Matterport and Zillow Drama21308
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west360digital private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hello, I have a real estate marketing company and Matterport is a pivotal component to my business. I do have a big account that ultimate won't be affected, but I have a few other accounts that it is screwing up. I am in Denver and my two main property management clients mainly use Zillow to find tenants for its apartment units. I guess my only real option is to just convert them over to Zillow tours? I did a test run and it surprisingly isn't that crappy. I do like the Interactive Floor Plan and didn't realize they created a 2D Floor Plan too (not sure of their accuracy vs Matterport). We can embed the Zillow tours on their property websites as well. No hosting fees are awesome too. My question is: Isn't this really the only option I have here? Matterport is really dumb to have gotten into a war with Zillow because Zillow has zero reason to work with Matterport again. I feel bad for my current clients who have paid 100's of thousands on Matterport and can't post to Zillow anymore. I guess they can still list to Apartments.com and other websites, but without Zillow, it is very devalued. I highly doubt companies are going to ditch Zillow for a different platform, Zillow is the clear winner in the industry. They also have to continue paying for the Matterport hosting, so I think Matterport really screwed up here. Do we really think Matterport and Zillow will come to some sort of agreement? I see no reason with Zillow would care or help them at all. Thoughts or different options/ideas? |
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Vanaman06 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I don’t think Zillow wants to work with Matterport. Zillow also owns Showingtime and they are hoping more agents move to Zillow tours. Redfin is currently running a pilot for Zillow 3d tours and if they switch Zillow will grab a huge market share of 3d tours. Redfin has to be the largest single user of Matterport since they scan EVERY home that they sell. |
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west360digital private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Thanks for your insight. I have been using Matterport for years because they have good tech, but I think they are dead. If this is true about Redfin, it's game over. |
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 WGAN BasicMember Denver |
pixelray private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Well, I'm in Denver too. And from what I found out this week, I am completely disgusted with Zillow for what they have done to my my long-time rental management company client. I have shot for a rental company for years and this week that company reached out to me asking me how they need to go about getting me to shoot some of their properties again so they could utilize the Zillow 3D tours... But here's the kicker, Zillow reached out to them telling them they had media credits waiting to be used on each one of their properties. Each property had a $350 credit. And they were asking me if I could shoot these properties and how they go about utilizing that credit. Well I had never seen this before. So I reached out to Zillow and said hey, How does my client utilize these media credits you sent them and I wanted to understand how I got paid considering there were media credits involved. Well this is what I found out... In order for these rental management companies to utilize these media credits... And these credits can be used for photos, Zillow 3d tours,video and floorplans... But, and here's the big but... A Zillow employed photographer has to shoot days in order for them to obtain these large credits. And on each property they had a credit of $350 or more. And we're talking 15 properties here. So this is huge savings for them. Yet, I don't get that work. It's going to a Zillow employed photographer. If I was to shoot it, they would not be able to use those media credits. Or at least that's how it was explained to me. Have you heard of these Zillow media credits for rental management companies? Basically, if this is true, I just lost a long-term client. I have also spent the last 5 years helping Zillow implement Zillow 3D tours in our market. They reached out to me years ago and asked me to start pimping that product out for them, which I did. I've made a lot of money selling those products. But if they're going to start stealing my clients over these media credits, I am done pimping out their products. So if I were you, I would ask if they've heard anything from Zillow about getting media credits towards their properties. | ||
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Jamie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The 2d floor plan created with Zillow, is this done with photos? | ||
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 WGAN FanCLUB Member Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
lilnitsch private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jamie Created from the panos ~ when they started offering floor plans they used an alignment marker but, now that they have collected enough data they can do this just from the panos Floor plan is basic:  |
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DigitalReplica3D private msg quote post Address this user | |
| My realtor friends have complained about Zillow for years. Similar to our issues with Matterport, realtors feel their input is what made Zillow and Zillow in return has stabbed them in the back. Costar is more realtor friendly with respect to client control, stats and branding. I asked ChatGPT. Summary & My Recommendation If I were advising a realtor today: •If you’re just looking for volume of exposure and you have budget to invest in premium features and lead generation—Zillow remains a very strong platform. •But if you want to optimize your brand, maintain direct control of your leads, get enhanced listing placement and analytics, and perhaps spend more smartly rather than more—Homes.com/CoStar offers compelling reasons to choose it (or at least include it in your mix rather than relying solely on Zillow). •In many cases, the best approach is not “either/or” but “both/and”—use Zillow for broad reach, plus Homes.com for enhanced agent‐centric branding and control. But if you have to pick one (or shift more weight), the reasons above make a strong case for Homes.com/CoStar. |
