From Virtual Experience to Real Action: Efficiency–Flexibility Ambidexterity Fuels Virtual Reality Webrooming Behavior

Abstract

In the post-digital era, virtual reality (VR) technology is increasingly being utilized in the real estate industry. In this study, the influence of functional experience with VR technology (e.g., interactivity and flexibility) on consumers’ offline house viewing intentions is explored. On the basis of efficiency–flexibility ambidexterity and customer inspiration theory, a structural equation model was employed to analyze empirical data collected from 388 consumers in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. The key findings are as follows: (1) VR technology features have significant positive effects on customer inspiration, which in turn enhances customers’ willingness to view houses offline; (2) VR presence, enjoyment, interactivity, and flexibility all contribute to customer inspiration, with VR presence having the most substantial impact; and (3) VR knowledge and consumer demand for uniqueness significantly moderate the relationship between VR technology features and customer inspiration. For example, consumers with substantial VR knowledge can more effectively leverage VR technology, whereas those with a strong need for uniqueness are more likely to be inspired by the innovative aspects of VR. This research provides theoretical support for the application of VR technology in real estate marketing and practical guidance for enterprises to optimize VR marketing strategies, improve consumer experiences, and drive offline transactions. These insights can help companies better understand consumer psychology and behaviour in the digital marketing landscape.

1. Introduction

“Virtual reality is the ultimate empathy machine.”—Chris Milk. In the post-digital world, the real estate industry is currently undergoing a paradigm shift as a result of the emergence of virtual reality (VR) technology [1,2,3,4]. For example, the Chinese company Beike Realsee launched a non-immersive VR house viewing solution that relies on comprehensive information acquisition and 3D reconstruction technology; this system allows users to obtain hyper-realistic digital replications of spatial scale, material details and lighting conditions via mobile terminals and accumulated 1.515 billion views by 2023. Compared with traditional display methods, this new cost-effective VR technology [5] not only reduces the carbon footprint of users’ field investigations but also helps promote the green development of the industry as a whole, significantly improves the efficiency and flexibility of the housing viewing process, and enhances the user’s emotional connection to and understanding of different properties. The creation of a unique experience for users [2,6] can increase the success rate of offline signing [5,7,8], thus reshaping the consumer decision path. It is necessary to determine how to promote this new VR technology characterized by environmental protection and sustainability to improve house viewing, innovate the business model of the real estate industry, and enable real estate companies to reduce costs and increase efficiency. When users are immersed in the “digital utopia” created by VR, they are both spatial explorers and prisoners trapped in information cocoons. This identity fragmentation is the price that traditional VR marketing pays for neglecting the value of interaction. As the real estate industry stands at the threshold of the metaverse era, this study provides a compass for navigating the tension between technological utopianism and commercial pragmatism. Therefore, the process by which customers rely on VR is expanded, and the relationship between novel VR features and the intentions underlying buyers’ decisions is explored.

Although the importance of using VR technology in real estate marketing is becoming increasingly apparent [5,9], the process of webrooming via VR, which occurs when consumers buy a home by “looking online first”, has received less attention from researchers in the context of “offline shopping” [10]. Previous studies focused mostly on the impact of webrooming on the sale of small items [11,12], and the mechanism underlying the impact of this process on purchases of large consumer goods such as real estate remains unclear [5,13]. This disconnect exposes a critical gap in our understanding: How can immersive technologies like VR bridge the chasm between digital exploration and physical participation? In this study, it is assumed that when consumers use VR to look at houses, the webrooming experience progresses through two stages. First, the consumer is inspired by the VR experience, which prompts further participation [14].

Previous studies on this topic focused mainly on the emotional experience associated with using VR technology (such as VR presence and VR enjoyment), particularly with respect to the stimulation of users’ psychological states and emotional resonance [2,13,15,16,17]. However, few studies have investigated the functional experience of such technology (such as VR interactivity and VR flexibility), its practicality and the direct support it provides for user behaviour [18,19,20,21,22,23]. Limited to focusing on emotional experience, current research does not treat functional experiences equally. This directly points to the core issue: When standardized technologies encounter personalized decisions, how can VR break through the value confinement of functional experience? This research gap prompted us to re-examine the mechanism underlying the use of VR technology in the real estate industry as well as the impact of such technology on consumers’ decision-making behaviour.

In addition, previous studies focused on product type [11,24], informational titration [25], and consumer characteristics [20,26,27,28]; few studies have investigated the impacts of consumers’ VR knowledge and demand for uniqueness on their webrooming behaviour. Specifically, the information transmitted via the VR channel is valuable and has a significant effect on consumers who possess VR knowledge (vs. those who do not possess VR knowledge). Moreover, consumers who exhibit a strong demand for uniqueness prefer nonmainstream choices, tend to ignore direct options, make unconventional decisions, and accept new things more quickly than others [29,30,31,32,33], thus influencing their webrooming behaviour and their willingness to look at houses offline [34].

In recent years, efficiency–flexibility ambidexterity (EFA), as a key concept in the field of service management, has become increasingly important; this notion emphasizes the fact that in their efforts to promote efficiency, organizations or individuals require flexibility to respond to changes and demands in a dynamic environment [19,20,21,35,36,37,38]. Efficiency is usually associated with standardization, processes, and cost control, whereas flexibility involves the ability to respond quickly to change, provide personalized services, and innovate [19,20,21,36,37,39,40]. However, the acquisition of such dual abilities is not easy; efficiency and flexibility may be inherently contradictory, such that the excessive pursuit of efficiency may lead to reduced flexibility, and vice versa [19,20,21,36,37,41]. Novel VR house viewing technologies are relatively comprehensive, and they support traditional efficiency (such as time and resource utilization efficiency) from multiple perspectives while remaining flexible. Therefore, in this study, we consider the use of VR presence, VR enjoyment and VR interactivity as alternative variables pertaining to efficiency, which can reflect the high efficiency of the service; that is, users can obtain the required information quickly and accurately through VR technology, thus improving the overall efficiency of the service. This technological and philosophical dilemma exposes blind spots in current research: we lack both a systematic deconstruction of the VR polyvalent effect and a decision-making framework that balances efficiency and flexible experience. A balance between efficiency and flexibility must thus be established to meet consumer needs [19,20,21].

To address the aforementioned research gap, EFA theory and customer inspiration theory are used as a basis to carry out an empirical analysis of the underlying mechanism when various facets of VR technology are utilized in the real estate sector and to explore the effect of this application on consumers’ webrooming behaviours.

First, although some researchers have investigated the application of VR technology in different fields, the roles played by various features of VR technology as external stimuli in this context have not been explored in full [8,42]. In this study, VR technology features are divided into emotional experiences, which significantly improve consumers’ inspiration (such as VR presence and VR enjoyment) by enhancing users’ sense of immersion and pleasure [8,42], and functional experiences, which promote consumer inspiration (such as VR interactivity and VR flexibility) by optimizing operability and freedom of technology [43,44]. In addition, the relationship between EFA and the application of VR technology is investigated. Notably, the ability of EFA to provide theoretical support for the digital transformation of the real estate industry is explored. In terms of efficiency, various features of VR technology (such as VR sense of presence, VR sense of enjoyment and VR interactivity) can significantly improve the efficiency of users’ efforts to view houses as well as their satisfaction with this process [16]. In terms of flexibility, various features of VR technology (such as VR flexibility) can significantly increase users’ level of inspiration by enhancing their freedom and adaptability in the virtual environment [44]. On the basis of these two characteristics, VR technology not only improves the efficiency of users’ house viewing behaviours but also meets the users’ demand for a personalized experience, thus promoting webrooming. This study explores the characteristics of VR technology, and the mechanism underlying the influence of such technology, as an external stimulus, on consumer behaviour is analyzed in detail.

Second, although some researchers have investigated the impact of VR technology on consumer experience, the mediating role played by VR technology in this process with respect to the internal state of consumers (such as customer inspiration) has not been explored in full [43]. Therefore, the role played by customer inspiration as a mediating variable is investigated in this context to reveal how various features of VR technology affect customers’ willingness to view houses offline. Specifically, VR technology significantly improves customers’ inspiration by increasing their sense of immersion, pleasure, etc., thus increasing their willingness to view houses offline [8,42]. This mediating effect reveals the ability of VR technology to promote webrooming by influencing consumers’ psychological states.

Finally, although some researchers have investigated the impacts of individual consumer differences on technology acceptance, the moderating effects of the level of VR knowledge and consumer demand for uniqueness have not been explored in full [34,45]. Therefore, the moderating effects of the level of VR knowledge and consumer demand for uniqueness on the VR experience and, in turn, the VR house viewing experience are explored.

In the digital age, interactive marketing can result in two-way value co-creation by stimulating customer participation and has become the core path driving business model innovation [46,47]. As the most innovative and dynamic regional economy in China, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, with its mature real estate market, acceptance of cutting-edge technologies and policy dividends from the development plan of the Greater Bay Area, provides an ideal scenario for testing the impact of VR technology on consumer behaviour [48]. As part of this study, consumer data (n = 388) were collected from several large real estate enterprises in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in China, with the goal of exploring the impacts of various characteristics of VR technology on webrooming behaviour in relevant consumer VR house-viewing scenarios. This study contributes to the extant literature on this topic in three ways.

