Real Estate in the Netherlands
Real Estate is a fast-moving and competitive market. Companies are reliant on good customer relationships based on trust. They realize the importance of providing accurate measurements and specifications of the properties they are advertising. Buildings incorrectly measured could be undervalued or overvalued, which could result in complaints, an invalidated sale, or a damaged reputation.
This is particularly significant in the Netherlands, as the country has placed a high level of importance on delivering accurate floorplans when advertising a property. In fact, Dutch regulations in 2010 addressed this issue after the overvaluation of properties in Amsterdam due to incorrect floorplan measurements. The regulation, Branch Wide Measurement Instruction (BBMI), requires businesses advertising properties to provide accurate floorplans or face potentially significant fines.
This required businesses to think differently about how they could quickly and accurately assess the properties they were advertising, without impacting their bottom line.
How ZIEN24 addressed the problem
Rotterdam-based media and marketing company, ZIEN24, realized they needed to modernize how they measure properties in view of the recent regulations. ZIEN24 produces content and digital floorplans for estate agents, covering residential and commercial properties.
The company began measuring properties using laser rangefinders, which project a single laser beam from one wall to another, providing a measurement between the two points. ZIEN24 found this data collection method time-consuming and not cost-effective. Incorrect measurements caused the company to receive complaints when they were not within the limits of the regulation. As a result, they had to on occasion return to properties to re-measure them, thus affecting productivity and customer satisfaction. In addition, ZIEN24 sent both photographers and surveyors to properties, often at different times, which was not cost-effective or ideal for their clients.
Having worked with point clouds previously, ZIEN24 co-owner, Boy Van Houten, thought that they could be the solution for accuracy. However, they needed a setup that was quick and effective, so static-based systems were not an option. After researching scanner options, they decided to experiment with mobile LiDAR due to its lack of bulk (lightweight) and ease of use.
Why ZIEN24 chose to work with SLAM
SLAM scanners are highly accurate, fast, and easy to use. As it requires minimal training, ZIEN24 trained their photographers to scan properties when they were on location capturing marketing images. This negated the need for a surveyor, saving ZIEN24 money, and allowing them to be more competitive with their pricing.
The scanner's accuracy largely removes the risk of human error, and ZIEN24 has not received any complaints since starting to use SLAM scanners in 2019.
“The SLAM scanner not only gives us confidence in the end product but gives our clients peace of mind knowing that our fully-automated measurements are highly accurate.” - Boy Van Houten, Co-Founder at ZIEN24
How mobile LiDAR helped ZIEN24 with their Real Estate services
As the SLAM scanner ZIEN24 uses captures and processes data in real-time, the photographers can easily ensure that they are mapping every room, as they walk around. Furthermore, the speed of capture, 200m2 in 15 minutes, means that more properties can be assigned to photographers per day. The data is sent to their offices in China, and accurate floorplan reports are completed within 24 hours. The SLAM has also helped the company expand into other markets, and they now offer scanning services to support BIM models.
Overall, the successful implementation of mobile LiDAR into ZIEN24's workflow has provided their clients with greater service and seen a large return on investment for the company. They have since gone on to purchase additional scanners, as their business continues to expand.