IRES offers free access to virtual-showings technology

LOVELAND — Loveland-based IInformation and Real Estate Services LLC, the multiple-listing service for the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado, is offering its customers free access to a virtual-showings company.

IRES is offering free, two-month access to the Matterport starter plan from Matterport Inc., an artificial-intelligence-driven company based in Sunnyvale, California. 

Matterport creates virtual walkthroughs of interiors by converting panoramic images into 3D viewings or “digital twins.” Customers can use Matterport’s 3D capture cameras or an iPhone application. The technology also forms a “dollhouse” model that is a detailed floor plan. Though Matterport has other uses, including tours of museums, it has a focus on real estate.

“From showing properties and closing deals to the rising popularity of virtual tours, the coronavirus crisis has forced the entire real estate industry to rethink in-person showings,” Lauren Hansen, CEO of IRES, said in a news release. “The industry is changing, but this offer eases the burden. As the first MLS in the country to provide free access to a Matterport Starter plan, we’re excited to provide no-risk, no-obligation free access to the groundbreaking platform to our subscribers, ultimately benefiting buyers, sellers and brokers alike.” 

During Gov. Jared Polis’ shelter-in-place mandate that was effective from March 26 to April 27, in-person home showings and open houses were prohibited. Hansen told BizWest in June that virtual showings became prevalent enough during that time to encourage IRES to add a virtual walkthrough filter option on the consumer search website coloproperty.com.

In a January survey by Matterport with responses from 1,000 U.S. property buyers and 1,000 U.S. property sellers, 82% of buyers and sellers said they would switch to a real estate agent offering 3D tours of listed properties.

Volkie Yelkovan, director of product marketing for Matterport, told BizWest in June, “You feel like you are in that property without being there. Wherever in the world you may be, all you need is a browser and an internet connection.”

IRES will provide its subscribers with a promo code for Matterport that needs to be used before July 31.

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