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CGI: The Biggest Trick Experts Use in Property Marketing

Few markets rely more heavily on visual elements than real estate. While the old real estate adage is “Location, location, location,” in today’s world of online listing services and proposed building plans few things are more important than attractive visual representations. 

For existing properties, that comes down to traditional photography and staging, portraying even worn-down properties in the best possible light. But what do you do with proposed developments? There may be nothing at the site currently, or worse yet, there might be existing derelict buildings or rubbish. 

There is a way to get around the lack of “real-world” photography for proposed property marketing, and it involves using an old, well-known trick in the marketing world in a new way. Computer Generated Images (CGI) give builders and architects a way to visually market their property well before there’s anything to show.

In this article, we’ll look at how the purposes for property marketing with CGI differ from normal property sales.

Different purposes of property marketing with CGI

Your average real estate agent for commercial properties can rely on a wealth of information to power their promotional material. Pictures, of course, are a huge part of that, showcasing each property’s strongest points. Agents can also rely on statistics and data to support those photos. That data might include average income from rental units or a timeline showing the increase in property value.

Whatever the tool, agents for existing properties aim to attract buyers. The property is, or should be, a known quantity whose value can be estimated. 

Property marketing for commercial properties that only exist on paper is slightly different. While it could be focused on sales, often the emphasis is on investment. The goal is to showcase the overall plan, rather than any one particular feature. For investors, the overall impression is key. 

Large-scale projects and investments have been around a long time, so marketers have figured out ways to get around the lack of any photographs. Scale models of proposed buildings are one such method, particularly useful in networking settings. Models invite people to gather around and physically examine the details of any proposed development, generating interest and also providing feedback to artists and architects. 

In many ways, CGI in property marketing simply carries the idea of a scale model one step further. CGI takes architectural blueprints and artist renderings and converts them into lavish, fully-detailed photorealistic representations.  

Bringing proposed developments to life

Using CGI to market a planned development provides a number of advantages. Here are some of the biggest ones:

Early-stage marketing

How early can you market your new property using CGI? The answer is, how early do you want to market it! CGI can be conjured entirely from the imagination of skilled CGI artists, but to be accurate to the future property it typically relies on architect blueprints and drawings, either digital or physical. As soon as your designers have a plan for the new property, you can begin to make CGI renderings. It can be done months or even years in advance, particularly if the project is one that requires outside investment.

Nearly-limitless capability

What can you render with CGI? Almost anything you can draw. Property marketing using CGI works for any size of the project, from mammoth skyscrapers to developments of single-family homes. CGI provides an immense amount of flexibility, showcasing multi-family homes as easily as high-rise offices. Interiors and exteriors of all colours and materials can all be rendered in CGI.

Market like a photograph

The final product from a detailed CGI rendering looks photorealistic. With advanced rendering technology, renderings can include landscaping, people, and be set at different times of the day. The resulting images can be used in marketing material just like a traditional photograph.

Accuracy and detail: CGI marketing at its best

Investing in high-end CGI for your planned development opens a new range of possibilities for your marketing. Old-fashioned models can never reach the depth of detail CGI rendering can provide. The textures of particular surfaces, variations in colour, details of layout and appearance can all be rendered accurately with CGI. CGI is the best of both worlds, capable of the intricate detail of a digital model and the real-world accuracy of a photograph.

Perhaps the singest greatest advantage CGI offers is flexibility. No more time constraints; if you need promotional material now, you can get photorealistic images long before any ground is broken. You can even create CGI models years in advance – the perfect tool for raising vital investment funds for your project. 

There’s a huge amount of flexibility in the exact products offered. CGI can be used to create an elaborate 3D blueprint, for better design visualisation and modification. With a little more work, CGI can make a glossy photorealistic print for promotional brochures. And, in the right hands, a fully-rendered virtual development can generate more photos, prints, and even 3D tours – a fully-immersive property experience to convince even the most reluctant investors.

What you need for CGI property marketing

Gaining access to high-end CGI renderings for your property marketing efforts doesn’t need to be challenging. All that absolutely necessary are the basic drawings and plans from your designers and architects, and access to skilled rendering professionals. CGI rendering isn’t something you can do on your own – there’s a wealth of technical experience necessary to create high-quality images. 

The good news is that there are CGI experts available to help you with any design project you might have. 3D Lines specialises in property marketing CGI. We are both capable and willing to help you out with any real estate project. In our hands, you’ll see your property come to life, fully visualised and fleshed out, and you’ll finally be able to take advantage of one of the biggest property marketing tricks out there.