Taipei’s Yungching Realty Group has partnered with VR tour company iStaging and claims it is now the first real estate agency in the world to use mixed reality.
Mixed reality leverages the advantages of both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), allowing consumers to lean into the future with the best of what the virtual and realistic worlds offer.
The estate agency’s MR Smart Living app was on display at the press conference, which announced the deal between the Yungching Realty Group and iStaging. With Fujin Street, otherwise known as “little Europe” in Taipei, as the showcase, viewers were taken on a stroll along trendy restaurants, schools, local markets, and properties for sale with information of each venue and of the surrounding neighborhood shown in MR glasses.
Sun-Ching Yu, President of Yungching Realty Group, says MR Smart Living allows homebuyers to make informed decisions.
“With mixed reality, the whole world around you becomes your viewing screen enriched with information. It’s an entirely new level of immersive experience,” Yu says.
“You might be sitting on your couch at home or taking a walk down a street, and now you can easily access a wealth of information. People don’t just buy a house, but also the whole ambience around it as well, as the nearby lifestyle facilities. Convenience, prospects for future development, and the value of the property are crucial factors when it comes to the final decision. And that’s why our MR Smart Living service offers homebuyers a way to make the most informed decision.”
The technology is by no means simple and creating the right balance between two mediums can be a challenge, says iStaging CEO Johnny Lee.
“It’s through the integration of AR and VR that we can combine the virtual and real worlds into a higher level. There’s a delicate balance between allowing both worlds to exist and creating new interactions and simulations at the same time,” Lee says.