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WGAN Fan CLUB Member Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
lilnitsch private msg quote post Address this user | |
| There are some differences in measurements: Zillow  Matterport  |
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Jamie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @lilnitsch Ahh yeah. These will never be accurate then. Without any sort of depth data it's a computer guess. | ||
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DigitalReplica3D private msg quote post Address this user | |
| This was ChatGTP’s main benefit of Costar. 1. Agent/Get‐Lead Control & Branding Homes.com / CoStar: • Homes.com emphasizes a “Your Listing, Your Lead” approach: the listing agent’s name, photo, contact info appear directly on the listing page, and leads funnel straight to you (instead of being routed elsewhere).  • Their membership product promises ad‐free listing pages, priority placement, and enhanced branding for the agent.  Zillow: • Zillow’s model is more lead referral‐based (via programs like Premier Agent) where you pay for “territories” or zip codes and get leads routed via Zillow/Trulia/Hotpads networks.  Why it matters: If you want to maintain direct control of your branding & leads (and minimize intermediaries), Homes.com/CoStar gives more agent‐centric lead control. |
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 WGAN Fan Club Member Gilroy, California |
Dataventurer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @DigitalReplica3D I think your description comparing Homes.com and Zillow is a bit off, maybe because of old info. The realtors I speak with complained about Zillow in the past because they had to pay for leads. The realtors didn't complain about the free marketing provided by Zillow's display of their listings. Now, Zillow has a link on the listing page with a button to connect directly with the agent. So the lead goes directly to the agent instead of a list that gets routed to someone who is paying for a territory. |
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WGAN Fan Club Member Gilroy, California |
Dataventurer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @west360digital You are asking about "other options". There are other 360 platforms that Zillow will display; the list was in one of their initial press releases. But, think about the hassle of using a non-Zillow platform. Or better, think of the benefits of using Zillow. First, my experience with apartment rentals is that the agent isn't expecting to earn near as much commission as for a home sale. So the idea of economizing on the marketing costs makes sense. Zillow's 3D Home tour is so much quicker to capture, with one scan per room (using a much cheaper camera!). The upload is quick, the returned tour arrives in a couple hours with the free floorplan a couple hours after that - same day! No hosting fee involved. Editing the tour, connecting the rooms, especially for an apartment will take less than ten minutes. Think of the target market: apartment renters. They are not deciding about a home purchase, so the value of the 3D tour is in its ability to convey the flow of the apartment layout. My personal viewing statistics (when Zillow used to show those on the 3D Home Dashboard) showed the average viewing time for a 3D Home tour was 45-60 seconds. At that speed of viewing, the better quality graphics provided by the Matterport tour are outweighed by all the other benefits of using a Zillow tour. Admittedly, not as "pretty", but it gets the job done in a manner that suits this situation. There is a way to continue using Matterport tours on a Zillow listing page. Create a single page web site and load the Matterport tour on that page. The page link will show up down the Zillow listing page in the Facts and Features > Interior section. But not up at the top of the page next to the hero photo like before. |
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DigitalReplica3D private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I’m not a realtor. However Homes.com’s programs read as more realtor friendly by promoting the realtor’s brand. In various ways. For a Matterport provider. It doesn’t make any sense to promote Zillow. In my opinion. Zillow home tours don’t hold a candle to Matterport’s. Matterport’s Add-On options are another possible benefit. I need to promote what’s good for my business. Not some company that is hurting my business. |
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WGAN Fan CLUB Member Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
lilnitsch private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @DigitalReplica3D As a real estate photographer I like shooting what gets me paid. Zillow's 3d home tours a great offering for budget minded agents ~ in my market I bundle a Zillow 3D home tour and professional stills for $375 or I have a larger rental company that I shoot apartments for $250 a unit with a similar package. |
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WGAN Fan Club Member Gilroy, California |
