The last year has been highly influenced by the latest investments made in the 3D technology, especially in a market that a few years back, one would not expect to have any connection with. It is true that the trend of using 3D in architecture and interior design shortly started to raise questions regarding what other fields of action it might enter next. And the real estate was strongly related to the two mentioned above. However, a few years back, not many of us would have imagined that from searching for a new house online we will make an even bigger step and start visiting the houses that we like, without leaving the office.

The idea of creating immersive 3-D experiences may be moving from the movie theater to both commercial and residential real estate marketing. And everybody seems to be thrilled about it. Real estate agents are happy to receive calls from potential customers that have already seen the house and are ready to make a decision, while the clients appreciate the possibility to make the tour of the house as many times as they like, maybe even show it to friends and relatives, in order to make a better advised decision that they will feel more comfortable with. The new generation of mobile devices is also making a breakthrough, supporting 100% this trend. Having a smartphone or a tablet is no longer unusual for the common folks. Therefore, the easy navigation at any time is guaranteed.

Excited to set the pace of the new trend, several real estate giants are making huge investments in order to provide their potential customers the thrill they need for making the buy. Matterport in Palo Alto, California is one of the first to close a contract with Redfin real estate giant. Their technology of scanning is already being used for a couple of months at least. It uses laser scanners to capture all necessary data about interior spaces. Then, all this chaotic three-dimensional data is rendered into clean, elegant and even interactive virtual worlds for marketing purposes. This project attracted an initial round of $5.26 million in funding.

NYC Developers and Even Nobu 57 are using the 3D technology to create virtual tours

Virtual tours are already creating stunning marketing imagery for commercial developments all over New York City. For example, Taconic Investment Partners creates 3-D content of its retail and commercial space already. Another satisfied user of the technology is Stonehenge, who is now planning to scan and then “build out” 15 unique residential floor plans in 3D.

Even Nobu 57, the iconic restaurant at 40 West 57th Street, has decided to use virtual tours, in order to create intricate, 3D models of the restaurant’s interior. The General Manager Hiro Tahara is now better equipped to respond to international inquires from potential clients who ask questions like, “What would this room look like if the tables were removed?”