How pre-construction tech is transforming the property sector

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The integration of advanced technology has brought a transformative change in the ever-evolving landscape of real estate, construction and architecture.

Bringing the element of innovation into the picture, pre-construction technologies are reshaping the future of construction properties and changing the face of the real estate sector, drastically changing how the real estate industry operates and how future construction projects will be completed.

Property pre-sales in the construction and real estate industry involve a combination of architectural drawings, scale models, and artistic renderings during the planning process. While these tools offer glimpses into a client’s future project, they often do not provide potential buyers with a comprehensive understanding of the final project.

Since some of these traditional methods have limitations in terms of realism and cannot convey the look and feel of the property, potential buyers not only faced challenges in envisioning their future homes but also faced obstacles such as unnecessary building variation expenses during post-construction due to inaccuracy and errors in the planning stage.

Pre-construction technology is transforming the sector

The rapid advancement of technology over the last few decades has exceptionally revolutionised the construction and real estate industry.

Pre-construction technology in particular, has emerged as a game changer; and by leveraging this technology to assist future construction, it brings a wide range of benefits for architects, property developers, engineers, and interior designers including reduced time and avoiding future errors and costs in the building process.

Over recent years, people have increasingly used advanced and cutting-edge technologies to allow prospective homeowners, tenants, property developers, architects, etc., to visualise their properties on a different scale and model how the project might look and feel upon completion.

This advancement is making processes faster, smarter, and more sustainable.

One of the key drivers of the evolution in the real estate, architecture and construction industry is building information modelling (BIM), a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a building or facility.

Serving as a collaborative knowledge platform for architects, engineers and contractors, BIM facilitates real-time decision-making during the construction project’s lifecycle. This technology minimises waste, controls costs, coordinates workflows and optimises labour needs for future construction.

3D rendering and other technologies

The introduction of 3D rendering has played a transformative role in pre-construction sales. It assists in future construction, as it allows prospective homeowners, architects and other stakeholders to explore highly detailed, photorealistic representations of properties before they are built. Bridging the gap between innovation and reality eliminates uncertainties associated with traditional planning methods.

Integrated projection technologies have also created a significant impact in the real estate, architecture and construction industry by projecting enlarged building floorplans in a real-life 1:1 scale, allowing individuals to physically walk through their plans, providing a realistic and immersive experience rather than relying on abstract floorplans.

The ability to make real-time adjustments to plans helps in assisting future construction by preventing unnecessary building variation costs, resource and time wastage, and enhances client satisfaction by fostering a sense of trust and confidence in the development of the project.

Augmented reality (AR) is yet another transformative technology that has taken pre-construction planning to the next level while making a mark in the realm of construction visualisation technologies, further amplifying the impact of pre-construction technologies. It efficiently assists future construction with precision and speed.

From colourless virtual experiences to coloured and photo-realistic virtual experiences, AR services provide an immersive and interactive for clients that transcend traditional design presentations, allowing them to visualise their dream homes and envision projects with unprecedented detail. Furthermore, it is a valuable, cost-effective experience for property developers and real estate professionals looking to sell off-plan or unbuilt properties in the market as they can opt for preconstruction technology to sell the property rather than investing in constructing showcase villas, staged apartments and offices for this purpose as it is expensive, labour intensive and time-consuming.

Due to rapid technological advancement, the property purchasing process has also drastically changed. AR has turned out to be a game changer in the commercial real estate industry by enhancing property viewings with visual site experiences and offering visual solutions for changes in real estate development or renovation.  It encourages sales of properties that are under construction as it provides the imagery of how the apartment look like upon completion.

To conclude, disruptive technology is ever-evolving and as it continues to create an impact in the real estate and construction industry, it is also pivotal for those seeking efficient and elevated solutions in the field.

Incorporating pre-construction technologies during the planning process not only contributes to a decrease in post-construction corrections and future cost overruns but is also time efficient and improves communication among individuals involved in the process resulting in quick decision-making.

This, in turn, is reshaping the way we conceive and execute future construction projects.

The writer is the CEO of Lifesize Plans Dubai.