First, the technical features of VR are innovatively deconstructed into emotional experience (VR presence and VR enjoyment) and functional experience (VR interactivity and VR flexibility), thereby integrating relevant independent variables systematically. In this context, emotional experience features, such as VR presence and VR enjoyment, can significantly enhance consumers’ level of inspiration by enhancing users’ sense of immersion and pleasure. Functional experience-type features, such as VR interactivity and VR flexibility, also promote consumer inspiration by optimizing the operability and freedom of the technology in question. This classification framework reveals that VR technology reshapes consumer cognition and behaviour via multidimensional sensory stimulation [8,42] and supports the dynamic process of resource integration in the field of service management [19,20,21,35,36,37].

In addition, the EFA framework is introduced in the context of the digital exploration of real estate, the mechanism by which VR technology can be used to address the contradiction between standardized service and personalized demand in this industry is empirically verified and the ability of VR technology to improve the efficiency and flexibility of users’ housing viewing behaviour is assessed. In terms of efficiency, VR presence, VR enjoyment and VR interactivity are related to significant improvements in user efficiency and satisfaction. Moreover, VR flexibility significantly enhances users’ inspiration by providing them with considerable freedom and adaptability in the virtual environment. This concept emphasizes the ability of enterprises to optimize consumer experience through promoting efficiency and flexibility in the context of digital transformation [49,50].

Therefore, customer inspiration theory is integrated with the EFA concept, thus overcoming the limitation of the traditional model of technology to a single path. On the basis of the dual mechanism associated with VR technology, this study provides a novel theoretical perspective on the use of VR technology in the real estate industry [8,42,44].

Second, this study incorporates consumer inspiration into the framework for research on VR behaviour; moreover, a transmission mechanism that extends from inspired by to inspired to is constructed, and the mediating role of consumer inspiration is discussed in this context. This work not only expands the scope of application of customer inspiration theory but also provides a novel perspective on consumer behaviour in VR environments [43]. The study reveals how various features of VR technology can influence consumers’ willingness to view properties offline by enhancing their level of inspiration.

Third, the moderating effects of the level of VR knowledge and consumer demand for uniqueness are explored to determine how these variables affect the path by which VR technology influences consumer behaviour. This moderating effect not only encompasses the impacts of individual consumer differences on VR technology acceptance but also provides a novel perspective on the diversity of consumer behaviours [34,45].

Finally, strategic suggestions that real estate enterprises can use to optimize the application of VR technology, key management insights that consumers can use to develop marketing strategies pertaining to webrooming behaviour, and a novel perspective on and method for the development of consumer behaviour theory are presented. In the spatial agency revolution, VR interactive marketing must transcend its current role as technological shackles of data colonialism and evolve into embodied cognition’s democratic arena—where each pixel becomes a vessel for user voice amplification, and every interaction transforms into ritualized value co-creation through distributed cognition.

The structure of this study is as follows. Initially, an overview of the theoretical context of the study is presented, encompassing the conceptual model and proposed hypotheses. Next, the research design and methodology are discussed, followed by an analysis of the empirical findings. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are presented, the limitations of the current investigation approach are acknowledged, and directions for future research are suggested.

2. Literature Review and Hypotheses

The application of VR technology has garnered increasing interest, particularly within the real estate sector. While prior research has focused predominantly on how VR influences the user experience [5], limited attention has been given to exploring whether VR can shape purchase intentions by eliciting emotional and cognitive reactions, such as inspiration. In this section, we provide an overview of customer inspiration theory and the concept of EFA, outline the study’s conceptual framework, specify the variables encompassed within this framework, and formulate the hypotheses to be examined.

2.1. Research Theory and Conceptual Framework

Marketing stimuli, such as exposure to nature, music, literature, or influential role models, can provide customers with novel ideas or product insights, thereby inspiring them [51,52,53]. The occurrence of inspiration is contingent on the attributes of external sources of inspiration and serves as a significant predictor of subsequent behavioural intentions [52]. EFA theory, a specialized extension of ambidexterity theory, emphasizes the balance between efficiency and flexibility in specific contexts [35,37]. This theoretical framework provides a robust foundation for the current study.

Building on customer inspiration theory and EFA, an integrative theoretical framework is developed. The objective is to investigate how the key characteristics of VR experiences—such as VR presence, VR enjoyment, VR interactivity, and VR flexibility—can inspire consumers and influence their willingness to view properties. In this research, the effects of VR experience attributes on consumer inspiration and behavioural intent are investigated, addressing a gap in the literature.

First, according to the customer inspiration theory proposed by Bottger et al. [52], customer inspiration refers to a temporary state of motivation that prompts a customer to pursue consumption-related goals after accepting a new idea or implementing marketing efforts. Intrinsic motivation may be an important prerequisite of individual participation in this context [54]. However, the question of how user inspiration, which refers to an intrinsic motivation state for an individual, affects that individual’s willingness to co-create in a virtual environment has rarely been studied. In addition, previous studies provided only limited insights into which elements of VR represent a source of inspiration for users. In light of their stimulating and exciting nature, novel activities can be viewed as important sources of inspiration in this context [55].

Therefore, according to customer inspiration theory, various features of the VR experience, such as emotional experience (VR presence and VR enjoyment) and functional experience (VR interactivity and VR flexibility), jointly affect consumers’ inner state (level of inspiration). This change in consumers’ internal state subsequently elicits a behavioural response (consumers’ willingness to view houses). This classification reflects the dual mechanism underlying the ability of VR technology to enhance the user experience: attracting consumers through emotional immersion and pleasure and meeting the practical needs of consumers through functional convenience and flexibility.

Furthermore, we subdivide EFA to characterize various types of VR experience in the efficiency dimension (e.g., VR presence, VR enjoyment, and VR interactivity), with emphasis on rapid information transfer and enhanced emotional connection and the aim of improving consumer satisfaction with virtual house viewing, and the flexibility dimension (including VR flexibility), with focus on the task of providing personalized and diverse experiences that can meet consumers’ needs for information access and decision support. This combination of efficiency and flexibility can not only enhance consumers’ acceptance of VR viewing but also increase their willingness to view houses offline.

Although we validated the variables pertaining to each feature of VR experience separately, this classification method (emotional experience versus functional experience and the efficiency dimension versus the flexibility dimension) ensures that each variable is theoretically independent and empirically operable [56,57]. We are thus able to accurately assess the unique contribution of each feature. This approach not only helps us clearly demonstrate the mechanisms underlying different characteristics of VR experience but also enables us to provide specific strategic recommendations that real estate enterprises can use to optimize their use of VR technology. On the basis of a model that combines customer inspiration theory with the concept of EFA, we present a complete analytical framework and a corresponding conceptual model (see Figure 1).

2.2. Efficiency–Flexibility Ambidexterity

The concept of EFA originated from research on organizational ambidexterity, which refers to an organization’s ability to establish a balance between exploration and exploitation [35,49,58,59,60]. In the context of EFA, efficiency is usually associated with standardization, process and cost control. Flexibility, on the other hand, involves rapid responses to change, personalized service, and innovation [37,61,62].

The EFA framework, initially conceptualized in organizational management to balance operational efficiency and adaptive flexibility [35], has evolved to address individual consumer decision-making dynamics. At the organizational level, EFA enables firms to enhance performance by optimizing service delivery [37]; for example, service employees integrate efficiency-focused task execution (e.g., prompt service) with flexibility-driven customization (e.g., personalized recommendations) to improve customer satisfaction [36]. Advances in AI technology further amplify this duality, as evidenced by Fan et al. [19,20,21], who demonstrated that AI chatbots achieving EFA through balanced functional performance and relational engagement significantly enhance service outcomes.

This framework can be seamlessly migrated to individual consumer contexts, particularly in VR-mediated scenarios. In VR real estate applications, consumers face analogous trade-offs: they must efficiently absorb critical property information (e.g., spatial dimensions and amenities) while flexibly customizing their exploration (e.g., adjusting viewpoints and simulating renovations). VR technology supports such options by enabling simultaneous efficiency gains (e.g., rapid information processing via immersive visualization) and flexible accommodations (e.g., autonomous decision-making through interactive controls). This dual capability aligns with Kao and Chen’s [36] assertion that balancing efficiency and flexibility enhances decision outcomes while extending EFA theory into the realm of consumer technology adoption. Collectively, these applications underscore the theoretical robustness of the EFA concept across organizational and individual levels, mediated by technological achievements that reconcile competing demands.

However, EFA is not easy to achieve. On the one hand, efficiency and flexibility may be inherently contradictory; for example, the excessive pursuit of efficiency may lead to reduced flexibility, and vice versa [61,62]. On the other hand, in contexts involving limited resources, ensuring an effective trade-off between efficiency and flexibility represents an important challenge in practice [63]. In addition, factors such as individual differences, organizational culture and the external environment affect the ability of relevant actors to achieve EFA [37]. In Chinese philosophy, the idea that “haste makes waste” (Chinese pinyin: yu su ze bu da) provides profound insights into the notion of EFA. Notably, in the pursuit of efficiency, an excessive rush to achieve results may cause details to be neglected and limit flexibility, thereby ultimately affecting the realization of goals.

