Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa September 2016 | Page 46

TECHNOLOGY Tech Talk How Property Developers use Virtual Reality to boost sales BY DREW HOOK I f you’ve bought a house, or rented commercial property, you’ll know just how deceiving photos can be. The future obviously isn’t photographs, it’s 360° experiences and virtual reality that allows you to experience a flat or office before you’ve even stepped foot in it. With the rise of digital technology, real estate developers that are taking advantage of virtual reality software and off-plan sales have started to take off in major cities throughout the world. With so many foreign buyers looking to buy off-plan for financial incentives, tech-savvy developer groups have leveraged the newest virtual reality technology to raise their off-plan sales higher than before. 44 SEPTEMBER 2016 SA Real Estate Investor Here are four ways developers can use virtual reality to close deals and stand out from the crowd: 1 Catch serious buyers A virtual reality rendering can accurately create a building walkthrough before the building is actually built. Because of this, only serious buyers take the time to walk through the property in virtual reality. Since serious buyers look for buying confidence when it comes to off-plan purchases, a virtual property walkthrough will engage their interest and improve their willingness to commit. www.reimag.co.za