Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Simulation, Virtual Reality, And The Future Of Real Estate

Image source: theglobeandmail.ca
Technology is continuously changing different industries, and real estate is no exception. With the growth of virtual and augmented reality, real estate companies and professionals are keeping up with the demands of their gadget-heavy consumers. Here’s how the real estate business is moving toward a tech-friendly market. 

Virtual staging
 
Real estate professionals always say that an empty house is harder to sell than furnished ones. But thanks to technology and augmented reality, selling homes will be easier. A photographer shoots an empty home, and a “virtual stager” puts on images of furniture to dress the bare space. When clients come through and touch the furniture, they realize that it’s not really there, but it’s just a mere illustration of how a space will look like when it’s packed.
Virtual staging uses LED and LCD projectors to give off an illusion of furniture. It does not just save space, but money as well. A sofa used for staging purposes may cost up to $300 to $400, but virtual staging costs only about $99 per room.

VR tours
 
Some real estate companies use the Matterport camera, which can scan a house in 3-D in minutes and converts the scanned image into a virtual reality experience. Clients can view a property with special, gamer-like binoculars for the home walk-throughs.
Image source: opticsgamer.com

These simulations and virtual reality technologies are convenient and affordable, which is a plus for real estate companies. There is still room for improvement in these technologies, but VR-real estate tours are expected to develop in about two to three years. 

Steven Rindner is a business executive who has extensive background in growth strategy in media, health care, and real estate. Visit this blog to read similar articles.