‘This property is virtually sold!’ How photo tech can free you up
Rapid advances in technology mean agents can now host viewings remotely, saving time and reducing their carbon footprint. Richard Reed reports.
But thanks to dramatic advances in camera technology, artificial intelligence (AI) software and broadband speeds, it’s now very much an option for prospective buyers.
Imagine you have to host an ‘open house’ session. You know most of the viewers are tyre-kickers, but you have to go through the motions of explaining all the features of the property over and over again.
But what if you could guide them all around simultaneously, without any of them having to meet each other – and all from the comfort of your office?
Essential agent armour
Virtual reality tours and property viewings allow you to do just that, and are the latest weapon in an agent’s armoury. Just five years ago they would have been dismissed as fanciful – years away from mainstream adoption.
And then along came Covid, and restrictions on physical property viewings. The lockdowns had many repercussions, not all good. But one positive outcome was the dramatic acceleration in technology for viewing properties remotely.
Whether it be 3D floorplans, videos, or virtual reality (VR) and 3D tours, there is now a wide range of time-saving tech available – tech that will not just save you time, but display your clients’ properties in dramatic new ways, and help you fend off the competition.

“Virtual tours are a fantastic tool for agents,” says Jonny Wanders, Head of Training and Development at Nichecom (you can view one here).
“We have technology that allows agents to host virtual viewings, where they can invite people onto a call and show them around, show them into rooms, introduce other people to that call – it’s lovely technology.”
If you show the initial viewings to people via a virtual platform you can minimise your carbon emissions by something like 80%.”
He says the tech also allows agents to reduce their carbon footprint. “The largest carbon producing element in property market is physical viewings. It’s great for carbon-neutral status. You create this enormous carbon footprint – if you show the initial viewings to people via a virtual platform you can minimise your carbon emissions by something like 80%,” he points out.
Nichecom employs more than 125 property photographers across the country who will take high-resolution stills for display purposes and 3D pictures, as well as shooting videos and drawing up floorplans for agents. In fact, the company’s whole ‘niche’ is to take as much of the burden off agents’ shoulders as possible.
Another innovation is the use of drones for aerial photography, with up to 600 flights a month. “We’ve found drones have had an amazing impact on a range of properties,” says Wanders. “We’ve captured stunning estates, sprawling farms and beautiful harbourside cottages. Each one providing a perspective impossible from the ground. It’s a real wow factor.”
Giraffe360 is another market leader that allows agents to host 3D tours of properties. “People value-rich content, and that comes down to the essentials of photography, floorplans, 3D tours and videos,” explains CEO, Mikus Opelts, who is currently in the US, where the company is rapidly gaining traction.
American influence
Giraffe360’s core offering is, as the name suggests, 360º photography, using its own bespoke, tripod-mounted cameras, packed with the late tech such as Sony sensors, Lidar and an AI chip.
“Our goal has always been to provide a high-end tool at the lowest cost possible,” says Opelts. “You take this beautiful camera and just press a couple of buttons – it’s a very simple process. Our AI then renders the content from the scans, so there is no extra work for the user.”
But Opelts doesn’t believe in standing still, and the firm has been focusing on developing its video offering.

“Price is not the key driving factor for our clients – they want quality. We spent a lot of time on the video feature,” he says. “Eighteen months ago we didn’t have a good video offering, and video seems to be getting a lot of momentum because of social media. It’s definitely a trend in the US, which is our fastest growing market. The US is obsessed with social media presence; it’s all about video – reels and shorts.”
Some of that US influence will soon find its way to UK customers. “You get this American influence on the product that I think our UK clients will love, it’s going to make it more flamboyant, more edgy – features that are very marketing focused,” adds Opelts.
AI audio and additional features
One new feature he says clients love is a descriptive audio file to accompany video tours. A description of the property is automatically generated from the camera scans using on-board AI, and this is output as a text file, which ChatGPT then uses to generate the audio file. The whole process takes just seconds.
Metropix, a company with its roots in providing the standard floorplans used on thousands of listings, has now also started using 3D to complement its latest ‘visual’ 2D floorplans, which contain furniture and other room features.
“Essentially you make the 2D floorplan, you label the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining room and so forth and it will furnish the rooms automatically. They can then press a button and they get a 3D version as well,” explains Steve Sanashee, Head of Customer Success at Metropix.
“If you want, you can even reposition the furniture – it’s an option some of our clients like. Clever algorithms mean it won’t put a chair in front of a door – it can read its bearings in the room.”
Metropix has some 10 million UK floorplans in its database, and you can make a quick start by simply selecting an address that is similar and adjusting it as needed. In 15% of cases there will be an exact match for the property, while for another 80% there would be something similar in the same road.
The app can be used on a smartphone, but Sanashee recommends using an iPad with its much bigger screen real estate. Everything works offline, so you don’t need a signal, and it will sync as soon as you are in signal range.

He says 2D is still more popular at the moment, but 3D is a great add-on. “You can go in and get a real gauge of the size and the layout, that’s the logical side of the brain. But the emotional side is attracted to fancy things, and that’s where the 3D comes in – they complement each other.
“We recommend our clients introduce the idea of 3D plans on valuation, so you can talk about the extra options when you’re marketing the property. It’s probably something the seller hasn’t seen before – they don’t know it’s one click of a button – so it’s a bit of a ‘reel me in’ hook at the offset.
“It’s not trying to be a 360º tour, but it’s an alternative that makes it more accessible to the smaller agent.”
Compare and contrast
Meanwhile over at Inventory Hive, which specialises in easy-to-use inventory software for the lettings market, the company has developed DIY 360º virtual tours using affordable 3D cameras.
“Virtual tours became a lot more popular during Covid,” explains Marketing Manager, Mitch Handley. “We had feedback from agents, because the popularity of virtual tours was growing, that if they were already at the property doing an inventory, they could create a virtual tour at the same time using the Inventory Hive app.”
The Ricoh cameras, which start at just over £300, sync seamlessly with the app, and users can add hotspots – links to other rooms or features – there and then, rather than having to add them later, creating a seamless tour for both property viewings and inventory check-ins.
All the agent has to do is compare and contrast the images from a fresh scan of the property, rather than the traditional method of taking scores of individual photos.”
When it comes to check-out time, all the agent has to do is compare and contrast the images from a fresh scan of the property, rather than the traditional method of taking scores of individual photos coupled with copious notes – though they can still take stills of commonly disputed items.
Usability is the key feature of the app. “Agents want to go out and create inventory reports for the properties they manage as quickly and efficiently as possible without substituting the detail,” says Handley.
“When you do a checkout report you can compare it against check-in and view the photos going round the property within the app, so you can clearly see what it was like and make your judgements from there, and whether there is any deposit deductions or maintenance issues that need to be raised.
“It means they spend less time at the property as they are taking fewer standard photos. It’s also great from an adjudicator’s perspective so we’ve got a really good working relationship with TDS, and they like looking at 360º photos in inventory reports because it gives them a good context of the room.”
Given the rapid advances in technology and AI over the past five years, you can be sure that new developments, in terms of property viewings and elsewhere, will be coming your way soon. Watch this space.