COVID-19 has come on strong and refuses to relent. Aside from the very serious health risks the disease poses to us all, it has also turned our personal and professional lives upside down.

For some industries, the transition to a new way of working has been relatively seamless. For others, the effect has been nothing short of devastating. But for better or worse, we’re all learning to adapt – and adapt quickly at that. While some may have hoped this crisis would just be a blip on the radar, the more likely scenario is that we will be living in this new reality for several months, at a minimum.

What the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Mean for Commercial Construction

Adapting to this new reality has had several short-term effects that we in the construction industry have needed to implement immediately.

The longer-term outlook, however, will also be impacted as we continue to maintain social distance until the viral outbreak has fully passed. Below are a couple examples of how this may play out in commercial construction.

Making virtual the new reality – While the physical work of construction cannot be done online, many other parts of the overall construction process can and should be done online.

Specifically, pre-construction, one of the most important components of any commercial project, will be moved online. Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms are the new norm during this period of social distancing, and the capabilities these technologies have can make virtual meetings feel nearly comparable to an in-person experience.

Turning to virtual reality – Additionally, a technology that is already filling the gap in many commercial construction and commercial real estate projects – and one that will continue to do so at perhaps an even faster rate given the pandemic – is virtual reality (VR).

According to insight from NAI Global, brokers who leverage visualization tools during the marketing, buying, and selling processes are able to close pre-construction deals faster, in large part because they can provide a true-to-life rendition of the property during all stages of development.

The ability to see the space in advance is truly a game-changer for brokers and builders. The real-life experience VR technologies provide enable clients to fully grasp the vision and experience the space before the final product is complete.

At Seacoast Construction, we understand that this period of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic is unsettling, but we are as committed as ever to helping our clients bring their visions to reality – be that online or in-person. Call us today at 786-433-8740 to learn more about how we can help you reimagine the way your project comes to life.