionals can use to bring potential buyers closer and more involved in a property.
Since walkthroughs are relatively new, there are a lot of impacts, influences, and features about them to discuss. However, we want to look at it from a single most crucial perspective: how do walkthroughs help lead to sales?
After all, this is the most critical question skeptics have about them. The main benefit of walkthroughs is that they make it easier for potential buyers and help convince them to make purchases.
They offer an amazing visual experience
Compared to static 3D renders, architectural walkthroughs offer a far more superior visual experience. Instead of having images, this medium is made out of 3D animation. These animations let 3D artists take viewers on a realistic and immersive visual journey.
Interested parties can see all of the rooms individually and walk from one to another as if they were doing it in real life. The same applies to all the exterior, including pools, gardens, terraces, or patios. All of the elements are presented truthfully with a high level of detail.
In a way, these walkthroughs are starting to look like movie CGI. Of course, there aren’t a lot of explosions going on, but the level of quality is there. On the other hand, artists constantly add new elements and special effects and rethink their approach to create a better visual experience.
Why is the visual impression so important?
Visual impression and presentation are highly beneficial if we look at a property like a product you intend to sell. Most consumers today choose products based on visual appeal, which is one of the key factors they consider.
Creating a unique visual experience will help customers distinguish your product. In architecture, 3D walkthroughs can change perceptions of a space, make it more attractive, and give that adrenaline rush to buyers, making them visualize living in or otherwise using that space.
Companies like Apple have built themselves on their visual experience and branding. When you combine great animations and useful information that walkthroughs can provide about a property, it’s clear how they can impress customers and bring them closer to a purchase.
Viewers can learn about space, proportions, and dimensions
We just mentioned that walkthroughs deliver “useful” information. They’re not just about dazzling viewers for a short time without any long-term usefulness. These visuals have the power to give viewers all of the required information they need about a property.
They can learn about the layout of a property, how many rooms there are, which materials there will be, proportions between different elements, dimensions, how they can furnish the space, and so much more. In other words, potential customers can get a complete picture of the space without missing anything important.
What worries most clients when it comes to walkthroughs is that they won’t get important information that can affect their future decisions. But there’s no need to worry about this, especially if the real estate agent can give additional information about the space and help interested parties understand all of the essentials.
For example, if someone wants to move into a property, they might want to know if there’s room for all their furniture. Walkthroughs can give them accurate information about how big or small a particular space is.
They tell a great story
Experienced real estate agents are often great storytellers. The better storytellers they are, the better they are at their jobs. Why? The reason is quite simple. Selling residential real estate isn’t that much about being technical and delivering the right features customers are looking for.
It’s about selling a story about what new owners’ lives will look like after they’ve moved in. 3D animation can also tell a fantastic story while showcasing the design to potential clients. Combining a story, amazing visuals, and technical information can make viewers fall in love with the presentation.
CGI offers a lot of variety when it comes to storytelling. It’s possible to include many camera movements, music, text, voiceovers, special effects, and so much more. In other words, apart from telling a story with the design, the walkthrough itself further gives context to viewers.
Here’s a simple example of how this works. If you want to emphasize the light fixtures or the amount of natural light the space has, 3D artists can easily zoom in on those essential details. When it comes to concepts, people sometimes like to see the step-by-step process of designing.
On the other hand, if it’s vital to showcase the size of a property, you can do it with a flyover walkthrough 360-degree video. That can also let viewers compare the size of the property to the surroundings. These ideas help sell projects more quickly and tell an engaging story.
They present a property in different/dynamic settings
Modern customers want only the best. We are long past impulsive purchases when people don’t care much about a particular product’s details. Customers are more informed today, and they have specific needs that showcase their personalities.
A part of 3D visualization, in general, is to give all of the information possible to buyers. Help them understand every single detail of space, potential solutions, different variations, and different settings. That is what walkthroughs can also do effectively.
For example, CGI animation walkthroughs can easily show how a space looks when it’s snowing, during the day or night, or in any other situation. 3D artists can even create a quick time-lapse to showcase a property’s transition in a single day cycle.
In other words, this type of content gives you the ability to present to your customers all the details they want to know. Additionally, you can create different walkthroughs for properties that haven’t been built yet.
