While some agents are still debating whether to adopt virtual tours, industry leaders are already using AI-powered tools to declutter properties, merge disconnected spaces, and create compelling virtual experiences – all without leaving their desk.
The evolution of property marketing has been fascinating to watch over the past few years.
When Matterport first arrived on the scene, virtual tours were seen as a nice-to-have.
Now, with the platform having digitised more than 35 billion square feet of space globally, they’ve become an essential part of the property marketing toolkit.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Speaking with Steven Kounnas from Captur3d recently, he shared some compelling statistics about the adoption of immersive property technology.
“We’ve seen it move from about 2% to 12% of listings now having some sort of immersive tour on it,” he noted.
What’s particularly interesting is their projection that this figure could reach 20% by the end of 2025 – a clear indicator of where the industry is heading.
New Tools Changing the Game
For those following Matterport’s development, their latest releases have introduced two particularly interesting features that deserve attention: Defurnish and Merge.
Both address long-standing challenges in property marketing, albeit in quite different ways.
1. Defurnish: Rethinking Virtual Staging
The Defurnish feature is particularly clever in its approach to a common industry challenge. Anyone who’s spent time in property marketing knows the impact of presentation, but not every property can justify the cost of professional staging.
“Not everyone can afford professional staging completed in properties as part of the listing process,” Steven explains.
“The Defurnish allows us to declutter and remove all of the individual items of a property and allow us to showcase the property as it is.”
What makes this interesting from a marketing perspective is how it addresses multiple challenges simultaneously – from privacy concerns with personal photos to the perennial issue of helping buyers visualise spaces without existing furniture cluttering their view.
2. Merge: Solving the Disconnected Space Dilemma
The Merge tool tackles another significant challenge that’s particularly relevant in the Australian market. Think about all those properties with granny flats, detached garages, or storage units.
Previously, showcasing these spaces cohesively in a virtual tour was, to put it mildly, problematic.
“What used to take weeks and sometimes not even possible or feasible, now again, user generated, simple click of a button and connecting it all together,” Steven shared.
The practical implications are significant – a typical three-bedroom house scan that used to take 20 minutes can now be completed in about 10 minutes.
Technology That’s Actually Simple to Use
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these developments is their accessibility.
While the technology behind these features is undoubtedly complex, its application isn’t.
As Steven points out, they’ve successfully onboarded users from age 12 to 70, with most people getting comfortable with the system within 15 minutes.
“The process is as simple as placing something on a tripod and clicking a single button,” he explained.
“The rest of the technology does it all itself. You move it around a room, two to five meters, and it captures the space within minutes.”
Looking Beyond Basic Virtual Tours
What’s particularly interesting is how these tools are being used in combination with other technologies.
Captur3d, for instance, has integrated these features with their Capture platform, which has been producing content and software tools for seven years.
This integration allows for additional features like virtual staging once spaces have been cleared using the Defurnish tool.
The Broader Implications
The property marketing landscape continues to evolve, and these developments from Matterport suggest we’re moving toward increasingly sophisticated yet user-friendly solutions.
For agents and property marketers, this evolution means being able to present properties more effectively while actually spending less time on technical aspects.
As we look toward 2025 and that projected 20 per cent adoption rate, it’s clear that immersive property technology is no longer just about virtual tours – it’s about providing a complete digital property experience.
And with tools like Defurnish and Merge making this more accessible than ever, we might well see those adoption rates climb even higher.
The real question now isn’t whether to adopt these technologies, but how to best integrate them into existing marketing strategies.
As the industry continues to evolve, we’ll be watching with interest to see how these tools shape the future of property marketing.
As virtual tours become an essential part of property marketing, these tools provide practical solutions for common presentation challenges. In our next article, we’ll examine how new users can begin creating professional virtual tours using just their smartphones – and why starting now could give you a significant advantage in today’s market.
About Matterport
Matterport, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTTR) is the World’s #1 Digital Twin Platform leading the digital transformation of the built world. Our groundbreaking platform turns buildings into data to make every space more valuable and accessible. Millions of buildings in more than 177 countries have been transformed into immersive Matterport digital twins to improve every part of the building lifecycle from planning, construction, and operations to documentation, appraisal, and marketing. Learn more at matterport.com and browse a gallery of digital twins.*
Matterport is an immersive digital twin platform for real estate owners & operators to evaluate, manage, and market their portfolios, properties, spaces and is committed to supporting the real estate professionals in their digital transformation journey. Leverage photorealistic 3D property models to save time and money on site visits, increase efficiency, and drive revenue. Gain a better understanding of each space in the real estate portfolio, orient teams or clients more easily, and enable faster decision-making.
It offers a wealth of resources—encompassing a content library; detailed case studies; webinars; ebook; and expert guidance—to explore the full potential of digital twin technology.
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