Did you know: When it comes to the competitive world of real estate, your development’s success often depends on your potential client’s and/or investor’s first visualization of it. That’s why using proper marketing services isn’t just a luxury, but a necessity, especially when developments nearby are trying to fill units faster than you.
So, what does proper marketing mean? What does that look like in the long run? When should you start it? What kind of marketing materials do you need? How do you achieve the clarity and precision client’s are looking for? Keep reading to get these questions answered.
Show your vision early
You know that real estate development is a complex process. We don’t have to elaborate on that. But a lot of times, many developers don’t even realize they can start filling their units before they even break ground…and it’s pretty straightforward.
You’ve seen the apartment or home PDF maps. They’ve been around forever. But if you really want to stand out and build excitement from future residents and current investors, you need to invest in 3D visualization services. Now, you may be thinking, “That’s all just extra. Why would I need that now?” Let me explain…
Think of it like a professional headshot or portrait photo. Do you need one to succeed in your career? Not necessarily. You could use the selfie you took from ten years ago, but if you do decide to invest in one, you can build authority and a greater chance of job opportunities. People will take you seriously, trust you, and see you as a professional.
Get where we’re going? Put yourself in a potential resident’s shoes. Would you get excited over an etched out PDF map of your property, or a 3D virtual tour where you could see detail from every floor tile to wall texture? Not to mention, you’ll see the entire unit furnished from rugs to paintings, bringing it to life and creating an emotional connection.
You guessed correctly: The 3D visualization. And when you build confidence with potential residents, you’re also getting them that much closer to signing the dotted line and filling your property faster than your competitors.
Avoid confusion with contractors
It’s easy to get caught up with contractors. Especially whenever they’re all offering you different solutions. The only problem is, they’re all fragmented. As you know, these “solutions” lead to inconsistencies in visualizations for your property and ultimately slow down your processes - something you can’t afford to do.
For example, "Different contractors may present varying visions of your project, creating confusion and increasing risks for your potential clients during the decision-making process.”
But why does this happen? Well, many contractors like anyone are looking to just get the project over with and get paid. That’s why it’s crucial to hire someone who actually takes the time to understand your vision and marketing goals, turning your concept into a reality.
Choose experience over convenience
But it’s also important to do your own research into which tools and technologies you need to properly market your property and achieve your goals. I say this because many developers we’ve worked with have come into meetings without knowing what they actually want. Don’t worry, most of the time contractors don’t know either. And that’s the problem.
When developers don’t do their research into what they need, they’ll often trust the wrong contractor to get the job done. This leads to projects falling short of client or investor expectations, and missed sales opportunities.
Cross off these three things
Glad you asked. When it comes to what you should be looking for in a visual content and online leasing technology provider, it’s actually pretty straightforward. Here’s what you need to know before signing off with someone:
Their team's experience Their technology quality And their ability to integrate into current business processes
This is why it’s important to find a well-rounded partner with a full range of services that are quality, time-efficient, and keep you competitive in the market.
Double check for visualization realism
It’s 2024. That means there’s no excuse to not have high quality realism in your visualizations. However, some providers offer visualizations with low levels of detail that may take away from the emotional impact of the potential clients and investors. Other providers can achieve up to 95% photorealism, allowing potential buyers to literally "see and feel" the future property as if it already exists. With a higher level of detail and realism, the stronger the connection a potential client will have with the property.
Make sure their tech integrates
Okay, let’s say this provider you’ve been scouting out has the advanced tech your development needs. You sign off, shake hands, and begin your partnership only to realize…their tech doesn’t integrate with your current business processes and systems. That could be anything from MLS (Multiple Listing Service) to PMS (Property Management System).
Yep. It happens. While the tech may be promising, the potential of it working with your systems may not be. That makes these out-of-the-box solutions more difficult to adapt to your specific needs, which can cause additional challenges and costs.
So, what’s the safest route to go? Customizable solutions. Providers with customizable solutions are better suited for projects with unique requirements. For example, that could mean flexibly adjusting virtual tours, better fitting your brand, and strengthening your marketing strategy.
Look for comprehensive, not complacent services
They say, “If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be great at anything.” That’s all fine until you realize you’re wasting precious time shopping around for different providers to meet individual needs. That’s why it’s crucial to find a provider who has comprehensive marketing and visualization services.
You’ll find that most companies specialize in only one type of service, whether it’s 3D rendering or virtual tour creation. Others, however, can offer a turnkey solution, covering everything from creating visual content to developing and implementing virtual tours and online leasing. When you partner with a comprehensive provider, you reduce your number of contractors, simplify your project management, and increase project consistency and peace-of-mind.
But how do you find these “Jack-of-all-trades” providers? You need to look for those with experience in the real estate sector. These providers have a better understanding of the specifics of projects and can offer more effective solutions. And when the provider’s team has experience, architects and project managers, you’ll see massive improvements in the final product’s quality while also reducing the risks of errors.
Don’t settle for a low-level of support and service
The bells and whistles of providers are fun to look at and experiment with. But all of that is for nothing if the actual provider doesn’t have trustworthy or reliable service. At the end of the day, partnership is what matters. Can you depend on your provider to make last minute fixes? Does your provider have the same passion you do about your project? Do they think out of the box for complex problems?
These are the kinds of questions to ask yourself and them before committing to something long term. You need a provider that has a high level of service and support at every project stage, ensuring that any of your questions or problems are resolved promptly and tight deadlines are met. This is especially important when dealing with large and complex projects, where every detail matters.
Picking a provider is the most important step of your marketing process, so you can’t afford to quickly pick one out of convenience. Make sure to interview these providers intensely. Write down important questions and have them answer each one. Take detailed notes so you can come to a good conclusion of which provider you’d trust most with your big project.
Look at their Google reviews, check their case studies, browse through their websites, and you can even ask other developers for their recommendations. Remember, it would be great if your provider was local, but you have a whole country of options at your fingertips. Do your research with due diligence. This is one part of the process you don’t want to mess up.
So, what now?
This may seem like a lot of work to simply choose a provider for your property’s marketing and visualization. But that’s the thing…it’s not a simple task. How you market your property is everything to investors and clients. You could have the next Burj Khalifa on your hands, but if you don’t market it properly, it may never reach the heights you want it to.
Look, this is your vision. This property is your baby. This is your livelihood. Don’t be lazy with how you handle it. Be precise, detailed, and do your research on everything mentioned above. Like a marriage, who you pick as your partner will forever impact your project, so be careful who you put a ring on it for.
The wrong provider will hold up your project, deliver subpar visualizations, not have a proper marketing plan in place, will have no experience, will steal confidence from your investors and clients, and ultimately give you headaches throughout.
The right partner will have comprehensive solutions, advanced tech that integrates with your processes, heavy experience, good ratings, quality service, trusted referrals, and the same passion you have to see your project through.
Need a good place to start your partner search? Check out The View Pro . 3D floor plans, virtual tours, renderings, video walkthroughs, and more. You need it? We most likely have it. And if we don’t we’ll find a way to figure it out. Work with a partner that already has years of experience, a portfolio of successful projects, a proven process, and the reviews to back it up. We don’t want to say this blog was meant to pitch ourselves, but simply to take us in consideration for your next project. You won’t regret it.
And if you want to see what a successful project and range of services looks like, check out some of our case studies through the link below.
https://theviewpro.com/portfolio
