The quality of an architectural 3D rendering can be influenced by many factors, including the skill level of the artists, creativity of the team, the quality of the software and hardware used, the level of detail in the design, and the ability to accurately represent lighting and materials. A high quality architectural rendering invite viewers to imagine themselves in the space, fostering a sense of excitement and anticipation. By infusing creativity, renderings become powerful marketing tools that engage and inspire, ultimately influencing potential buyers’ or tenants’ decisions. Here are some key factors that can make one group’s architectural rendering look better than another group’s:
Technical Skill: The technical skill of the artists involved in creating the 3D rendering is perhaps the most important factor in determining its quality. Skilled artists will have a strong understanding of the software and hardware used to create the rendering, as well as a keen eye for detail and a sense of aesthetics. Along with having an artistic eye the artists background in interior design or architecture is important.
Team Composition and Collaboration: Firms with a talented and diverse team of professionals, including architects, interior designers 3D artists, animation specialists, VR specialists, post production specialist, can bring different perspectives and expertise to the rendering process. Effective collaboration and communication within the team contribute to the overall quality of the final renderings. Having specialization within the team helps create consistent and beautiful renderings.
Creativity: The ability to think creatively and outside of the box can also impact the quality of a 3D rendering. A group that is able to push the boundaries of what is possible will produce renderings that stand out and capture attention. Some firms have a strong artistic vision and a creative approach to architectural rendering. They possess the ability to transform design concepts into visually captivating and aesthetically pleasing renderings that evoke emotions and engage viewers.
Attention to Detail: Paying attention to the smallest details, such as textures, lighting, shadows, and context, can significantly impact the realism and quality of architectural renderings. Firms that prioritize meticulous attention to detail tend to produce more impressive result.
Quality of the Software and Hardware: The quality of the software and hardware used to create the 3D rendering can also have an impact on the final product. High-quality software and hardware will offer more features and greater flexibility, allowing artists to create more realistic and detailed renderings.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we approach the real estate development process. AI generates data in minutes for owners, developers and investors at an unprecedented level of insight and analytics that previously took weeks if not months to gather. Here are some reasons how AI is helpful for real estate development:
AI for Enhanced Market Analysis in Real Estate Development
AI can analyze vast amounts of data from multiple sources to identify trends and patterns that would be difficult for humans to detect. This information can help developers make more informed decisions about where to invest, what type of development to pursue, and how to price their properties and best use. We spoke with a developer that was using AI to help determine which sites would be best to build car washes on in the Midwest taking into account zoning, traffic patterns and local competition.
Harnessing Predictive Modeling with AI in Real Estate Investments
AI can use data analysis and machine learning to create predictive models that forecast market trends, demand for particular types of properties, and potential returns on investment. This can help real estate developers make more accurate and strategic decisions about their investments.
Accelerating Decision-Making in Real Estate Development with AI
By automating data analysis and providing real-time insights, AI can help real estate developers make faster and more informed decisions about their investments. This can help them stay ahead of the competition and take advantage of opportunities.
Streamlining Operations in Real Estate Development through AI:
AI can help streamline the real estate development process by automating routine tasks and providing insights that can improve efficiency and productivity. This can help developers reduce costs and bring their projects to market faster.
Leveraging AI for Efficient Project Design and Entitlement in Real Estate:
AI can be used to help design a new real estate development that fits within code. Using AI a user is able to iterate design in a fraction of the time it would have taken previously before the advancements of AI tools.
While no tool is perfect and AI can’t fully replace a human, implementing AI into the design/build real estate process is a. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative uses of AI in the real estate industry.
Real estate owners and developers have increased interest in life science real estate assets with growing institutional investment in the sector led by groups such as Alexandria Real Estate, BioMed Realty, and Kilroy Realty. In the current uncertain environment, what makes life science assets attractive is often the non-cyclical demand and growing investments by governments and investors around the world. The specialized nature of life science real estate often makes clients moving locations less likely given the expense of building out an office and moving equipment. There have been reports in numerous trade publications regarding the high demand for life sciences space in excess of 2 million square feet per year with no slowdown in sight.
Life Science Marketing
Marketing life science real estate during Covid has required a retooling of the branding kit and moving marketing dollars from physical mock-ups to virtual build-outs. It is even more important for life science marketing to be tech-forward in order to attract their tech savvy and location-picky tenants. From complicated HVAC build outs to expensive and heavy equipment; labs require an additional layer of planning. Visualizations and virtual walk-throughs can lead to better planning resulting in significant cost and time savings for both landlords and tenants.
While marketing life science projects like Cascadian, the location being near the city center or other innovation hubs is important, but highlighting what differentiates the property from competitors needs to stand out given the increase in developers building out the space. In smaller markets it could be the amenities, near mass transit or the newer nature of the building, but in markets known for life science offices like Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles really gearing the branding and messaging becomes paramount.
Having visualizations, whether it’s a fly-through animation, still renderings or virtual reality is an important element of asset positioning in attracting tenants. The immersive experience provides clarity to potential tenants about the project and surrounding areas and helps pinpoint key elements that are most important to them and deliver the feedback in a faster and more effective manner.
