Background
Manitoba Assessment, responsible for assessing thousands of properties across the province, has been leveraging aerial imagery technology to improve their assessment processes for over a decade. With a team dedicated to maintaining accurate and fair property assessments, Manitoba Assessment has integrated EagleView’s oblique and orthogonal aerial imagery to streamline their workflow and meet their assessment standards.
Challenge
Manitoba Assessment faced significant challenges in managing and assessing a vast number of properties spread across a large geographic area, including urban, suburban, and rural regions. The organization is tasked with reviewing every property in an eight-year cycle, a mandate from the Office of the Auditor General. With a staff size that has remained constant over the years despite increasing property development, the need for a more efficient and effective method of property inspection became critical.
Solution
To address these challenges, Manitoba Assessment adopted EagleView’s oblique and orthogonal aerial imagery and integrated it into their operations. This technology enabled them to conduct remote property inspections, reducing the need for physical site visits and increasing the efficiency of their assessment processes. The oblique aerial imagery provided 360-degree high-resolution views of properties, allowing assessors to accurately review and evaluate properties from their desks.
An unexpected benefit we’ve noticed is that our staff are happier—they’re no longer trudging through minus 30 degree weather and driving in dangerous icy conditions to inspect buildings. Instead, they can complete property reviews from the comfort of their desks, which has positively impacted overall job satisfaction.
Implementation and Integration
Manitoba Assessment began using EagleView’s aerial imagery about ten years ago. The integration process involved a strategic approach to utilizing the imagery effectively. Initially, only a small team was assigned to review the imagery, but as the benefits became clear, the project expanded significantly. Today, over 30 staff members participate in the annual Desktop Review Project (DTR), running from December to March, where they review tens of thousands of properties using the latest aerial imagery. The ability to review and accurately measure on oblique aerial imagery has proven especially helpful.
In addition to oblique and orthogonal aerial imagery, Manitoba Assessment has recently incorporated EagleView’s ChangeFinder solution. This tool helps identify changes in properties by comparing new imagery with previous datasets, highlighting modifications such as new constructions, expansions, and demolitions. This capability enhances the accuracy of property assessments and ensures that all changes are captured promptly.
Impact
The adoption of EagleView’s orthogonal and oblique aerial imagery, along with ChangeFinder, has led to substantial improvements in Manitoba Assessment’s operations:
- ROI: The use of aerial imagery has resulted in significant
financial benefits. On average, Manitoba Assessment
reviews over 18,000 properties annually using EagleView
imagery, generating $1.3M in annual tax revenue. With
an average annual imagery cost of just over $140,000,
the average ROI exceeds 900%. - Efficiency: The ability to review properties remotely has
drastically reduced the time and cost associated with
physical inspections. Assessors can now prioritize site visits
based on the latest imagery, avoiding unnecessary trips. - Accuracy: High-resolution imagery and ChangeFinder
ensure that property assessments are precise, helping to
identify unpermitted improvements, maintaining fairness
and equity in property valuations, and making sure no
changes are missed. - Employee Satisfaction: The ability to conduct remote
assessments, especially during harsh winter months, has
improved job satisfaction among assessors, who no
longer need to endure extreme weather conditions for
site visits.
On average, we review over 18,000 properties annually, generating $1.3M in tax revenue each year. With an average annual imagery cost of just over $140,000, our ROI is over 900%.
Conclusion
Manitoba Assessment’s experience with EagleView’s aerial imagery underscores the value of integrating advanced technology into property assessment workflows. By enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and employee satisfaction, and providing a significant return on investment, EagleView’s solutions have become an indispensable tool for Manitoba Assessment. This case study serves as a testament to the importance of adopting innovative technologies to meet the evolving needs of property assessment professionals.