It’s possible to present different design solutions and ask the clients what they like better. That will help engage them even further and get them involved in the property they’re interested in buying.
Viewers can understand how the property will fit in with its surroundings
In most cases, static renders are all about a property’s interior and exterior. There’s no real focus on what’s surrounding that object, how it fits in, and where it stands compared to other buildings. That might matter to some people, and they might like to get to know their street at least before moving in.
That is why virtual tours are a perfect option. It’s easy to take the whole 3D walkthrough around the property and the neighborhood. That gives clients more context about living there and what they will actually see every day.
On top of that, it’s possible to get aerial footage of the surrounding area to give a better perspective. Some 3D artists will also use drone footage to include the actual property within the 3D presentation and provide a highly realistic image of the whole property.
All of this can be genuinely appealing to customers, help them understand where the place is, what surrounds them, how they will function on a day-to-day basis, and more.
No need for customers to actually see the property
The main idea behind architectural walkthroughs is to create a medium through which interested parties can learn about a property and buy without physically visiting it. Even though this was initially the goal, it wasn’t quite possible at first.
The whole industry quickly rejected this idea because it failed initially. But after years of improvement both in technical and creative terms, we can finally say that this is entirely possible today. Customers can buy a property without even visiting thanks to various camera angles, unique details, materials, 360-degree videos, and other superior visuals.
Not only can they buy, but they can make the right buying decision. That is one of the most impactful ways walkthroughs lead to sales. Lots of people are busy and don’t have the time to travel across the country to check out a place.
Instead, they often hire real estate agents that purchase on their behalf. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough. Buyers need to see the property themselves to determine if it has everything they need. 3D walkthroughs let them do this easily from the comforts of their home and spend only about 20 minutes before they can make a decision.
Easy to showcase all of the essential details
Before architectural walkthroughs, customers looking to buy a property that hadn’t been built yet had their work cut out for them. The same goes for people who planned on building something from scratch. Here’s why walkthroughs are better presentations.
They’re easier to understand
As we mentioned, it was all about reading architectural plans or sketches in the past. That might be good enough for architects and people who have experience and knowledge with such documents. But for an average client, that barely means anything.
Of course, they can try and understand the plan, but they won’t be able to get the whole picture. On the other hand, everyone understands videos. There’s no particular skill or knowledge required.
Easier demonstration
With 2D architectural plans, the architect or the agent had to play an active role in presenting and explaining the project. Yes, they still have to do this with walkthroughs, but it’s more about filling in the blanks or giving additional explanations that can help people understand important details.
This presentation method gives professionals the option to answer questions more quickly and see how the client is reacting along the way.
Showing the layout
As we mentioned earlier, 3D presentations move through all rooms and different parts of a property. That makes it super easy for viewers to understand the layout, where everything is located, consider functionality, and how they can use all of the rooms according to their needs.
Focusing on essential details
Walkthroughs can be as detailed as necessary. With various camera angles and movements, it’s easy to show all of the details and highlight unique features. The camera can zoom in on smaller design elements to make them more visible. On top of that, voiceovers can give explanations to support what’s being presented.
Presenting the surrounding area
2D architecture plans never included the surrounding buildings or houses. Walkthroughs can feature them and help customers understand the scale, proportions, and how the property fits in with its surroundings.
They can impress clients
In the end, walkthroughs can be super impressive and leave an unforgettable first impression on the potential buyer. All of the things we mentioned above can have a massive impact on the viewer and make them excited about a specific property.
The whole presentation, visual experience, and amount of information delivered can be crucial in helping someone decide to buy. But on top of this, modern consumers love technology. CGI is all about technology, and it has a particular “cool factor” that can impress potential buyers.
Even some of the most demanding clients will be impressed when your presentation tackles all of the details, answers their questions, and provides an immersive visual experience.
Conclusion
Telling a coherent story through this medium can reflect in many positive ways including increased sales. Not only are walkthroughs compelling in bringing people on board with a project, but they can also be used for marketing, as portfolio material, showcasing your expertise, and so much more.
The main thing to remember is to find a professional visualization artist that can execute animations according to the latest standards. These presentations can be valuable to architects, construction companies, real estate agents, and other professionals in the field.