Showing a property remotely to a potential buyer or tenant is not new, but the delivery method is changing. Over the years there have been large advancements in technology for built spaces (Matterport falls under this category). However, technology has often lagged for unbuilt spaces, such as pre-construction sites, outdated buildings or raw spaces, with owners still relying on expensive model units or building out spec TI. Now both software and hardware (VR headsets, cellphone processing speeds) have improved, but uptake among real estate users varies greatly.
Since the start of Covid and the dramatic decrease in onsite tours, we have seen dramatic differences among owners and brokers’ utilization of technology. Some groups are waiting to lease-up until after their delayed construction processes pick up again, while we’ve seen other groups rapidly improve their whole online presence, from property websites featuring virtual walk-throughs, different tenant improvement build-out templates, and fly-through videos highlighting neighborhood and building key areas that might not be visible during Covid.
Many different groups have reached out: tech firms looking to sub-lease, brokers and owners looking to pre-lease/pre-sell, developers and funds looking to raise capital remotely, all with slightly different goals but most settling on similar tech solutions. One thing is clear from all the increased inquiries: commercial real estate is long overdue for a digital update and virtual tours have become part of the new normal.
Clients are now expecting to “see” proposed renovation plans more clearly than they could from blueprints. Some of the common visualization terms and concepts are:
360 Tours – Users can click hot spots on a map and look at 360-degree views from that spot. Similar to Google Maps but useful for large floorplans or entire neighborhoods. We had REOCs use this for planning commission meetings. Also had brokers request the product for pre-leasing, especially retail/office within mixed-use developments.
Flythrough Animations – Similar to 360 Tours, but the client drives the views and the story-telling. We saw it used for everything from pre-selling new condo and office projects to showcasing to LPs the proposed value-add plans. Given the halt of on-sites, some funds are also using these to give prospective investors “virtual tours” of assets in the portfolio.
Virtual Reality – This was popular at sales and leasing centers pre-pandemic, as well as at fund AGMs pre-COVID. Since COVID, headset usage has mostly been replaced by desktop versions where users would walk through a space with their keyboard and mouse.
-Potential tenants often have issues visualizing what a space can look like. Virtual content can be customized to a tenant type in mind whether it’s creative office or life science lab space. Even multiple virtual build-outs cost a fraction of one physical build-out.
-Content can be viewed on-site or remotely; content can also be used in targeted marketing.
-Instead of having tenants visit 20 properties in person; they can review them all from their brokers’ office or their own office, and then view the top 2-3 in person.
-One of the interesting aspects of virtual tours that is often overlooked by owners is the SEO and branding benefits. Per an Omnivirt Study, compared to 2D content, 360/virtual content receives 300% more click-throughs, as well as resonating better with tech-forward professionals.
-While branding/websites should not be considered proptech, it’s an important part of programming an asset that’s often overlooked for commercial properties. Modern websites set the tech-forward message that many developers are trying to convey.
Today’s real estate market is unrecognizable to most of us. Construction is crawling, existing buildings are empty, buyers are backing out, tenants are requesting rent relief and businesses of all kinds are either closing or significantly reducing staff. These trends are expected to continue for the foreseeable future, which, needless to say, is causing headwinds for real estate participants. Owners and brokers, for example, are now scrambling to improve their digital presence and somehow show their property remotely.
Showing a property to a potential buyer or tenant remotely is not new, but the delivery method has changed. Over the years there have been large advancements in technology for built spaces, this includes tools like Matterport. However, technology has often lagged for pre-construction, old or raw spaces, with owners still relying on in-person sales offices and expensive model units.
In an effort to work remotely, many owners are using video conferencing tools such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams to pitch clients about the property. These platforms are great for having a conversation, but if there is limited digital content, the calls often fall short. In today’s market, having a competitive digital presence means a sophisticated website, fly-through videos and a virtual tour experience.
One of the companies active in the virtual tour space is Radical Galaxy Studio, which has been making advancements to improve virtual real estate experiences. Even if an owner wanted to show what a vacant office space would look like for a tech or medical tenant, Radical Galaxy could build that out.
“As a real estate asset manager, I saw firsthand the impact of new technologies on the way we design, develop, manage and sell real estate,” Bradley Snyder Managing Partner at Radical Galaxy Studio commented. “Not only can tenants and buyers no longer tour a property or space in person, but even when they could, often they could not visualize what it would look like fully built out.”
One of the interesting aspects of virtual tours that is often overlooked by owners is the SEO and branding benefits. Compared to 2D content, 360/virtual content receives 300% more click-throughs, as well as resonates better with tech-forward professionals, per an Omnivirt Study.
“Most real estate properties are long overdue for a digital update, but all of a sudden now having strong digital content can make or break a property’s success,” said Matthew Shaffer Managing Partner at Radical Galaxy Studio. “Using virtual tours will become part of the new normal in the real estate industry for both commercial and residential assets.”
About Radical Galaxy:
Radical Galaxy Studio, LLC is a visualization firm that is pushing the boundaries of what can be done in real estate design, sales and leasing. Radical Galaxy creates virtual tours, CGI animations, motion renderings, still renderings, augmented reality and virtual reality for industry leading firms including Oxford Properties, Brookfield Properties, Perkins + Will, Marriott, Cushman Wakefield and Hyatt Hotels.
