Real estate game changer

IMAGINE you are looking for office space that can accommodate 500 workstations in the central business district of Paris. Previously you would likely engage a real estate agent who might take you to see 10-20 buildings before you make a decision. A new technology now allows you to shortlist buildings within an hour or so, making your search 85 per cent faster.

At the Paris office of international real estate services and investment management firm JLL, you are ushered into a room surrounded by LCD screens. To understand your office requirements, NXT Office - a JLL proprietary software - lists 10 questions for you. By the time you answer, say, eight of the 10 questions, the software already has a pretty good idea of what you are looking for, and narrows down your options to 10 buildings in Paris. These buildings pop up on the screens around you.

You can now "tour" the buildings, with a virtual walk through the floors. The immersive technology enables you to experience the office space by manipulating the floor plans, images and data, using infra-red sensors.