What is a digital twin? Definition, how it works, and advantages

A digital twin is a complete, true-to-scale digital replica of a real room or building based on precise 3D scan data. This concept is becoming increasingly important in real estate marketing because it allows prospective buyers or tenants to view a property around the clock and significantly reduces unnecessary on-site appointments.

Unlike a simple 360-degree tour, which merely links panoramic images, a digital twin provides a measurable data model with integrated floor plans and interactive features. It includes an immersive 3D representation, precise room measurements, automatic floor plan creation, and a wide range of applications, from real estate marketing to new construction project planning. Matterport has established itself as the leading technology platform for creating such models.

For real estate agents who want to make their marketing more efficient and professional, the digital twin is a crucial tool. Specialized service providers such as Visualista handle the entire creation process, thereby accelerating the marketing process while allowing agents to focus on their core business.

The term “digital twin” originally comes from industry, where it was used to simulate and monitor machines and systems. In the real estate industry, it refers to a physical object — that is, a property or a room — that is represented as an interactive, true-to-scale 3D model. This model is not static: it can be navigated, measured, and viewed from different perspectives.

Anyone who would like to learn more about how modern virtual tours work will find a solid foundation there. At its core, digital twins are based on two elements: technical capture using specialized 3D cameras and subsequent cloud processing into interactive, true-to-scale 3D models used in real estate marketing. Both aspects are explored in more detail below.

How does a digital twin work?

Creating a digital twin follows a clearly defined basic principle. First, a specialized 3D camera captures the room using infrared sensors and high-resolution photos. The captured data is then uploaded to a cloud platform, where it is processed into what is known as a point cloud (a collection of millions of spatial measurement points) and ultimately into a coherent 3D model. The result of this cloud processing is a fully interactive model through which users can move freely.

With the finished model, viewers have a wide range of interaction options. They can navigate virtually through every room, switch between first-person view, dollhouse view, and floor plan view, and measure distances and areas directly within the model. Why the digital twin goes far beyond a static photo or video and how it compares with a traditional real estate video is shown by a direct comparison between video and a 3D tour.

What is a Matterport twin?

Matterport is the leading technology platform for creating digital twins. In real estate, the term “Matterport twin” is often used synonymously with “digital twin,” although Matterport specifically refers to a company and a software platform. The core components include specialized 3D cameras such as the Matterport Pro 2 and Matterport Pro 3, the Matterport cloud for data processing, and a web-based viewer for displaying the finished Matterport 3D tour.

Matterport dominates the real estate industry for several reasons: intuitive operation, professional results, and broad compatibility with end devices and real estate portals. A Matterport twin can be shared via link, embedded in websites, and viewed on smartphone, tablet, or desktop. A Matterport subscription is required for cloud use and hosting. Swiss companies in particular should note that Matterport primarily hosts data on servers in the USA. For private real estate agents, transparency in their own privacy policy is therefore essential, while public institutions must take this into account in their risk analysis. The concrete benefits this technology delivers in day-to-day marketing are illustrated clearly by the advantages of professional virtual viewings.

The creation of a digital twin is divided into several consecutive phases: preparation, scanning, data processing, and publication. With professional equipment and experience, the entire process can be carried out efficiently. A typical scan of a single-family home takes about one to two hours.

Real estate agents basically have two options: they can create it themselves or delegate it to specialized service providers. Both the right camera technology and suitable software tools are crucial for the technical implementation, as discussed below. Those who want to outsource the entire process benefit from service providers such as Visualista, who act as a one-stop shop by handling coordination, capture by employed photographers, and delivery within 48 hours. This significantly reduces your time and coordination effort.

What steps are required to create a digital twin?

The creation of a digital twin follows a structured process in which each step builds on the previous one. When carried out professionally, the entire process is completed within just a few hours.