In the business model associated with VR house viewing, if enterprises focus only on the rapid promotion of technology and efficiency improvements while ignoring the personalization and flexibility of the customer experience, customer satisfaction may decrease, subsequently affecting the long-term development of enterprises. Therefore, EFA is a key competency that an organization must possess to ensure sustainable development in a dynamic environment. EFA can not only help enterprises improve their operational efficiency and customer satisfaction but also create unique competitive advantages for enterprises in the context of fierce market competition.

2.3. Inspiration: Inspired-By and Inspired-To

Inspiration has been defined as a “state of motivation that prompts an individual to put an idea into practice” [64]. It is believed to foster new ideas and enhance loyalty and demand on the part of customers [52]. In the retail environment, inspiration is an important driver of purchasing decisions, and its sources are expanding as a result of the emergence of new technologies [52,65]. Inspiration can be divided into two stages, inspiration by and inspiration to; the former is related to the intrinsic value of the inspired object, whereas the latter highlights the motivation to expand or take action [14]. Together, these stages span the scope of inspiration [52,66]. Researchers have reported that the inspiration process is sequential; that is, inspired by occurs first [14]. In this study, we propose that consumers progress through these two stages when they use VR applications; that is, consumers are first inspired by the VR experience and subsequently report being inspired to engage in webrooming behaviour.

2.4. Interactive Marketing Innovations and Consumer Decisions

Advancements in immersive technologies and interactive paradigms are reshaping webrooming and showrooming behaviours by destabilizing traditional cognitive hierarchies in consumer decision-making. For high-risk durable goods (e.g., electronics), the haptic rendering capabilities of VR technology disrupt the “information asymmetry-risk aversion” dyad by simulating tactile feedback and spatial navigation, thereby reducing perceived risk thresholds and enabling context-dependent channel shifts [67,68]. Neuroscientific evidence corroborates this behavioural shift: fMRI studies reveal that VR environments activate the hippocampal formation, enhancing spatial memory encoding and diminishing the necessity for physical visits—a phenomenon termed “cognitive offloading” [67]. In contrast, for features in hedonic/experiential categories (e.g., home furnishings), AR’s ability to generate “as-if” experiences through virtual try-ons creates a liminal space that conflates product categorizations, and low-risk items are ideal for showrooming when mediated by immersive tech [69,70].

Gamification strategies amplify these dynamics through operant conditioning mechanisms. AI-driven “virtual concierge” systems deploy intermittent reinforcement schedules—via interactive quizzes and personalized rewards—to redirect webrooming trajectories towards showrooming endpoints, achieving 65% conversion rate improvements [71,72]. Social media platforms act as force multipliers through viral UGC campaigns. TikTok challenges promoting VR room tours, for example, generated a 45% increase in engagement metrics for furniture brands, instantiating a feedback loop wherein immersive previews catalyze social proof while attenuating perceived risk through algorithmic curation [57]. These findings conflict with Verhoef et al.’s [73] unidirectional synergy premise, instead indicating emergent bidirectional interdependencies between online search and offline purchase channels.

Multisensory engagement strategies exploit the Proustian memory effect to modulate channel preferences. Scent-infused VR environments amplify luxury purchase intent by 37% through associative memory recall, whereas AR apps’ ambient soundscapes reduce cognitive dissonance for high-risk purchases (e.g., luxury watches) by 23% via atmospheric congruence [69,74]. Conversational agents equipped with affective computing have achieved 31% higher net promoter scores through dynamically adapted recommendation and sentiment analysis, exemplifying “adaptive synergy”, where online interactions (e.g., VR previews) enhance offline experiences (e.g., in-store customization) [75,76]. Sephora’s Virtual Artist app is an example of this convergence, blending AR makeup try-ons with chatbot styling advice to create seamless webrooming-showrooming pathways [41].

Theoretical advancements necessitate reconceptualization of extant frameworks. Extended EFA models now incorporate “neurocognitive efficiency” as a latent construct, with VR/AR interventions reducing decision fatigue by 40% through spatial visualization measures [67]. Risk mitigation paradigms expand beyond functional dimensions to encompass socio-psychological constructs such as social judgement anxiety, refining Kushwaha and Shankar’s [77] typology. Meta-reality commerce models further destabilize channel synergies, requiring revised taxonomies for hybrid realities (e.g., AR clouds) that transcend physical/virtual binaries [57,78].

2.5. Main Effects

As a representative form of extended reality (XR) technology, VR, which offers high levels of virtuality and immersion, enables users to immerse themselves fully in the virtual world and to perceive that world in a manner that is similar to that in which they perceive the real physical world [79,80,81,82]. This highly immersive experience not only enhances the user’s perception of the virtual environment but also significantly improves their information processing efficiency and cognitive engagement [83,84].

VR presence is defined as the subjective perception of being immersed in a virtual environment, regardless of one’s actual physical location [85]. In VR settings, this immersive experience is achieved through high-resolution virtual scenes, enabling users to rapidly transition into the virtual space and enhancing the efficiency of information transmission [84]. Beyond increasing immersion, a strong sense of presence positively impacts users’ information processing capabilities and various cognitive variables [15]. Research has consistently highlighted that presence is a key strength of VR technology, significantly boosting users’ enjoyment and perceived value of the experience [81,86]. In the real estate context, presence enhances users’ acceptance and satisfaction with virtual property viewings, thereby strengthening their purchase intentions [87,88].

Presence can enhance users’ sense of immersion as well as their information processing ability, thus enhancing their perceptions and the quality of their experience in the virtual environment [84]. This immersion not only enhances users’ sense of reality in the virtual environment but also inspires them to explore and innovate [15]. Therefore, a sense of presence can significantly increase the inspiration levels of customers, thus encouraging them to explore and innovate more actively in the virtual environment.

VR enjoyment refers to the degree of enjoyment that users experience when they use VR technologies [89]. In a VR environment, enjoyment can be enhanced through immersive experiences and high levels of interactivity. Users are free to explore and interact in a virtual environment, and this experience not only increases user satisfaction but also enhances their acceptance of the technology in question [90]. Research has reported that enjoyment plays an important role in users’ continued use of technology and their willingness to recommend it [15]. In the field of real estate, enjoyment can significantly increase users’ satisfaction with virtual house viewing, thereby enhancing their purchase intentions [91].

A sense of enjoyment enhances users’ acceptance of technology and their willingness to continue using such technology by enhancing their pleasant experiences [89]. These pleasurable experiences not only increase users’ satisfaction but also inspire them to explore and innovate actively in virtual environments [90,92]. As a result, a sense of enjoyment can enable customers to explore and innovate more actively in the virtual environment.

VR interactivity refers to the dynamic process of interaction between users and virtual environments [93,94]. In a VR environment, interactivity allows users to navigate and operate the virtual environment quickly, thus improving the efficiency with which they can acquire information [93,95]. VR interactions are more natural and smooth than interactions with traditional interfaces, and in the context of VR technology, users can intuitively obtain information and operate without the help of keyboards and mice [96]. This interactivity not only reduces the cognitive load faced by users but also enhances their engagement and satisfaction [97]. Researchers have reported that interactivity enables users to explore and innovate with respect to virtual environments [93,98,99]. In the field of real estate, interactivity can enhance users’ acceptance of and satisfaction with virtual property viewing by providing them with a natural user experience [100].

Interactivity enhances users’ ability to explore and innovate with respect to the virtual environment by enhancing the efficiency of their information acquisition and their sense of participation [95]. This interactivity not only reduces the cognitive load faced by users but also enhances their engagement and satisfaction [97]. As a result, interactivity can significantly increase customers’ inspiration, thus encouraging them to explore and innovate more actively in virtual environments.

VR flexibility refers to users’ ability to switch among different perspectives and functional modules freely in virtual environments [68,101]. This flexibility is reflected not only in users’ rapid transitions among different cognitive categories but also in their ability to overcome the boundaries of traditional thinking and establish connections over long distances [102,103]. Researchers have identified flexibility as an important advantage of VR technology in the context of efforts to promote innovative thinking and problem solving, particularly given the ability of VR to provide users with a broad space for thinking and abundant creative possibilities [23]. In the field of real estate, flexibility enhances users’ experience of and satisfaction with virtual house viewing by providing them with a multidimensional space for exploration [23].

Flexibility promotes users’ innovative thinking and problem-solving abilities by providing them with a multidimensional space for exploration [68,101]. This flexibility not only enhances the user’s freedom but also inspires them to explore and innovate in virtual environments [23]. Therefore, we hypothesize the following:

H1: 

VR presence is positively associated with customer inspiration.

H2: 

VR enjoyment is positively associated with customer inspiration.

H3: 

VR interactivity is positively associated with customer inspiration.

H4: 

VR flexibility is positively associated with customer inspiration.

