As the Philippines’ internet landscape continues to advance, the manner in which local real estate is marketed, bought, and sold continues to evolve with it. Convenience remains the name of the game. And with Virtual Reality gaining popularity, sellers and brokers may take advantage of the technology to reach potential buyers.
Lamudi Philippines and MyProperty, both real estate marketplaces in the country, are looking to further improve property-buyers’ online experience via virtual tours.
They developed several photographs of a place and stitched them together to produce a full 360° view of the area. Virtual tours give anyone who has Internet access via computer or smartphone a comprehensive view of a space from almost anywhere and at any time.
Lamudi Philippines’ Virtual Reality Specialist and Google StreetView Trusted Photographer Carlo Salgado says brokers and sellers stand to greatly benefit from the upcoming feature. “Interactive media such as virtual tours greatly increase views, and online listings with a virtual tour definitely receive more views than those without it.”
“Virtual tours would also save buyers, sellers, and brokers a lot of time,” Salgado adds, “as it works like a permanent open house, where property viewing can happen 24/7 even without the presence of the seller or broker.”
Apart from giving prospects a look at how properties on the market would look if they were actually standing in the space, virtual tours could also give them an idea of how these properties look during the day, night, and at different weather conditions.
Some popular examples of existing usage of virtual reality technology include the wide-ranging Google StreetView that gives a view of almost any place on Earth, the virtual tour of Saint Peter’s Basilica seen on the Vatican’s official website, and a virtual look at the U.S. White House as it was decorated for the 2015 Holidays.
