Have You Seen the New 3D Walk Through – 331 Armitage, Chicago’s Lincoln Park

by : Tim Padavic 8 years ago February 23, 2016

Let us know what you think.
Is this the new way to view homes? Click on the link below.

Here is what Stephen Garner of Hub Media thinks about 3D:

7 Reasons We Don’t Offer Matterport 3D Tours
Too Much Information

The goal of using video in real estate marketing is many-fold. 1) Educate and inform the consumer. 2) Engage the consumer. 3) Create emotion. 4) Speed up or shorten the sales cycle. 5) Extend reach. 6) Build or reinforce an existing brand etc. With regard to “education” I believe Matterport gives too much away, so much in fact it could cost the real estate agent a lead. The consumer could make an immediate determination about a property floor plan, deem it not a perfect fit (split floor plan or lack of, laundry room off the kitchen etc) and therefor NOT reach out to the listing agent for help or more information. Remember, the goal of real estate video marketing is to engage the consumer enough so they request more information. This is where pre qualification begins.
No Agent Branding

One thing we are HUGE on at Hub Media Company is agent branding.(see one of our cinematic real estate tours below) Some agents, (not our partners), think they are using video to market a property. While this is true it’s really more about marketing and branding the real estate agent. By our agent(s) appearing in the property video they are introducing their brand to the consumer as well as other networks – the sellers for instance. We know the seller will share the video with everyone they know, friends and family through social and email. As of the time of this post Matterport tours offers no ability for the real estate agent to play a role IN the video. This means the consumer can not experience the listing agents knowledge, professionalism, passion or expertise. A good video offers a virtual handshake. Most real estate agents who practice OUTBOUND MARKETING are constantly chasing the consumer around to tell them they are in real estate, by aligning themselves with a product the consumer cares about, (the property) the consumer cares about what the real estate agent has to say. (INBOUND MARKETING) This opportunity is lost on Matterport.

Sensory Overload

While Millenials may be more receptive to Matterport, anyone over 40 will likely find it frustrating and confusing. At times (I’m 42) I felt like I was in a video game and had no real context for where I was nor where I came from. I had to routinely return to the doll house view to get my bearings before continuing on.
Not Presented Well

We obviously want the properties to be presented in a professional and beautiful way. Matterport is anything but beautiful, more like bland and brown and staticy (is that even a word?). The tours I have seen (could be user error) were more dark than light and bright as we are accustomed to presenting properties.
Load Speed

Over the years, I’ve learned you have 5 seconds to engage the consumer or they will leave your website. In fact, 1 in 4 will leave your site if it takes longer than 4 seconds for it to load. It gets worse, 75% of users will abandon your website if it takes longer than 5 seconds to load. Matterport tours I’ve attempted to watch over wifi on a desktop machine routinely take 8 seconds or more to load. Attempts to watch on mobile devices like iPad and iPhone were even worse and sometimes led to crashing. Any real estate video that does not work on mobile is a non starter.
Exclusive

At the time of writing, Matterport is the only company that offers this technology, meaning we (and you) would be 100% reliant upon them. That scares me. I know Matterport has raised millions of dollars in additional funding but that doesn’t change my opinion, I just don’t (at this point) see Matterport as a good real estate marketing tool.

I’ve noticed the chatter about Matterport has died down significantly. A few local brokerages bought one here in Phoenix and touted it on Facebook as the next best thing and then within 60 days stopped posting tours or even speaking about it. They may have realized one of the above. Not that Materport 3D is bad, it’s not. I just don’t believe it’s right for real estate marketing in its current state. I see it as a real benefit for hotels,vrbo builders, landlords where the customer cares more about the size or layout of a room than how pretty or functional it is. I do have one agent in particular that uses Matterport and loves it. When asked about it he said he uses it as a listing tool, a value proposition to offer the seller that other agents may not have. In that regard I can see value, its all about perception and if a good sales person can help a seller choose them because they perceive this to be valuable so be it.

I’m willing to be wrong about Matterport 3D tours, but am I? Somebody school me…

Preview Chicago’s View

Our take is – it is slow to load, feels like a video game, and shows too much information. But, on the other hand, if you really want to see a home quickly before you jump in your car, it is a good way to do view it from different angles. We actually like it on the iphone. All in all, we like it more than Stephen does.They will probably improve on it, and it will be fun for the next generation of home buyers.