Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
INFORMATION
Realtors Rely on Virtual Reality
Virtual reality allows you to experience places, to some degree,
without the inconvenience of travel. Although a trip to a virtual loca-
tion is not as rich of an experience as actually being there, virtual
reality sometimes provides valuable information all the same. For
example, consider the information provided by virtual earth soft-
ware from Microsoft and Google.
In its initial release, virtual earth software stitched together
high-resolution satellite imagery available from commercial
providers to let users scroll and pan around the Earth from a satel-
lite view. The effect was breathtaking, though flat. Virtual earth
developers began building photorealistic, geospecific, 3-D land-
scapes that allowed users to zoom in on satellite images and fly
horizontally through virtual landscapes that replicated the land-
scape of the Earth and its cities. The effort to virtualize the world is
ongoing, with thousands of people providing assistance in adding
cities and buildings to the virtual landscape.
It didn't take long for virtual earth applications to move from
novelty to serious business tool. Professionals in the real-estate
industry were quick to acknowledge the value of visiting neighbor-
hoods virtually. Seain Conover points out that while a real-estate
agent's photo may show a quaint house in the country, virtual earth
would let you see that it's actually in the shadow of a five-story
apartment building.
Conover works for Terasoft Corporation, a Canadian company
based in British Columbia, that specializes in Multiple Listing Sys-
tem (MLS) systems. The MLS allows realtors to list houses for
other Realtors and house-hunters to find. Through the MLS, real-
tors can communicate their needs and recommend properties to
others in the business. Until now, the MLS has provided home pho-
tos and specifications, but virtual earth is changing all of that.
Terasoft and other software companies around the world are
working with virtual earth providers such as Microsoft and Google
to build commercial applications using virtual earth as a founda-
tion. Using an application developed by Terasoft on Microsoft Virtu-
al Earth, a realtor can take a client to a prospective property
virtually, zoom down to the rooftop, and then turn up 45 degrees to
view the building, property, and neighborhood from all sides. What
used to take days of driving around is now condensed into an hour.
Clients and realtors can quickly narrow the market to a few hous-
es that match the client's interests.
Terasoft has built an overlay for Microsoft Virtual Earth that
specifies items of interest such as school districts, demographics,
and crime rate. Using color-coding, home shoppers can find
neighborhoods they desire. Marking a geographic area on the map
with the mouse quickly displays the available houses in that area in
the shopper's price range. Rather than scrolling through
thousands of listings in the MLS, realtors can search the virtual
landscape for specific needs, see them as pinpoints on a map,
zoom in, and view the house in 3-D while analyzing information
about the house and its neighborhood.
Terasoft chose Microsoft for this project over Google due to
Microsoft's long history of developing software for the real-estate
industry. Another contributing factor is that Microsoft's mapping
and virtual earth software has clearly been defined as an enter-
prise platform.
The use of virtual reality in real estate doesn't end at a house's
front door. Now through 360-degree photography, customers can
inspect a home's interior as well. A virtual walkthrough combined
with a floor plan reveals the layout and condition of the interior. As
virtual reality technologies mature, finding the home of your
dreams from your computer screen or even a VR headset is quick-
ly becoming possible. You only need to visit your dream house to
make sure that the virtual-reality experience is a true one.
Real-estate professionals all over the world are turning to vir-
tual earth software to revolutionize their business. Professionals in
the public sector, hospitality and travel, retail, financial services,
manufacturing, utilities, oil and gas, and media and entertainment
are also applying virtual earth technology to their industries. The
ability to view remote locations through virtual reality is proving to
help boost productivity and build customer satisfaction.
Discussion Questions
1.
What conveniences does a virtual reality system such as the
one developed by Terasoft provide for realtors and home
shoppers?
2.
Describe the work required to develop and maintain a virtual
model of the Earth and its towns and cities.
Critical Thinking Questions
1.
If home shoppers can access tools such as the one provided
by Terasoft, why are realtors necessary? How might realtors
change their job description to maintain their value to
customers?
2.
Many industries use Virtual Earth. Provide a few examples of
how you think they might apply its technology. How might they
customize Virtual Earth to their needs?
SOURCES:
Lau, Kathleen, “ISV aims Virtual Earth at realtors,” IT World
Canada, December 12, 2007,
www.itworldcanada.com/a/Enterprise-
soft Web site,
www.terasoft.com/company,
accessed July 4, 2008; Microsoft
Virtual Earth Web site,
www.microsoft.com/virtualearth/industry/
realestate.aspx,
accessed July 4, 2008.
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