The 3D Tour Shake-Up: How to Navigate the Matterport, iGUIDE & Zillow Conflicts

Last Updated on November 7, 2025 by Elizabeth Nolan

If you’re a real estate agent who’s been using 3D tours to showcase your listings, the landscape just shifted beneath your feet. In the span of six months, two major portal companies acquired leading 3D tour providers: CoStar Group bought Matterport for $1.6 billion, and just weeks ago, REA Group (parent company of Realtor.com) acquired a majority stake in Planitar, maker of iGUIDE. Add to that an escalating billion-dollar legal battle between CoStar and Zillow, and the virtual tour ecosystem you’ve relied on is undergoing a transformation that could directly impact how you market properties. Here’s what you need to know—and what you should do about it.

The Big Picture: CoStar Acquires Matterport for $1.6 Billion

In April 2024, CoStar Group announced its acquisition of Matterport, the pioneer in 3D virtual tour technology, for approximately $1.6 billion. The deal was completed in February 2025, bringing together CoStar’s dominant marketplace presence (Apartments.com, Homes.com, LoopNet) with Matterport’s industry-leading spatial data technology.

Matterport has created digital twins (“dollhouses”) of over 12 million spaces across 177 countries, representing more than 38 billion square feet of property. CoStar CEO Andy Florance stated: “The world has changed and today a Matterport is the new open house or property tour.”

Why This Acquisition Matters to You

This wasn’t just a corporate consolidation—it reshaped the competitive dynamics of the entire industry. CoStar, which directly competes with platforms like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com, now owns the most widely-used 3D tour technology in real estate. As industry analysts noted, companies competing with CoStar would understandably be hesitant to use a 3D tour platform owned by a major rival.

That theoretical concern became very real in October 2025.

Plot Twist: REA Group Acquires iGUIDE Maker Planitar

As if the industry didn’t have enough to digest, on October 2, 2025—just days after the Zillow-Matterport dispute—REA Group announced it was acquiring a 61.5% majority stake in Planitar Inc., the Canadian company behind iGUIDE.

This matters because REA Group holds a 20% stake in Move, Inc., which operates Realtor.com in the United States. Suddenly, two of the three major U.S. real estate portals have ownership stakes in 3D tour companies.

What is iGUIDE?

iGUIDE combines LiDAR technology with 360-degree imagery to create immersive 3D virtual tours paired with dimensionally accurate floor plans. The platform is the market leader in Canada with 25% of all homes sold there in 2025 featuring an iGUIDE tour, and is used in over 50 countries.

The Strategic Pattern Emerges

This parallel acquisition reveals a clear pattern: major real estate portals are vertically integrating 3D tour technology. As Inman reported, REA Group CEO Owen Wilson stated the acquisition would help deliver more immersive property experiences while helping agents differentiate their listings.

The implication? Realtor.com will likely promote iGUIDE technology heavily, just as Matterport tours are integrated throughout CoStar’s properties (Homes.com, Apartments.com, LoopNet). This isn’t coincidence—it’s calculated competitive strategy.

The Zillow-Matterport Fallout: When Competition Meets Technology

Just months after CoStar completed its Matterport acquisition, tensions erupted. On October 20, 2025, Zillow announced it was pulling all Matterport 3D tours from Zillow.com and StreetEasy.

Zillow’s position: CoStar declined to renew their API agreement (the terms of interaction between software) and changed terms of service to restrict Matterport content usage, essentially trying to “wall off data and restrict how real estate professionals use the content they pay for.”

CoStar’s counter: Zillow is “intentionally misrepresenting” the terms. CoStar claims neither Matterport’s nor CoStar’s media licensing terms changed, and that Matterport customers can still share their tours anywhere, including on Zillow.

For agents with listings on Zillow that featured Matterport tours, these suddenly disappeared from the platform. While Zillow noted that only a small percentage of its listings included Matterport tours, the removal nonetheless disrupted marketing strategies for affected agents.