1. Prepare the room: The room should be tidy, clean, and well lit. Personal items such as family photos or cluttered surfaces should be removed, and all rooms must be accessible. The quality of this preparation has a decisive impact on the end result, since subsequent corrections are hardly possible. In practice, competent service providers such as Visualista handle this preparation entirely — the owner or agent on site does not have to take care of anything.
2. Define scan positions: The 3D camera is set up at several positions in the room, ideally at intervals of two to three meters. The individual scans must overlap so that the software can combine them into a seamless, continuous model.
3. Carry out the 3D scan: At each defined position, the camera rotates 360° and simultaneously captures infrared and image data. This takes only about 20 to 30 seconds per position, making the overall process pleasantly time-efficient. A typical detail on site: doors to balconies or terraces that are meant to be accessible in the model must be opened in time. Our experienced photographers pay close attention to such details and also manually mark mirrors and large window surfaces, which could otherwise cause navigation errors.
4. Upload data to the cloud: After the capture is complete, all recorded data is transferred to the Matterport cloud via the Matterport Capture app. There, the cloud software automatically combines the individual scans into a coherent, interactive 3D model.
5. Publish and share the digital twin: The finished digital twin is then available via a simple link and can be embedded directly into real estate portals or integrated into the agent’s own website. Particularly practical: Matterport floor plan creation is generated automatically from the scan data, as are all measurement functions, without the need for separate orders.

Which cameras and tools are needed for a digital twin?

Creating a digital twin requires a combination of specialized hardware and a powerful software platform. Which camera is the best fit depends on budget, quality requirements, and planned frequency of use.

• Matterport Pro 2: The Pro 2 is the proven standard model for professional real estate applications and remains the most widely used model in the industry. It works with an infrared depth sensor and HDR photography and is especially suitable for indoor spaces up to medium size. Since infrared technology fails in direct sunlight, the Pro 2 is strictly limited to indoor use.
• Matterport Pro 3: The Pro 3 is Matterport’s newest professional model and offers higher resolution, faster capture times, and superior measurement precision. Unlike the Pro 2, it uses LiDAR technology (laser measurement), which works in full sunlight and enables outdoor scans with a range of up to 100 meters. This makes it the first choice for large properties, gardens, facades, and demanding projects with high accuracy requirements.
• Matterport cloud and Capture app: The Matterport Capture app (available for iOS and Android) controls the entire scanning process and transfers the data directly to the cloud platform. The cloud handles the compute-intensive data processing, model generation, and hosting of the finished twin. Various Matterport subscription models are available, ranging from highly limited free plans to professional packages in the range of approximately CHF 10 to 60 per month depending on volume.
• Tripod and accessories: A stable tripod is essential basic equipment for every professional scan. A setup height of around 1.40 meters is recommended, which is roughly at eye level and ensures a natural, comfortable user experience in the finished model.

Digital twins improve real estate marketing on several levels at the same time. They change how prospective clients experience a property, how agents use their time, and how professionally an agency is perceived externally. The benefits go far beyond pure visualization and also include measurable operational improvements in everyday marketing.

Specifically, five categories of benefits can be distinguished that fully describe the value of a digital twin: the immersive 3D representation, location-independent viewing around the clock, time and cost savings in the marketing process, precise measurement functions and automatic floor plans, as well as a more professional overall appearance and the stronger branding associated with it.

1. Immersive 3D representation of rooms and properties

In this context, “immersive” means that the viewer is not simply standing in front of an image but can move freely through the rooms as if actually on site. A Matterport 3D tour offers three different views for this purpose: first-person view for walking through individual rooms, dollhouse view for a spatial overview of the building as a whole, and floor plan view for orientation within the layout. This fundamentally distinguishes the digital twin from static photos and linear videos, which do not allow free movement through the space.

For real estate agents, this means prospective clients develop a realistic sense of the space long before physically entering the property. Questions about room sizes or floor plan layout are significantly reduced, and only genuinely interested parties arrange a viewing appointment.

