Thanks to all the tools, all that software, and all those Internet networks, it is no secret that property CGI has slowly, but surely become a very popular trend in the property industry. One of the main goals of just about any property CGI developer out there is to achieve the best return on investments with their property marketing campaigns. But before we go any further, we are first going to talk about what property CGI actually is.
What is Property CGI?
Both property CGI animations and property CGI visuals play a very important role in the world of property development tools, especially these days. More often than not, property CGIs are used while the project is still at either the design phase or the pre-construction phase, and this is the phase where many property developers make a considerable amount of mistakes. And now, let’s talk about some of the worst mistakes that developers make while doing their job, as well as about what you can do to ensure that you don’t make those same mistakes!
Not Getting Educated On the Latest Trends
One of the best things any property developer can do to ensure that their career stays on track is to educate themselves on all the latest trends and techniques that people are talking about. From a CGI visuals standpoint, this is vital because because CGI visuals have become a crucial part of nearly every developmental project out there. Apart from being a highly successful marketing tool with a high ROI, it is also safe to say that CGIs are part of every other part of the property development business. It is also important to note that CGIs can easily become a very costly investment if it is not done the right way.
Not Doing the Right Amount of Research
It is no secret that finding the right CGI company to work with is one of the most important steps for property developers before taking on an architectural visualisation project. Not hiring the right CGI services is one of the most common mistakes in property development. With this in mind, it is better to pay more and end up being happy with the result than to pay less and end up being utterly disappointed.
What to Look For When Hiring a CGI Company
It is in CGI companies’ best interest to educate both their current and their future partners on what needs to be done. After all, it is a very unique process in which the CGI company needs to have a clear workflow stated on its website. Besides a clear workflow, a guide explaining how a typical CGI project should be performed should also be available on the website.
Not Having a Detailed Plan Ready Ahead of Time
Costs and timing are two of the most important things that property developers need to think about when it comes to starting a property CGI project. Questions about the costs are some of the most common questions that are asked of property developers, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. To find the answers to those questions, a property developer should always check to see what important details their CGI services of choice needs to get. This includes things like scheme criteria, execution strategy, property marketing plan, project description, design plans, construction plans, project timing, and references. Look at a company’s process to gauge how they work and if their process will work for you.
Keep in mind that both CGI animations and CGI visuals are similar to an architectural project. What this means is that not having a detailed plan ahead of time is always a big mistake. When you don’t have an appropriate outline or description ready, every CGI project that you decide to take on could end up costing you more than you are willing to pay – either that or it could end up getting delayed or having overall poor performance.
Poor Design and Project Preparation
As you may already know, preparation is one of the most important aspects of just about any 3D project out there. Many projects that consist of both interior and exterior property CGI visuals require a few additional photos to be taken on-site. And now, let’s say a few things about what selling off-plan properties is all about.
When it comes to selling off-plan, it means that the marketing team needs to be shown either a single image or a series of images revealing how the project will look even before the actual construction process takes place. The image also needs to reveal how the new building will connect with the existing environment. For this reason, the CGI company should always be provided with several different things, including a package of Design and CAD/BIM files, the location of the property, a list of both materials and references, and a series of either photos or videos of the site.
Keep in mind that some projects might not have all of the aforementioned things as a requirement, in which case photo and video materials are the real winners. And even though the project can be started, you will most likely not get the best results, and the reason for this is because some of the most important aspects of the project are missing.
Performing a Photoshoot On-Site Is Always a Good Idea
More often than not, the CGI company should be the one that performs the photoshoot on-site; not the project developer. While some photos can be taken from the ground, others simply look better when taken from a tall place. The solution to this is quite simple: all you need to do is use a drone. Don’t forget that additional costs may come into play if a professional drone operator needs to be involved in the process.
But here’s the real issue with this kind of thing: some developers will do whatever it takes to try and keep the costs as low as possible, which basically means that they will not be willing to hire a professional drone operator to take those special mid-air pictures of the project. Of course, this is not a good thing to do as there is a good chance that the result will not be as good as you would like it to be.
Reality vs. CGI
CGI technology is capable of many different things including brightening up rooms, removing columns, extending walls, and more. One of the main goals of property marketing visuals is to showcase the most important features of the project in the best light to potential buyers. There is always a line that should not be crossed, which is why the developer and their CGI company of choice should always have one or two meetings before starting the project. A well-structured plan is a must-have in this business.
Respect the Deadline
Time is one of the most valuable resources that people have, and it should never be wasted. Reducing the time spent on CGI production is one of the most common mistakes that project developers make these days. And the thing is that this is not the fastest nor the most cost-effective way of getting a CGI project done. In fact, it could only end up leading to wrong details, bad quality, and even some additional expenses.
Apart from respecting the deadline and spending the right amount of time on everything that is involved in the process, you should always try and keep the entire project as simple as possible as well. Talk to your clients, and then talk to your CGI company. Do your best to make everyone, including yourself, happy.
Delivering CGIs to Clients
When a project reaches its final stage, submitting the project CGIs to your client is pretty much the only thing that is left for you to do. Changing significant details in the final stages of the project is another common mistake that project developers tend to make these days. Think of a 3D project as some sort of puzzle; if just one piece of the puzzle goes missing, the entire image is not as interesting to look at anymore. Well, the same thing can be said about a 3D visual representation.
This becomes an even bigger problem if a change occurs while a 3D animation is still being rendered, as it will almost always lead to delays or some other type of problems. The reason for this is because a 3D animation is an array of images that usually takes days of rendering on a professional rendering machine. Simply put, if a project consists of 500 images, it also consists of 500 renders, which means that if any significant changes are introduced, and 250 of those images have to be rendered again, it means that both additional rendering time and costs will come into play.
And there you have it! These are some of the most common mistakes that project developers tend to make these days. You should always hire the right CGI company to work on your projects and you should never allow yourself to fall for cheap or easy offers.