Virtual reality takes the footwork out of viewing properties

Torbjörn Dimblad is chief technology officer of OKAY.com, an estate agent that provides online rental and sale listings. The company has introduced virtual reality (VR) to enable homebuyers and renters to view homes in 3D.

Can you explain how your VR home viewing works and how it benefits landlords and potential buyers?

We use a Matterport camera, a 3D camera that has multiple cameras, as well as distance metres designed to scan the interior of homes. It rotates on top of a tripod and is placed in locations around the property. Once the photos are taken, the data is uploaded to cloud storage where it is stitched together to create a virtual 3D environment. This saves clients time and enables them to get a sense of a place before they go to view it. It also gives landlords the opportunity to show their property.

How much have you invested in the hardware and software? What resources are required for the job? How much time is needed for production?

Matterport is a service provider – they sell the equipment and the software. We have partnered with a local service provider whose team works with us to shoot the property and process the photos. The cost is competitive with hiring a professional photographer. Shooting and postprocessing time depends on the property itself – how big it is as well as the layout. We are usually done in 45 minutes to an hour, then it takes a few more hours to edit and sign-off on the final deliverable. We always show the landlord the outcome before it is placed on the OKAY.com website.