The 3D Architectural Animation and Visualisation industry is expected to grow by over 30% in the next 5 years. Industry experts are projecting that this segment of the 3D rendering industry could be worth more than $6 billion by 2026.
But why is that? Well put simply, it’s because 3D architectural animation has proven to be the best way to demonstrate your property in its completed state before construction has even begun or while it’s ongoing.
In this post, we’ll cover 3D architectural animations, and how they benefit decision making and homebuyer confidence. After that, we’ll go over how they are made and what they cost.
What is a 3D property animation?
You can think of 3D property animation as a short video that gives you a walk-through or tour of a property. However, instead of filming at the real property, we create a hyper-realistic model of the property, and we record a 3D walkthrough animation from that model.
In a 3D property animation walkthrough, you don’t click or swipe around your screen to move through the property. It’s a guided tour, you have no control over the direction you move in like you would a 3D tour. It also means that a 3D Animation can run on a screen in a showroom, without user inputs.
It’s easier to sell real estate before construction begins with 3D animations
A 3D animation can be created for a property that hasn’t been built yet. This is an effective asset for developers and real estate agents who are trying to sell off the plan.
Often, the developer needs to sell a percentage of properties before they can get the funding to finance construction. To meet this quota, and encourage buyers to purchase sight unseen, properties are sold at lower prices.
Even factoring in this discount, there’s still an art and a science to selling properties this way. A buyer is going to be extra cautious when buying a property, they’ve never set foot in. They aren’t going to commit unless they are 100% confident in the property, the project, the location.
A 3D architectural tour can help you overcome buyer objections that stem from not understanding the property.
3D architectural animations build buyer confidence in a property
An animation can be a quick attention-grabbing demonstration or a complete flythrough that takes the viewer on a journey. A 3D animation can show prospects different rooms from different angles, while helpful text points out the unique selling points of the property.
When planning a realistic 3D animation, think about how you can enable buyers to explore a property’s layout. To study and familiarise themselves with how everything fits together.
You can show how the property fits into its urban environment and point out benefits like a nearby train station and school. Share info about the facilities, the neighbourhood, the suburb, and the lifestyle it promises.
Agencies go to all the effort to create design catalogues, brochures, and other brand and sales collateral for property. 3D animations are just the next iteration of this process. They are far better than photos and immersive enough that you can feel the ambience. This creates excitement and desire.
Further qualify leads to spend money more efficiently
Real estate agents collectively drive millions of kilometres to preview properties and host open houses. A realistic 3D architectural animation can save a lot of petrol and fruitless trips. By giving the buyer greater visibility of the space, the only people who call and ask to see a property are prospects with intent.
Fancy photography might keep the phone ringing non-stop, but you’ll spend your days showing properties to the disinterested. This time could have been better invested in warmer leads who just need a nudge into commitment.
How are 3D animations created?
We need a model to film the animation in. So step 1 is always either creating or importing a model.
If you’re working with an architect, they likely have some 3D CAD files which we can import into our software to start animating almost immediately. If you’ve only got 2D documents, it’s not a problem, but we’ll need to create a 3D model first before we can begin animating.
The more detailed the files you provide us, the more time and money it’ll save.
If you have any questions about what files you need to provide to create a 3D architectural animation? Just contact us, and we’ll help.
What software do we use?
We use different software depending on the project.
Normally we’d use Unreal Engine or 3Ds Max or Lumion, or a combination of all three.
These are all fast powerful software tools for building, 3D rendering, and animating a 3D property tour. And they allow us to create any type of lighting or weather, in the model and animate realistic and complex indoor and outdoor environments.
It’s all about delivering the best possible animation in the shortest possible time frame. Technology like Lumion which gives us access to a massive 3D library saves thousands of hours.
What makes a good 3D property animation?
A 3D animation needs to look as realistic as possible. You don’t want your property animation to look cartoonish, or have blurry grey spots in them. The video should not distort as you look around. Everything From the colours to the size and height of each wall should match the real layout of the property.
Also, a good 3D animation doesn’t just focus on the design of the property. You’re trying to influence your viewers to make an off-plan investment. To make that decision they need to understand how their living experience will be in that property, what features they’ll enjoy, what will the interior and the exterior look like.
A good 3D animation brings all these features to life. It shows the outdoor environment and the surrounding neighbourhood. Facilities such as gym, swimming pool, parks, schools, nearby shops, playgrounds, and so much more.
What other industries can utilise 3D animaions?
3D animations are used for product presentations, stakeholder engagement, and planning.
Remote understanding that’s available 24/7 has numerous benefits. It can build trust or a brand story for your customers. Help identify problems on high-ticket projects before you commit to a costly mistake, and better communicate project details to stakeholders anywhere on earth. 3D animations are useful for international or interstate investors, space familiarisation for training and sales purposes.
How much does a 3D animation cost?
3D animations vary in price but usually somewhere between $10K – $15K. It really depends on what 3D models you’ve already got or can get from the architect, and how big and complex the development is. Also what level of rendering/realism is required.
For more information on our 3D animation services give us a call on 1800 418 498 or make an enquiry. Our 3D renders apply to a wide range of industries, not just for real estate or properties. We offer 3D animation services to any business wanting to showcase its product in the digital area through an ultra-realistic and immersive viewing experience.
