While the concept of virtual reality (VR) has been around for some time, it was not until the pandemic occurred that consumers and businesses started to fully embrace this technology – particularly within the South African real estate sector. Confined within our homes for months on end, one of the only ways for buyers to view homes was through 3D virtual house tours until restrictions eased. VR technology also made it possible for buyers to get a sense of their new suburbs without physically visiting them.
The nationwide lockdown is what pushed more sellers and real estate professionals into using virtual reality technology, such as Matterport, to capture 3D renders of the property so that buyers can view virtual tours of the home from the comfort of their living rooms. Until such a time where virtual reality programmes allow buyers to physically open cupboards and walk through the home using VR headsets. The user will be able to open doors and cupboards, smell the freshly brewed coffee or baking cookies while interacting with their virtual surroundings when viewing a property. The elements of VR that are already in use continue to help limit our physical contact with others, which contributes towards keeping us all safe while the threat of Covid-19 persists.