3D apartment finder: how it works and what it does for a development

Short answer: a 3D apartment finder is a model of your building that runs in the web browser. A buyer turns the building, clicks an apartment and sees its floor plan, area, status and enquiry form, without a call to the sales team. It needs no app or plug-in and works on a phone. You keep status and prices current in one place, and for projects where a 3D model is more than the budget needs, a 2D finder built from floor plans does much the same job.

Developers tell us that the same question reaches the sales team over and over: which apartments are still available? A PDF list answers that, but not the questions that come right after: where in the house is it, how much sun does the terrace get, is it the one at the back? This article explains how a finder works, what it takes to build one and what it can and cannot do. We do not quote prices or sales results here, because they depend on each project; our apartment finder page and a free call give you a figure for yours.

How does a 3D apartment finder work for the buyer?

1. The building appears as a model. The visitor can turn it, tilt it and zoom in. It runs in the browser, so there is nothing to install.
2. Each apartment is a clickable volume within the model. Clicking it moves the camera to the unit.
3. The unit view shows the facts: floor plan, area, rooms, outdoor space, position in the building and status (free, reserved, sold).
4. The visitor narrows the choice with filters, for example rooms, minimum area, price limit, floor, only available units.
5. A saved list lets them keep three favourites and send the link to a partner or parent who decides with them.
6. An enquiry form per apartment sends the message with the unit number already in the subject line.

Where the project supports it, the finder can add an hour-of-the-day sun slider, renderings and 360° tours at the floor plan. The example we show is the Kleine Reißzeugfabrik, Zehenthofgasse 20+22 in Vienna-Döbling: 13 owner-occupied apartments from the ground floor to the third attic floor. See it at the project.

What is the technology behind it?

The model is drawn directly in the browser using WebGL, through the open-source three.js library. That is why the visitor needs no plug-in, and why it also works on a phone. The finder is part of the project website, not a separate app, so it uses the same domain, tracking and design. We build the sites on Next.js, which keeps the page itself fast and readable for search engines; the 3D model loads on top of it.

On a phone the controls are designed for touch: the model turns with one finger without the page scrolling away, and filters and floor plans have their own mobile layout rather than a shrunken desktop view.

What do we need from you?

• Floor plans as PDF or DWG.
• A list of the units with area, rooms, outdoor space and price.
• Renderings, if they exist. If not, we build them from the plans.
• An architect’s model, if there is one. Otherwise the 3D model is built from submission or sales plans.

Timeline from our experience: a first version of a 2D finder after two to three weeks, a 3D model four to six weeks once the plans are available. Projects differ, so we confirm this in the first call.

What does it bring a developer?

We do not promise sales figures, but these effects follow directly from how the finder works:

• Fewer routine calls. Availability and plans are answered before anyone picks up the phone.
• Better-informed enquiries. The message arrives with the apartment number, so the salesperson calls back with the plan in front of them.
• One current state. Status and price live in one place, so no one quotes a unit that is already sold. Several sales teams or agents see the same data.
• Insight into interest. Every click on a unit can be recorded in Google Analytics. If a unit gets few views after a few weeks, check price or floor plan before blaming demand.
• Reusable material. The same model produces renderings and camera flights for the website, brochure and campaigns, as with Am Klee.

When is 2D enough, and when is 3D worth it?

Our advice: start from the project, not the technology. A tidy 2D finder on a small development often does the job, and a 3D model pays off where the building itself is the argument. The finder is also not a replacement for a good project site; see website for property developers for the whole picture.

How does it connect to Justimmo or other broker software?

You can change status and price in the browser, or keep working in the system you already use. With Justimmo, the finder takes status, prices and areas from there, so you do not enter details twice. For Wolf & Sohn and Hyatt Immobilien the search, expose and detail views run directly from Justimmo. Other broker software is possible on request.

Written byPatryk WisniewskiLead developer

Meet the team →