Matterport and Realtor.com
Real Estate Marketing Made Easier with Matterport?
Real estate agents were previously only able to provide three-dimensional tours by recording a walk-through of the property, showcasing all the features as they went from room to room. Matterport was founded in 2011 with the expectation that it would revolutionize home buying. Matterport’s 3D tours allow users to explore properties from the comfort of their own home just as we can explore the world through Google Map’s street view. Upon release, agents were able to provide clients with these tours by embedding the visualizations on their company’s website or sending links to potential buyers.
While some real estate agents remain skeptical of the practicality and efficiency of incorporating a Matterport three-dimensional home tours into their listing, realtor.com has taken the plunge and integrated the feature into their website as well as their iOS app. The real estate listing portal is utilizing these tours as a marketing device in the hopes that it will make properties easier to sell by allowing buyers to view multiple listings in-depth without needing to schedule an appointment.
This makes the entire process easier and less time-consuming for all parties. Although many agents feel they simply do not have the time to incorporate the Matterport technology into their listings. However, doing so saves them a tremendous amount of time they otherwise would spend providing in-person home tours to people who are only casually looking, allowing them to instead focus their efforts on more serious buyers.
Mutually Beneficial Partnership Matterport and Realtor.com
In addition to enhancing realtor.com’s listings, the integration also stands to improve Matterport’s overall outlook. While it was previously seen as a needless, time-consuming feature that may or may not make a difference, realtor.com’s use of the three-dimensional tours will likely boost the technology’s outreach and allow agents to see the benefits first-hand without needing to personally embed the tours or send links to each potential client, one by one.
Matterport CEO Bill Brown discussed the move in a statement earlier this year. “The combination of realtor.com’s inventory with Matterport’s immersive user experience gives shoppers the opportunity to visit a tremendous volume of rentals and for-sale properties, from one location, and get the full experience of being inside. It is the most efficient way to search for a new home.”
How to Access the Matterport Feature
The feature is easily accessible by tapping on a 3D icon superimposed on an equipped listing’s feature photo. The user will be able to view a lifelike, three-dimensional model of the property. They can also drag and tap their way through a virtual representation of the property, which allows them to view it just as they would if they were to tour it in person. The panoramic views make it seem as though you are actually there. You can look around and see every detail as you take a virtual stroll through the home.
The Matterport tours were implemented in thousands of listings at onset. Realtor.com and Matterport are confident that the number of listings equipped with the feature will gradually increase as agents begin to see the benefits. Integrating the feature into both their website and their app has allowed a multitude of users to access the tours, which will likely improve sales due to the ability to view a property from anywhere in the world.
This is especially beneficial for buyers who are seeking to purchase homes in new, distant locations and are not able to visit the property in person. These include people who are being transferred for work, seniors who are relocating after retirement, young adults who are leaving home to go off to college, families moving from one country to another, and more.
Technological Advances in Real Estate Marketing Continue
Applying 3D home tours to its listings has paved the way for further technological advances as realtor.com seeks to make the process more efficient and user-friendly. Additional three-dimensional tours from other providers will be utilized as well. Providers include Immoviewer, InsideMaps, Planitar, and Realvision. Spokeswoman for realtor.com owner, Move, Christie Farrell, had the following to say: “The technology that we have has the ability to accommodate other virtual tour providers. It’s intended to be capable of bringing in the provider of choice.”
As these tours become increasingly popular and technological advances continue, realtors can expect to see an increase in digital marketing that can take their industry to new levels. Realtor.com is not the first to use the technology. Other real estate companies have incorporated or otherwise shown interest in these three-dimensional tours, and continued partnerships encourage others to get on board.
Zillow co-founder and executive chairman Rich Barton discussed plans for improved technology in January. One such improvement is the ability for agents and clients to engage in virtual co-shopping. While it is beneficial for buyers to be able to find and even tour properties on their own, they also need to be able to communicate with agents if they have any questions. As Barton stated, “the agent of the future is the agent that is living via these digital devices and compressing time.”
“Technology has been a great deliverer of information,” he continued, “and AI is going to continue that trend of what the computer has started and smartphone has done – deliver more information about the real estate transaction to you.” It appears that the sky is the limit for digital marketing and technological advances across all mediums and industries.
Listing Marketing Pros is a Matterport Service Partner providing services in Phoenix AZ and surrounding areas. For more information on our Matterport 3D Services click here.
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