TECHNOLOGY

House-hunting? Try a virtual-reality tour

Estate agents are investing in headsets, but not everyone is convinced
Homebuyers can now view properties through a virtual-reality headset
Homebuyers can now view properties through a virtual-reality headset
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Estate agencies are spending tens of thousands of pounds developing virtual-reality tours of high-end properties, so buyers can privately gaze at the interior of immaculate homes, including those yet to be built, in their own time.

JLL, the property consultant, is working with a virtual-reality company to offer virtual tours of properties for sale, or to let. It says the tours, available this spring, will be “fully immersive and as close to reality as possible”.

“The benefits include saving time,” Tim des Forges, a director at JLL, says. “Rather than the buyer being taken to see 20 flats, they can view them virtually and perhaps opt to see only their top three in person. Some may buy or rent only after seeing the virtual tour.”