The Copyright War: A Billion-Dollar Legal Battle

The Matterport dispute wasn’t the only conflict brewing. In July 2025, CoStar filed a lawsuit against Zillow alleging “rampant copyright infringement”—accusing Zillow of illegally using more than 46,000 CoStar-copyrighted photographs, many bearing visible CoStar watermarks, over 250,000 times across Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, and syndication partners Redfin and Realtor.com. CoStar is seeking damages that could exceed $1 billion.

According to CoStar’s September update, Zillow failed to remove many flagged images and added 4,618 new CoStar-owned images. CoStar General Counsel Gene Boxer stated: “The truth is simple: Zillow used our watermarked images, it profited, and—stunningly—it has kept doing it.”

Zillow fired back, requesting to transfer the case and accusing CoStar of attempting “to weaponize copyright litigation for competitive pressure.”

Legal Precedent Matters

CoStar has won before. In 2019, the company secured a $500 million judgment against Xceligent over 38,489 copyrighted photos. Zillow was also ordered to pay VHT photography company $1.9 million in 2022 over copyrighted image use. The legal framework is clear: professional real estate photography is protected intellectual property.

What This Means for Real Estate Agents

These corporate battles and strategic acquisitions aren’t just headlines—they have practical implications for how you market properties and serve your clients.

1. Platform Dependency Risk

The Matterport-Zillow standoff demonstrates a crucial reality: when you rely on proprietary technology owned by competing platforms, you’re vulnerable to strategic business decisions beyond your control. Your Matterport tours disappeared from Zillow overnight, not because of anything you did, but because of corporate maneuvering between industry giants.

Meanwhile, the REA Group’s acquisition of Planitar signals that iGUIDE will likely become the preferred—or perhaps even required—3D tour format for optimal visibility on Realtor.com. Agents using other tour technologies may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage on that platform.

Action step: Diversify your virtual tour strategy. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

💡 Critical MLS Consideration: Most MLS systems only allow one 3D tour URL in their IDX feed. This is the tour that syndicates to all portals automatically. Choose wisely—using a platform-agnostic independent provider (like CloudPano or EyeSpy360) in your MLS feed ensures maximum compatibility. You can always supplement with portal-specific tours added directly to those platforms outside the MLS. I personally use Home Diary/Floorplan Online to display all media through one link.

2. The Vertical Integration Trend

Two of the three major U.S. real estate portals now have ownership stakes in 3D tour companies:

• CoStar/Homes.com → owns Matterport
• REA Group/Realtor.com → owns majority of Planitar (iGUIDE)
• Zillow → offers proprietary Zillow 3D Home Tour (and is now locked out of Matterport)

This isn’t random—it’s a calculated move toward vertical integration. Portals are acquiring the technology stack that makes their listings more engaging, and they’re doing it in ways that create competitive moats against rivals.

Consequently, for agents, this means you’ll increasingly need to navigate a fragmented landscape where different 3D tour technologies work best (or only) on specific platforms.

Action step: Understand which tour technology aligns with which portal and plan your marketing strategy accordingly. For maximum reach, you may need to use multiple tour providers. Or use a Home Diary tour platform that can be attached to any marketing.

3. Copyright and Content Ownership

The CoStar-Zillow lawsuit highlights critical questions about content ownership and usage rights. When you pay a photographer for listing photos or create 3D tours, who owns that content? Where can you legally display it? These questions aren’t just academic—they’re at the center of a billion-dollar lawsuit.

Action step: Ensure you have clear, written agreements with photographers that explicitly cover syndication rights and usage across multiple platforms. Verify ownership before distributing content widely. This is important. If you have beautiful photos, you may not be able to leverage them for future marketing – personal or brokerage.

4. The Broader Consolidation Trend

The CoStar-Matterport and REA-Planitar acquisitions are part of a broader consolidation trend in real estate technology. Within six months, $1.6+ billion was invested in 3D tour companies by major portal operators. As Propmodo noted about CoStar specifically, the company “has spent millions of dollars hiring photographers to take photos of the buildings on its platform. Its wave of lawsuits may simply be a way of protecting its most valuable asset—copyrighted content.”

