Virtual Reality is still in it’s infancy, but the fact remains that it’s showing no sign of slowing progress. I agree, it’s still too expensive and requires too much computing power/hardware to make an ideal alternative to touring a house in person. Though, with the progress made of 360 tours (Matterport, Realvision, etc.) it shouldn’t be a long stretch to move from the 360 view to the virtual reality view.
From the viewpoint of where we’re currently at in terms of advancements and cost effectiveness, the only current option is to have a headset at an RE office and allow customers to come in and experience multiple homes in one trip. In my opinion though, having vision isn’t the only important factor of a home. You also need to know what it sounds like, to a T, is the refrigerator buzzing? Is there a loud dog next door? Do the windows howl? VR needs to be an experience, not just another showing.
Heck, if there was enough thought and progress put into it, you could charge home shoppers to use the service. What might even be crazier is Realtime VR. Having a motorized RC with a camera and mic strapped onto it would seem far fetched and might just be crazy enough to work. Of course, you’d need internet connection with lots of fast bandwidth, more gear, and a willing home-owner. Probably more work than it’s currently worth.
No, the smart move right now would be to use a 360 view of select points and allow customers to come in and view the home with a controller instead of a keyboard/mouse. I still say sound is important though. Also! Why don’t 360 view companies allow users to make notes on certain sections of homes (i.e. re-curtain, needs new sink, etc.). That could also be done on regular images though… someone make it happen!
Image Credit: Josh Sprague