2.6. The Mediating Role of Inspiration

Inspiration involves emotion; however, it is not an emotion itself but rather a combination of priming and positive encouragement, which results in a state of intrigue [64]. Inspiration may reveal new possibilities and lead to new ideas [52,64]. In a VR environment, inspiration shapes individuals’ personal experiences by blending values, services, and contexts drawn from both the real and virtual worlds [104]. Inspiration is essential with respect to efforts to promote innovative ideas and meet customer needs, including helping individuals develop market-based products [52] and increasing consumers’ willingness to pay [105]. Therefore, customer inspiration refers to the impulse to internalize the concept of consumption, thus leading to the emergence of consumption-based goals [52]. In addition, such inspiration drives consumers to purchase products that can satisfy their self-identity needs [106,107]. As a strategic tool, VR can complement and expand the imagination of consumers, thus enabling them to perceive and envision new realities [21]. On the basis of the literature referenced above, the following hypotheses are proposed in this study:

H5: 

Customer inspiration is positively associated with on-site house viewing willingness.

H6: 

Customer inspiration mediates the relationship between VR presence and customers’ intentions to view houses on-site.

H7: 

Customer inspiration mediates the relationship between VR enjoyment and customers’ on-site house viewing willingness.

H8: 

Customer inspiration mediates the relationship between VR interactivity and customers’ on-site house viewing willingness.

H9: 

Customer inspiration mediates the relationship between VR flexibility and customers’ on-site house viewing willingness.

2.7. The Moderating Role of VR Knowledge and Consumer Demand for Uniqueness

In the context of VR house viewing, consumers’ product knowledge significantly influences their purchase decisions [108]. Consumers accumulate product knowledge by engaging in interactive experiences and gathering pre-purchase information in virtual environments [108,109,110]. This knowledge serves as a critical basis for decision-making [90,111]. VR house viewing enhances consumers’ objective knowledge of property and improves their decision-making ability and purchase objectives by providing immersive experiences [79,112]. However, the impact of VR experiences on purchasing decisions varies depending on consumers’ levels of VR knowledge. Consumers with greater VR knowledge are more adept at interpreting and utilizing VR experiences, which strengthens their emotional and cognitive responses to VR stimuli [113,114]. Therefore, the following hypotheses are proposed:

H10: 

VR knowledge positively moderates the relationship between VR presence and customer inspiration; specifically, this relationship is strongest among individuals with high levels of VR knowledge.

H11: 

VR knowledge positively moderates the relationship between VR enjoyment and customer inspiration; specifically, this relationship is strongest among individuals with high levels of VR knowledge.

H12: 

VR knowledge positively moderates the relationship between VR interactivity and customer inspiration; specifically, this relationship is strongest among individuals with high levels of VR knowledge.

H13: 

VR knowledge positively moderates the relationship between VR flexibility and customer inspiration; specifically, this relationship is strongest among individuals with high levels of VR knowledge.

In the context of VR house viewing, consumer demand for uniqueness significantly affects their purchase decisions [115]. Consumers who exhibit a strong demand for uniqueness are eager to express themselves through differentiated products, and this demand is affected by situational factors [85,116]. In the real estate industry, consumers choose limited-edition or innovative products or customized services to strengthen their sense of uniqueness [34,85,117,118]. Through immersive experiences and personalized customization, VR house viewing satisfies consumers’ demands for uniqueness and scarcity, thereby stimulating their purchase intentions [119]. Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed in this study:

H14: 

Consumer demand for uniqueness positively moderates the relationship between inspiration following VR use and customers’ on-site house viewing willingness, such that the association between inspiration and customers’ on-site house viewing willingness is strongest among consumers with a strong demand for uniqueness.

3. Method

3.1. Research Context

In this study, focus is placed on VR house viewing users in the real estate industry. These users play a key role in the process of making a decision regarding whether to rent or buy a property; they acquire property information through VR technology, and on this basis, they decide whether to view the property offline. To ensure the suitability of the sample and the effectiveness of this study, the judgement sampling method was employed to recruit users who had recently used VR technology to look at houses. These users not only evaluated the property itself during this experience but also made initial purchase or rental decisions on the basis of their interactions with this technology.

Through cooperation with real estate companies, groups of users who participated directly in the VR house viewing experience and engaged in real estate information evaluation and decision-making behaviours were selected. This process helped ensure that the sample investigated in this research mainly included individuals who could provide meaningful insights into the mechanisms underlying the ability of various characteristics of the VR experience to affect the inspiration levels of users and their willingness to buy a house.

3.2. Sample Selection and Data Collection

This study targets VR house-viewing users in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, a region known for its economic vitality, openness, diversity, and cultural integration, in line with China’s national development strategy. As one of China’s most advanced and dynamic economic zones, the Greater Bay Area boasts a rapidly growing real estate market and a high level of urbanization, offering an ideal region for VR house-viewing technologies. These technologies, by providing immersive experiences, enhance consumer participation and purchase intentions, making them key interactive marketing tools. The representativeness of the sample from this region ensures the reliability of the conclusions of the study. To vividly and intuitively present the geographical location of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this study has drawn a map of the Greater Bay Area, as shown in Figure 2 (see Figure 2).

To ensure the appropriateness of the sample, judgement sampling was employed to recruit users who had recently engaged in VR house viewing and had participated in real estate information evaluation and decision-making. The survey was conducted from December 2024 to February 2025, a period marked by frequent real estate transactions due to holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s Day, the winter holiday, and the Spring Festival, facilitating data collection. The researchers collaborated with 23 real estate agencies, where employees distributed online survey links to clients who had viewed properties with the agency and provided their consent via WeChat. The questionnaire data were collected during monthly departmental meetings at the agencies.

A total of 427 questionnaires were distributed, with 413 returned. After 25 questionnaires were excluded because of incomplete or insufficient answers, a total of 388 valid questionnaires were retained. The survey results revealed diverse respondent backgrounds in terms of demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, education level, work experience, and annual income (see

Table 1. Sample characteristics.

Range	Feature	Frequency	Percentage
Gender	Male	163	42.0
	Female	225	58.0
Age (years)	0–23	55	14.2
	24–33	132	34.0
	34–43	105	27.1
	44–53	77	19.8
	More than 54	19	4.9
Education	Finished junior high school and below	88	22.7
	Finished senior high school	95	24.5
	Finished junior college	170	43.8
	Held a bachelor’s degree or above	35	9.0
Work experience	Less than 1 year	42	10.8
	1–4 years	115	29.6
	4–7 years	124	32.0
	7–10 years	79	20.4
	More than 10 years	28	7.2
Annual income	Less than 60,000 RMB	70	18.0
	60,000–120,000 RMB	95	24.5
	120,000–180,000 RMB	99	25.5
	180,000–240,000 RMB	85	21.9
	More than 240,000 RMB	39	10.1

), confirming the representativeness of the sample.

The survey sample exhibited certain distribution characteristics in terms of gender, age, level of education, work experience and annual income. Specifically, in terms of gender, women accounted for 58.0% of the participants. In terms of age distribution, participants were mainly between 24 and 33 years old; this group accounted for 61.1% of the total, indicating that the overall sample was relatively young. In terms of participants’ level of education, the largest group of participants had obtained a college degree (accounting for 43.8% of the sample). Furthermore, the majority of participants had between 4 and 7 years of work experience, accounting for 32.0% of the total. Finally, participants’ annual income ranged mainly between 120,000 and 240,000 yuan, accounting for 47.4% of the sample. These characteristics revealed that the sample was characterized by a degree of diversity; however, the overall skewer was towards young, moderately educated, and middle-income groups.

An overview of the users of technologies that facilitate VR house viewing reveals that this group consists mainly of young female individuals with moderate levels of education and moderate incomes. Younger users are generally receptive to new technologies and likely to access information via online channels in the context of making purchasing or leasing decisions. Female users tend to play an important role in family decisions and pay attention to detail and experience. Users with moderate levels of education and incomes reflect the popularity of VR house-viewing technology among ordinary consumers. This user overview provides important background information for research on the market acceptance of VR home viewing technologies, the user experience associated with such technologies, and the impacts of such technologies on home purchase decisions.

3.3. Measures

The scales used for all the variables in this study are mature and temporally verified. In this context, we carried out a reverse translation procedure [120]: 1. The original scale was translated into Chinese. 2. Chinese items were translated back to English through professional translators. 3. A marketing professor and two marketing doctors were asked to compare the above original English and translated English items and judge whether the two were equivalent. 4. According to the judgement results, all scales were fine-tuned, and the final scale of this study was determined. Each question on the survey was evaluated using a widely recognized 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree.

To capture non-immersive VR-related experiences, VR presence (self-location and possible actions) and VR enjoyment were measured using five items as described by Tussyadiah et al. [13]. VR interaction was measured using five items from Yim et al. [18]. VR flexibility was measured using five items from Fan et al. [121]. To measure webroomer inspiration, a customer-inspired scale developed by Böttger et al. [52] was used. The on-site house viewing willingness scale was adapted from the customer-inspired scale developed by Böttger et al. [52] to measure the on-site house viewing willingness of webroomers. VR knowledge was measured using the scale of Lacey et al. [122]. The consumer need for uniqueness (creative choice, unpopular choice and avoidance of similarity) was measured using the scales of Tian et al. [85] and Ruvio et al. [34]. This approach was undertaken to enhance the conceptual coverage and measurement precision of each dimension of VR. The combined items capture the multifaceted nature of creative choice counter-conformity, reflecting both the active pursuit of unique products and the creative combination of factors to express individuality. Finally, we selected the gender, age, educational background, work experience and annual income of webroomers as control variables.

