The challenge

In 2014, 3D property scanning was an expensive novelty. Matterport cameras existed, but nobody in Australian real estate knew what to do with them. Real estate agents were sceptical — they’d seen tech gimmicks come and go. The question wasn’t whether the technology worked, but whether it could change buyer behaviour at scale.

Luke Chadwick returned to REA Group (realestate.com.au) for a hack day, made a handshake deal with Chief Inventor Nigel Dalton to build VR capability if given the chance, and co-founded REALABS the same week.

The approach

REALABS operated as an innovation lab inside REA Group from 2014 to 2018. The Matterport programme was the centrepiece, but the approach was the real innovation: show, don’t tell.

We captured homes across Australia, running “plank” demos that strapped sceptical real estate agents to a physical plank while they wore VR headsets — making them viscerally experience the technology before asking them to sell it to clients. The demonstrations converted sceptics into advocates.

The technical work involved scaling the camera programme and partner ecosystem, building the data narrative that convinced national franchises, and integrating 3D tours into REA’s existing listing platform so agents could adopt without changing their workflow.

We didn’t just prove the technology worked — we proved it moved the numbers that agents care about.

The results

95% increase in buyer enquiries for properties with Matterport 3D tours
140% increase in phone reveals (buyers requesting agent phone numbers)
Matterport adoption grew from 0% to 5-6% of Australian property listings
National franchises signed on based on the data narrative
VR shifted from novelty to measurable sales tool

The numbers told a simple story: buyers who could walk through a property virtually before booking an inspection were far more likely to make contact. For agents, that meant more leads from the same listing spend.

The takeaway

Technology adoption at scale isn’t a technology problem — it’s a demonstration problem. People have trouble visualising what you’re describing. You have to show them it works. The plank demos, the franchise pitch with real conversion data, the integration that required zero workflow change — that’s the pattern that makes emerging technology stick in established industries.

This engagement combined Technology Advisory with Fractional CTO leadership. We apply the same “show, don’t tell” approach to AI adoption today. Book a free call to discuss your team’s next technology bet.