Matterport Expands Virtual Reality Portfolio With Support of Google Cardboard

Immersive Media and VR Pioneer Also Integrates Outdoor Views and External Links to Provide Richer Property Information

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — August 2, 2016 — Immersive media technology company Matterport today announced new capabilities to its comprehensive system for creating, modifying, distributing, and navigating immersive 3D and virtual reality (VR) versions of real-world spaces. These include a new app (Matterport VR for Google Cardboard), outdoor capture and viewing capabilities (360° Views), and enhanced functionality for highlighting key features of a Space (enabling external links within Mattertag™ Content). The new capabilities will help people to more fully experience a property, anytime and from anywhere. The announcement was made today in conjunction with Matterport's participation at Inman Connect. Inman Connect runs from August 2-5 in San Francisco, and Matterport can be found at Booth #4.

“Top brokerages and realtors are always looking for new ways to differentiate themselves, to win new listings and bring in qualified buyers,” said Bill Brown, CEO of Matterport. “These three new capabilities are important to help further set agents and brokerages apart from their competition, and are critical innovations in transforming how people buy and sell real estate.”

Matterport VR for Google CardboardAlready available on Samsung Gear VR, Matterport Spaces can now also be viewed on Google Cardboard (for Android), Google's low-cost VR platform for viewing VR applications. The combination of low cost and wide dissemination of Cardboard means that millions more individuals are able to view properties, in the form of Matterport Spaces, in VR.

Real estate professionals have been early adopters of VR, in order to market properties in the most immersive and realistic way. Buyers, local and remote, can quickly and efficiently experience a host of properties in one sitting, anytime, and from anywhere. Matterport VR for Google Cardboard is an inexpensive marketing tool for agents to differentiate themselves and wow sellers in what can be a very competitive marketplace. They can even send branded Cardboard viewers, with links to properties, to important clients.

360° Views Enables Outdoor ViewingFurthermore, Matterport, historically known to provide the most immersive, realistic walkthroughs of interior spaces, now also captures and integrates outdoor views. With this addition, Matterport Spaces are now unequivocally the most complete way to experience any property online. “Visitors” can experience sweeping exterior views of the landscape in 360°, and then immerse themselves inside, in 3D or VR, to fully experience the interior of the property as if they were there.

360° Views adds an unprecedented five viewing options from a single camera. Spaces captured by the Matterport Pro Camera can now be viewed in VR, in 3D, in 360°, as a Dollhouse view and as a Floor Plan view. These options provide realtors with the means to give sellers and buyers the entire picture of a property - both inside and out.

Mattertag™ Content Enhancements for Highlighting Key Features & UpgradesOn top of these other advancements, Matterport has provided additional capabilities for highlighting key features and upgrades within a Space. Mattertag Posts, originally introduced in March 2016 to let realtors or sellers anchor a short title and text description anywhere within a Space, can now also include links to external Web sites, pdfs, or other Matterport Spaces. These links can provide immediate access to more information about a property or feature, helping to further engage and sell the buyer, and can even provide quick links to similar homes a buyer might be interested in.

AvailabilityMatterport VR for Cardboard is now available on Google Play, 360° Views will be available later this month, and links within Mattertag Posts will be available later in the quarter. Both of the latter features are upgrades that will automatically be available to all customers when they are released, via the Matterport Cloud.

About MatterportHeadquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, Matterport is an immersive media technology company that delivers an end-to-end system for creating, modifying, distributing, and navigating immersive 3D and virtual reality (VR) versions of real-world spaces on Web and mobile devices, as well as a Samsung Gear VR headset and Google Cardboard. The Matterport Pro Camera and Cloud Services make it quick and easy to turn real-world places into immersive virtual experiences. To learn more, visit matterport.com.