Real estate consumers ready to embrace virtual 'realty'

The rise of virtual reality technology is likely to be welcomed by real estate consumers a new report suggests.

A Harris Poll conducted for real estate brokerage Coldwell Banker in the US found that 77% of future home buyers would welcome the ability to take a virtual tour of homes they might be interested in. This is only 7 percentage points behind those that want to view videos.

Taking the virtual ‘realty’ tech further, buyers said they would like the option to see how their furniture would fit into homes they view online.

"It's crucial that the real estate industry stays on the cutting edge of technology,” commented David Marine, senior vice president of marketing of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “From virtual reality to smart home tech, consumers are now interacting with these technologies in different capacities and expect the same when working with a real estate professional.”

Almost two thirds of respondents to the poll said they would likely choose a real estate agent who offered virtual reality compared to one that doesn’t.

More Mortgage Guide