2. Location-independent viewing around the clock

A digital twin can be accessed anytime and from anywhere via link on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. Prospective clients can view the property at any time of day or night, regardless of business hours or the agent’s availability. For international or out-of-region prospects in particular, this eliminates the need to travel for an initial viewing, significantly expanding the potential buyer pool.

This aspect proves to be a particularly decisive success factor for vacation properties:

3. Time and cost savings in marketing

Unsuitable prospects often rule themselves out after a virtual viewing because the property simply does not match their expectations. Only seriously interested buyers or tenants then arrange a physical viewing appointment. Skeptical agents often initially consider the digital twin a gimmick until a first trial run proves the changed quality of inquiries.

In practice, agents report a reduction of necessary on-site viewings by 30 to 50 percent, which means considerable time savings.

The cost savings are tangible and concrete: lower travel costs, less time spent per property, and significantly faster marketing cycles. Analyses of real estate market data show that properties with 3D tours can sell up to 31% faster and achieve sale prices that are 4 to 9% higher, while such listings can generate up to 95% more inquiries. Service providers such as Visualista reliably deliver the finished twin within 48 hours of the scan.

4. Precise measurements and automatic floor plans

Digital twins offer integrated measurement tools that allow users to measure distances, areas, and heights directly within the 3D model. The measurement accuracy of Matterport models is typically around ±1 to 2%, which is entirely sufficient for use cases such as furniture planning by prospective buyers or tenants, area calculations for listings, or checking room dimensions without another on-site visit. Thanks to its LiDAR technology, the Matterport Pro 3 achieves even higher precision of ±20 mm over a distance of ten meters, which is relevant for construction inspections or architectural planning.

Particularly practical is the automatic generation of floor plans: the software creates schematic floor plans from the scan data, which can be exported as 2D plans and used directly in listings. Creating a Matterport floor plan is no longer needed as a separate job, because the digital twin delivers both in one: the interactive 3D view and the classic floor plan (created for visualization purposes).

5. A more professional appearance and stronger branding

Real estate agents who integrate digital twins into their marketing stand out clearly from competitors who work exclusively with photos and floor plans. Clients get the impression of an agent who is technologically up to date, invests in the quality of their marketing, and takes their client’s sales success seriously. This perception directly strengthens the agent’s branding.

Digital twins can also be equipped with custom branding: logo, color scheme, and contact information are stored directly in the viewer and are visible during every viewing. Every prospective client who opens the digital twin simultaneously experiences a professional brand presentation by the agent. Visualista supports agents in integrating the digital twin seamlessly into their overall visual brand presence.

Digital twins are used in many ways in the real estate industry, from marketing existing properties and new construction projects to comprehensive as-built documentation. The technology is flexible enough for individual properties as well as complex large-scale projects and adapts to different business models.

Their use is not limited to real estate. Architecture, construction, facility management, and other sectors use digital twins for a wide range of purposes. Below, three perspectives are explored in more detail: use in real estate marketing, specific applications in new construction projects, and cross-industry use cases.

How does a digital twin support real estate marketing?

The digital twin delivers value at several points in the marketing process, from creating the listing to the final purchase decision. Visualista provides the digital twin as part of a complete visual package that fits seamlessly into the agent’s entire marketing presentation.

• Property listings: The digital twin is embedded directly into real estate portals and the agent’s own website. Listings with an interactive 3D model generate significantly more views and inquiries than listings with photos alone.
• Virtual initial viewing: The digital twin takes over the function of the initial viewing and filters out unqualified prospects. Only those who still show genuine interest after the virtual tour are invited to a physical viewing.
• Remote viewing for out-of-area buyers: International or out-of-region prospects can view the property entirely virtually, including measurement functions and floor plan view, giving them a sound basis for deciding whether to travel.
• Brochure enhancement: Instead of receiving a purely static PDF brochure with photos and floor plans, the prospect receives an interactive link that makes the property tangible and adds a completely new dimension of quality to the traditional materials.
• Agent presentation in owner acquisition: In acquisition meetings with property owners, the agent shows the digital twin of a reference property and thereby concretely demonstrates their marketing expertise. This builds trust and sets the agent apart from the competition.

