EYE recently reported that Foxtons is using virtual reality for viewings.
Currently, the kit is only in its Islington office, but Foxtons is planning to roll out the facility across the network.
But what is the experience like for consumers?
A helpful journalist on What Mobile has had first-hand experience – and not because they were a journalist, but because they are a consumer who is genuinely flat-hunting.
It is an amusing, highly informed and well written piece – and for those agents planning to follow Foxtons’ example, there is also some very useful technical advice.
Such as don’t stint on the technology.
http://www.whatmobile.net/features/foxtons-let-me-view-my-next-flat-in-virtual-reality
Unless there’s a digital version of “that feeling” I’m not sure about this one. Good agents know the living room glance, 30 seconds in that shouts “Full asking price” I can’t see that’s possible remotely.
Given the choice I would be the neg who prefers to drive an applicant round while the others show off the fancy tech to the applicant who hasn’t got enough time to feel their new home. (that never, ever, let me down)
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Mmmm – well, clearly great fun as an experience – but… still, it cannot reproduce actually being in the space, with the ability to walk around – particularly if there are, say half a dozen punters who’d like to walk around in the confines of a Foxton’s office without crashing into each other – or the alternative scenario of allocating one end of that office, to watch that same half dozen experiencing a strangely trippy experience, all lost in their own interior illusions (unless you put them in an allocated room. And how weird would that be? “Step into our special room, folks…. ! ” Like a tiny Disneyworld experience…).
An interesting taster perhaps – but which surely cannot match the live experience. Like watching Glasto on TV. If you’re interested in a place, you surely still have to go…!!
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Has limited use … a show house. It would put most people off average Joe’s clutter.
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Property marketing materials absolutely should be about giving someone a taste for the property whether that’s VR, photographs or, videos. Shouldn’t part of an agents role be helping prospective buyers and renters to filter out the inappropriate before visiting in person for ‘the feel’?
I certainly don’t think that photographs offer enough detail for modern buyers. We’re all time poor nowadays and none of us appreciates our time being wasted. Whilst I appreciate that VR is the perfect option for off plan sales on new developments – with good graphics and some carefully planned drone images for each window view, it would be possible to give prospective buyers a real feel for what’s being built, I don’t think it’s right for the entire residential market. Done well, Virtual Reality gives away far too much and as with any consumer, our natural instinct is to search out reasons to say no, so I’m sticking in the property video camp.
Whether agents use photographs, video or VR, it’s essential to seek out the very best quality products/services available for the agency / property price point and never the cheapest. Surely a handful of VR viewings and the additional £400 cost for the superior VR headset is covered for a major London agent.
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