Dataventurer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @lilnitsch I don't know if I ever met an agent who wasn't "budget minded"! The situation I see in my Coldwell Banker office is that the company offers subsidized media bundles that include ONLY Matterport tours as the option for 360 tours. I think that is because the media companies that provide the services are organizations who started out investing in Matterport equipment years ago as their tour offering and don't offer Zillow's tours because of their investment in Matterport cameras, training, cases, batteries, etc. Why should they offer a lower priced product? It's not "promoting what's good for their business". But offering a lower cost option IS good for those "budget minded agents" who only know about Matterport tours. I think there is some untapped opportunities with a lower-priced tour (Zillow!) that more agents would consider. Especially when they learn that a 2D floor plan is included - and that over 80% of the home buyers Zillow surveyed said they would like to see a 360 tour and floor plan before they visit a property. I have asked agents why they use only photos. (72% of the listings in my market in the south bay area used only photos in a review I did a while back.) The answer I get is usually "the cost". Some agents (most?) get a listing every couple months, then need to pull the marketing budget out of their pockets BEFORE they make any money. They have sold houses before with just photos, why spend more money on other media? It's a short-sighted viewpoint when they could likely win more listings ($$$) by presenting their marketing package as including a full suite of digital media. One tactic I have been using with new prospects is to offer them 60-day terms or even pay-at-escrow. (My cash-flow requirements are different than most full-time photographers.) |
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WGAN Fan CLUB Member Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
lilnitsch private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Dataventurer I started in a corporate setting which was made up of 3 realogy brands (C21, Coldwell Banker, & Sotheby’s) these days I am just a solo independent shooter I have 1 agent that pays at escrow but, we are related. Most of my clients are cash/payment at delivery. I have boiled my services down to 4 products really. vacant land, basic, basic plus video, and full package which gets matterport in addition to video and the Zillow/ stills |
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west360digital private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I actually just made a deal with one of my management companies. They want to continue to purchase Matterport tours, but they asked me to create a Matterport and Zillow tour package in case any of the property owners wants that. In this case, I will actually make more money than before. | ||
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 INSIDEMAPSDirector Creative Services Minneapolis, Minnesota |
PatrickInsideMaps private msg quote post Address this user | |
| We’re getting ready expand our services to real estate photographers and marketing agencies! Historically, we’ve focused on the rental industry and have stayed very busy in that space — but we’re expanding our reach. Our platform generates 3D tours (with full dollhouse views), accurate floor plans, and a property report detailing all room, window, and wall dimensions. Next Monday, I’ll be posting a more in-depth product overview, and giving away a few of our HERO Rotors! Keep an eye out for that post. In the meantime, I’d love to answer any questions you have about a Matterport alternative — we think we fit the bill. Oh, and one more thing: we believe you should have full licensing rights, so we never restrict how or where your content is shared. https://www.insidemaps.com/property/mpmOYBCBr4/project/W1kh3Aye2J/listing?env=production |
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 Owner,Managing Editor and Publisher of WGAN Forum and WGAN-TV Podcast Fairfield, California |
SparksMediaGroup private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @west360digital There's iGuide, Giraffe360, CloudPano/Kuula, etc.. there's other options. | ||
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Owner, Managing Editor and Publisher of WGAN Forum and WGAN-TV Podcast Fairfield, California |
SparksMediaGroup private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @west360digital Matterport isn't going anywhere.. Residential is a part of matterport, there's also Commercial, industrial, hospitality, insurance, etc. that still love Matterport. | ||
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Owner, Managing Editor and Publisher of WGAN Forum and WGAN-TV Podcast Fairfield, California |
SparksMediaGroup private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @lilnitsch they really need to add fixed furniture such as cabinets, showers, toilets, tubs for them to compete (floorplans) with the other services like matterport, iguide, giraffe360, cubicasa, home3ds. | ||
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west360digital private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Yup, all of my accounts are going with Matterport, they love the tech and if we can't post to Zillow, it is what it is. There is no perfect scenario and no one really wants to pay for 2 options. | ||
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WGAN Fan Club Member Gilroy, California |
Dataventurer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @west360digital The people "who love the tech" as their basis for making marketing media decisions to market their listings are as silly as the realtor folks who whine "I don't like 360 tours, they're too hard to use". Both parties are not thinking about the purpose of marketing media - to showcase the property to as many people as possible. That is part of our fiduciary responsibility as licensed realtors. As disliked as Zillow may be among some agents (usually because of the high price of Zillow as a lead source), the Zillow platform, along with Trulia, their sister company, garner over 50% of the domestic viewing traffic for real estate search sites. Do you think it's a wise thing for someone to dismiss adjusting their marketing media because they have an emotional attachment to it? With the opportunity to get free exposure to half of the real estate buying public, don't you think it's worth the effort to explore alternatives to sticking solely with Matterport? I know media providers have invested lots of money and training in their Matterport equipment. That is not a good reason not to find other solutions they can offer their clients. When changes like this happen beyond our control, "it is what it is".... |
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