Here at Odyssey3D, we get asked this question a lot.
Should I showcase my next listing with a Matterport 3D Virtual Tour or an iGUIDE 3D Virtual Tour?
Let me get right to it. Before launching Odyssey3D, we faced a similar predicament about which technology we should offer (Matterport vs iGuide) to help realtors market their listings more effectively online. We conducted an in-depth analysis to understand which of the two platforms provided the most value to home buyers, sellers, and real estate agents. From our analysis, here is why we went with Matterport.
1) Best online viewing experience for home buyers
We wanted a platform that simulated a similar experience of viewing a property in person to engage the most number of buyers online. We understood that buyers want all the information in the finger tips, and an excellent online showing experience could engage more buyers. If more buyers are engaged, more possible offers can be received, and higher your listing can be sold for.
Matterport simulates what it feels like to actually walk through a listing like you would if you were there in person. It provides you a “True 3D/VR experience” that allows buyers to take their time to view the property seamlessly on any device.
In our opinion, iGuide provides a very disengaging experience while moving from one point to the other. It does not provide the buyer with full freedom the explore the property as they would during an actual open house / in-person showing. Although having a floor-plan feature if pretty useful to a certain demographic of buyers, you would usually never see a buyer walk-through one of your listings in person holding a floorplan in their hand. Furthermore, we believe that the overall experience is disengaging since the iGuide experience resembles a 360 tour rather than a 3D tour.
2) Most value for home sellers during listing presentations
Our clients have mentioned numerous times that Matterport is a great tool to use in listing presentations. The reason for this is because when a seller walks-through one of your prior listings in 3D they are blown away. However, this is not the same experience a seller would get if your listing was showcased using iGuide. There are numerous 360 virtual tours out there in the market and we believed that most sellers don’t find that experience any different from what they are used to seeing online. The VR experience that one gets while walking through a Matterport 3D Virtual Tour is second to none.
Key Takeaway
As a company, we have always had the option to offer our clients both Matterport and iGuide as options to showcase their listings. However, in our opinion, we believe that the Matterport 3D Virtual Tour provided a higher level of engagement when compared to the iGuide 3D Virtual Tour.