The Archviz Letter:

How I Find Clients (And What I Do When There Are None)

6 March

Ross Plemya Creator

Hey Reader,

Let me say something most freelancers won’t admit.

There will be months where nothing comes in.

No emails. No new projects. No “hey, do you have time for something?” Just silence. And the longer that silence lasts, the more your brain starts turning a slow week into a story about how you’re failing.

I’ve been there. More than once.

Today I want to talk about it - because I think it’s the conversation nobody is having in this industry.

First, the thing nobody tells you

When I started freelancing in archviz, I thought good work would find its own clients.

It doesn’t.

I remember a my first months on freelance where my renders were getting better, my portfolio looked solid - and still nothing. I started thinking maybe I should lower my prices. Maybe get a studio job. Maybe I was wrong about all of this.

What I didn’t know then is simple: this is just how the market works. It goes up and down. Every freelancer I respect has had quiet months. The ones who make it aren’t the ones who never struggle - they’re the ones who don’t quit during the hard part.

That one idea is worth more than any tactic I’ll share below.

The 4 ways I actually find clients

Here’s what has worked for me. Not a list of 50 platforms. Just four things — real ones.

1. People you already know

My first client didn’t come from a job board or a big campaign.

She came from Instagram. I sent a direct message. I looked at what she was working on, I had a real reason to write, and I kept it simple and human. She replied. We worked together.

If you’re just starting out, this is your strategy. Not platforms. Not cold emails to strangers. Just conversations with people around you. Someone you know is doing a renovation. Someone in your class has a friend who needs renders. Someone’s neighbor is an architect.

Your first client doesn’t need to be perfect. They just need to exist. Your second will be better. Your third better still.

2. Old clients

The easiest new project is one from someone you already worked with.

They know you. They trust you. You don’t need to sell yourself again.

Sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes I get a new project from a message I wrote in five minutes.

This is the most underused thing in freelancing.

3. Google Ads and SEO

This one takes time. It’s not free. And it won’t work overnight.

But here’s why I do it: it works when I’m not working.

This isn’t a day-one move. But if you want something that grows over time, start thinking about your website as a tool, not just a place to show your work.

4. Cold outreach — LinkedIn, Instagram, email

Most people do this wrong.

“Hi, I’m a 3D artist, please hire me, here’s my portfolio.”

No one replies to that. And honestly, why would they?

But a simple, specific message - where you’ve looked at what someone is building and you have a real reason to reach out - that works.
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I’ve gotten clients this way. It just takes more thought and less copy-pasting.

Write to one person well. Not to a hundred people badly.

The thing that actually matters

This is a huge industry. There are archviz companies making millions every month. The clients are out there. The money is real.

The question is never “are there clients.” The question is always “can they find me, and do they trust me.”

Stay visible. Keep in touch with people. Keep working on your craft.

The slow period isn’t the end.
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Most of the time, it’s just the part right before something good happens.

Keep building, Reader

Best,

Ross Plemya

P.S. If you’re going through a slow period right now and want to talk through it - just reply. I read everything.