REAL ESTATE VISUALIZATION FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs about real estate visualization answer the most common questions from developers and clients who work with us.

Many questions can also be answered by reading testimonials.

We work with real estate developers who need to market homes before they can be visited, and who view visualization as an integral part of the sale rather than just a launch formality.

We also work with architects who want to effectively present their projects to developers.

Our work is meaningful when there is value that the buyer cannot yet touch.

We aren’t the right fit for those primarily seeking the lowest price, or for anyone who simply needs images just to “have something” to launch with.

Nor are we the logical choice if you already have your visual strategy fully mapped out and simply need production capacity at the lowest possible cost.

We don’t try to be the perfect studio for everyone. And that’s okay.

No. We work on developments that need to effectively communicate their value, regardless of their market positioning.

What varies from one to another isn’t the quality of the work:

it’s the key selling points.

A development doesn’t have to be luxury-tier to feature an orientation, terrace, layout, location, views, or a lifestyle that warrants a compelling explanation.

That is precisely why we don’t use a one-size-fits-all formula.

Yes, and that is the sensible approach: start with what already exists and check which arguments are covered and which are not.

If the material serves its purpose, there is no reason to redo it. We aren’t assuming that you have to start over from scratch.

We can work from your existing renders—without starting from zero—by applying Level 1.

We cannot promise that a rendering will sell a property. Factors such as the product itself, price, location, and sales efforts also play a role.

What we do is focus on a variable you *can* control:

what the buyer understands and perceives before they even visit the property.

Having worked on over 300 developments, we know that not all images are equally effective.
That is why we first determine exactly which ones you need, and then we produce them.

Because understanding each promotion, defining the criteria, and overseeing production takes time.
Significantly increasing volume would force us to change the way we work.

We prefer to limit the number of projects rather than turn this into an assembly line.

This offers an advantage for you, too: we know our available capacity quite precisely and do not accept impossible deadlines.

Yes. A significant part of the process takes place remotely, and communication is direct throughout the project.

We have worked for clients all over the world, including HOK in St. Louis and César Pelli in Santa Monica. Not meeting in person has never been an obstacle.

You will find many companies that can produce four renders for you, and there is nothing wrong with that.

We have chosen to work differently. We do not sell images by the unit; instead, we aim to solve communication and marketing challenges, which requires working with both still imagery and video across one of our three service levels.

If you truly only need four renders, there are likely options better suited to your needs than GAYARRE.

It is not part of our plans.

We do publish our criteria on a regular basis. If you would like to receive them, there is the VIP Club.

Three different starting points, not three different quality levels.

Level 1: You already have images, and we want to see how far we can take them.
Level 2: You are producing from scratch and haven’t made any costly decisions yet.
Level 3: Simply showcasing the development isn’t enough; you need to tap into what drives the buyer.

It’s not about moving up a level. It’s about starting where your development currently stands.

We propose it after the first meeting, once we know what development you have, what materials are available, and what stage the sales process is at.

It isn’t something you select from a chart before we speak.

Not necessarily. That’s what Level 1 is for.

If the images provide a usable foundation, we work directly on them—refining materials, lighting, decor, atmosphere, and the sense of life. Using post-production and artificial intelligence, we can generate new visuals and even video without having to re-model the entire project.

First, we review the assets you have. Then, we’ll determine the full potential of what can be achieved.

No. Level 3 is about commercial ambition, not the price tag.

It can make sense for a mid-priced promotion that needs to sell quickly, just as it does four-million-euro development deal where perceived value is critical. The buyer changes, their problems change, and the story changes.

The mechanism remains the same: ensuring recognition first, so the promotion is viewed in a new light.

Yes, always. It’s not an extra that can be cut from the budget.

What changes from one level to the next is not whether we apply the method, but the depth of the intervention and the point at which it begins.

Yes. What changes is the scope and the starting point.

The benchmarks are 12 images and around one minute of video for Level 1;
24 images and around two minutes for Level 2;
36 images, around four minutes of cinematic video and social media clips for Level 3.

These are scale benchmarks. The final scope is set out in the proposal.

The process we follow before producing anything, to decide who we need to convince and what that person needs to see.

We analyse the development, identify the target buyer and turn the project’s features into visual selling points.

First, we decide what the development needs to communicate. Then we get the machinery up and running.

Four steps:

Define your ideal client. What sort of buyer makes the most sense for your campaign?
Decide what to show. What do they value, what are their concerns, and what do they need to see before moving forward?
Decide how to present it. Which images, videos or materials help them better understand the value of the project?
Optimise to persuade, not to decorate. Each element must fulfil a specific purpose.