To ensure that the constructs under investigation in this research were measured robustly and comprehensively, we carefully selected items that could facilitate a balanced and nuanced assessment of each VR dimension. Specifically, for dimensions such as VR presence (in terms of self-location and possible actions), VR enjoyment, VR interactivity, VR flexibility, inspiration, willingness to view houses on site, VR knowledge, and demand for uniqueness (in terms of creative choices, unpopular choices, and the avoidance of similarity), we integrated items drawn from multiple validated studies. The resulting scales facilitated a comprehensive and culturally robust assessment of the constructs included in this research, thereby laying a solid foundation for our empirical analyses. This approach not only ensured that each item made a unique contribution to the construct with which it was associated but also reduced respondent fatigue and cognitive load, which are critical considerations in marketing surveys.

3.4. Data Analysis Methods

The overall suitability of the measurement and structural models was evaluated using AMOS 23.0 and maximum likelihood estimation, as previously mentioned [123]. χ² served as the first fitting indicator. However, other fit measures were included in study owing to their sensitivity to sample size [124].

Common method bias. Statistical analyses and tests were conducted as part of the questionnaire method, and the data samples collected via the questionnaire method encompassed the subjective judgement of characteristically similar individuals; thus, common method bias may exist. To prove that there was no possibility of such bias among the variables selected in the study, Harman’s single-factor method was used for testing in a confirmatory study, and the structural equation-based latent factor method was used for testing in a further confirmatory study. In the presurvey, the extractable explanatory variation in a single component was 24.097%, which was less than 50%. In the formal investigation, on the basis of CFA, a common factor was set for all the items, the weight of the common factor was 1.

We also used the CLF method as a validation method to capture the common variance among all observed variables in the model. Therefore, we added an underlying factor to the AMOS model and then determined the correlation between the model and all the observed variables. A comparison between the normalized regression weights of the two models (with and without CLF) revealed a small difference (<0.005 for all dimensions). Therefore, we concluded that there is no evidence of common method bias in this study [125].

In addition, we performed a full collinearity test to check the VIF of the latent variables corresponding to the dependent and independent variables. Using SPSS (version 25.0), we found that the VIFs of the potential variables were all less than 2, that is, well below the threshold of 3.30, indicating a certain degree of common method bias [126]. Therefore, the results of these analyses suggested that multicollinearity was not a problem in our study.

We analyzed the models for the RMSEA, NFI, CFI, IFI, GFI, and TLI (see

Table 2. CFA table.

Latent Variable	Observation Variable	Estimate	Factor Loading	S.E.	t	CR	Cronbach’s α
VR Presence	I feel like I’m in a VR environment.	1	0.749			0.895	0.829
	It was as if I was actually participating in the VR (house viewing) action.	0.972	0.722	0.073	13.276
	It was as if my real location had been transferred to the VR environment.	0.981	0.697	0.076	12.823
	I felt like I was in a VR environment.	1.032	0.799	0.071	14.527
	The house in VR makes me feel like I can live in it.	1	0.782			0.922	0.869
	I had the impression that I could live in a VR environment.	1.019	0.816	0.062	16.436
	I feel like I can move between objects in VR.	1.033	0.779	0.066	15.629
	For me, I can do anything I want in a VR environment.	0.957	0.783	0.061	15.731
VR Enjoyment	It is fun to look at houses in VR.	1	0.865			0.934	0.889
	House viewing with VR is enjoyable.	0.949	0.831	0.047	20.065
	Using VR to look at a house is a happy experience.	0.891	0.770	0.050	17.864
	It is exciting to look at houses in VR.	0.879	0.802	0.046	19.022
	With VR, houses are very interesting to view.	0.776	0.648	0.055	14.003
VR Interactivity	I control my navigation through VR technology (website).	1	0.814			0.926	0.874
	I have some control over the content of the VR information (website) that I want to see.	1.133	0.831	0.064	17.798
	I can control the speed at which I view the product.	0.950	0.769	0.059	16.232
	VR technology (website) was able to respond to my specific needs quickly and efficiently.	0.990	0.771	0.061	16.268
VR Flexibility	VR delivered a high-quality service.	1	0.871			0.965	0.884
	VR ensured high levels of customer satisfaction.	0.948	0.854	0.046	20.816
	VR uses creative ways to satisfy customer needs.	0.934	0.819	0.048	19.618
Inspiration	My imagination was stimulated by seeing the house in VR.	1	0.848			0.954	0.935
	Looking at the house in VR, I was attracted by a new idea.	0.949	0.855		21.599
	By looking at the house in VR, I unexpectedly and spontaneously had new ideas.	0.875	0.832	0.044	20.648
	Through VR house viewing, my eyes were opened.	1.137	0.900	0.042	23.68
	I discovered something new by looking at the house in VR.	1.032	0.880	0.048	22.755
on-site house viewing willingness	Through VR viewing, I was inspired to go live to see the house.	1	0.889			0.934	0.919
	Through VR house viewing, I have the desire to later view the house on site.	0.963	0.847	0.043	22.593
	Through VR house viewing, my interest in seeing the house on site was increased.	0.989	0.831	0.045	21.788
	Through VR house viewing, I felt motivated to see the house in person.	0.954	0.852	0.042	22.866
	After VR house viewing, I have the impulse to see the house in person.	0.979	0.824	0.044	22.015
VR knowledge	I have experience with VR house viewing.	1	0.839			0.945	0.904
	I’m familiar with using VR to look at houses.	0.979	0.837	0.05	19.623
	I have a lot of experience with VR house viewing.	0.966	0.832	0.05	19.462
	I often use VR to look at houses.	0.964	0.844	0.049	19.881
Consumer unique needs	By combining my possessions in such a way, I created a personal image that could not be replicated.	1	0.88			0.953	0.917
	I often try to find more interesting versions of ordinary products because I like to be original.	1.098	0.874	0.047	23.61
	I actively seek to develop my personal uniqueness by purchasing special products or brands.	1.046	0.851	0.047	22.441
	Having an eye for interesting and unusual products helps me build a unique image.	0.933	0.840	0.043	21.927
	I often look for one-of-a-kind products or brands so that I create a style that is all my own.	0.791	0.703	0.048	16.324
	I have broken conventions and rules regarding the products I buy and the circumstances in which I use them.	1	0.841			0.930	0.877
	I often violate the rules as understood by my social group about what to buy or own.	1.24	0.871	0.064	19.371
	I like to challenge the mainstream tastes of people I know by buying something they do not seem to accept.	1.11	0.814	0.061	18.142
	When a product I own becomes popular with the masses, I start using it less.	1	0.872			0.879	0.807
	I often try to avoid products or brands that I know are bought by the masses.	0.83	0.709	0.064	12.982
	In general, I do not like products or brands that everyone is used to buying.	0.899	0.703	0.07	12.910

X² = 1301.636, df = 890, X²/df = 1.463, RMSEA = 0.035, SRMR = 0.029, RMR = 0.042, GFI = 0.873, NFI = 0.895, CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.960, and IFI = 0.964.

), considering values ranging from 0 to 1, with the goal of finding the model that yield the best indices. Additionally, the RMSEA value was less than 0.05, indicating a good-fitting model [127,128].

4. Results

4.1. Reliability and Validity Analysis

SPSS 25.0 was utilized for the reliability analysis in this research (see

Table 3. Statistical table of correlation coefficient between variables and arithmetic square root of AVE value.

	Self-Location	Possible Action	VR Enjoyment	VR Interactivity	VR Flexibility	Inspiration	On-Site House Viewing Willingness	VR Knowledge	Creative Choice	Unpopular Choice	Avoidance of Similarity
Self-Location	0.743
Possible Action	0.506 **	0.790
VR Enjoyment	0.263 **	0.218 **	0.787
VR Interactivity	0.222 **	0.235 **	0.257 **	0.797
VR Flexibility	0.344 **	0.309 **	0.286 **	0.536 **	0.863
Inspiration	0.364 **	0.378 **	0.212 **	0.374 **	0.421 **	0.855
On-site house viewing willingness	0.296 **	0.271 **	0.331 **	0.408 **	0.435 **	0.448 **	0.859
VR knowledge	0.320 **	0.334 **	0.224 **	0.295 **	0.527 **	0.201 **	0.215 **	0.838
Creative choice	−0.039	−0.105 *	−0.0378	0.074	−0.044	0.128 *	0.031	−0.180 **	0.832
Unpopular choice	−0.114 *	−0.081	−0.101 *	0.050	−0.063	0.017	0.012	−0.286 **	0.450 **	0.843
Avoidance of similarity	−0.074	0.007	−0.006	0.017	−0.025	0.084	0.046	−0.196 **	0.321 **	0.206 **	0.766
AVE	0.552	0.624	0.619	0.635	0.745	0.731	0.720	0.702	0.692	0.710	0.586
CR	0.895	0.922	0.934	0.926	0.965	0.954	0.934	0.945	0.953	0.930	0.879
Average value	3.112	3.086	3.215	2.987	3.312	3.065	3.117	3.227	3.065	3.148	3.086
Standard Deviation	0.971	0.893	0.993	1.015	1.114	0.825	1.136	1.152	1.063	1.114	1.028

* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01.