The companies controlling your marketing infrastructure are getting larger, more vertically integrated, and increasingly competing with each other rather than collaborating. In short, this creates a more fragmented, less interoperable ecosystem.

Action step: Stay informed about industry consolidation and be prepared to adapt your technology stack accordingly. What works today may not work tomorrow.

Your Options: Navigating the 3D Tour Landscape

The good news? You’re not locked into Matterport or iGUIDE, and the market offers several competitive alternatives. However, here’s the practical reality: your MLS typically only allows one 3D tour URL in the IDX feed. This is the tour that automatically syndicates to portals, so choose strategically.

iGUIDE

Best for: Realtor.com visibility and measurement accuracy

Now backed by REA Group (parent of Realtor.com), iGUIDE combines laser scanning with 360-degree photography to create dimensionally accurate floor plans—a feature that research shows is the most requested visual asset after listing photos, according to NAR’s 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. With 25% market share in Canada, this platform emphasizes measurement precision and detailed layouts. Expect it to receive preferential treatment on Realtor.com moving forward.

Matterport

Best for: Homes.com visibility and photorealistic tours

Now owned by CoStar Group, Matterport remains the gold standard for immersive 3D “dollhouse” views. With over 12 million spaces captured globally, it offers the most mature technology and widest photographer network. However, its ownership by CoStar means it’s optimized for CoStar properties (Homes.com, Apartments.com, LoopNet) and may face continued friction with competing portals like Zillow.

Zillow 3D Home Tour

Best for: Budget-conscious agents focused on Zillow visibility

According to the National Association of Realtors, Zillow 3D Home Tour is completely free and automatically increases listing visibility on Zillow. Conveniently, you can create tours using just your smartphone, making it the most accessible option. However, navigation and image quality are considered subpar compared to professional alternatives.

EyeSpy360, Kuula and 3D Vista

Best for: Lead generation and customization

EyeSpy360 is specifically designed for real estate agents with built-in marketing tools including branding, information labels, and lead capture forms. It’s one of the few platforms that offers extensive personalization options for potential buyers’ experiences. Studies show that 74% of agents using professional 3D tours secure more listings than competitors. Notably, all these platforms offer comprehensive virtual tour creation with extensive customization capabilities and professional-grade features. However, you do need to purchase a 360 camera and light stand.

CloudPano, Panoee and Asteroom

Best for: MLS/IDX feed and platform independence

These newer platforms offer professional-quality tours at significantly lower subscription costs than Matterport (often $15-35/month versus $69-309/month). Crucially, they provide complete flexibility in content ownership and broad compatibility across all portals. If you can only choose one tour for your MLS feed, these independent providers are often your safest bet since they won’t be caught in corporate platform wars. Most importantly, you maintain control and ensure the tour syndicates everywhere without restrictions.

Related article: 3D Virtual Tour Companies: How to Transform Your Real Estate Listings

The Bigger Picture: Virtual Tours Aren’t Going Away

Despite the corporate drama, virtual tours remain essential to real estate marketing:

• Listings with 3D tours receive 87% more views and hold attention significantly longer
• Properties sell 31% faster and for 9% higher prices
• Over 90% of buyers are more likely to purchase homes with virtual tours
• Buyers spend 52% more time on listings featuring virtual tours

Research from HomeJab shows homes with Matterport 3D tours specifically sell 20% faster and for 4.8% higher prices. Virtual tours also generate 49% more qualified leads, helping you focus on serious buyers.

As Barbara Corcoran notes: “Buyers decide in the first eight seconds of seeing a home if they’re interested in buying it.” Virtual tours enable that instant connection while expanding your reach to remote buyers who can’t easily visit in person.

