REVIEW | Matterport 3D camera

In the first of a new proptech series featuring the technology being adopted by property professionals, David Martin and William Taylor, finance and operations director of Braemar Estates, take a look at the latest 3D camera.

• Product: Matterport Pro 3D, the latest is the Pro2
  
• Maker: Matterport, founded in 2011, based in California
• Price: £2,795 – £3,295 plus various image processing and cloud storage subscriptions from £399/year to £1,199/year
• Browse: matterport.com

Click image to sample one of Braemar Estates’ walk-throughs

Challenge: With the vast majority of initial property searches taking place online and decisions on which homes to view being made based on an initial impression from photographs and property descriptions, it is becoming increasingly important to give a complete picture of a property to potential buyers or tenants right from the outset.

Floorplans and still pictures rely heavily on the viewer being able to use their imagination. The result is not only that interested parties might not get to see the true potential of a property and pass it over, but also that many will book viewing appointments that they don’t really need.

Solution: Agents are starting to use 3D and interactive technologies as a way of streamlining the marketing process and we wanted to find a product that would give as much control to the viewer as possible, whilst also giving a true-to-life reflection of the space being viewed.

Whilst we looked at a variety of cameras and software which could piece photos together, many of the properties we market are prime in terms of location and finish, so we needed to make sure that the product we chose would be slick and reflect the value of the property. We also wanted it to be quick and easy to use. The Matterport 3D camera ticked all the boxes.

We have scanned many of our clients’ properties and having undertaken basic training each 3D interactive plan is becoming quicker and easier to do. Rather than having a website filled with professional touched-up photographs that look like they have come out of a magazine, we are giving people who want to look at a property a more realistic view. Rather than feeling like the agent is just showing you the good bits, customers can scan round 360 degrees, go in to every room and see in every corner. This helps to build trust and allow for both parties to engage in meaningful communication based on much more information than has been previously provided in the sector.

Results: The Matterport really does take the viewer and place them in the middle of a room, allowing them to explore at will, in their own time.

We are already seeing a difference in the quality of leads to take through to the physical viewing stage of a sale, because we are meeting with people who have already ‘walked’ through the property. This makes for an efficient sale for all parties involved.

After a few practices, we found the camera simple to operate and we understood the optimum positions for the images. Pulling the complete walk-through together was quick. The fact that it is fully automated means that you don’t need to be a photographer or have an artistic eye. This is an extremely technical product that even the biggest technophobes can use to provide outstanding results.