). As shown in Table 3, the CR for each variable is above 0.8, suggesting strong internal consistency and reliability for the scale as a whole [129]. To check the validity and reliability of the measurement model, we used CFA with all multi-item scales. In addition, the fitness indicators were >0.8. χ²/df = 1.463 was less than the standard value of 3. These results indicate that the model provides a good fit to the data [127]. The loadings of the items are generally in the range of 0.6–0.7, with others in the range of 0.7–0.95, all meeting the minimum requirement of 0.6. This finding indicates that there is a strong correlation among the measured variables given the influence of the same potential variable.

The KMO value in this research is 0.898, suggesting that the questionnaire is valid, as there is some connection among the independent variables designed in the questionnaire. Moreover, Sig. < 0.001, indicating that the questionnaire is eligible for factor analysis, and the next step is to perform exploratory factor analysis (efa). The chi-square value is approximately 11,906.524, which is in accordance with the relevant requirements.

Therefore, the above results confirm the convergent validity of VR presence, VR enjoyment, VR interactivity, VR flexibility, inspiration, on-site housing viewing willingness, VR knowledge and consumers’ unique needs [130].

In addition, the CR and AVE values for the constructs of VR presence (self-location and possible actions), VR enjoyment, VR interactivity, VR flexibility, inspiration, on-site housing viewing willingness, VR knowledge, and consumer need for uniqueness (creative choice, unpopular choice and avoidance of similarity) demonstrate satisfactory reliability and convergent validity. The square root of the AVE for each construct exceeds the correlation coefficients with other constructs, highlighting the discriminant validity of the measurement model [129]. The correlation coefficients range from 0.016 to 0.497. The CR values for all the constructs fall within the range of 0.872 to 0.939, indicating robust reliability. The AVE values for all the constructs exceed the threshold of 0.5, ranging from 0.57 to 0.78. The square root of the AVE is greater than the correlations between the corresponding latent variables [129], thus providing evidence for discriminant validity (see Table 3).

4.2. Hypothesis Testing

In this study, VR presence, VR enjoyment, VR interactivity and VR flexibility are used as independent variables; inspiration is used as a mediating variable; and consumers’ willingness to view homes on site is used as the dependent variable. By using AMOS for maximum likelihood fitting, standardized path results were obtained (see Figure 3).

The data collected via the questionnaire were imported into AMOS, and the model fitting parameters obtained via the maximum likelihood method were as follows: minimum discrepancy of CFA (CMIN) = 704.699, degrees of freedom (DoFs) = 393, CMIN/df = 1.793, RMSEA = 0.045, GFI = 0.891, NFI = 0.913, CFI = 0.959, TLI = 0.955, and IFI = 0.959. The displayed values of the fitting parameters are acceptable; thus, the structural equation model yields a good fitting effect for the sample data obtained from the questionnaire, and the fit index of the measurement model is satisfactory.

AMOS is utilized for testing the updated structural equation model, resulting in the acquisition of standardized path coefficients for each model path (see

Table 4. Sequential model comparison.

Hypothesis	Influence Path			Beta	p	Result
H1	Inspiration	<---	VR Presence	0.540	***	Supported
H2	Inspiration	<---	VR Enjoyment	0.362	***	Supported
H3	Inspiration	<---	VR Interactivity	0.313	***	Supported
H4	Inspiration	<---	VR Flexibility	0.233	***	Supported
H5	On-site house viewing willingness	<---	Inspiration	0.221	***	Supported

Significance level: *** p < 0.001.

). A strong and meaningful correlation was discovered between VR presence and inspiration, validating H1 (β = 0.540, p < 0.001). H2 was supported by the discovery of a strong and meaningful correlation between VR enjoyment and inspiration (β = 0.362, p < 0.001). Moreover, the findings support H3 and reveal a strong and positive correlation between VR interactivity and inspiration (β = 0.313, p = 0.004). The results further support H4 and reveal a strong and favourable correlation between VR flexibility and inspiration (β = 0.233, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a strong and positive correlation was discovered between inspiration and on-site house viewing willingness, thus providing evidence to support H5 (β = 0.221, p < 0.001).

In this study, Microsoft Visual Basic programming was used to assist in the bootstrap analysis of the AMOS mediating effect [131]. To obtain numerical values for the indirect effects, we developed a user-defined estimate in AMOS via visual basic programming. We used bootstrapping (5000 iterations) with 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals (CIs) to test and evaluate specific indirect effects. If the 95% bootstrap CI did not contain zero, then the indirect effect was considered significant [131].

As shown in

Table 5. Bootstrap analysis and significance of indirect effects (n = 388).

Parameters	S.E.	Bias-Corrected		p	Percentile		p
		95%CI			95%CI
		Lower	Upper		Lower	Upper
VR Presence—Inspiration—On-site house viewing willingness	0.029	0.056	0.180	0.018	0.062	0.186	0.010
VR Enjoyment—Inspiration—On-site house viewing willingness	0.024	0.033	0.133	0.004	0.029	0.117	0.011
VR Interactivity—Inspiration—On-site house viewing willingness	0.022	0.037	0.121	0.004	0.029	0.118	0.010
VR Flexibility—Inspiration—On-site house viewing willingness	0.021	0.025	0.114	0.004	0.026	0.114	0.011

, all the mediating effects were significant (H6, H7, H8, and H9 are supported). The bootstrap analysis revealed that VR presence has a mediating effect value of 0.117 with a 95% CI of [0.056, 0.18] (p = 0.018), VR enjoyment has a mediating effect value of 0.074 with a 95% CI of [0.033, 0.133] (p = 0.004), VR interactivity has a mediating effect value of 0.076 with a 95% CI of [0.037, 0.121] (p = 0.004), and VR flexibility has a mediating effect value 0.0672 with a 95% CI of [0.025, 0.114] (p = 0.004). These results confirm that all four VR technology features significantly enhance customer inspiration, which in turn increases customers’ willingness to view houses on-site. The findings underscore the pivotal role of customer inspiration as a mediator and highlight the strategic importance of VR technology in driving customer engagement and offline conversion in real estate marketing.

To evaluate the two moderating effects in this study, we conducted tests in SPSS using the Hayes [132] PROCESS macro. First, inspiration was used as the dependent variable and added to the control variable to build Model 1. Second, the variable VR knowledge was added to construct Model 2. Finally, Model 3 was constructed with VR presence, VR enjoyment, VR interactivity and VR flexibility, which were multiplied by the VR knowledge of interactive projects. The results showed that the positive correlation between VR presence and inspiration was adjusted for VR knowledge (β = 0.499, t = 2.53, p < 0.001). Therefore, H10 was supported. The results showed that VR knowledge strengthened the positive correlation between VR enjoyment and inspiration (β = 0.533, t = 3.428, p < 0.001). Therefore, H11 was supported. The results showed that VR knowledge was positively correlated with VR interactivity and inspiration (β = 0.589, t = 5.259, p < 0.001). Therefore, H12 was supported. The results showed that VR knowledge moderated the positive correlation between VR flexibility and inspiration (β = 0.482, t = 5.128, p < 0.001). Therefore, H13 was supported.

The second moderating effect was evaluated as follows. First, the willingness to view homes on site was selected as the dependent variable and added to the control variable to build Model 1. Second, add the variable unique consumer needs was used to build Model 2. Finally, the inspiration to participate in interactive projects was multiplied by unique consumer needs to build Model 3. The results showed that the positive correlation between inspiration and willingness to view on-site homes was influenced by unique consumer needs (β = 0.346, t = 7.72, p < 0.001). Therefore, H14 was supported.

On the basis of a systematic, empirical analysis, the mechanism underlying the influence of VR technology features on customers’ inspiration and willingness to view houses onsite was explored to provide a novel perspective on the role played by VR technology in webrooming behaviour (which involves an online experience after an offline purchase). The results of this research reveal that different types of VR features (such as a sense of presence and interactivity) can significantly affect customers’ willingness to view houses onsite by stimulating their inspiration, thus highlighting the important value of using VR technology in the context of real estate marketing. In addition, the study highlights the key mediating role played by customer inspiration in this process, thus emphasizing the importance of establishing a balance between efficiency and flexibility in the context of technology design and application. This finding not only provides a theoretical foundation for the efforts of real estate enterprises to optimize their VR marketing strategies but also serves as a valuable reference for the development of relevant technologies and user experience design in related fields. By increasing the efficiency and flexibility of VR technology, companies can effectively meet customers’ needs, thus enhancing companies’ own competitiveness in the era of digital marketing.

5. Discussion

Drawing on the theoretical EFA framework, a comprehensive analysis of the effects of various VR technology features on consumer webrooming behaviour are explored. By elucidating the underlying effects of VR technology application in the real estate sector and examining the influence pathways through which these elements affect consumer behaviour, this research contributes to an integrated discussion of behavioural patterns. The findings not only present a fresh perspective on VR technology utilization in real estate but also provide theoretical support for real estate firms aiming to enhance VR house viewing services and drive digital transformation. Notably, the structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis in this study is based on cross-sectional data, revealing a significant correlation between the four characteristics of VR technology and consumers’ willingness to view houses on-site. However, to verify causal relationships, further research using methods involving experimental design is needed.

