The Realestate.com.au virtual reality app delivers tours of houses and estates for sale inside Google's Daydream View VR headset.

An Australian real-estate app will be among the first virtual reality apps to debut on the internet giant’s Daydream VR platform, and technology analysts say we should expect virtual tours of houses, department stores, and educational facilities in the next four years.

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The Realestate.com.au house inspection app will feature room-by-room tours of homes for sale, as well as estates and aspirational homesteads listed by style.

Google's Daydream View headset, out in Australia on November 11, delivers advanced virtual reality experiences using Android smartphones. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

From inside Google’s $119 Daydream View headset, users can virtually move from room to room, selecting new viewpoints, and turning their head to inspect all areas of a house.

REA Group chief inventor Nigel Dalton said virtual reality real estate tours could change the industry and “give us back time,” cutting down on real-world house inspections.

“By 2020, most Australian homes will have VR headsets, and we’re confident the leading real estate agents will embrace virtual reality to create a brand new experience for a whole new generation of property seekers,” he said.

“Instead of mum, partner, and the kids running across town to view potential properties, either to purchase or rent, the time-consuming process could now happen in one place in just a matter of minutes.”

Ever wondered what your neighbours’ house looks like? Now you can find out. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Research firm Telsyte predicted Australians would buy more than 115,000 virtual reality headsets in the second half of this year, and that figure would rise to more than half a million next year.

Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi said skyrocketing interest in the technology would see more everyday experiences pushed to virtual reality, and would be particularly useful to shoppers looking to inspect items without leaving their homes.

“Real estate is a great example, and e-commerce is another,” Mr Fadaghi said.

“There are a lot of opportunities for virtual shopping, whether it’s eBay or Alibaba, because this is a visual technology. Every website could potential have a VR equivalent, similar to how mobile apps became popular.”

Users can view a variety of homes using the headset. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Google’s virtual reality platform, Daydream, will initially be available to those using its Pixel smartphones but its software will feature inside other Andtroid handsets in future.

The platform also includes tours of famous landmarks like Stonehenge, personal cinemas with providers including Netflix, and games such as Fantastic Beasts and Danger Goat.

The REA Group is part-owned by News Corp.