Immersive virtual viewing boost thanks to new deal with FocalAgent

Well known industry supplier FocalAgent has signed a new deal with Matterport to bring what it calls best-in-class 360° virtual tours to its partner agents.

It says Matterport 360° tours will allow potential buyers to explore listings “as if they were walking through each room in a completely immersive experience.”

Research from Matterport shows that 74 per cent of agents using the 360° tour tool report it helped them grow market share by winning more listings, as well as providing customers with a superior online viewing experience with the ability to view the property from multiple angles. 

It claims that customers are shown to be 300 per cent more engaged with a 360 degree tour than they are with 2D imagery, with 95 per cent of people stating they would be more likely to call about a property that they can tour online.

FocalAgent recently invested in 350 Pro2 3D cameras for use by a national network of over 1,000 professional photographers with an introductory rate to lettings and sales agents of £49.99.

“Customer behaviour has changed, I believe for good, and ambitious agents are recognising the opportunity to steal a march on their competitors by permanently adopting a virtual first approach” according to FocalAgent chief executive Lee Wainwright. 

Oliver Blake of LSL Property Services - owner of estate agency brands Your Move, Reeds Rains - says: “There’s no doubt that technology such as 360° tours and hosted virtual viewings became an established part of the COVID-19  property market.”As we come out of the pandemic, our agents now have a very exciting suite of tools.”