A new virtual reality experience is benefiting customers and driving up viewings at office and retail space provider Bruntwood.
Business owners will be able to explore new commercial developments before completion thanks to the technology.
Platform in Leeds and Neo in Manchester will be the first developments in their portfolio to offer the experience.
“Physical viewings provide the opportunity to get a sense of the scale and feel of a property, while the virtual reality allows you to bring the space to life before it exists,” said Bruntwood’s Leeds director Craig Burrow.
“Our offices are brought to life by this technology, and shows potential customers how flexible the workspace is for the ever-changing world of work and how individual a new office could be.”
Whilst Platform, above Leeds station, is undergoing its transformation, agents and potential customers will be able to explore the completed landmark building via the virtual reality tour using VR headsets and Google Cardboard.
Agents and customers will also be able to make use of the technology onsite using Samsung Gear headsets, which will soon be applied to Neo in Manchester and, in the long term, will feature on more new builds and redevelopments.
Jamie Boulger, Bruntwood’s head of digital, said viewings were up.
“We’re constantly searching for innovative ways of improving our customer experience throughout every interaction with Bruntwood and this project has enabled us to significantly enhance the viewings of buildings during the development phase,” he commented.
“Virtual reality represents an area of massive investment for the tech industry, evident by the fact that eight of the top ten companies in this sector are now involved, so this is more than a passing fad.
“We’ve been following the progression of virtual reality for some time and are thrilled that it’s finally at a stage where we’re able to offer a great immersive experience to our customers.
“We’re looking forward to hearing the reaction as we roll this out across our other flagship developments.”
Bruntwood offers office space, serviced offices, retail space and virtual offices in the North of England and Birmingham.
VR will one day be used to entertain all air passengers and sell them duty-free products, according to experts.