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One real estate agency is pioneering the use of virtual reality headsets to give tenants a convenient new option for viewing properties.
Ouwens Casserley aims to improve its chances of finding tenants by making it easier for consumers to view the properties they manage.
Prospective tenants will be able to visit Ouwens Casserley, put on a headset then take a ‘tour’ of any properties that interest them.
The Adelaide agency has recently introduced VR technology to its sales division. Director Alexander Ouwens said it would also work well with property management, particularly since properties can be difficult to access if tenanted.
“This way we’re able to bring potential tenants into our office, put the headset on and virtually walk them through a choice of properties – and potentially making an offer on a property without actually having seen it,” he told Residential Property Manager.
“Alternatively, if they view [a property] once then want to have a second look, they can come into the office and tour through it with the virtual reality headset so as not to disrupt the tenants.”
According to Mr Ouwens, his company is working with a South Australian company that has brought this technology from Silicon Valley and tailored it for the real estate industry.
“They have the 3D scanning equipment, which they bring into the property and then it takes them about two to three hours for a standard three- or four-bedroom, two-bathroom house.
“They then turn that around in 24 hours at a cost of anywhere between $450 and $700 depending on the size of the property.”
Mr Ouwens said another advantage of the virtual reality technology is that tenants can use it to make the house-hunting process more efficient.
The headsets mean tenants will no longer have to visit every home they might be interested in, but can instead use virtual reality to narrow their options, he said.
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