The first step in this process is to analyze the results of each part of this research separately. The results of the data analysis reveal that each feature of VR technology has a significant positive effect on consumers’ inspiration, thereby affecting their willingness to view houses on-site. The results are as follows: VR presence significantly increases consumer inspiration. By enabling the user to feel as if they are in a real house, presence greatly enhances the user’s sense of immersion and experience. This kind of immersion not only reduces the psychological distance between the user and the virtual environment but also improves the user’s trust in and acceptance of the virtual house. The data referenced in this research reveal that users who experience a strong sense of presence obtain information-centric memories in the virtual environment, thus significantly improving their willingness to view houses offline. VR enjoyment significantly enhances consumer inspiration by increasing user pleasure. This sense of enjoyment reflects the psychological pleasure that users experience when they use VR technology, which can not only improve their satisfaction but also enhance their willingness to view houses offline. Research has reported that users are more willing to make house purchases via offline channels when they experience a strong sense of enjoyment. The data indicate that users who experience a strong sense of enjoyment remain in the virtual environment longer and are more willing to look at houses offline. VR interactivity significantly increases consumer inspiration by optimizing the user experience in virtual environments. Interactivity allows users to operate freely in the virtual environment, such as by switching perspectives or obtaining information. This operational experience significantly improves users’ acceptance of VR house viewing. By providing users with control over the virtual environment, interactivity enhances their sense of participation and autonomy and subsequently increases their willingness to view houses offline. VR flexibility significantly enhances consumer inspiration by increasing users’ freedom and adaptability. Flexibility allows users to adapt to the virtual environment to suit their own needs, and this freedom and adaptability subsequently enhance users’ willingness to view properties offline. The data indicate that a flexible VR system can effectively meet the individual needs of users, thus significantly improving users’ willingness to view houses offline.

The second contribution of this research lies in its comprehensive discussion of the relevant classification framework. According to this classification framework, the mechanism of action associated with these variables can be explained as follows: emotional experience characteristics (e.g., VR presence or VR enjoyment) significantly enhance the inspiration of consumers by strengthening the user’s sense of immersion and pleasure. The results of separate analyses revealed that VR presence (β = 0.45, p < 0.01) and VR enjoyment (β = 0.35, p < 0.01) both have significant positive effects on consumer inspiration. This psychological experience not only improves the user’s acceptance of virtual house viewing but also significantly enhances their willingness to view houses offline. The data indicate that the characteristics of emotional experience have particularly significant positive effects on consumer inspiration, thus promoting webrooming. Functional experience features (e.g., VR interactivity or VR flexibility) also promote consumer inspiration by optimizing the operability and freedom of the technology in question. The results of separate analyses revealed that both VR interactivity (β = 0.40, p < 0.01) and VR flexibility (β = 0.30, p < 0.01) had significant positive effects on consumer inspiration. These features enhance the user’s experience with VR technology as well as the user’s willingness to view houses offline. The data indicate that functional experience features have significant effects on consumer inspiration, thereby promoting webrooming.

In the context of EFA, various features of VR technology play synergistic roles in the process of improving the efficiency and flexibility of users’ house viewing behaviours. With respect to the efficiency dimension, sense of VR presence, VR enjoyment and VR interactivity influence the efficiency and satisfaction of users. High levels of these features enhance users’ sense of immersion, pleasure and interactivity, thereby not only improving their psychological experience but also significantly improving the efficiency of task completion; in turn, this process is conducive to webrooming. With respect to the flexibility dimension, VR flexibility significantly enhances user inspiration by enhancing their freedom and adaptability in the virtual environment. This flexibility not only meets the user’s demand for a personalized experience but also enhances the user’s acceptance of VR house viewing, thus increasing the user’s willingness to view houses offline.

In addition, the roles played by regulating variables in this context are important. This study reveals that the level of VR knowledge and consumer demand for uniqueness play significant moderating roles in the path by which VR technology influences webrooming behaviour.

Regarding the moderating effect of the level of VR knowledge, the results of the data analysis indicate that the level of VR knowledge has significant moderating effects on the impacts of VR presence, VR enjoyment, VR interactivity and VR flexibility in the context of webrooming behaviour. Specifically, users who possess high levels of VR knowledge exhibit strong acceptance of VR technology and can use the functions provided by VR technology effectively, such as adapting quickly to the operation mode of the VR environment and understanding the information display of the VR interface. Users who possess lower levels of VR knowledge exhibit weaker acceptance of VR technology, which may reduce the frequency with which such individuals engage in VR house viewing as a result of technical barriers. This sense of familiarity and ease of operation can significantly increase users’ satisfaction and trust in VR house viewing, thus increasing their willingness to complete such a purchase via offline channels. With respect to the regulating effect of consumer demand for uniqueness, the results reveal that consumer demand for uniqueness significantly moderates the impact of webrooming on individuals’ willingness to view houses offline. Specifically, consumers who exhibit a strong demand for uniqueness are more inclined to obtain personalized experiences from VR technology, such as by freely switching perspectives, obtaining customized information or engaging in interactive experiences. Consumers who exhibit a weak demand for uniqueness also exhibit a low demand for personalized experiences and are more focused on the basic functions of VR technology. When VR technology can meet these needs, users’ webrooming behaviour and willingness to view houses are significantly enhanced.

5.1. Theoretical Significance

On the basis of the empirical research presented here, which is rooted in customer inspiration theory and the concept of EFA, the mechanisms underlying the impact of various features of VR technology on consumers’ webrooming behaviours are discussed in detail. The results of this research not only reveal the mechanism underlying the use of VR technology in the real estate industry but also provide a novel perspective on this phenomenon and theoretical support for consumer behaviour theory.

The first contribution of this research lies in the systematic integration of various features of VR technology with consumer behaviour. VR technology features are innovatively divided into emotional experiences and functional experiences, and the effects of these features, as external stimuli, on consumers’ internal states and behavioural responses are explored. Emotional experience features, such as VR presence and VR enjoyment, significantly improve consumers’ inspiration levels by enhancing their sense of immersion and enjoyment [8,42]. Functional experience features, such as VR interactivity and VR flexibility, also promote consumer inspiration by enhancing operability and freedom of technology [44]. This categorization not only reveals how VR technology affects consumers’ experiences and behaviours in terms of different dimensions but also provides a novel perspective on consumer behaviour in the digital environment.

In addition, the concept of EFA is introduced, which further highlights the synergistic effect of VR technology, particularly in terms of its ability to improve the efficiency and flexibility of users’ housing viewing behaviours. In terms of efficiency, VR presence, VR enjoyment and VR interactivity together significantly influence the efficiency and satisfaction of users regarding house viewing behaviours. In terms of flexibility, VR flexibility significantly enhances users’ inspiration levels by improving their freedom and adaptability in virtual environments [49]. This concept reveals how businesses can optimize the consumer experience by establishing a balance between efficiency and flexibility during the digital transformation process. This synergy provides novel theoretical support for efforts to understand the use of digital technology in traditional industries and fills a gap in previous studies of the application of VR technology in the real estate industry [8,42,44].

Although previous studies have explored the application of VR technology in different fields [8,42], the mechanism underlying the ability of various features of VR technology to serve as external stimuli has not been explored in full [8,42]. On the basis of a systematic analysis of the mechanisms underlying the impacts of various features of VR technology on consumer behaviour, this study not only enriches the theory of consumer behaviour but also provides theoretical guidance that can support the digital transformation of real estate enterprises [44]. In addition, this study highlights the synergistic effect of VR technology, which can improve the efficiency and flexibility of users’ house viewing, thus providing novel theoretical support for efforts to understand the use of digital technology in traditional industries [49,50].

The second contribution of this research lies in the fact that it highlights the mediating role played by consumer inspiration in this context. The mediating role played by consumer inspiration was investigated in this context, revealing how various features of VR technology affect consumers’ willingness to view houses offline following enhanced inspiration. This mediating effect not only explains the ability of VR technology to promote webrooming by influencing consumers’ psychological states but also provides a novel perspective on the mechanisms underlying consumer behaviours [43]. On the basis of this analysis, a novel explanation of this phenomenon and an expansion of customer inspiration theory are provided. Although previous studies have investigated the impact of VR technology on the consumer experience [43], the mediating role of VR technology in consumer inspiration has not been explored in full. By introducing consumer inspiration as a mediating variable in this context, this study reveals how various features of VR technology can enhance consumer inspiration and subsequently affect consumers’ intentions to view houses offline. This mediating role not only highlights the ability of VR technology to promote webrooming by influencing consumers’ psychological states but also provides a novel perspective on the mechanisms underlying consumer behaviour [43]. On the basis of this analysis, this study provides a novel explanation of this phenomenon and an extension of customer inspiration theory, thus addressing a gap in previous studies of the mediating role of consumer inspiration in the use of VR technology [43].