The format comes last. Never first.

A presentation outlining your target buyer: what motivates them, what might hold them back, what needs to be highlighted, and where it isn’t worth spending time or money.

These criteria are also useful outside the scope of our work:
on your website, in adverts, in sales presentations, and in your sales team’s sales pitch.

Because trying to appeal to everyone visually often results in a message that isn’t particularly relevant to anyone.

The same terrace can symbolise family life, status, privacy, relaxation or an investment, depending on who is looking at it.

Choosing a priority buyer does not prevent others from buying. It simply helps someone feel much more strongly that this property is made for them.

Based on the available information regarding the development, the product, the location, prices, the competition and the demand profile.
We use this to formulate a reasoned hypothesis.

The G System does not aim to predict who will purchase each property. It aims to prevent visual decisions from being made on the basis of personal taste.

The more information we have, the less room there is for intuition.

Better still. We don’t need to replace a job well done.

We take that information as our starting point, compare it with the visual requirements of the campaign, and turn it into specific decisions about what to show and how.

Marketing and visualization should be telling the same story.

Make a decision at the outset to avoid having to make lots of arbitrary decisions later on.

Knowing which spaces matter, what atmosphere we’re aiming for and what function each piece serves allows us to produce with a much clearer direction.

Starting production very early on doesn’t mean finishing sooner.

No. The approach that stems from this ensures consistency across video, 360, the web, adverts and all other marketing material.

We take care of translating this into the visuals we produce, but the logic goes further than that.
When you know which messages matter, you can repeat them throughout all your communications.

No. No serious professional can guarantee the commercial outcome of a marketing campaign based solely on its visuals: the product, price, market, financing, location and sales force all play a part too.

What we do focus on is how the buyer perceives the value before they physically view the property.

If you’re looking purely for visual production, there are probably more suitable studios.

Our way of working involves making precisely those decisions before we start production.
It’s not just a decorative extra tacked onto the budget: it’s the reason why we don’t start by asking you which camera you want.

There is no fixed price, as not all projects require the same elements or have the same level of complexity.

The quote depends on the scope, the number and type of images, the video, the 360° content, the modelling requirements and the delivery formats.

First, we determine what makes sense to produce, and then we provide a quote.

Yes. There’s an investment guidance tool on the website which, after asking a few questions about your project, gives you an approximate range.

It’s not a quote. It’s just to check whether we’re in the same ballpark before we sit down to discuss it.

Probably so, if you’re only comparing the cost of producing an image.

We start earlier:

we decide what the buyer needs to see and which pieces are worth producing.
We don’t compete to be the studio that produces the most renders for the least money.

If you want to compare investment rather than price per image, let’s discuss your marketing campaign.

We can assess each project, but a price quoted per rendering on its own is not very meaningful when one development requires modelling, complexity or uses that are completely different from another.

Furthermore, multiple images of the same space share the same workload and reduce the unit cost.

We prefer to give you a realistic quote for your specific project rather than a figure that will need to be adjusted later.

What we agree on for your campaign:

assets, scope, formats, review process, timetable and any specific requirements.

The aim is for you to know, before we start, what we are going to produce and under what conditions. Anything that shouldn’t be left ambiguous is set out in writing.

In three instalments:

10% to reserve the date on our calendar,
40% to start production and
50% upon delivery of the finished work.

The first two instalments are required before we can begin, along with the signed proposal and all the necessary documentation.

We take on eight projects a year, so we can’t accommodate every enquiry we receive.

If you’re looking for a quote to compare with others, I’ll need to speak to you before I can send one.
It’s not to play hard to get: without knowing what development you have, any figure I give you will be inaccurate.

If you’re the one making the decision, arrange a meeting and we’ll discuss it.

There is no money-back guarantee, nor is one needed.

The project is validated in phases: we review key decisions whilst they are still easy to change, not once everything is finished.

The aim is to ensure there are no surprises at the end, as the key decisions will already have been approved.

A meeting to understand your case, a proposal tailored to the level we believe you need, getting started with all the necessary information, the G System to identify the buyer and develop sales pitches, production, two rounds of review and delivery.

No intermediaries at any stage.

Full details can be found on the workflow page.

A sufficiently detailed project brief, site plans, a description of materials and finishes, landscaping and photographic references.
We’ll send you a detailed checklist to ensure nothing is missing.

Starting with incomplete information costs both of us more time and money.

We can look into it, but carrying out work based on uncertain architectural decisions leads to corrections, delays and avoidable costs.

Projects that wait until they are properly defined are completed sooner than those that start with incomplete information. It seems paradoxical, but it isn’t.

