360 property photography captures a full panoramic view of a space, letting the viewer rotate the image and look in any direction. It is a step beyond standard photography: a flat photograph shows one angle; a 360 image shows the entire room from a fixed point. For commercial property listings, it gives prospective tenants a clearer read of the space before they visit.
The term covers a range of formats, from single panoramic images embedded in portal listings to full interactive 3D tours. Understanding the difference matters because they serve different purposes and require different production processes. Our property photography service covers both.
Standard 360 panoramic photography
A standard 360 photo is captured from a single position using a 360-degree camera. The result is a panoramic image the viewer can rotate left and right, up and down, from that one viewpoint. They cannot move through the property; they can only look around from where the camera was placed.
This format works well for portal listings. Rightmove supports 360 panoramic photos embedded directly in the listing, giving prospective tenants an interactive view alongside the standard still images. For a single open-plan office or a reception area, a well-placed 360 photo communicates the space more fully than a wide-angle still alone. CoStar and EG Propertylink also support embedded interactive content.
360 panoramas are captured at key positions in the property: the main open-plan area, meeting rooms, reception, and the entrance. The session is faster than a full Matterport scan because fewer positions are needed and no floor plan or 3D model is generated.
Matterport 3D: the full interactive tour
A Matterport 3D virtual tour is built from dozens of 360 scans captured at positions throughout the property, stitched together into a navigable 3D model. This is a different product to a panoramic photo. The viewer can move through rooms, switch between floors, measure spaces using the built-in measurement tool, and view a floor plan generated automatically from the scan data.
Listings with a virtual tour generate 49% more qualified leads and 95% more phone enquiries than standard listings. For commercial properties where tenants need to understand spatial layout before committing to a viewing, Matterport answers the questions a flat photograph — or even a 360 panorama — cannot.
How the capture session works
Both formats start the same way: the property needs to be prepared before we arrive. Lights on, blinds open, desks and floors cleared. The preparation guide for a Matterport scan applies here too, since the same principles govern any panoramic capture.
For a standard 360 session, we position the camera at each key point, capture the panorama, and move to the next. Processing is done in post; the final files are delivered as interactive embeds compatible with Rightmove, CoStar, and your own website. A typical session for a commercial property up to 5,000 sq ft takes 1 to 2 hours on site.
A Matterport 3D scan of the same space takes longer — typically 2 to 3 hours — because the scanner captures overlapping positions throughout the property to build the navigable model. Post-processing and quality review add a working day before delivery. Both are often booked on the same day as standard photography to keep preparation to a single visit.
What you receive
For standard 360 photography: an interactive embed link for each panorama, high-resolution source files, and export formats for portal uploads. For Matterport: a hosted tour link, embed code for your website, a generated floor plan, and access to the measurement tool for your prospective tenants. Both are delivered within 2 working days of the session.