CommonFloor Launches Retina, a Virtual Reality Take on Real Estate

Real-estate portal CommonFloor has unveiled a new app called CommonFloor Retina, which can be used to view new real-estate projects in a spherical 360-degree virtual reality perspective. The new app is available to download for free on the Google Play store.

The set-up will, however, need for the user to have access to a Google Cardboard kit, and only works with selected Android devices, as the app needs certain hardware specifications to properly run the app. According to CommonFloor, it works best on Google Nexus smartphones. The demo unit that we had a chance to play with was running on a Google Nexus 5. CommonFloor will itself be selling the Cardboard kits on its own portal and through Flipkart for Rs. 999.

This does sound a bit tedious and unlikely to really generate an audience, but CommonFloor also plans to have builders keep the VR kits at their site offices or expos and conferences, to give potential buyers a virtual view of what the project will look like on completion. Sales associates can even carry the kit with them when they go out on field sales calls, giving buyers a better look at what they're being pitched.

Over 20 projects in Bangalore have already signed up, and the app has all of their plans available to download. CommonFloor plans to expand to cities all over India, adding projects to the system. Images and graphical representations for the app are sourced either from the builders, or generated using CommonFloor's own hardware.

With this, CommonFloor hopes to build on their user base and offer an experience that is more satisfying to the user than their competition, and hopes to soon have projects from all over India signed up for the CommonFloor Retina experience.