Rendering and 3D walkthrough glossary for people who sell property

This glossary covers the terms that come up when a developer, builder or brokerage orders renderings or a 3D walkthrough, explained from the seller's side. You don't need to know how any of it is made. You do want to know what each thing is, so you order what you actually need and can explain it to a buyer in two sentences.

Images of the project

Rendering (or render). A computer-generated image of a project made from its plans, before it exists. It's used to sell, to get approvals and to communicate a project. More in what an architectural rendering is.

Photorealistic rendering. A rendering that looks like a photograph: natural light, believable materials, shadows, real surroundings. It's the kind used for sales, because the buyer doesn't have to "translate" anything in their head.

Exterior or facade rendering. The building or the house seen from outside. It's usually the face of the project: on the construction sign, the website and the first photo of every listing. See facade and exterior renderings.

Interior rendering. A room seen from inside, furnished and with the project's actual finishes. It's the image that makes a buyer picture themselves living there.

Aerial rendering. A view from above, showing the building on its block, the entrances, how close it is to a park or the beach. Most useful for large complexes, master-planned neighborhoods and subdivisions.

Dusk or night rendering. The same project in late-afternoon light or after dark, with the windows lit. It adds warmth and often becomes the lead image of a campaign.

Real surroundings. Showing the project on its actual street, with the neighbors, the sidewalk and the corner the buyer knows, instead of a generic backdrop. It makes the project credible.

Walkthroughs and interactive views

3D walkthrough (or virtual tour). A way to walk through a unit or a house from a phone or computer, room by room, before it's built. The buyer moves with a finger or by scrolling and sees everything furnished. See 3D virtual tours of apartments.

Interactive tour. Any experience where the buyer decides what to look at and how fast, instead of watching a video someone else edited. A 3D walkthrough is one kind of interactive tour.

360° virtual tour. A tour made from panoramic photos of a place that already exists; you jump from one fixed point to the next. It works for finished properties, not for selling off-plan. The comparison is in 360° tour, 3D walkthrough or rendering.

Building view. An experience that shows the building on its block with tappable floors. Tap a floor and its floor plate appears with the units; pick one and you step inside. You can try it in the Maconda XXIV building demo, an unofficial working demo based on a 12-story building in Quilmes, near Buenos Aires, marketed by Otamendi Propiedades.

Morning, afternoon and evening light. The option to see the same room in different light. It answers a question a floor plan can't: how much light comes in, and when.

Virtual reality (VR). An experience with a headset that covers the eyes and puts the buyer "inside" the unit. It makes an impression at an event, but only the person wearing it gets to see it. See browser 3D walkthrough or VR headset.

Units, inventory and sales

Unit type (or floor plan). Each kind of unit in a development: the one-bedroom facing the street, the two-bedroom at the back, the penthouse duplex. It's a key term because a walkthrough made per unit type covers every floor where that type repeats. See 3D walkthroughs by unit type.

Floor plate. The layout of a whole floor, showing every unit on it. In a building view, it's what appears when you tap a floor.

Unit selector (or availability map). A tool for choosing a floor and a unit on the building or the floor plate instead of scrolling through a list. It keeps inventory organized and lets buyers explore on their own. More in interactive unit selector and availability map.

Availability. Each unit's status: available, reserved or sold. Keeping it current stops inquiries about units that are gone. See live unit availability.

Furnished floor plan. A unit's plan seen from above with the furniture in place. It explains sizes far better than a technical drawing. See furnished 3D floor plans.

Virtual staging. Showing an empty unit, or one that doesn't exist yet, with furniture and decor so people understand how it lives. See virtual staging.

Pre-construction (or off-plan). Buying or selling a unit before the building is finished, sometimes before it starts. In the UK, Europe and Australia it's usually called off-plan, and a unit is "sold off the plan." In Spanish-speaking markets you'll hear "en pozo," "en verde," "sobre planos" or "preventa."

How it's shared and used

Link. The address that opens the walkthrough in the browser. It goes out over WhatsApp, text, email or social media, and the buyer doesn't have to install anything.

Embed. Placing the walkthrough inside the developer's or the project's website, so buyers see it without leaving the site and it carries your brand. See a 3D walkthrough on your company website.

QR code. A printed square that opens the walkthrough when someone scans it with their phone. It goes on the construction sign, on brochures or at an expo booth. See a QR code on the construction sign.

Finish schedule (or spec sheet). The document listing the finishes and materials that will be delivered. It's what keeps the renderings showing what the buyer will really get, not an idealized version.

Model unit (or show apartment). A finished, decorated unit used for showings. You can touch it, but it shows only one unit type and is usually ready only once construction is well along.

Scale model. A physical, miniature version of the project. It helps people understand the whole, but doesn't show the inside.

Why it's worth knowing these terms

Mostly, so you order well. If you know what a unit type is, you can work out how many walkthroughs you really need. If you know the difference between a 360° tour and a 3D walkthrough, you won't order something that only works for finished properties while you're still selling off-plan. And if you're clear on what live availability means, you'll set up your team to keep it current.

It also helps when you talk to buyers. Many of them don't know these words, and the agent who can explain in a sentence or two what they're looking at earns more trust.

I work remotely from Buenos Aires, Argentina (UTC−3), with deliveries by link and calls by video. If you have a project and aren't sure which material makes sense, message me on WhatsApp at +54 9 11 6193-3176 or email facundocampo100@gmail.com and we'll sort it out with your plans. I answer in English and Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a rendering and a 3D walkthrough?

A rendering is a still image of a room or the facade. A 3D walkthrough lets the buyer move through the unit, room by room, and choose what to look at. Both are made from the plans, and both help you sell before you build.

What does "a walkthrough per unit type" mean?

One walkthrough is made for each kind of unit, not for each individual unit. Since the same type repeats on several floors, a building with three unit types needs three walkthroughs.

Does a 360° tour work for off-plan sales?

Generally not, because it's built from photos of a place that already exists. For a project that isn't built yet, you use a 3D walkthrough made from the plans.

What do I need to send to get started?

The project plans, the finishes and an idea of who you want to sell to. It's all laid out in what you need to order a rendering.