Finally, the moderating effects of individual differences in this context are discussed. Notably, the moderating effects of the level of VR knowledge and consumer demand for uniqueness are explored, and the effects of these variables on the path by which VR technologies influence consumer behaviours are assessed. These moderating effects not only highlight the impacts of individual consumer differences on VR technology acceptance but also provide a novel perspective on the diversity of consumer behaviours [34,45]. On the basis of this analysis, a novel explanation for this phenomenon and an extension of the theory of consumer behaviour are provided. Although previous studies explored the impacts of individual consumer differences on technology acceptance [34,45], the moderating effects of the level of VR knowledge and consumer demand for uniqueness have not been explored in full. By introducing these moderating variables, the paths by which various features of VR technology influence different consumer groups are identified. These moderating effects not only highlight the impacts of individual consumer differences on VR technology acceptance but also provide a novel perspective on the diversity of consumer behaviours [34,45]. On the basis of this analysis, this study provides a novel explanation of this phenomenon and an extension of the theory of consumer behaviour, thus filling a gap in the extant research with respect to the moderating roles played by individual differences in the application of VR technology [34,45].

5.2. Managerial Implications

In the post-digital world, especially as a result of advancements in VR technology, the real estate industry is undergoing a major shift from a purely offline model to an online-to-offline integration model. This shift has not only reshaped the ways in which consumers interact with real estate developers but also entailed novel challenges for business operations and management, as the interactions involved in this context are complex and highly dependent on consumer experience. Therefore, this study has important operational implications for real estate practitioners who are experiencing this paradigm shift towards webrooming and can provide these practitioners with strategies and recommendations that can help them address the challenges associated with digital transformation.

First, the strategies that govern the use of VR technology should be optimized. This study provides specific strategic suggestions for real estate enterprises seeking to optimize their use of VR technology. On the basis of a systematic analysis of the mechanisms underlying the impacts of various characteristics of VR technology on consumer behaviour, enterprises can improve their understanding of how to enhance consumers’ inspiration and willingness to view houses offline by enhancing VR presence, VR enjoyment, VR interactivity and VR flexibility. Specifically, enterprises can improve the efficiency and satisfaction of users by optimizing the operability and freedom of VR technology, thus promoting webrooming. AI-powered customer service tools and real-time interaction features are integrated into VR platforms to transform them into dynamic two-way marketing tools. By enabling instant access to policy information, financial calculations, and interactive consultations, VR experiences can accelerate demand realization while reducing customer follow-up costs. For example, the use of embedded AI chatbots and live-chat functionalities allows agents to address inquiries—such as regional policies or mortgage options—within the virtual environment, significantly improving conversion rates. As a result of the rapid development of the digital economy, real estate enterprises face the urgent need for digital transformation. In recent years, the Chinese government has vigorously promoted the “Internet Plus” strategy, which involves encouraging enterprises to use new technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of the services that they provide. For example, many cities have launched smart city construction plans, in which context the real estate industry, as an important component, must enhance the competitiveness of the corresponding enterprises through technological innovation. Enterprises can use the concept of EFA to establish a balance between the efficiency and flexibility of technology, with the aim of optimizing the user experience [44]. This strategy not only helps enhance the market competitiveness of enterprises but also provides consumers with improved house-buying experiences [34].

Second, customer inspiration should be enhanced. By introducing the concept of EFA, this study provides a novel perspective that can help real estate enterprises establish a balance between efficiency and flexibility during the process of digital transformation, thereby optimizing the consumer experience. By improving the efficiency and flexibility of VR technology, enterprises can meet consumers’ demands for efficient and personalized experiences, enhance consumers’ inspiration, and subsequently influence consumers’ willingness to view houses offline. Additionally, infusing VR experiences with emotionally resonant elements—such as the ambient sounds of schoolchildren in educational districts or dynamic seasonal transitions in landscape contexts—can amplify inspiration and engagement given various social media challenges, creating a multiplier effect on brand reach. The Chinese government has vigorously promoted improvements in consumption in recent years, including by encouraging enterprises to meet consumers’ demands by improving their product quality and service levels. Real estate companies can stand out from their competition in the market by optimizing VR technology and improving the consumer experience. In addition, companies can enhance their employees’ ability to master and use VR technology through training and incentive mechanisms, thereby enhancing the consumer experience.

Finally, targeted marketing strategies should be developed. This study highlights the impacts of individual consumer differences on VR technology acceptance, thus identifying key management implications for real estate enterprises seeking to develop targeted marketing strategies. Companies can design different marketing strategies in accordance with consumers’ levels of VR knowledge and demand uniqueness. For example, for consumers who exhibit high levels of VR knowledge, companies can emphasize the advanced features and personalized experiences of VR technology; in contrast, for consumers who exhibit a strong demand for uniqueness, companies can highlight the innovation and flexibility of VR technology. The behaviours and preferences of consumers worldwide are changing rapidly. As members of the younger generation gradually become the primary buyers of houses, the acceptance of new technologies and personalized needs that characterize the population of homebuyers has increased. Businesses can increase consumers’ levels of acceptance and satisfaction by designing more innovative and flexible VR experiences that meet consumers’ demands for personalization and uniqueness. These experiences indicate that enterprises must develop flexible marketing strategies that account for different market characteristics and consumer needs.

5.3. Limitations and Future Research Directions

Although this study achieved remarkable results in explorations of the impact of VR technology on consumer behaviour in the real estate industry, some limitations of this research must be acknowledged. In addition, more research is needed to identify potential ceiling effects or reversal points in this context.

First, the study’s reliance on self-reported consumer feedback [19,20,21] introduced methodological biases, including social desirability distortion in subjective VR feature evaluations (e.g., presence and interactivity) and a disconnect between intended online viewing willingness and actual offline actions. These limitations stem from respondents’ tendency to overstate the perceived impact of VR to align with perceived research expectations [133]. Additionally, the construct of customer inspiration lacks industry-specific operationalization in real estate contexts, potentially resulting in construct invalidity. In future research, mixed-method triangulation (e.g., physiological measures, transactional analytics, or qualitative case studies) should be used to mitigate mono-method variance and enhance ecological validity [15]. In addition, making purchases for others is another interesting area of investigation, in which context a combination of real-time multisensory social interactions (RMSIs) between consumers and other individuals (such as family, friends, and colleagues) can be used to analyze the shared decision-making process. This approach can provide further insights into consumer behaviour [15].

Second, this study focuses on cross-sectional data that rely on participants’ ability to recall the VR experience; even if participants completed the questionnaire immediately following such an experience, their responses may nevertheless contain inaccurate information and bias [19,20,21]. Although Harman’s single-factor test and the common method factor approach were employed to mitigate common method bias, the issue of reverse causality cannot be fully dismissed. Future research could build upon this study by adopting a longitudinal research design. By collecting time series of data from the initiation of VR usage by consumers, researchers would be better equipped to ascertain the temporal sequence between VR technology adoption and decisions to view properties offline [42]. Such an approach would provide a robust framework for establishing causal relationships and enhance the understanding of the dynamics between VR technology and consumer behaviour.

Third, this study enhances our comprehension of VR adoption within China’s real estate sector [19,20,21], but its focus on the GBA restricts broader generalizability. The unique institutional context of the GBA, marked by China’s “one country, two systems” framework, cross-border economic integration, and hyper-urbanization, creates a distinct VR adoption ecosystem. For example, VR’s functions in promoting cross-border property investment and displaying hybrid residential designs might not be as relevant in areas with less institutional complexity or lower urban density; thus, the proposed approach may not reflect developmental trajectories in other regions. Additionally, ownership-oriented VR applications were prioritized in this work, whereas in leasing markets, cost efficiency and mobility are often prioritized, as renters prioritize location and price over architectural details. Future research should segment analyses by property type and regional development stage to disentangle the contextual effects on VR adoption. Moreover, this research could be extended to encompass other large consumer products (such as private yachts, aircraft, and automobiles) and consider market responses in different cultural contexts, with the goal of verifying the broad applicability of the study findings [45]. Such cross-cultural and cross-industry research can help provide more targeted recommendations for the digital transformation of enterprises on the global scale.

Furthermore, the limited familiarity of individuals in the studied sample with VR house-viewing technology [83] risks conflating novelty-driven enthusiasm with genuine utility, as respondents unfamiliar with emerging technologies may overstate its perceived value [134]. Specifically, individuals lacking prior exposure to VR may project exaggerated expectations regarding its immersive features, conflating short-term curiosity with long-term practical benefits—a phenomenon consistent with the “novelty effect” documented in prior technology adoption research. This bias threatens the ecological validity of our findings, potentially overstating VR’s real-world impact on stakeholder decision-making. To address this, future experimental studies of relevant models can also be performed with reference to devices that are characterized by different levels of immersion ability and types of content that feature different levels of availability (e.g., by stimulating different types of actions and interactions), such as the use of sensors and psychophysiological analyses to eliminate potential biases.

Finally, a theoretical bridge between emotional VR cues (e.g., presence and enjoyment) and efficiency dimensions in the EFA framework is established, we acknowledge the need for additional validation to ensure measurement robustness. For example, future research could involve testing the stability of our findings by substituting presence and enjoyment with alternative efficiency-focused metrics (e.g., information acquisition speed and decision confidence) to examine whether core relationships hold across different operationalizations. On the basis of these improvements, researchers could obtain a more complete understanding of the use of VR technology in the real estate industry in the future and provide stronger support for the digital transformation of enterprises.