By now, everyone is wringing their hands over the sub-prime nuclear disaster. NPR radio reported this morning that cities like Detroit and Stockton, California are seeing record foreclosures.

So, what if you’re a developer that has had a project in the works for the past three years? You’ve finally made it to the big dance, cut through hassles, and everybody is afraid to show up and participate.

I think what this forces is a paradigm shift for marketing real estate. The past five or six years were too easy for everybody involved. Now, the game has changed. Agents, marketing managers and developers themselves are going to have to get creative. Providing a unique experience for a potential buyer will have to be a central focus. (Assuming you have a quality product to begin with)

Why?

First of all, potential buyers have dried up (duh). But more importantly, marketing a real estate development has to be an online and offline experience. A showroom is great but without a way to share that experience online it’s a waste. Tools for experiencing the future whether through 3d animations or renderings helps a potential buyer share what living in that new neighborhood will be like with their friends and family.

And these are the people you are inadvertently marketing to. They ultimately can influence a decision. Do it right and you might be able to kick off a word of mouth buzz around town and online. Do it wrong and sub-prime does in fact look pretty scary.