How to Attract Foreign Home Buyers

How does one increase the sales before the completion of a building for international buyers (or local buyers)?–Communication is key!

Architectural Rendering

One of the fundamental reasons for an architectural visualization to be created is to communicate 2D architectural drawings into a more easily consumed artistic rendering image. These images portray the planned building with a realistic representation of what the final product will look like. 3d rendered images allow those with zero architectural knowledge or little to no comprehension of the English language, for that matter, to gain an understanding of what it is they are looking at and potentially what they may purchase.

This has become important with the recent uptick in foreign home buying, most notably with wealthy Chinese investors. Buying a home without seeing the physical property can be an intimidating process, especially by factoring in potential language barriers, various rules, regulations, and monetary restrictions and putting faith in a builder who is potentially thousands of miles away. All that said, the outcome is far too tempting for international investors and building developers alike.

Take Vancouver, Canada for example. The local scenery and relatively welcoming political climate have made it a hot spot for foreign investment. As a result, the price of housing locally has skyrocketed, and with that, the demand for luring more wealthy foreign investors has increased citywide despite a recently implemented foreign home buyer’s tax. Many developers in the area specifically target and cater to these foreign investors through international advertising campaigns.

One of the most effective ways to appeal to these potential clients remains architectural visualizations. As a company we have noticed significant increases in business from developers over recent years, often to provide foreign investors a sneak peek into the development as they try to keep up with the foreign buyer’s insatiable demand. As housing prices continue to rise, the advertising budgets have increased along with them. In Vancouver, it has felt like an arms race of who can create the most impressive marketing campaign. 3D Renders, animations, amenity videos, and 3D floor plans are becoming the norm along with full custom websites for fresh developments.

Custom Real Estate Development Website

When creating a real estate development website for international buyers be sure to consider other language options with properly translated content. Using Google Translate is not enough most times. Going the extra mile to have a professional translator express your ideas in a familiar narrative is going to help make international buyers feel at ease throughout the process and it will exude professionalism throughout the entire buying process.

Sell the Dream

The other two common uses for architectural rendering are gaining approval from regulatory bodies and working through the design planning process with 3D renders is typically a fairly linear process, in that the images need to represent real-world functionality and they are based simply on conveying information. Creating images which are required for generating sales needs to go beyond simply providing information, they need to speak to customers and invoke an emotional response. These images not only allow potential homeowners to understand what the last look of the project will be but they need to allow them to envision themselves in this space. Cookie-cutter, flat images which can appear uninspired cannot generate the excitement that a high-end 3d rendering expert can accomplish.

3D Floor Plans

Most people are aware of how 3D renders can be used for houses which aren’t yet built; however, one of the up-and-coming trends among more progressive real estate agents in recent years is providing 3D floor plans of listed houses along with traditional photography. It can often be difficult for people scanning through multiple listings to understand what the layout of the building is despite looking through 5-10 images of the space. 3D floor plans can offer a blend of realism while still allowing clients to envision how they might best use the space. These are, again, a fantastic selling tool for international home buyers who aren’t just looking for presale developments.

Conclusion

Whether selling a house to an international resident or a local home buyer, you’re selling a dream. This dream requires a little extra attention when selling it abroad; however, the same principles apply to both. Being able to effectively communicate what it is your development or real estate listing can provide for potential homeowners is essential.