These visualization trends are stirring up the real estate industry

Immo! Nvest highlights three start-ups that have developed leading technical innovations around the world. Your tools and solutions not only offer competitive advantages, but also cost savings.

Applications and tools such as 360 ° tours, interactive design or virtual reality (VR) are not new. But what two Swiss and a German start-up have made of it, yes. For example, the Zurich start-up Coding Mind AG with their product “Remotely360 °”: The founders, Alexandros Tyropolis and Danijel Veljkovic, have revolutionized the 360 ° tours: “These virtual tours have been around for around 10 years. But the existing solutions on the market did not go far enough for us: The tours are primarily perceived as a marketing tool. Once entered into the Internet, prospective tenants are then left to their own devices. Any questions that arise remain unanswered – any misunderstandings cannot be clarified, ”analyzes the CEO, Alexandros Tyropolis.

Therefore, with the Remotely360 ° solution, marketers and interested parties can meet digitally in the property: “The property manager receives all information about the property overlaid. Thanks to the integration of Google Streetview and Google Maps, the surroundings can also be shown, ”explains the CEO. Further documents could be sent immediately in the chat. The integrated floor plan shows where you are in the property. With this offer, the company is one of the so-called first movers: "We only know of a handful of start-ups worldwide that are pursuing similar ideas," says the young entrepreneur. Big players in the field of 360 ° tours in particular would have overslept to continue spinning their thoughts and ask themselves how 360 ° tours could have a deeper impact on the marketing process. Remotely360 ° customers include companies such as the CBRE Group, Crédit Suisse and Swiss Finance & Property Funds AG.

In order to use the tool, the first step is to digitize the property. “We maintain a network of photographers who, if necessary, take pictures of the object with a 360 ° camera,” explains Tyropolis. The customer can also do this himself without any problems: "Our solution is compatible with all 360 ° cameras." After that, all you need is an Internet browser. The tours are hosted free of charge. Anyone who would like to benefit from additional tools pays CHF 24.90 per property and month.
The start-up was founded during the corona pandemic. The makers cannot therefore conclusively answer whether this gave the tool a boost. "Corona definitely sensitizes and has increased acceptance even among more conservative market participants," says Tyropolis. In the future, the innovative solution should also be able to be used for other applications in the life cycle of a property, such as handover protocols. “The simultaneous implementation of a tradesman's offer tool is being planned. Another milestone would be the connection between visualization and photo. We are working on integrating floors, colors or furnishings into the 360 ° tour, ”says Tyropolis, revealing the plans for the future.

There is no need to build model apartments
The start-up «Hegias», founded in 2017 and based in Zurich and Lugano, also wants to make life easier for building planners, architects, marketers and authorities. With deceptively real tours of properties that are often still in the planning phase. Quite often the first word that the three founders Patrik Marty, Tuan Nguyen and Andreas Schmeil hear from their customers is: “Wow!”. The three young entrepreneurs rely on virtual reality (VR) for their solution. “We noticed that agency VR applications are static, expensive and difficult to share with other stakeholders. We want to democratize VR and make it possible to use it for smaller projects such as single-family houses, ”explains Marty, who is CEO. This gave rise to the idea of developing software with which anyone without experience or programming knowledge can bring content into the VR, change it in real time and commit and discuss it together with all the people involved.

Hegias VR works simply and intuitively: “Our solution is the first in the world to be completely browser- and cloud-based; all you have to do is drag a 3D plan into your internet browser and a few minutes later you can walk through it – with or without VR glasses, ”explains the young entrepreneur. With the help of so-called libraries, the plans can then be materialized and furnished. The innovation is intended to prevent misunderstandings and planning errors and make the construction of model apartments superfluous. Additional services such as the laser scan of a property and the subsequent creation of a 3D model are available for existing buildings.

The acceptance in the real estate industry is very high: "We even dare to say that anyone who has experienced Hegias VR live will never build again without first going through the project in the VR," Marty is convinced. Today VR is still a competitive advantage, but in a few years it will become the standard. The solution was developed for the masses and for collaboration. “The application is completely automated. Our innovation is therefore significantly cheaper than the VR offers of the agencies, ”says the CEO. A virtual tour of a project costs less than 200 francs, depending on the subscription and its utilization.

The solution is already available in four languages (German, English, French and Italian). “In the next two years, the focus will be on Switzerland as well as on countries that are increasingly using Building Information Modeling (BIM). In other words: Scandinavia, Great Britain, the Netherlands and the USA ”, Marty reveals. The pandemic accelerated the digitization surge in the industry: "We are feeling that more and more solutions are being sought for decentralized meetings and inspections of real estate projects." Marty sums up other advantages of the tool: “Competitions can be carried out purely digitally. Objections can also be shortened and, at the end of the day, construction can be carried out faster, more efficiently, more sustainably and more cheaply. "

The potential of the application is far from being exhausted. Marty opens: "In five years, it will be possible to order materials and furniture on our platform with a click of the mouse – of course after you have looked at them in virtual reality in peace and quiet in your own four walls." In ten years at the latest, the VR will be an integral part of our lives – the resourceful entrepreneur is convinced of that.

Real estate and furniture providers are directly networked for the first time
“Deceptively real” are attributes that apply to the furnishing solution for real estate agents from the German start-up MockUp Studio. Monica Riad, founder and CEO, has developed a tool with which apartments can be virtually furnished with real furniture, floors can be changed, wall colors can be tried out and decoration can be exchanged as desired. All of this in true-to-life quality that cannot be distinguished from real photos: "Our solution is particularly interesting for new construction projects or apartments in need of renovation," explains the managing director. The tool enables floor plans and apartment pictures to be uploaded. The apartment is then automatically digitized and can be set up virtually. "2D images or 360 ° tours can be easily created from the digitized apartment," says Riad, who founded MockUp Studio in 2017.

Users can try out different furnishing styles and, thanks to the collaboration with furniture dealers, order their favorite items directly in the application – an absolute novelty, as Riyadh says: “We are the first to connect real estate and furniture providers directly – and the whole thing is 70 percent automated. » All that is needed to use the tool is photos of the apartment – smartphone quality is sufficient. The solution costs from 100 euros per room. If several objects are digitized at the same time, this amount is reduced to 25 euros. The next development step is imminent: "At the end of 2021 we will also be offering the tool to end customers," announced Riyadh.

Digitization has already become an integral part of the real estate industry. With their ideas and solutions, the start-ups presented should hit the nerve of the times – and perhaps even stir up the industry internationally in the coming years.

Mario's tip
Visualization solutions make real estate mobile. The offer is large and difficult to understand. This question grid helps with decision making.

1. Is it a new or an existing building?
2. Which quality level is the property assigned: high-end or standard construction?
3. Who is the target group: tenants or buyers? What about digital affinity?

Solutions in the field of virtual reality are suitable for new buildings in order to make visions tangible. This technology has developed strongly over the last few years and is becoming suitable for the masses. For existing properties, 3D visualizations are increasingly becoming the standard – implementation is uncomplicated and can be adapted to the quality requirements of customers. Simply integrating tours of this kind on the property side is a long way from getting the maximum added value out of the models. In addition to digital appointments and visits via an integrated live stream, this solution can also be used to show the virtual furnishing of untidy or empty objects in 2D or 3D.

Of course, given the multitude of options, the customer must not be disregarded. The type of object visualization and its integration into the viewing process must be adapted to the target group using the appropriate medium (online portals, print advertisements, social media, website, posters, etc.).

Text: Linda von Euw, Bilder: Hegias.