0-1 startup project offering a fully immersive 3D virtual home experience, easily customizable with just a phone.
PROJECT
RESULT
MY ROLE
Curious what RealM looks like?
Watch this short video to quickly explore how we’re reimagining the home buying, renting, and agent experience.
“The recent NAR settlement effective July 15th will reduce commissions”
Loss of Professionals
Real estate agents predict the new commission system will force many agents to leave the industry.
Deep Research for the experiences and needs within the real estate market
To design a product that truly meets user needs, we conducted multi-layered research with real estate agents and potential buyers/renters. Using the DER model (Discover, Explore, Resolve), we uncovered deep insights to guide meaningful design decisions.
Discover
Uncovered key tasks, emotional drivers, and overlooked needs from both agents and buyers/renters.
Explore
Analyzed root causes behind existing pain points and identified gaps in current tools and workflows.
Resolve
Synthesized findings into actionable insights and clear design opportunities for product development.
Deep Research at a Glance
User Research
Insight from agents & property managers
We have created a very detailed user journey map to outline the entire process of the current housing experience. Our primary clients, agents and property managers, face the biggest pain point in matching properties for users. The entire process is very tedious, requiring them to repeatedly organize property listings and then take users for offline viewings.
Insight from buyers & renters
Similarly, for buyers and renters, their experience in selecting and making decisions about properties is not very satisfactory. The cost of offline viewings is high, and the online viewing experience is inadequate.
Design Requirement
Real(HOME) User Work Flow Diagram
To ensure we serve different user types effectively—including first-time users, landlords, agents, co-renters, and casual browsers—we created a detailed user flow that maps out every touchpoint across the RealM experience.
This end-to-end user flow outlines the journey from scanning a property, entering immersive freewalk mode, customizing and saving the space, to sharing the 3D experience. It also highlights how different user types interact with the product, ensuring a smooth and personalized experience for each.
Information Architecture
We structured the platform into two distinct but connected systems: Mobile App and Web Platform.
• Mobile App: Designed as the core creation and interaction tool. It supports all key features including property scanning, immersive 3D tours, smart filters, AI assistant, virtual staging, sharing via web link, feedback collection, and agent dashboards.
• Web Platform: Primarily optimized for browsing. It enables users to explore properties with smart filters, map view, and accurate 3D visualizations. It’s perfect for users making decisions on larger screens.
Wireframes
We designed the first round of quick low-fidelity prototypes centered around the Freewalk Experience, which is the heart of RealM.
MVP Strategy
We broke down the development roadmap into two phases: MVP and Demo Expansion, covering a total of 6–12 months.
Capture your house by your phone
With an easy-to-follow scanning process, RealM (AI) provides you with an immersive and detailed 3D digital twin of your house and an accurately scaled floor plan.
Post-scanning
floor plan with realistic wall and floor textures
Apply Virtual Staging effortlessly with RealM(HOME)'s furniture library templates in a single click.
Interactive freewalk rivaling in-person tours
Experience higher quality 3D renderings with real time location and orientation data.
Customize the FOV and height to suit your personal viewing preferences.
Click to measure any part of your space.
Interact with hotspots to leave thoughts or questions with agent.
Interactive freewalk rivaling in-person tours
Switch between first-person and floor plan views, access a detailed floor plan with precise room dimensions to enhance spatial awareness and planning.
View simulated sunlight and house orientation within the floor plan, based on real location and specific time.
Feng Shui layout recommendation
Suggestions based on Feng Shui principles to optimize room organization and enhance living spaces by improving energy flow, with the goal of boosting health, wealth, and overall well-being.
Customize anything in
your home
Personalize your space: edit , add or move furniture, upload personal items, and adjust lighting to create your ideal living environment.
Personal Item Fitting
Personalize your space: edit , add or move furniture, upload personal items, and adjust lighting to create your ideal living environment.
Competitive Analysis
Through competitive analysis, RealM distinguishes itself with a unique combination of functionality, affordability, and user experience.
Competitive Advantage Summary
What truly sets RealM apart is its focus on emotional connection, personalization, and inclusivity—offering a more comprehensive and user-centered solution than any other product on the market.
Branding & Visual Identity
I designed RealM’s logo and visual system around the symbol （ ）, representing an open framework—a new realm that can evolve into any space. These brackets symbolize possibility, transformation, and inclusion, aligning with RealM’s mission to create flexible, immersive, and customizable environments.
The vibrant green echoes the original color of code, reflecting RealM’s tech-driven core and creative potential.
5-month result
RealM has garnered strong support with 100+ early adopters, and we’ve partnered with 4 franchisees.
