Why Floor Plans Are Crucial for Real Estate Listings and How to Choose the Right Provider
Floor plans have become a vital component of real estate marketing. While high-quality photos are expected, floor plans are now the second most requested feature in marketing services.

Understanding a property’s layout is more important than ever. With limited property access, buyers often struggle to grasp the full scope of a space. Including a floor plan in your listing gives you a significant edge over those that don’t.

Since March 1, 2020, BC has mandated that listing realtors disclose the source of property measurements. The practice of copying measurements from previous listings or relying solely on city data is no longer acceptable. Realtors must now ensure compliance with these new regulations by obtaining accurate measurements.

What if something goes wrong with your floor plan provider?
If your provider lacks errors and omissions insurance (E&O), you could be held liable for damages if inaccuracies lead to legal action. Misrepresenting property size to boost sale prices is not only unethical but illegal, and can result in legal consequences. This has led to stricter industry regulations across Canada.

Unlike photos and videos, floor plans are not objective and carry inherent risks. Ensure you choose a reputable company known for accuracy and reliability and be cautious of companies that offer floor plans as an add-on service, particularly if they are outsourced or created overseas.

Considerations for Outsourced or Third-Party Floor Plans
Some companies choose to outsource their floor plan services to overseas providers for various reasons. These may include cost-saving measures, handling high volumes, or providing services they cannot offer in-house. However, outsourcing floor plans carries several significant risks:

1. Business Continuity: Relying on external providers can introduce vulnerabilities, especially if the provider faces operational issues. With time zone differences, any edits may take additional time to be performed.

2. Security and Data Privacy: Outsourcing increases the risk of breaches and misuse of sensitive information, especially if 3d scans are used to draft your floor plans. Do you want the entire 3d scan of your clients property sent to a country with unknown security. These scan may be sold to nefarious individuals who then posess sensitive information. 

3. Intellectual Property Theft: There is a heightened risk of intellectual property being compromised or stolen.

4. Litigation Risks: Outsourced work may lead to legal challenges that are difficult to manage, particularly if the provider is in another country.

5. Lack of Specialized Knowledge: Providers may lack the detailed understanding needed to produce high-quality floor plans. 

6. Quality Control: Outsourcing often leads to a “you get what you pay for” scenario, where quality may suffer due to lower standards or oversight.

Overall, the lack of direct oversight and management in outsourced operations creates most of these risks. Compliance and quality control become challenging, making it harder to ensure that outsourced services meet your standards and regulatory requirements. Accurate drafting requires thorough training and costly E&O insurance is required. Companies that cut corners by using substandard equipment or lacking appropriate insurance put you and your clients at risk. These providers may appear competent at first glance but can fall short upon closer examination.

Why Choose PixlWorks?
At PixlWorks, our drafters are based in Canada and are certified by our management., and we do not outsource our floor plans to save costs. We are fully E&O insured, with a clean track record from over 100,000 floor plans produced. Our work is trusted by major corporations such as Telus, ADT, CBRE, Canadian Tire, Rona, and 7-Eleven. Our reputation for consistency and quality is well established. Many photographers and companies contract PixlWorks to provide reliable floor plans for their clients.

Always inquire about the origin of your floor plans to ensure you receive a high-quality, reliable product.