How are advanced technologies changing the way we buy or sell our homes?

Online technology has changed the way we do virtually everything online, and it was only going to be a matter of time until property came under that umbrella. Merging e-commerce and the housing market was always going to be a moneymaker for the sellers and property gurus, and an easier route to perfect properties for the buyers.

The process is smooth and streamlined. For example, if you’re trying to sell a property through a portal such as House Simple website, the valuation and process is quick, the property appears on hundreds of sites, and there’s a high probability of swift success.

That’s because everything is just easier. Some people even buy property as part of their normal shopping online, as if it is an everyday occurrence. Such are the graphical capabilities of property portals that viewing online is easy, as a 3D graphics engine can create the real dimensions and rooms.

They do not even need to visit the property. For example, Mumbai resident Madhumita Mondal told the Financial Review that she took a recent break from purchasing clothes and food online to buy herself a house as well.

The article states: “The online sales sites work the same as a developer’s showroom for a new construction, but instead of having to go in person to look at proposed models and photos and feel sales pressure to buy, the would-be customer can take time to click around. A view of the neighbourhood, what the building and unit are promised to look like, ratings and reviews by other buyers and even an animated, three-dimensional walk-through of a furnished apartment are often available.”

This is happening across the world but the capability can go further still, by incorporating true 360-degree video into proceedings as shown by Bud Light’s brilliant #upforwhatever parade. One could be ‘shown’ around a virtual property but still look at different angles of the room, and/or the neighbourhood.

We can even do it on the move. Zoopla, Rightmove and many other property portals have their own mobile apps, while a new Tinder-based app called Knocker even allows you to see homes that are near your present location, scroll through the ones that look interesting, and swipe away the ones that don’t.

Another technological invention that can aid the selling or purchasing of homes is social media. By listing the details of your home on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other platforms, perhaps as an addition to a simple WordPress website or the aforementioned property platforms, a seller can reach potentially hundreds or thousands of followers. Some sellers or letters search for people moving to their area on social media, and make contact to alert the newcomers to their property.

There are drawbacks; as in life, if something seems too good to be true then that is invariably the case, and a quick sale can come at a price because many companies will take a cut. Some traditionalists would still prefer to see someone face-to-face, and would never dream of spending tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds without seeing their purchase first. For most, however, this is the age of using and processing information in every facet of our lives – including finding that dream home.