Unlocking the Next Level: RWinvest’s Immersive Tour Experience Transforms Property Investment
Stage 1: The Problem
The world of property investment has changed a lot in recent years. For one, the rise of completely hands-off property investments has led to investors having the ability to invest in property anywhere in the country or even abroad if they so choose, while a management company handles the day-to-day landlord duties and maintenance.
Another trend that has emerged is off-plan investment. This refers to investing in a property while it is still in the planning or construction stage, meaning it can be acquired at a cheaper price point compared to a completed development.
While this is great news for investors, expanding their choice and the range of investments they can make, it has posed new challenges for property investment companies. Of course, buyers in the property market have traditionally viewed a selection of properties before making a decision. However, in the above cases, an in-person viewing is simply not an option.
So, how can a property company truly showcase a product’s potential as an exciting investment opportunity when it hasn’t actually been built yet? And even when it has been fully constructed, how can a prospective investor attend a viewing if they’re not even located in the same country as the property? It can be nearly impossible to properly display the property’s charms to would-be investors.
This was the problem faced by RWinvest, an award-winning property investment company based in Liverpool.
Until recently, RWinvest’s sales team relied on a 360 image-based method to showcase developments. While this was sufficient to give users a good idea of the property’s interior and layout, it still left something to be desired compared to a traditional in-person viewing that can give potential investors an actual representation of the property they are considering buying.
A challenge such as this required a new approach, taking advantage of the possibilities presented by the rapidly growing virtual reality sector.
Stage 2: The Solution
After meeting Strive Group at a marketing event, RWinvest Senior Graphic Designer Christopher Parry quickly saw the potential of their software as a method to overcome these challenges and elevate the company’s marketing strategy.
Strive’s Interactive Customer Experience (ICE) tool allows brands to immerse their clients in a fully customizable virtual environment. Any kind of space can be produced thanks to the cutting-edge VR and gaming technology – including a property that is still under construction. The user can fully explore and move freely in this tailored virtual reality as if they were actually visiting the fully finished development.
Using the group’s ICE technology, a property can be meticulously reconstructed to provide a more realistic and engaging experience for potential investors. It can be recreated to a precise scale, giving an authentic representation of a planned development, even if it is still in the construction phase.
This flexible marketing tool can be used anywhere and on any device, taking the potential client on a fully immersive journey.
According to Strive Group, this approach “provides businesses with the tools to craft personalized, immersive, and real-time experiences, allowing customers complete freedom of movement within these virtual spaces”.
It was clear that this technology could have a transformative effect on RWinvest’s property exhibiting capabilities, allowing them to conduct virtual viewings. Not only can the firm showcase the full potential of the property, but investors themselves could get a comprehensive understanding of what the completed property will look like, allowing them to make an informed decision.
It seemed like a no-brainer, so RWinvest requested that this state-of-the-art virtual solution be applied to the company’s latest star development, The Gateway.
Case Study: The Gateway
Described as the “centerpiece development of the Pumpfields regeneration zone” and situated by the city’s world-renowned waterfront, The Gateway is one of the most exciting projects to hit the Liverpool property scene.
At RWinvest’s behest, Strive painstakingly recreated the stunning design of the property to an impressive level of detail. The 3D virtual tour begins fittingly at the iconic Gateway exterior, made up of four New York-style skyscrapers.
When reconstructing The Gateway, Strive mirrored the actual finishes and textures of the assets and materials that will be used in the development, allowing investors to get a true understanding of what the finished property will look like.
In this way, potential investors have the opportunity to navigate through the property as if they were viewing the property for real, to virtually the same level of detail and scale. This includes the exterior, various apartment types, and amenities such as the onsite gym and spa.
The exact measurements of the property were utilized to ensure realism, giving an authentic representation of the size, layout, interior design, and quality – all aspects of the property. This incredible level of detail has been key in unlocking the true potential of The Gateway’s flawless aesthetic, showcasing the state-of-the-art onsite facilities and amenities, as well as the stunning interior.
Since RWinvest jumped into the world of virtual reality, ICE has become an invaluable marketing tool. It has enabled the company’s salespeople to get as close as possible to a traditional viewing, regardless of where the potential investor is based or how far along in the construction process the property is, solving the problems posed by hands-off and off-plan investment trends.
Stage 3: The Future
The collaboration was a veritable success, and RWinvest saw the advantages of this cutting-edge software from its very first use. The property firm has now resolved to move away from its previous 360 image-based method going forward, pivoting to ICE 3D interactive software for all future property presentations.
The switch represents a significant enhancement to RWinvest’s marketing arsenal, and they are sure to continue seeing the benefits moving forward and through future investment opportunities.
This cutting-edge technology is allowing the ever-changing property industry to meet new challenges head-on as the sector evolves and trends continue to shift towards new, unexpected directions.
This article has been published in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.
