Dutch high-technology developer Nedsense has enhanced the house-hunting experience and removed the guesswork in furniture shopping through a platform that allows customers to furnish apartments or office spaces to their individual style from the convenience of their computer, tablet, or mobile device.
“From the start, we imagined LOFT as 3-D technology that could convert photos of a room into a 3-D rendition very easily. LOFT should also be able to model interior furnishing products in 3-D in order to place them in a virtual space,” explained Nedsense CEO Pieter Aarts.
“We launched the first prototype of LOFT in September 2009 and made sure that the technology was ready when we engaged Crate and Barrel in December 2011. That was our breakthrough in the United States and found that it was the perfect launching platform in retail in the U.S. market,” Aarts added.
The real estate sector also benefits from LOFT technology by allowing potential buyers to personalize empty apartments virtually.
“A major U.S. real estate company has more than six hundred thousand unique monthly visitors to its website. It deals with tens of thousands of new leases every year. Once LOFT is integrated into their website, customers will be able to view their rooms in 3-D and virtually place furniture from the Nedsense-LOFT database,” Aarts said.
“During the first phase of the Equity Residential rollout, we will also include at least five hundred stock-keeping units of three retail brands,” he added.
Retailers will have the opportunity to bring their products to customers at the precise moment they are considering a new home or office. This pioneering LOFT technology is successfully opening sales channels between the real estate and retail sectors.
“We’re the market leader at the moment. There’s no competition yet, but that will surely change. So, we have to stay ahead of the competition and win this race in 3-D visualization in home furnishing,” Aarts stressed.
- Note: This Special Report on the Netherlands originally appeared in Foreign Affairs in November 2013. (Credit: Janine Ramirez)