Strategic Recommendations for Agents

Based on this analysis, here’s how to navigate the evolving 3D tour landscape:

1. Adopt a Multi-Platform Virtual Tour Strategy (With MLS Realities in Mind)

The ideal scenario would be using multiple tour platforms, but there’s a practical constraint: most MLS systems only accommodate one 3D tour URL in the IDX feed that syndicates to portals. This means you need to be strategic about which tour goes into the MLS.

Here’s a smart approach:

• For the MLS/IDX feed: Choose ONE tour that will syndicate broadly. Currently, independent platforms like CloudPano or EyeSpy360 work across all portals without platform conflicts. This is your “universal” tour.
• Portal-specific additions: Separately add Zillow 3D Home Tour directly on Zillow (doesn’t require MLS), Matterport on Homes.com if you use that platform, and potentially iGUIDE for Realtor.com once REA’s integration is complete.
• Your own marketing: Use the highest-quality tour (often Matterport or iGUIDE) on your personal website, social media, and email campaigns where you control the presentation.

Obviously, the key is recognizing that the tour in your MLS feed will be your broadest-reaching asset, so choose a platform-agnostic solution that won’t be blocked by any portal’s competitive restrictions.

2. Understand Platform Alignment. Recognize the new reality of platform ownership:

• Matterport = optimized for CoStar properties (Homes.com, Apartments.com), potentially restricted on Zillow
• iGUIDE = optimized for REA properties (Realtor.com, Realestate.com.au)
• Zillow 3D Home = works only within Zillow ecosystem, but can be added directly
• Independent providers = work across all platforms via MLS (safest choice for IDX feed)

Your choice of which 3D tour goes into the MLS has strategic implications for syndication reach.

3. Clarify Content Ownership

Have explicit written agreements with photographers and virtual tour providers about who owns the content and where it can be displayed. This protects both you and your clients.

4. Invest in Professional Quality for High-End Listings

While smartphone-based solutions work for entry-level properties, luxury listings deserve professional-grade 3D tours. The ROI is proven: faster sales, higher prices, and more qualified leads justify the investment.

5. Monitor Industry Developments

Subscribe to real estate technology news from sources like Real Estate News, Inman, and Propmodo to stay ahead of platform changes and legal developments.

6. Educate Your Clients

Position yourself as a knowledgeable advisor by explaining the value of 3D tours to sellers. Show them the statistics: properties with virtual tours don’t just get more views—they sell faster and for more money.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Real Estate Visualization

The CoStar-Matterport and REA-Planitar acquisitions, combined with escalating legal battles, represent a fundamental shift in real estate technology. Within six months, two major portal operators spent $1.6+ billion to acquire 3D tour technology, fragmenting the once-open ecosystem.

As legal expert Ramzy Ladah told Newsweek, these cases question “how much power a dominant digital portal may wield over the lifeblood of residential real estate.”

The outcome will likely push the industry toward tighter content controls, more robust licensing, and clearer copyright agreements—potentially raising costs across the ecosystem. For forward-thinking agents, this isn’t a crisis—it’s an opportunity to differentiate through superior, diversified marketing strategies.

Final Thoughts

The real estate industry is at an inflection point. Within six months, the 3D tour landscape was reshaped by two massive acquisitions and a billion-dollar lawsuit. Consequently, the tools you use to market properties are now controlled by fewer, larger companies with increasingly divergent strategic interests—and those companies happen to be the same portals you depend on for listing visibility.

But the fundamentals remain unchanged: buyers want immersive, detailed property experiences, and sellers want agents who can deliver maximum exposure and premium results.

By understanding these industry dynamics, diversifying your technology partners across multiple platforms, clarifying content ownership, and staying informed about legal and competitive developments, you can turn uncertainty into competitive advantage.

The agents who thrive in this new landscape won’t be those who resist change or remain passive observers. They’ll be the ones who proactively adapt, strategically align their technology choices with portal ecosystems, invest in quality marketing tools across multiple platforms, and position themselves as knowledgeable advisors their clients can trust to navigate an increasingly complex marketplace.