The Value of a Sea View: Hedonic Estimates Using 3D Simulation and Natural Language Processing

Abstract

This paper develops a novel measure of sea-view breadth and depth, based on a combination of GIS 3D simulation and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. NLP identifies properties that have a sea view, while GIS measures its extent. It then estimates the value of a sea view using a hedonic housing price model and a sample of over 100,000 sales listings in Ireland, 2014-2019. We find that a sea view can add significant value to a property, all else being equal, with an average premium of 8.1% rising to 15% for a wide breadth of sea view.