It’s up to you. Usually, the architect, the developer and our team are involved.

The important thing is that decisions reach those who carry them out without being distorted along the way.
Fewer intermediaries also means fewer misunderstandings.

Two, and a third when it’s really necessary.

Furthermore, the project is validated in stages, so that major changes are resolved before the final build.

The cheapest review is always the one carried out at the right time.

Yes, provided it is technically feasible, but this involves extra work and additional costs.

That is precisely why we carry out validation beforehand. The final delivery should confirm decisions, not reopen them.

When the following three conditions are met:

a signed proposal,
the first two payments have been made, and
we have received all the necessary documentation by the agreed date.

Once all three conditions have been met, we will commence work on the agreed date. No exceptions. In return, we make no exceptions regarding delivery deadlines either.

Yes. Tell us what you need and we’ll let you know if it makes sense to do it with us.

As much detail as the project warrants.

Detail in the modelling does not in itself guarantee a good visualization, but without it, it is impossible to achieve one.

We can look into it, although having a model doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ready for commercial use.

We need to check the geometry, level of detail, materials, organisation and compatibility with our workflow. If it’s usable, great.
If not, we’ll explain why.

The important thing is not to base the budget on savings that don’t actually materialise.

Our range is extensive and covers most needs.
If you need specific parts that we don’t stock, we can produce them to order at an additional cost agreed upon before we begin.

It depends on the project and the number and complexity of the parts. We do not give a standard timeframe as this would be unreliable.

The specific timetable is set out in the proposal, before we begin.

If you have a fixed commercial deadline, that should be one of the first things you tell us.

We check this before accepting the commission.

Working on eight projects a year allows us to know exactly how much capacity we actually have available.
We’d rather say no than promise a deadline we can’t meet.

Architectural changes during production, incomplete information and decisions that should have been finalised before we started.

That is why we place such emphasis on preparing thoroughly for the launch. A week well spent at the start saves several weeks later on.

Over the past 37 years, 98 per cent of our projects have been delivered on the agreed date.
The remaining 2 per cent were delayed due to a lack of information needed to complete the project.

That’s why we’re a bit of a pain at the start: when the time comes to launch your campaign, we don’t want to be the ones holding it up.

There is no one-size-fits-all number for all property listings. It depends on how many different features need to be showcased: the exterior, the living room, the terrace, the views, the communal areas, the bedroom, the kitchen or any other truly key feature.

We work with a minimum of 12 images. Beyond that, each additional image should have a reason for being included.

Not necessarily.

Twelve well-chosen images can be more useful than thirty that show practically the same thing.

Each piece should serve a purpose:
to capture attention, explain a space, show a view, answer a question or help the viewer imagine a way of life.

We prefer to justify the inclusion of each piece rather than simply fill a gallery.

Usually in 4K, which is sufficient for most digital and commercial uses. Where the medium requires it, we can go up to 16K.

The important thing is to know in advance where you’re going to use the image. There’s no point paying for pixels you’ll never see.

Not necessarily, because the cost depends more on the complexity than on whether it’s an interior or exterior.

A highly detailed interior may require more work than a simple exterior, and vice versa.
That’s why we prefer to quote for the actual project rather than an abstract rate based on the type of image.

The same image can serve as a basis, but it is not always advisable to provide exactly the same file.

A website, Instagram, a portal, a sales presentation and a billboard all have different aspect ratios and requirements.
That is why we ask where each piece is to be used before producing it.

A rendering aims to help the buyer visualize and experience a space.
A floor plan aims to help them understand how rooms, circulation routes and furniture relate to one another.

One sparks desire. The other dispels doubts.

The technical drawing is designed to define the project. The sales floor plan is designed so that the prospective buyer can understand it.

Layouts, proportions, furnishings and the relationship between spaces are clear without forcing the buyer to interpret architectural symbols.

If something is difficult to understand, it is even harder to buy.

An image that appears to be still but contains small moving elements.
This contrast catches the eye without turning the piece into a video.

It works particularly well on the web and in digital communications. When everything else is still, a well-chosen movement really stands out.

When the freedom to explore a space offers more than just another view of our own choosing.
It is particularly useful for buyers viewing properties remotely or for homes where the layout needs to be understood by walking through them.

It is not a universal substitute for a rendering: each format addresses a different need.

We can produce them in up to 16K resolution when required.

Yes, and we’ve been doing this for architects from different countries for decades. We know what each type of jury and each presentation format requires.

