Virtual house hunting is now trending, with new technologies helping expats make choices from afar. Are we seeing a revolution in the relocation process? We talk to two expat partners.
A huge change
Technology is dramatically changing the real estate industry, making the process more efficient for everyone involved. Finding a house with the help of virtual reality headsets, video tours or 3D walk-throughs is becoming increasingly common. Using a drone to check levels of traffic at key hours or other relevant aspects in certain neighbourhoods is now doable. Even software predicting your dream home based on your internet usage is going to be readily available in the near future.
Reducing stress
Virtual house hunting is also an important stress reducer during a relocation process. Basically, it makes everything easier. Heineken expat partner Julian Brinkman shares his experience of moving to Suriname: “We viewed a few houses via FaceTime and had to pick one quite quickly,” he comments, demonstrating how a simple resource like FaceTime can be a lifesaver. And Dutch Ministry of Defence partner Ies Biekart walks us through his thorough usage of Google resources for the same purpose: “We used Google Earth to review the location of the houses and Google Street View to get an impression from the street and the surroundings. Of course we used Google Maps to get an idea of distances to the city and work by public transport, car and bike,” he explains.
From your sofa
Both experiences demonstrate how technology is starting to play a big role in saving expats and their families time and money, while simultaneously making the transition psychologically less demanding. Of course nothing quite substitutes the actual ‘in person’ visit, but virtual reality certainly seems to help – at least you can do most of the work from the comfort of your sofa!
Sources: New York Times, The Telegraph
