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BuyCamerasICNY17iGuide

Photographer Researching 3D Tour Solutions?3847

WGAN Forum
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WGAN-TV Podcast
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Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
If you are a busy professional photographer researching 3D Tour solutions, in addition to this "must read" exhaustive analysis of 3D Tour solutions, some of my observations -- from the tech meets real estate trade show, Inman Connect New York 2017 (#ICNY17) -- may be helpful.

Matterport exhibited to sell cameras to real estate agents
iGuide (Planitar) exhibited to generate leads for iGuide Pros

That speaks volumes.

Imagine developing business with real estate agents and brokers. You (finally) get them to do Matterport for every listing. Then, they go to Inman Connect and Matterport pitches them to buy a Camera.

One Matterport photographer I met at the iGuide kiosk observed that one of her clients was at the Matterport kiosk at that exact moment: thus, her interest in talking with the iGuide team because they:

✓ will not sell their camera to a real estate agent
✓ they do not saturate a market with iGuide Pros
✓ do not compete with iGuide Pros

Plus, with iGuide, you can edit images in Lightroom, no iGuide logo and you publishing to Google Street View is easy with the MP2SV service.

The irony is that the more features and functionally that Matterport adds to its platform, the more it needs Pros.

From many Forum posts, it's obvious that many of us have done the legwork for Matterport to sell a Camera (without any compensation to us).

For busy professional photographers that are exploring buying a 3D Tour solution, finding a platform that doesn't compete with Pros should be one of the criteria for evaluating which 3D Tour solution to buy.

Your thoughts on this topic?

Best,

Dan
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Rootsyloops private msg quote post Address this user
I'd like to add to this thread (if I may); has anyone switched from matterport to iguide? Pros/cons with switching?

Sorry if this is hijacking the thread, Dan! Feel free to move it if you feel it would be better as a separate thread.
Post 2 IP   flag post
WGAN Forum
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WGAN-TV Podcast
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Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
@Rootsyloops

Sounds like a great question ... thanks for asking it.

Dan
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LewisBishop private msg quote post Address this user
Hmm... Frankly I've always been a believer in Matterport HOWEVER it's becoming a little too common that the prospects we're contacting have or have access to a Matterport Camera (two this week).

I like what iGuide offers though still feel that the Matterport transitions as your touring... to me they just feel better (not sure if that makes sense).
Post 4 IP   flag post
Saint Louis, MO
Invelop private msg quote post Address this user
Invelop has added an iGuide system to our war chest. It's been exciting to learn a new system and begin to experience all of the potential that Planitar provides. We are also excited to not be harnessed by MP's EULA and the freedom to white label all production. There are updates that are coming and we look forward to growing with Planitar. Management is aware of MP's nefarious actions and is determined to positively undermine them.
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blafarm private msg quote post Address this user
I am admittedly an outsider here and I have not yet even incorporated this product category into my offerings -- so my observations and opinions are nothing more than that of a novice.

However, this development comes as no surprise to me. Matterport's business plan seems focused on putting as many Matterport cameras, into as many hands as possible (regardless of whose hands they are), so that they can achieve a critical mass of market penetration and generate the resulting processing, hosting and ancillary revenue.

Investors don't invest in a company without knowing the 'exit plan'. Matterport reportedly has somewhere around $61 million of outside investment and I sincerely doubt those investors are looking for a piece of the monthly recurring revenue that is being generated. They are more likely looking for an IPO or Matterport being a takeover target.

So it makes sense that it is all about volume and that protecting the interests of their 'Service Providers' is clearly not at the top of Matterport's list -- or the lists of their investors. Isn't the same thing happening with Google's Trusted Photographers?

I don't know how you stop that, because it seems to me that 'the horses have left the barn'. Any reasonably-sized real estate firm has the motivation to move this process in-house. And possibly due to my own inexperience and naivete, I don't see how iGuide changes this equation -- although I am happy to be educated.

It's yet another example of the 'democratization' of technology that has been happening in almost every industry for the past couple of decades. Very few professionals these days are 'protected' from their customers being able to move the same exact services in-house.

However, and again, I am happy to be corrected.
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