Airbnb is currently developing virtual and augmented reality features to help you pick your next stay location. In a new blog post, the company said it will use these features to help guests find and navigate rental listings. These three-dimensional scans and 360-degree photos will allow renters to get a better idea of the listing, and the augmented reality overlays could help guests better understand the homes they may potentially stay in.
One of the main reasons as to why Airbnb is doing this is to build trust between hosts and guests. Airbnb has been looking into VR since last year. This announcement confirms the experiment and means that a new experience may be coming soon to renters.
Introduction of these features makes sense to have on Airbnb. For a user to have the ability to preview a listing before purchasing will allow them to make plans accordingly. For example, if you plan to stay overseas and everything is in a different language, it may be difficult to unlock doors, or change the thermostat, or even tell how to operate the shower properly.
Virtual tours aren’t anything new in the real estate industry and have been around for quite some time. Airbnb hosts hav been asking for such features for quite some time now because having the ability to incorporate VR features allows hosts to better show their listings. We will soon find out how and when Airbnb will bring everything to the table.