As part of my research into what’s happening (and, more importantly, what’s likely to be happening) in the fast moving world of property and real estate marketing, I spoke to Kurt Özfıçıcı who heads Fresh01 creative digital consultancy http://fresh01.com/. Their property clients include: ATIS Real, BNP Paribas, Lendlease and Bluewater.
Augmented Reality (AR) and virtual tours on mobile apps
“Most people are aware that apps simplify and speed up property searches but not enough property businesses add value to these searches by providing relevant area information such as crime rates and school ratings. Augmented reality (AR) enhances reality via digital content (3-D objects, videos, images, sounds or projected information). This technology works best with an individual click through to social media pages like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Property developers could use the technology to show off properties that have yet to be built, giving consumers a chance to take virtual tours. The technology can also be used to help home buyers decorate their potential house with virtual furniture, a genuine try before you buy model! Virtual walkthrough software is an extremely powerful way of ‘feeding’ the visitor’s imagination and is used by planners, construction companies and architects and can reduce the amount of wasted viewings by 40%.
http://www.virtualviewapp.com/ is one such AR app built specifically for the residential and commercial property sector. It was officially launched in March 2014 and is available on Apple and Android”.
Google Glass walk-throughs
“The Google Glass “smart glasses” have been on sale in the United States since last April. They are used by agents to show overseas clients who are thousands of miles away aspects of a property that they would otherwise not be able to see and also for live video recordings of property viewings.
The Independent reported in January 2014 that agents Aston Chase have already used a property marketing video production company that shoots with Glass to create property marketing materials for a London property. http://www.independent.co.uk/property/property-news-roundup-using-google-glass-to-sell-properties-9074675.html
Steve Reilly of real estate media company VistaBee http://www.vistabee.com/en/ called the tech a “game changer for the industry”. US real estate portal giant, Trulia http://www.trulia.com/ is using both Glass and Geo based Augmented Reality to push the boundaries of property marketing”.
Drone aerial video and stills
“Small, affordable, remote-controlled MultiRotor helicopter drones with image-stablilizing technology provide aerial photography and aerial video as another weapon in the property marketing armoury. They can be deployed for making videos for use in web and viral campaigns, for providing birds-eye view tours and even on the technical side of things providing additional help in inspection surveys”.
Projection mapping
“Images are projected onto a facade at night to show a transformation so the building or hoarding against a new development serves as a giant screen and can place the content in situ. While this concept has been used for some time as street art for guerilla marketing, the 2012 Olympics in London blasted the idea to the world, using projected images of sprinter Usain Bolt on the Houses of Parliament. Ralph Lauren also used this technology during a fashion week to project runway images on the side of a building”.
Watch out for further interviews with property marketing leaders. And get in touch if you have something to share that challenges conventional thinking in property marketing. These and other ideas will form part of my session at the EG Conference Marketing Summit on 26th June 2014 http://www.estatesgazetteevents.com/marketingsummit2014