What applications are there for new construction projects?

In new construction projects, digital twins create particular added value because the finished property cannot yet be physically viewed at the time of marketing. Developers and construction companies use digital twins and supplementary visualizations to make planned properties tangible already in the pre-marketing phase. As a partner, Visualista also creates high-quality visualizations for new builds that effectively support this marketing process.

• Pre-sales and marketing: Digital twins of model apartments or 3D visualizations of the planned property make pre-sales possible before even a single brick has been laid. This significantly shortens the marketing phase and creates early planning certainty.
• Construction progress documentation: Regular scans document construction progress seamlessly and make it transparent and understandable for investors and buyers. For architects and site managers, the export of E57 files, a manufacturer-neutral format for point clouds, also offers the possibility of importing the scan directly into CAD and BIM software such as Autodesk Revit and thus using it as the geometric basis for renovation planning (so-called “scan-to-BIM”).
• Handover documentation: The digital twin documents the condition of the property completely at handover and serves as an objective reference for later defect inspections or disputes.

In which other industries are digital twins used?

The basic idea behind the digital twin — representing a physical object digitally in a true-to-scale and interactive way — is by no means limited to the real estate sector. Numerous other industries use this technology for their specific needs.

• Hospitality and gastronomy: Hotels, restaurants, and event venues allow guests to make informed pre-selections through virtual tours before booking or making inquiries.
• Architecture and interior design: Digital twins serve as precise as-built records and documentation of buildings and form the basis for renovation planning.
• Facility management: The digital documentation of building infrastructure greatly facilitates maintenance, servicing, and the management of technical systems.
• Insurance: For damage documentation and condition assessment, digital twins provide an objective and traceable basis for expert reports.
• Retail and showrooms: Virtual store tours enable integration into e-commerce platforms and the remote presentation of showroom spaces.

The quality of a digital twin can vary greatly depending on the camera used, the scanning technique, post-processing, and the service provider’s experience. A professionally created digital twin is an investment in the quality of your own marketing and should therefore be selected carefully.

Two essential aspects can be distinguished here: objective quality features by which a good digital twin can be recognized, and the question of which users and property types this technology is particularly suitable for. Both aspects are explained concretely below.

Which quality features are important in a digital twin?

Not every digital twin is of equal quality. The actual quality depends on several factors that affect both the technical implementation and the user experience of the prospective client.

• Image sharpness and exposure: High-resolution, evenly exposed images form the basis of every professional model. Overexposed windows or blurry areas are clear signs of poor quality or insufficient preparation.
• Complete capture: All rooms and relevant areas must be fully captured. Missing sections or “black holes” in the navigation leave an unprofessional impression on prospects and arouse mistrust.
• Smooth navigation: The transition between individual scan positions must be seamless and without jumps. Jerky or abrupt navigation indicates that the distance between scan points is too great or that processing was faulty.
• Fast loading time: The digital twin must load quickly even on mobile devices, since a large proportion of prospective clients research properties via smartphone. Long loading times lead to drop-offs.
• Additional features: Integrated measurement tools, automatically generated floor plans, tagging functions (information points directly in the model), and custom branding options are hallmarks of a professional, fully featured digital twin.
• Professional preparation and post-processing: Careful preparation of the space before scanning and expert post-processing of the images make the decisive difference between an amateur and a professional result. Through employed photographers and standardized processes, Visualista ensures consistently high quality across all projects.

Who is a digital twin suitable for?