Images are excellent for focusing on specific moments in the sales process; video adds a sense of movement, rhythm, the relationship between spaces, and an experience that feels much more like actually stepping into the development.

A video must add something; it shouldn’t simply be a series of images set to music.

How spaces relate to one another. The transition from outside to inside, stepping out onto the terrace, the flow between the kitchen and the living room, the relationship with the views, and the scale of the communal areas are all understood differently when there is a sense of movement.

It can also incorporate people, atmosphere, sound and rhythm.

A good video doesn’t just show more square metres: it makes it easier to imagine living there.

Just enough to say what needs to be said, and not a second more.

The number of spaces, the complexity of the development and the distribution channel all determine the duration
We don’t start by setting a duration and then try to fill it.

There is a minimum, though: anything under 60 seconds doesn’t give us enough time to build a visual narrative that works, so that’s our minimum.

First we decide on the story. Then we work out how long it takes to tell it.

Usually in 1080p Full HD, and in 4K when the project or medium warrants it.

Web, showrooms, large screens and social media do not all require the same file. If you need 4K or specific formats, this is discussed from the outset.

Yes, by thinking it through from the outset. A main video and a vertical clip are consumed differently, so it’s not enough simply to crop the sides: you need to plan the composition, pacing and content.

At Level 3, we produce specific vertical clips, rethinking the framing and editing.

When they help to explain who the property is aimed at and what life there might be like, yes.
AI has greatly expanded the possibilities for creating natural-looking scenes.

But filling a video with people doesn’t make it any more persuasive. Each person should help the right buyer to see themselves there.

The final video requires editing, pacing, and image and sound processing. 3D animation is raw material, not the finished product.

A technically flawless production can still be a boring video.

We can take references and preferences into account, but we don’t treat it as an isolated decision.

The soundtrack also conveys the kind of lifestyle we’re selling.

Yes, with a certified professional pilot and as part of the same process, without any external coordination. The 3D model is then integrated into the actual footage.

It is one of the most rewarding techniques when the surroundings are part of the appeal: the sea, the landscape, the proximity to the beach, the connection to the city.

If the location is a hindrance, it’s probably not the best time to start flying.

Yes, when it enables us to improve or expand what we can produce. It is particularly helpful in bringing life, movement and atmospheres to the screen that used to be very costly.

We use it as a tool, not as a substitute for direction.

Some visualisation tools have always been automated: 3D calculation, rendering engines, editing and now AI.

What matters to you is not which button is involved, but who decides what the image should depict and who ensures it is depicted correctly.

Technology can automate production. It should not automate judgement.

Because creating an image is becoming cheaper, but getting the image wrong.

The hard part isn’t creating the image:
it’s deciding which property to showcase,
which view helps justify the price,
which visual element dispels any doubts, and
what will make the buyer think, ‘I can see myself living here’.

AI makes it cheaper to create the image. It doesn’t replace good judgement.

You can do it, just as you can take photographs with a mobile phone.

The question is not whether the tool allows you to produce something, but whether you can maintain the architecture, materials, perspectives, coherence and a deliberate commercial direction throughout the entire development.

That is precisely one of the risks that needs to be managed.
A marketing image should not invent features that the buyer will perceive as real.

We use these tools under supervision and review. Persuading is not the same as promoting something you are not going to deliver.

Without direction, it produces generic images that could be from any marketing campaign.
And consistency is the key: maintaining the same project, the same materials and the same approach across dozens of pieces.

That is why, at GAYARRE, AI always responds to a pre-defined objective: the target audience, the tone of the project and the message to be conveyed.

You can read about our vision, our values and our approach to their application in the G’s AI Manifesto.

Depending on the items commissioned and the media on which they are to be used. Websites, social media, print, digital displays and advertising may require different file formats.

We agree on this before delivery to ensure you receive material that is actually usable.

Yes, wherever you like: websites, portals, advertising, presentations, showrooms or billboards.

On one condition: that the copyright notice appears alongside the image or video. ‘Image: © GAYARRE’ is sufficient.

If you need specific applications, special media or additional formats, please let us know before production begins.

The project is yours and you are free to share it without restriction, provided you retain the attribution.

If you are referring to publishing work by other clients of ours, we would need to assess the situation and obtain their approval.

No. The commission covers the final pieces agreed upon, not the transfer of our production files: models, textures and scenes.

If you have any specific delivery requirements, it is best to discuss them before we provide a quote.

With a conversation about your campaign, not a list of renderings.

Tell us what you’re selling, where you’re based, what your timeline is and what problem you need to solve. From there, we’ll see if it makes sense for us to work together.

If you’re still unsure…

…I’ll try to answer you

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