An Aussie PropTech company has revolutionised the new-build buying process by developing the “Google Earth” of new build estates.
If you’re familiar with Google Earth’s ‘Street View’ digital exploration tool, you’ve probably spent hours using it to walk random streets, visit previous homes, or get a first-person view of iconic landmarks around the world.
The sight-capturing software allows users to see places and locations as if they were standing there in person.
It’s super handy when looking at buying a new home, allowing users to see the property from the street and its surroundings.
But what if it could be taken one step further?
What if users could view it inside the home itself?
And even look around properties that have yet to be built.
Those were the questions OpenLot CEO Qi Chen had before his team developed what is now being dubbed the “Google Street View” of online property viewing.
Their new tech, OpenDisplay, enables prospective buyers to view true-representation images and conduct walk-throughs of future estates and yet-to-be-built home interiors –a step further than even Google’s savvy street view tech.
The industry-first software uses authentic images to allow interested parties to navigate through a digital twin-display village or even a yet-to-be-built home.
The tech uses the latest digital photography technology to capture super-detailed 3D models of already constructed display homes and entire display villages, just as one would see them in person.
The images can then be adapted to reflect yet-to-be-built properties, saving buyers the guesswork about what their future home may look like.
It’s far more realistic than previously used 3D-rendered models and can even be linked to VR and AR technologies to give users an immersive experience.
The technology helps make the new build process more efficient by minimising the need to visit sites, saving on commuting costs and reducing the risk of bank approvals expiring while they decide on options.
OpenLot CEO Qi Chen says the technology aims to alleviate some of the stress associated with traditional home-buying methods and speed up the process for those seeking to purchase a new-build home.
“Finding the right home and land can take an average buyer up to 2 years,” he told Build-it.
“This will improve the efficiency of the already-shortened process that OpenLot currently provides from six months to three months by 100 per cent.”
OpenDisplay is not tied to any developer or builder. It showcases over 800 unique display homes from over 50 display villages across Victoria and Western Australia, operated by more than 50 building firms, including Stockland, Metricon, and Dennis Family Corporation.
Home sales agents have already begun incorporating the digital tool. Simonds Homes Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Shaun Patterson says it gives customers the freedom to look online before heading into the showroom, saving them hundreds of kilometres in commute times.
“Our customers prefer to research and explore online before they settle on a floor plan or a house-and-land package,” he said.
“OpenDisplay provides a unique tool for customers to discover our homes virtually before they visit us in person.”
OpenDisplay is currently only available in Victoria and Western Australia, but plans are already in place to incorporate nationwide cover by the end of 2024.
