Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa June 2016 | Page 32

TRENDS

The Future of

Real Estate
Virtual Reality Viewings

BY DREW HOOK

W

hile VR is not a new concept, there has
been rapid advancement and augmented
reality technology is at the stage where
it could start to have an impact on consumers’ daily
lives over the next few years. There is a wide array
of applications that VR could possibly have within
the education sector, the office environment, medical
facilities and of course the real estate sector.

(VR) will allow potential buyers
to take 360 degree virtual
tours of homes for sale all over
the country without having
to travel. The buyer will be
able to virtually tour multiple
properties from the comfort of
their own home
How does virtual reality differ from augmented
reality? While augmented reality provides an
additional layer of 3D content to the user’s actual
surroundings, VR fully submerges the user into a
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JUNE 2016 SA Real Estate Investor

simulated environment. Wearing a headset, the user
is transported into another place offering them a 360
degree view of their simulated surroundings.
What can we expect from virtual reality in the
future? According to technology commentators,
developments are underway to introduce haptic or
kinaesthetic communication to virtual reality. Using
forces and sensations the technology will replicate
the sense of touch and allow users to see their hands
in the virtual world. The user will be able to open
doors and cupboards, interacting with their virtual
surroundings when viewing a property. Further
developments are also being made to introduce the
other senses into the VR world such as smell and taste.
The buyer will be able to smell the freshly brewed
coffee or baking cookies during the virtual home tour.
These introductions can be used to simulate the same
emotional response in buyers as they would if used in
home staging during a show day.

How Exactly Does it Work?

A property is filmed using a mixture of laser scanning
and 360 degree capturing equipment. The images go
through a post-production process and are delivered
via a HMD which tracks the user’s head movements
and shows each eye a slightly different image, giving
the illusion of being in a 3D space. Soundscaping is
www.reimag.co.za