CATHERINE HARRIS <\/p>\n
Last updated18:15, March 17 2017 <\/p>\n
Watson Property principal Greg Watson takes some virtual reality goggles for a spin. <\/p>\n
The days of open homes may be numberedin the Manawatu, thanks to a local real estate taking on virtual technology. <\/p>\n
Watson Property in Palmerston North believes it is possibly the first agency in the country to use a certain type of virtual reality technology. <\/p>\n
Principal Greg Watson said the firm had imported a Matterportcamera from the US so vendors could choose \"VR\"as part of their marketing campaign if they wished. <\/p>\n
By using an Oculus viewer, if they hadone, or their smartphone and a set of cardboard goggles supplied by the company, people could feel like they were really insidethe property. <\/p>\n
READ MORE: * Kiwi house hunters may soon swap open homes for virtual reality * Harnessing the power of Pokemon Go \"It allows somebody viewing a rental property or a property for sale to put the phone into the goggles and experience actually standing inside the property,\" he said. <\/p>\n
\"The real advantage for people is they can get a really good feel forwhat it's like, rather than thesituationwhere theymight travel to a property.\" <\/p>\n
Virtual reality had an edgeover videos and 360-deg photography on computers by giving people a cleareridea of the condition of the property, Watson said. They could look out the windows at the view, or get a sense of scale. <\/p>\n
The user simply had to downloadan app, go to a link on their phoneand slideitinto the goggles, he said. <\/p>\n
At $20 a pair, theywere cheap enough for vendors to send a limitednumber out to likelycustomers on the agency's database as well. <\/p>\n
Watson said he expected other agencies to followtheir lead. <\/p>\n
\"As soon as you put those goggles on, it is an experience. It's not just looking at something on a screen.\" <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
-Stuff <\/p>\n
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Here is the original post:<\/p>\n
Palmerston North real estate agency becomes early adoptor of virtual reality - Stuff.co.nz<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CATHERINE HARRIS Last updated18:15, March 17 2017 Watson Property principal Greg Watson takes some virtual reality goggles for a spin. The days of open homes may be numberedin the Manawatu, thanks to a local real estate taking on virtual technology. Continue reading