• Real estate agents: As the primary target group, agents benefit especially for properties in the mid- to upper-price segment or where inquiry volume is high, because the pre-screening enabled by the digital twin brings maximum time savings.
• Construction companies and developers: For new construction projects, the digital twin enables pre-sales before completion, ongoing documentation of construction progress, and seamless handover documentation.
• Property managers: Property management companies use digital twins for structured as-built documentation and as a professional marketing tool when searching for replacement tenants.
• Owners marketing directly: Private owners who want to sell or rent out their property without an agent can also create a professional first impression through a digital twin.

Digital twins are particularly suitable for apartments with three rooms or more, single-family homes, commercial real estate, and new construction projects. For very small properties such as one-room apartments, a cost-benefit assessment is advisable, since in some cases a simple 3D tour may be sufficient.

In the real estate context, the terms “digital twin” and “3D tour” are often used synonymously, even though they differ significantly in scope of function and technical depth. A 3D tour allows a property to be explored virtually; a digital twin goes much further and provides a true-to-scale, measurable data model with automatically generated floor plans and precise measurement functions.

Anyone who knows the differences can deliberately choose the right solution for their marketing objective and competently explain the added value of a digital twin in conversations with clients. Below, the functional differences are presented in detail and clear practical guidance is provided.

Which functions does a digital twin offer that a 3D tour does not?

A simple 3D tour is based on linked 360° panoramic photos, whereas a digital twin is built on real 3D scan data with complete depth information. This different data foundation explains why a Matterport 3D tour, in its complete form as a digital twin, offers far more extensive functions than a simple panoramic experience.

When is a digital twin worth it compared to a simple 3D tour?

The decision depends on three factors: the property value (the higher it is, the more worthwhile a digital twin becomes), the marketing objective (sale vs. short-term rental), and the target group (regional or international vs. purely local). As a general rule, a digital twin is especially worthwhile when prospective clients need to make an informed decision independently of location and when the professional presentation should match both the property and the agent’s branding.

• High-priced properties: In the premium segment, prospects expect a presentation that matches the value of the property. A digital twin meets this expectation in a technically and aesthetically convincing way.
• Properties with an out-of-region target group: Anyone who wants to attract prospective clients from other cantons or from abroad benefits particularly from the combination of remote viewing, measurement functions, and automatic floor plans.
• New construction projects with pre-sales: For pre-sales before completion, the documentation and visualization functions of the digital twin are indispensable.
• Agents with a premium positioning: The use of digital twins strengthens branding and creates clear differentiation from competitors who work exclusively with static media.

If you are unsure which solution is best for a specific property and marketing goal, it is worth consulting a specialized service provider such as Visualista.

The true-to-scale digital representation of properties opens up new marketing paths for agents and project developers that cannot be achieved with traditional means. With integrated measurement functions, automatically generated floor plans, and immersive navigation, the digital twin offers capabilities that go far beyond simple visualizations. Matterport has established itself as the standard technology for digital twins in the real estate industry and provides powerful solutions for different requirements with the Pro 2 and the Pro 3.

For real estate agents and project developers, the practical benefits are clear: existing properties are marketed faster and with less on-site effort, new construction projects can be made tangible before completion, and their own professional presentation is sustainably enhanced. Anyone who wants to take their marketing to the next level will find in the digital twin a powerful tool. Visualista supports real estate agents and construction companies as a trusted partner from capture to publication, so that you can focus entirely on your core business.

What are digital doubles?

“Digital double” is an informal synonym for “digital twin” and is used in practice with the same meaning: it refers to the digital replica of a real object or space. The correct technical term is “digital twin,” which is also used consistently in specialist literature and professional contexts.

How much does a digital twin for a property cost?

The costs depend on the size of the property, the provider, and the desired range of features. For an average apartment, typical costs range from CHF 200 to 500, with larger properties costing correspondingly more. In addition to the one-time creation costs, Matterport also charges ongoing hosting fees for cloud availability, based on so-called “Active Space Limits.” Professional subscription plans start at around CHF 10 to 60 per month depending on volume. Many service providers, including Visualista, include hosting for a defined period of time — typically 12 months — in the package price, so that there are no hidden follow-up costs.