The Virtual Tour Split: What Zillow and Matterport’s Breakup Really Means for Agents
The Short Version
While Zillow and Matterport are fighting it out, agents are the ones stuck in the middle. Through it all Zillow decided to reserve its 3D tour spot for its own Zillow 3D Home tours. Matterport tours did not go away, they just no longer show up in that main 3D slot on Zillow. They still exist and still work, you just have to use them differently now and this is how smart agents are handling the shift.
What Actually Changed
Corporate back and forth between Zillow and CoStar (Matterport) has led Zillow to now reserves its native 3D viewer for its own Zillow 3D Home. Matterport is still the industry leader in 3D virtual tours, but it needs to be utilized different now. On the MLS, property websites, and social media, Matterport tours display and perform normally. That means when you put the Matterport link into the MLS virtual tour field, it gets pushed out to every site that pulls from that MLS feed.
That usually includes:
• Realtor.com
• Homes.com
• Redfin
• Brokerage sites
• IDX websites
• Agent websites
• Syndication feeds
Zillow is now the outlier now because it no longer treats Matterport as its native 3D tour. MLS is still the backbone of distribution. Zillow just decided to stop playing by the same rules as everyone else.
Why Matterport Is Still the Better Tour
Matterport is still the industry leader because it gives today’s buyers the level of detail they now expect. Instead of just stitched 360 photos, it creates a true 3D model of the home that shows layout, flow, and scale. That way buyers can actually understand the space before they book a showing, which leads to better showings and fewer wasted tours. For agents, Matterport gives you the control and polish that win that next luxury listing.
Why This Matters and What Smart Agents Are Doing Now
Instead of forgoing the virtual tours amiss the chaos, smart agents are instead doubling down on 3D tours and ordering both because they now serve two distinct purposes.
Zillow 3D Home = visibility inside the Zillow ecosystem and the Zillow boost to get the listing sold
Matterport = decision making and overall better experience for serious buyers and helps win more listings
How Hi-Desert Photography Handles This
We now offer a Dual-Platform 3D Tour so your listing can work from all angles. In a single visit, we capture a full Matterport digital twin along with a Zillow 3D Home walkthrough to allow you to claim Zillow’s native 3D slot.
3D Tour Options
Matterport 3D Tour
- Stand-alone — $250
- Add-on to photos — $150
Zillow 3D Home
- Stand-alone — $150
- Add-on to photos — $100
Dual-Platform 3D Tour (Matterport + Zillow 3D)
- Stand-alone — $350
- Add-on to photos — $225