Mikus Opelts, CEO of Giraffe360

Who are you?

Mikus Opelts, CEO of Giraffe360

What is Giraffe360 and what does it do?

Giraffe360 is a unique digital photography subscription service for showcasing property at its best, including the use of a cutting-edge, high-spec camera.

Since the creation of our first prototype in 2016, Giraffe360 has probably developed the highest quality property presentation technology in the world, delivering 270 megapixel resolution virtual tours and HDR photography. This can not only be used on portals and in property details but also for quality, large scale billboard advertising. 

What services do you offer and in what ways do you work with estate and letting agents?

The Giraffe360 service does the job of a photographer all by itself, through one push of a single button on the specially developed camera. 

It then delivers high resolution, multi-purpose wide angle photography, virtual tours and floor plans suitable for online use, advertising, print and billboards straight to estate agents, streamlining the whole photography process.

This is not only cost and time efficient for agents, but offers a much more realistic, remote experience for the property buyer.

What makes your product different and how does it benefit agents?

Giraffe360 is the first photography product in the world that can be used with no training, but creates incredible quality property presentation content.

Why have you based your business in London?

Despite Brexit, London remains at the heart of innovation and growth in European PropTech.

Although we have Clients in seven European countries, the rapidly growing UK PropTech scene is important to us. Real Estate business in the UK is opening its doors for much needed innovation.

New PropTech startups are launching their solutions here every single day.

The London community is vibrant and is leading the way in shifting what is essentially the world's largest asset class and last industry not yet disrupted by technology.

Following closing our second investment round, Giraffe360 is excited to be part of this growing London scene.

What is your greatest achievement and what made it so special?

Building my businesses to where they are today is my greatest achievement, and I’m only looking ahead. It’s an exciting time.

My first business, GiraffeVisual, which I started at University, is the leading interactive service provider in Baltic region and Giraffe360, in only two years has developed spectacular cutting edge technology which already services real estate businesses in 7 countries. 

I believe this is only the start.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?

R&D is a long process as many of you know. It takes years, and despite tried and tested methods and experience, you can never know for sure that people will actually use your products. So the moment when something you have spent all your time and effort thinking and working on is actually used by the client - that is an incredible feeling.

It feels like you have the ability to look into the  future and change it.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing estate and letting agents at the moment?

I believe estate agency is teetering on the brink of huge technological advances.

The world has changed in the past 20 years, but the fundamental way people view property hasn’t but I believe it will. The process is broken for the modern world and needs an incremental change. 

Buyers are becoming more tech savvy and want to view property remotely, vendors want to gain the highest possible value for their property and access a wide range of buyers and estate agents need to market the properties in the best way possible.

What is your property prediction for the remainder of 2019?

I will not even try to speculate! We are weeks away from starting to see if the split from the EU will have any immediate impact, but I’m an optimist and hope that the market will stay in its current shape.

Country house or city apartment?

City apartment

Trendy roof terrace or traditional English garden?

Roof terrace

Would you rather be a free-moving tenant or settled owner occupier?

Free-moving

What is your favourite room in your home?

Kitchen

Homes under the Hammer or Location, Location, Location?

Location, Location, Location