Virtual reality in real estate

Has it ever occurred to you that, thanks to virtual reality in the real estate sector, it is possible to sell or rent your house better and faster?

Virtual reality (VR) is usually associated with video games or movies, but its applications can be very interesting in other sectors.

Monapart is a digital native agency and we were born in 2010 without even an agency on the street. We like technology, it is an intrinsic part of all our processes and even more so now in times of Covid, where we have had to do a lot of things remotely that were previously face-to-face. One of the most interesting technologies is virtual reality, as we mentioned in this post in 2017: Virtual reality for real estate. In general, since then its use has only intensified due to its many advantages and interesting applications.

Virtual reality is consolidating its position in the real estate sector.

Surely you have already enjoyed more than one film or video game with virtual reality or DR. However, its usefulness goes beyond that, as it can be used in sectors such as real estate.

Do you really know what virtual reality is? We explain it to you before going deeper into the subject.

What is virtual reality?

• Virtual realityis the technology that creates a simulation of reality, where visual and auditory stimuli exist only through a device, such as glasses.
   
• Augmented reality. Many people confuse it with augmented reality, but they are different technologies. Although both use special devices to provide information, what augmented reality does is "augment" reality, i.e. the device used allows you to see reality with an added bonus. Through the use of your mobile phone camera and Google Maps, for example, you can watch live the enriched information of the area (streets, restaurants, public transport, etc).
   
• Mixed reality. Combining virtual reality with augmented reality makes for a very interesting hybrid, what some call mixed reality. In this environment, the user travels to a virtual world in which they get additional information about something. Have you read or watched Ready Player One? That is what mixed reality is all about. https://floorfy.es/tour/905561

In the real estate sector, virtual reality offers a unique experience to customers, allowing them to visit properties without leaving their homes.

Advantages of using virtual reality in the real estate sector

Here are some of the most interesting applications of virtual reality in the real estate sector:

• Tours virtual. When you want to buy o rent a houseThe first thing you do is to look for properties that fit you, and then, once you have identified them, you visit them, right? You want to see what they look like inside and understand their layout, as photographs are often not a true reflection of reality. But what if you could visit several properties without leaving the same place? This is precisely what virtual tours allow you to visit different properties at the same time without having to move, thus saving a lot of time.
   
• Realistic simulationsHow many times have you seen one of those flats that needs a complete renovation, but you can't imagine what it will look like? Thanks to virtual reality, we can transform what you see so that you, as a buyer, can get an idea of what the space would look like after a renovation, changing the floors, the colour of the walls, the furniture... 
   
• To promote housing under construction. Although very sophisticated simulations with plans of what a furnished house would look like are already being made today, you cannot visit a show flat and understand what is being explained until the building is actually built. With virtual reality, you can walk through a show flat of a new development that is still under construction and even use this experience to personalise the materials and choose the ones you like best from among those on offer.
   
• Better customer service. New technologies allow a personalised delivery of the service. Virtual reality makes it possible to simulate different styles of decoration in the same space without having to move a single sofa.Sergi Jiménez, CEO and founder of FloorfyThe flexibility of having a virtual tour service and the added value it brings, he tells us: "If they don't have the customer in the office they can connect through Floorfy and do the visits together, like a kind of Skype integrated into the tours so they can guide the user and, if necessary, show them as many properties as they want before they find theirs.".
   
• Reducing costs. Thanks to virtual reality, the real estate sector reduces its operating costs by making considerable savings on visits and travel for the sales network, for example. "We assure you that your clients will have ruled out most of the properties and will save you from having to visit all of them".says Sergi.

Viewing a flat to buy virtually: a growing trend

There is still a long way to go for a perfect implementation of such technologies, but certainly for the real estate sector, the steps that have already been taken are very interesting. 

Currently, there are already some estate agents offering tours through virtual sales platforms. If you have the necessary technology, you can do these tours from the comfort of your own home, either with specific glasses or from your own computer and wifi connection. In addition, the real estate agent will be able to offer you a virtual tour, guide you through the flat and answer any questions you may have. Although you will not be able to enjoy the full experience, the idea you will get of the property will be much more faithful to reality than the one offered by the photographs.

Despite the progress, we are confident that virtual reality in the real estate sector has a long way to go. At Monapart we collaborate with Floorfy for years, and all the homes that we market, whether they are already in the market or in the sale or in rentalThey come with a photo shoot (of course) but also with a virtual tour, already a standard in our business process.