One of the easiest ways to save money is to cut down the number of models you build. While that will save you money, it also may reduce your ability to make sales. Some people just will not buy without seeing a model.

We could increase the number of models, but that would cost even more money, right? Wrong. You can and should reduce the number of models you actually build and increase the number of virtual models.

Virtual models are photo realistic, computer generated models created from the CAD files supplied by the architect. Your sales centers will work smarter for you when this technology is incorporated and they will become more user friendly for your customers.

Using virtual reality in the sales center, a customer can choose a plan based on any number of criteria, take a tour through the selected plans, choose the elevation, choose the exact lot or placement of a unit within the building, and feel comfortable making the decision to buy today instead of waiting for a model to be built, or in some cases, not buying at all because a model never will be built. Virtual models also save money. For about the same amount spent decorating one model, the entire product line could be modeled virtually and ready the day you open for sales — no more waiting for the models to be built.

Taking virtual experience a step further, imagine having your entire development site created in 3D, highlighting all your amenities such as a clubhouse, ponds, tot lot, or proximity to a particular downtown attraction such as a museum, park, or waterfront. An animation that drives your customers up the entry boulevard toward your clubhouse or a fly-around your downtown condo building will give them a unique perspective of what you know will be a fantastic place to live.

When you have no other means of communicating the qualities of an uncompleted development other than a scale model, which is expensive and limiting, a virtual site allows you to give the potential buyers an aerial view of the entire development. It also gives them a virtual experience – the perception that they are actually walking into the building or walking along a meandering pathway with its beautifully landscaped grounds. Try that with a scale model or water color rendering.

Speaking of renderings, still images can be produced from the animation taken from any angle for use as renderings in print advertisements, brochures, or on your Web site. Virtual reality is growing in popularity. Check out your competition. It’s a safe bet they’re using it. But don’t think of it as an additional marketing cost; instead, consider all that it does and replaces and realize the savings it offers. It’s a very powerful design tool that communicates your ideas and plans that converts a customer to a buyer. This is definitely something you should look into for any of your current or upcoming developments.

So whether you need just renderings, animations and programming, or something in between, no matter what the number of units in the development or the size of the marketing budget, virtual reality fits. There are a number of companies that specialize in virtual reality and sales center technology.

Some important things to remember when looking to hire a virtual reality company are the number of employees, experience of their staff, reputation, and, of course, the quality of the work.

Richard Harper is director of sales and marketing for RM Design Studio, an award-winning, nationally recognized leader in architectural renderings and virtual reality. For more information about RM Design Studio, visit www.rmdesignstudio.com. [ return to top ]