9 hours ago
This Boston apartment building is using VR goggles to show homes to prospective buyers
VR technology being used to show apartments to people at one Boston building
VR technology being used to show apartments to people at one Boston building
VR technology being used to show apartments to people at one Boston building
Virtual reality is a popular way to play video games, but now a Boston apartment building is using the technology for something a bit different: selling homes.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences at the South Station Tower is using the goggles to show fully furnished homes that don't exist yet. Real estate agents for the tower can guide prospective buyers from anywhere in the world. The agents use a tablet to view everything that the VR goggles display, which allows them to virtually jump the user from room to room.
"My favorite part is witnessing people experience it," says Manuel Davis. "I haven't not seen anyone say 'wow,' this is incredible.'"
The mask is also equipped with safety features, including a red grid that alerts buyers when they may be approaching a real-life object.
VR touring apartments
The idea stems from a collaboration between the Ritz-Carlton, Williams Papadopoulous Designs and rndr, a VSN company.
"I realized people couldn't really view 2D renderings and floor plans, and they needed to be able to see what they were going to buy without necessarily having to go there," the founder and CEO of VSN, Nate Robert-Eze, said.
The condos are virtually furnished with high-end pieces, which Mark Williams, the founder of Williams Papadopoulous Designs, helps curate.
"That's what's so important about this VR technology," says Williams. "In the virtual reality space, you really do feel it so much more than if you're looking at a two-dimensional rendering."
Robert-Eze believes that VR is the future of real estate, allowing house hunters to view a space anywhere in the world. And the technology is constantly evolving.
"We've built a software called Path," Robert-Eze told WBZ-TV. "That takes that immersive 3D environment and actually adds an AI component to it. The space becomes intelligent and you can start asking questions about the space, about the area."
For more information about the Ritz-Carlton South Station Tower Residences and their VR technology, click here.
