Matterport is one of the most useful platforms for creating immersive 3D virtual tours, but keeping a large number of active spaces can become expensive as your virtual tour business grows.
If you regularly create Matterport tours for real estate agents, businesses, dealerships, restaurants, offices, or other commercial properties, you may eventually run into a simple problem: you have more tours that need to stay available than your account comfortably supports.
The good news is that you have several options.
In this guide, we will look at three practical ways to save or preserve a Matterport virtual tour without necessarily keeping every model active on the same account.
Why Save a Matterport Virtual Tour?
A Matterport tour can remain valuable long after the original project is finished. A business may want its tour available on its website for years, while a property developer may need the model later for documentation, renovation, or facility management.
For a virtual tour company, however, keeping every project active can quickly increase your monthly costs.
Instead of simply deleting older projects, you can consider other options that allow you to preserve the value of the work while managing your Matterport account more efficiently.
Here are three methods worth considering.
1. Create a Matterport Account for Your Client
One of the simplest approaches is to have your client create their own Matterport account.
This can work particularly well for businesses that only need one active virtual tour. For example, you might have a restaurant, retail store, dealership, office, or other local business that wants its virtual tour available on an ongoing basis.
Rather than keeping the tour under your own account indefinitely, you can set up or transfer the project to an account owned by the client.
This also creates a potential service opportunity for your virtual tour business.
Instead of charging only for the initial virtual tour, you can offer a package that includes:
- Matterport virtual tour creation
- Account setup
- Tour transfer
- Client training
- Ongoing support
The exact pricing will depend on the project, the size of the property, and the services you provide.
The important point is that the client becomes responsible for maintaining their own account and active space.
When Does This Method Make Sense?
This approach can be especially useful when:
- The client only needs one or a few tours
- The business wants long term access to its virtual tour
- You are running out of active spaces on your own account
- The client is comfortable managing their own Matterport account
For smaller businesses and local companies, this can be a straightforward way to keep a virtual tour available without keeping every client project under your company’s account.
2. Preserve the Project With a BIM File
The second option is more technical and can be useful for larger properties or clients involved in construction, architecture, renovation, and facility management.
Matterport provides options for turning captured spaces into BIM related deliverables and CAD files. These files can be useful beyond the original marketing purpose of the virtual tour.
For example, a property developer or construction professional may need information from a scanned property for future planning, design, or facility management.
The transcript highlights BIM as an option for clients who need to preserve useful information from a Matterport project while eventually archiving the original model.
This can be particularly valuable for larger commercial properties where the virtual tour is more than just a marketing asset.
Who Can Benefit From BIM Deliverables?
BIM and related files may be useful for:
- Property developers
- Construction companies
- Architects
- Renovation professionals
- Facility managers
- Commercial property owners
- Design and engineering teams
However, this is not necessarily the most economical solution for every virtual tour.
If a client simply wants to keep looking around a small business location online, a BIM deliverable may be more than they need.
The right solution depends on the purpose of the project and what information the client needs to preserve.
3. Use a Third Party Virtual Tour Platform
The third option is to use a third party virtual tour platform that can work with panoramic images captured from a Matterport project.
This approach can be useful when your main goal is to preserve the visual experience of the tour rather than maintaining the complete Matterport environment.
The transcript discusses using a third party platform to recreate a Matterport style experience from panoramic images.
Depending on the platform you choose, you may be able to create features such as:
- 360 degree navigation
- Floor based navigation
- Dollhouse style presentations
- Interactive hotspots
- Branding
- Custom tour presentation
One major advantage of this approach is cost flexibility. If you have a large number of older tours, moving appropriate projects to another platform may help reduce the number of active Matterport spaces you need to maintain.
However, keep in mind that a third party platform will not necessarily reproduce every Matterport feature.
Before moving a project, check what features your client actually needs.
Which Method Should You Choose?
There is no single solution that works for every project.
Your choice should depend on the client, property size, budget, and purpose of the virtual tour.
| Method | Best For | Main Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Client Matterport Account | Small businesses and individual locations | Client owns and maintains the account |
| BIM/CAD Deliverables | Construction and development projects | Preserves useful property data |
| Third Party Platform | Marketing and long term visual access | Can provide a more flexible hosting option |
For a local business that simply wants its virtual tour available on its website, a client owned account may be the easiest option.
For a large construction or development project, BIM and CAD deliverables may provide much more long term value.
For marketing focused projects, a third party virtual tour platform can be worth exploring.
Think About the Client’s Long Term Needs
Before you archive or move a Matterport project, ask the client one important question:
What do you actually need this virtual tour for?
If they want it for marketing, website visitors, or customer engagement, you may not need to preserve every technical aspect of the original Matterport project.
If they are a developer or construction company, preserving accurate property information may be much more important than simply having an interactive tour.
This is where professional experience matters.
A good virtual tour provider should not simply sell the same solution to every client. The best approach depends on how the property will be used and what the client expects from the project.
Virtual Tours Are More Than Just Marketing
A professional virtual tour can serve many purposes beyond helping a customer look around a property.
Businesses can use virtual tours to showcase their locations online, while real estate professionals can use immersive experiences to help potential buyers understand a property before visiting in person.
For businesses that need something more customized than a standard virtual tour, Momentum 360’s custom 360 virtual tours can be designed around the property’s goals, branding, and audience.
This can be particularly useful for businesses that want their virtual experience to feel like part of their overall digital marketing strategy rather than simply another property link.
Final Thoughts
Saving a Matterport virtual tour does not necessarily mean keeping every project active in the same account forever.
Depending on the project, you can consider moving the client to their own Matterport account, preserving important project information through BIM and CAD deliverables, or using a third party virtual tour platform for continued access.
The right choice comes down to what the client needs, how the property will be used, and what makes financial sense for the project.
If you operate a virtual tour company, thinking about these options before your account becomes overloaded can help you manage your projects more efficiently and give your clients better long term solutions.
For businesses looking for professional virtual tour services, Momentum 360 provides custom 360 virtual tour solutions designed for a variety of businesses and properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I save a Matterport virtual tour without keeping it active?
Yes, there are several approaches depending on what you need to preserve. You can consider moving the project to a client’s own account, creating appropriate BIM or CAD deliverables, or using a compatible third party platform.
What is the best option for a small business?
For a business with a single location, having the client maintain their own Matterport account can be a practical option.
Is BIM useful for Matterport projects?
BIM and CAD deliverables can be particularly valuable for construction, renovation, development, and facility management projects where property information needs to be preserved.
Can a Matterport tour be recreated on another platform?
Some third party virtual tour platforms can use panoramic imagery to create an interactive experience. The available features will vary by platform, so it is important to check the capabilities before moving a project.
How should I decide which option is right for my client?
Start with the client’s purpose. A marketing focused client may need a simple interactive experience, while a construction or development client may need detailed property data and documentation.
