Virtual Reality Used To Sell Real Vacations, Real Estate

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - They are calling it the next version of websites - virtual reality.

If they are right, you will be buying everything from vacations to real estate virtually.

Dan Riordan has a lot to smile about these days.

"We've already written contracts on a third of the building," he told CBS4's David Sutta.

Riordan, who is the sales director for Turnberry's Ocean Club, said he's been moving four million dollar oceanfront condos with ease thanks in part to some pretty cool technology.

A wall of televisions in his office resembles a video game. On the screen, however, is no game. It's a 54 story building which won't even break ground until next year. But potential buyers can see it now - virtually. Riordan explains

"We don't want to wait until 2018 when the building is finished for people to say 'Oh wow, that's cool'. We want them to say that now," said Riordan.

Gonzalo Navarro grabs a game controller to demonstrate how it works.

"If I want to look up I just hit this," explained Navarro as he pushed buttons and the screens updated instantly.

By using the controller, Navarro can take a virtual walk through the lobby, tour the 70-thousand square foot Sky Club, check out the amenities and even swim in the pool.

"Doors are opening for us and now we are going to go outside and you are going to be able to see what happens on the exterior. How far we are from the beach? How big is the pool," he told Sutta.

Navarro's company ARX is behind the technology.

"You basically have designed a video game," said Sutta.

"Actually it's a video game engine, but without the shooting part," he replied.

Or car racing, or football. And it's very real, especially when you try it with a virtual reality headset.

Sutta put one on and started in the lobby.

"Everywhere I look, it's as if I am there in the building," he said. "I look up I see the chandelier and the details in the ceiling. I look left there are couches and furniture. I step out to the pool. Everything is scaled exactly as it would look. It's very real. I actually start to get dizzy."

Navarro said that's pretty normal.

"It gets a little dizzy because it's real. And your mind tells you there is something wrong because you are moving but you are not moving," said Navarro.

It takes ARX about three to six months to build a virtual project like this and there is no shortage of work. Real estate companies are now lining up to build virtual models, because it's very effective.

"You can tell them something a thousand times but if you can show them something, well a picture is worth a thousand words right," said Riordan.

Could this be the future of real estate sales centers? Is it possible we are going to be taking virtual tours in our own homes? Navarro said it's just a matter of time, perhaps just a couple of years out.

"This is going to be a step further. It's going to be like the next website. You project yourself into the project. You walk around. You like it and then you come to the sales center and close the deal," he said.

And while it's real estate today, the applications for virtual reality could be endless.

"Imagine when my kids can say we are going to go on a field trip to Rme tomorrow. And they are in school and they just plug the things in and they go 'Okay, this is the Roman Colosseum and you can see the guys there playing'. It will be so exciting for them. And even for tourism. If you can't go to Paris, now you can, virtually," Navarro said.

To see more about Turnberry's Ocean Club visit
http://www.turnberryoceanclub.com/
To see more about ARX visit: http://www.arxsolutions.com/