The Importance of Visualization: Real $3.1M Mansion Causes Big Virtual Stir

Be sure to read this article on cnn.com about a $3.1M mansion in Washington State that has been re-created in the 3-D online world, Second Life. This is a fascinating and innovative way to market real estate for prospective buyers online. This first attempt has attracted a lot of interest in the virtual community:

"In real life, a house like this might normally attract the attention of 50 to 100 people, but since Wednesday 3,500 people have toured the home in Second Life, according to its broker, Suzanne Lane. Not all of them are prospective buyers of course -- in a virtual world it's easy for anyone who's curious to just stop by.

"I feel comfortable that it will sell within the next couple of months," she said, despite the fact that the Seattle real-estate market has cooled recently."

This gives food for thought on the impact 3-D visualizations have on buyers, and the increasing importance of utilizing advanced visualization tools to attract interest in real estate properties. Consumers will soon expect to see 3-D walkthroughs and video tours of homes they are researching. Pictures and traditional virtual tours are becoming more and more obsolete by the day. As an industry we need to start creating interactive content, such as video and 3-D walkthroughs, that will excite consumers for years to come.

Thanks to Crystal Christopherson from Envision for this post.