In the competitive world of off-plan real estate, innovative technologies have become key to marketing success. Among these, real-time 3D virtual tours stand out as a powerful tool for showcasing properties. They offer potential buyers an immersive journey that can significantly enhance customer experience. This is because they increase the sense of presence and eliminate gaps in information. This empowers faster and better decisions by buyers. It has also been shown that real time 3D tours improve a brand’s reputation in the eyes of their customers.
Simply put, these immersive experiences allow buyers to explore properties as if they were physically present. This is particularly important for off-plan properties which are not yet built and therefore impossible to visit in real life.
Unlike pre-rendered CGI images or videos, they are powered by advanced video game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity, which render the environment in real-time. They provide a dynamic and interactive experience that can include free walking and exploration, opening doors, and even changing the time of day to see how sunlight affects various rooms. The realism of the virtual space is further enhanced by the inclusion of life-like elements such as moving water, flying birds, or rustling leaves.
Overall, real time 3D tours are an effective tool for marketing off-plan real estate. A key factor in their success is the manner in which they are made available to buyers. Two primary methods have emerged for deploying real time 3D virtual tours: pixel streaming and native mobile applications. In this blog we will explore each of these alternatives, analysing how they work, their advantages, and drawbacks.
Pixel streaming is a technology that enables the access of interactive 3D applications to any device with a screen and stable internet connection. It leverages cloud computing to carry out the heavy-lifting processes on remote servers, delivering only the final video output to the user's device. The user can interact with this streamed content in real-time. This makes it an ideal solution for showcasing detailed and complex real estate virtual tours without the need for high-end user hardware.
Fundamentally, pixel streaming involves running the virtual tour program (equivalent to a mini video game) on a cloud server. This server executes the application, using dedicated high performance graphics processors (GPU) which are required for real time rendering on the web. The video output is then live-streamed to the user’s device (mobile or desktop) through the internet. The user's inputs (touch control, mouse movements and clicks) are sent back to the server, allowing for instant interactive exploration of the virtual space.
Access an example pixel stream here.
A native app is a software application developed specifically for a particular platform or device (it is ‘native’ to that device’s operating system). In the context of real estate, a native app for real-time 3D virtual tours is designed to be downloaded and installed on a user’s device. It offers an experience that is optimised for the device’s hardware capabilities. It is a great tool for a developer’s sales team and agents, helping them guide buyers through a property during meetings.
Native apps are developed for specific operating systems, such as iOS or Android, ensuring optimal performance and integration with the device's features. Once downloaded, these apps allow users to explore virtual tours directly on their devices, with the application’s data stored locally or fetched from the internet as needed.
You can download our demo app at this link (iOS). For the Android version, please contact our team.
Deciding between deploying a real time 3D virtual tour via pixel streaming or native apps comes down to a number of factors. These include the target user/audience (whether the end client or a salesperson), the complexity and size of the virtual tour, and the intended user experience. Pixel streaming offers wide ranging accessibility and ease of updates but requires a consistent internet connection and incurs ongoing running costs. On the other hand, native apps provide superior performance and offline access, but come with higher initial development costs and the challenge of encouraging users to download and keep it updated.
For off-plan real estate developers and their marketing teams, understanding these trade-offs is crucial when selecting the most appropriate technology to meet their goals. In some cases, a hybrid approach may be the best solution, for example offering a basic web-based tour for broad reach, while also providing a more feature-rich native app for the sales team and agents. This comes down to aligning with business goals, and how much control the developer wants to have on the buyer experience.
The deployment of real-time 3D virtual tours in the real estate industry marks an important shift in how off-plan properties are presented to potential buyers. Whether through pixel streaming or native apps, these technologies offer immersive experiences that can captivate and engage users like never before. With careful consideration of each option's advantages and limitations, real estate marketers can leverage these powerful tools to showcase their properties in the best light. This also streamlines the buying process, ultimately leading to faster sales and more satisfied customers.
At Virtuelle, we specialise in creating bespoke real-time 3D virtual tours for off-plan real estate, hospitality, yachts, and more. Get in touch with our team today for a free consultation on how we can help your company enhance the buyer experience through 3D visualisation.
It refers to the field that deals with generating images with the help of computers, i.e. creating and manipulating visual content digitally. In our industry, it involves creating realistic images, animations and digital twins of off-plan assets such as real estate, using software.
