Touring a home virtually now goes beyond flipping through pictures and with the help of VR headsets, it's just like being there.

Once thought only for gaming, virtual reality is now revolutionizing the world as we know it. With the threat of the global pandemic looming in everything we do, from dining at restaurants to taking vacations, a little help has been needed in the area of real estate. Purchasing a house sight unseen is not something many are comfortable with, let alone something many will consider. Therefore, a new system needed to be implemented for real estate to continue that would prove both worthy of a potential buyer as well as efficient for showing agents: Thus, a virtual reality headset was the answer.

While it's not used widely at this time, it does allow potential homebuyers to get a real feel for a home without even stepping foot into the residence. For high-risk areas, this can be a game-changer for buying and selling a home. Video games have gained a reputation for having uber-realistic environments and now, they can provide that same realism on a virtual house tour. This option limits human-to-human contact and maintains the safety of all parties - the buyer, the seller, and the agent responsible for showing the homes. This also allows potential buyers to "walk" through the house on their own terms in an intimate way, without worrying about a six-feet distance or having the sometimes awkward presence of others standing around.

According toPadraig Belton, Technology Business Reporter forBBC, this new method of house searching positively surged during the first month of lockdown in the UK. The question is, will it continue to be an option for potential homebuyers?

For now, virtual house tours must be taken with a headset belonging to the potential buyer. This alone is quite a pricey investment since the Occulus can run buyers anywhere from $400 to $500, with the PlayStation VR coming in at nearly $270. For those who already own a virtual reality headset, the choice is a no-brainer, but for those who don't, the cost is fairly steep.

In the UK, the tours are done through Zoopla, where potential homebuyers can opt-in for a virtual tour of the home. Whereas traditional 2D tours can be taken straight from a real estate website, these virtual tours must be done through a compatible headset. According toBBC, the process of going through a virtual (reality) house tour is a pretty simple process. Along with the viewfinder, a VR handset is all that's needed in order to maneuver a virtual keyboard to explore various areas of the home.

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For this process to work, the latest technology in video games goes hand in hand with the same architectural-style technology needed to take someone through a house virtually. Following the events of the fire at Notre-Dame, similar world-building technology was used to find a near-exact replica of the interior of the church that architects could then use to rebuild the damaged structure. Now, a company called Matterport, located in Silicon Valley, is using the same motion-sensor used in Microsoft's Xbox in order to guide VR users through rooms. With this same technology being incorporated for commercial use, the result is the ability to showcase a home by giving potential buyers the chance to walk through a seemingly 3D rendering.

This same technology has evolved even more, however, with dynamics such as weather and seasonal changes also being added to the experience. Through the use of Unreal Engine, which was and continues to be used for high-quality video game graphics, 3D models are able to alter things such as the way sunlight streams into view or the appearance of plants in a garden. Furthermore, this virtually-created house rendering allows an additional benefit for agents: The staging of a home. With the ability to add virtual touches such as furniture and decor, a virtual tour such as this allows buyers to see a house as a home, including how it would look once personal touches have been added.

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This artificial intelligence could prove to be crucial if virtual home tours continue to be a growing trend, as it could allow potential buyers to view a property at different times of the day. Right now, only about eight percent of Zoopla's viewings have been done virtually. However, this technology could be the breakthrough needed in order to take real estate and home buying to the next level.

With the world coming at a near standstill, it's estimated that the number of virtual reality headset sales are estimated toincrease within the near future. With this being a viable option for virtual travel as well as virtual experiences - such as home buying - many are hopeful that it will continue to be a positive step in some kind of business normalcy. Massachusetts-based research firm Data Corporation is estimated roughly a 22% increase in VR equipment alone.

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Originally from New York, Katie is used to a fast-paced lifestyle. She got her personal start with writing in the second grade, and carried that passion with her until she won a spot in her high school's published poetry book - but not before becoming the News Editor and columnist for the high school newspaper. In college, she majored in English Literature with an emphasis in Political Science, soaking up most creativity and method from one of the last professors to study under famed beat poet Allen Ginsberg. The more she wrote, the more she learned about the world and, more importantly, herself. She has been writing professionally and has been published since the age of 19, and for nearly a decade has covered topics in entertainment, lifestyle, music news, video game reviews, food culture, and now has the privilege of writing and editing for TheTravel. Katie has a firm belief that every word penned is a journey into yourself and your own thoughts, and through understanding this, people can begin to understand each other. Through her voice, she brings personality, research, and a bit of friendly sarcasm to every piece she writes and edits.

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Virtual Reality Headsets Are Now Changing The Way People Buy Homes - TheTravel