Efficient new rental of 1,500 sqm of modern office space
-40%
Marketing
+50%
Requests
100%
Achieved price
The Challenge
Revier Office AG faced a challenging sales task in the heart of the Ruhr area: A spacious commercial office floor in Dortmund with a total area of around 1,500 square meters was to be seamlessly re-leased following the departure of the previous major tenant. The biggest problem was that after dismantling all the fixtures, the huge space appeared completely gutted, unfurnished, and sterile. Large gray carpeted floors and bare white walls dominated the visual appearance in the conventional marketing photos. Potential tenants and modern companies in the New Work era have extremely high expectations for an inspiring working environment. Pure floor plans and empty hall images were not sufficient to convey the enormous potential for flexible room layouts, agile workspace concepts, or representative meeting zones. Decision-makers lacked the spatial imagination of how their individual corporate identity could unfold in this gigantic space. The risk of costly, months-long vacancy grew rapidly, as the digital exposé on the relevant commercial portals generated hardly any interaction or qualified inquiries.
Our Solution
FotoEstate developed a customized virtual office staging that was specifically optimized for the requirements of modern B2B real estate marketing. As a foundation, our specialized architectural photographers created high-resolution, perfectly lit HDR base images of the empty office floor in Dortmund. Particular attention was paid to accurately capturing the existing window fronts and the natural daylight incidence. In digital post-production, our 3D artists and workspace designers virtually equipped the stripped-down spaces with contemporary New Work concepts. We created various usage scenarios within the same space: from fully equipped open-plan offices and ergonomic individual workstations to modern glass conference rooms, as well as an inviting cafeteria and lounge area for employees. Every digital piece of furniture, acoustic wall, and lighting element was rendered photorealistically. Thanks to modern physical light calculations (ray tracing), the virtual elements integrated absolutely seamlessly and inconspicuously into the real spatial structures of the Dortmund office floor.
The Result
The realignment of the digital marketing presence with FotoEstate's virtual office staging had an immediate impact on the market. The visually enhanced brochure stood out significantly from the competition and increased the number of qualified inquiries from growth-oriented companies by over 50%. Through the photorealistic representation of modern workplace concepts, negotiations with interested parties could be extremely shortened, as all questions regarding flexible space usage were visually answered in advance. The total marketing time until the successful signing of the lease contract was reduced by a remarkable 40%. Revier Office AG was able to lease the 1,500 square meter office space to a renowned technology company at 100% of the calculated top rent without any vacancy month. The excellent return on investment (ROI) of this measure impressively demonstrated that virtual office staging is the decisive lever for placing large commercial spaces efficiently, promptly, and profitably on the market.
Project Deep Dive: Process & Details
The initial situation: A demanding marketing
The market for commercial real estate in Dortmund and the entire Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region is characterized by intense competition. Today, companies are no longer just looking for mere usable space, but for flexible work environments that promote productivity and employee well-being. Revier Office AG had an excellently located commercial office floor in Dortmund, which, however, had lost all its appeal after a gutting. The classic, unfurnished wide-angle shots in the online brochure appeared distant, monotonous, and interchangeable. Standard marketing approaches quickly reached their limits, as they could not adequately convey the forward-looking architecture and modularity of the large space visually (a principle of visual clarity that, by the way, is also applied in the area of student housing for quick rentals). There was a lack of a compelling premium medium that made the full potential of the property visible at first glance in the digital space.
The hurdle: Overcoming uncertainty in potential customers
The biggest hurdle in renting out 1,500 square meters of unfurnished office space is the lack of spatial imagination of the companies looking for space. Expansion managers, CEOs, and HR departments face the challenge of planning complex infrastructures such as IT cabling, team zones, and walkways. Standing in a completely empty hall, it is difficult to assess whether there is enough room for modern open-space areas or how soundproofing elements can be integrated. This ongoing uncertainty leads potential tenants to lengthy, drawn-out internal decision-making processes or, in the worst case, to a complete termination of contact. This visual barrier had to be definitively broken in order to restore the necessary momentum to the sales of Revier Office AG.
The concept: Visual excellence and attention to detail
The FotoEstate team developed a comprehensive, targeted visualization concept under the guiding principle 'Future Workspace'. The aim was to completely relieve the viewer of the cognitive effort of spatial planning and to transform the empty Dortmund office floor into a vibrant, state-of-the-art business center. Our visual concept provided for a clear zoning of the areas. We planned the precise placement of agile work zones, glass think tanks for undisturbed work, representative conference rooms, and an inviting welcome area for clients. In doing so, we placed the highest value on absolute authenticity and attention to detail: the virtual furnishings were based on real premium manufacturers, in order to convince a wealthy and renowned target audience in the B2B segment both emotionally and rationally.
The Implementation: Technology Meets Craft
The technical implementation was carried out using the latest CGI and 3D rendering technologies by our experienced graphic designers. The basis was the HDR photographs taken on site, whose perspectives, camera parameters, and exact light values were digitally mirrored. In the subsequent 3D environment, our specialists built up the rooms layer by layer virtually. A special focus was placed on physically accurate light calculation: The daylight entering through the window fronts from the outside was simulated so precisely that it reflected realistically on the virtual wooden surfaces, carpet textures, and glass walls. Each texture was rendered in high resolution to create a plasticity and depth effect that is indistinguishable from the real photo.
The result: A flawless marketing success
The relaunch of the marketing campaign with the virtually staged office images from FotoEstate exceeded the client's expectations in every respect. The visual transformation quickly removed the prospects' blockages. The future tenant company was so impressed by the displayed new work scenarios that it adopted the visualizations as a direct planning template for the final interior construction. The vacancy period was completely eliminated, guaranteeing maximum cash flow security for Revier Office AG. The client was deeply impressed by the efficiency and professionalism of FotoEstate and has since been using virtual office staging as a standard for the entire commercial portfolio in the Ruhr area.
What our partners say
"Thanks to the virtual tours, our clients can comfortably view properties from home. This saves us a massive amount of time and filters out tourists."
"The LiDAR scans from FotoEstate form the perfect basis for our digital facility management. Millimeter-accurate and extremely reliable."
"We use off-plan renderings for all our pitch decks. The photorealistic quality convinces even the most critical investors."
"Virtual office staging helped us lease a commercial space that had been vacant for months within three weeks. Highly recommended!"
"The precise area calculations significantly accelerated our due diligence processes. A service we no longer want to do without."
"The drone footage gives us a completely new perspective on our construction projects. The combination of macro-location and architecture is unbeatable."
"Thanks to the virtual tours, our clients can comfortably view properties from home. This saves us a massive amount of time and filters out tourists."
"The LiDAR scans from FotoEstate form the perfect basis for our digital facility management. Millimeter-accurate and extremely reliable."
"We use off-plan renderings for all our pitch decks. The photorealistic quality convinces even the most critical investors."
"Virtual office staging helped us lease a commercial space that had been vacant for months within three weeks. Highly recommended!"
"The precise area calculations significantly accelerated our due diligence processes. A service we no longer want to do without."
"The drone footage gives us a completely new perspective on our construction projects. The combination of macro-location and architecture is unbeatable."
Ready for the next marketing success?
Send us your pictures or floor plans. We will advise you free of charge on which visualizations will bring the highest return on investment for your property.