Halstead Brings High-Definition Digital Walk-Throughs to the Market

House hunting can be quite the time suck, but you can now peruse real estate listings in a whole new way from the comfort of your couch. A new offering from Halstead Property called 3D Walkthru uses 3D technology similar to Google Street View that allows clients to tour an available property online. The digital platform is so advanced that users can get right into a room, peeking out windows and checking out the kitchen appliances.

Until now, video tours have been the go-to in the digital real estate world, but the new 3D experience is superior in that the homes are as-is and not edited, there’s no “broker babble,” and the client has control of the tour. Halstead’s 3D system was developed by Matterport Inc. in July, and the California-based startup has been testing the camera since then.

Matterport charges $4,500 for one of its cameras and $19 for each tour produced plus monthly hosting fees, a much more affordable option than Oculus Rift, another mode of virtual real estate viewing. The Matterport camera spins around, pauses to capture images, records distance between objects and transfers data via Bluetooth to a computer for editing. The company eventually hopes to bring the technology to smart phones.

Other big-name NYC real estate firms are looking to get in on the 3D action, too. Brown Harris Stevens plans to implement 3D walk throughs early next year, and the Corcoran Group is also looking into the technology. It’s likely to be a smart investment, especially considering the large percentage of foreign buyers in the city who would benefit from the technology. Take a 3D Walkthru here.

[Via WSJ]