The story in brief: A Vernon photographer whose Google Maps photos of BC resorts, attractions and local businesses have been viewed almost 44 million times is now building free tools for people who live here. Read the full story. You’re welcome to run it as written or adapt it.
Press release
Ready to run as written, or adapt it. No embargo.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vernon photographer's Google Maps photos seen almost 44 million times
Former Google Trusted Photographer Sean Phillips now builds free online tools for Okanagan residents
VERNON, B.C., Oct. 27, 2026 — Photos of B.C. resorts, attractions and local businesses taken by Vernon's Sean Phillips have been viewed 43,995,344 times on Google Maps, according to Google's own counters.
Phillips spent eight years as a Google Trusted Photographer (Street View), photographing hundreds of B.C. resorts, attractions and businesses and creating Street View virtual tours that let people step inside them online. As of Oct. 25, 2026, Google Maps counts 7,738 of his photos across three contributor profiles.
One photo alone, of Swan Lake Motors in Vernon, has passed 1.4 million views, according to a milestone notice Google sent in September. The photo is dated Sept. 3, 2017, and Swan Lake Motors was one of the first places Phillips photographed in the Okanagan. Another, of JC Bradley Jewellers, has passed 100,000 views and was still drawing more than 1,000 views a week in September.
"I never set out to rack up views. I just wanted people to see how good these places looked before they got here. Every one of those views is someone checking out a local business or planning a visit to the Okanagan," said Phillips.
Phillips also filmed for chambers of commerce and city tourism departments, building virtual city galleries where the public could browse a city's businesses, attractions and services by category. Projects included Virtual Vancouver, Virtual Vegas and Virtual White Rock, along with Virtual Big White, a walking virtual tour of every store and attraction at Big White Ski Resort. His work included every property marketed and rented through Big White Central Reservations' owner relations group, and many properties at SilverStar Mountain Resort.
Today, Phillips is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Executives Realty in Vernon. A programmer by background, he has put his mapping know-how into free online tools for the community, including a hill-aware walking and e-biking rating for homes and a tool that shows the listing details for a for-sale sign you're parked beside.
"Choosing where to live is about a lot more than the house. The tools are free for everyone, whether you're buying or not," he said.
Photos, a fact sheet and Google's milestone notices are available at vernonhomevalues.ca/media/google-maps-photographer. Photos may be used for news coverage of this story with credit: Photo: Sean Phillips, realestatevernon.ca. No embargo.
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Media contact
Sean Phillips, Okanagan Lifestyle Real Estate Agent
Coldwell Banker Executives Realty
Unit 101, 2907 32 Street, Vernon, B.C. V1T 5M2
Call or text: 236-599-5898
Email: [email protected]
Book an interview: calendly.com/chaletsean
Photos and proof to download
Includes all photos, both Google notices, a headshot, the press release and a captions sheet.
Or download one at a time
Suggested caption
Swan Lake Motors on Highway 97 North in Vernon, B.C., photographed Sept. 3, 2017, by Sean Phillips. The photo has been viewed more than 1.4 million times on Google Maps. Photo: Sean Phillips, realestatevernon.ca
Free to use for news coverage of this story with credit. No embargo. Please don’t crop out the business sign. More photos of Sean and his work are available on request.
8 years in the program
7,738 photos
43,995,344 views
Fact sheet
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | Sean Phillips, Okanagan Lifestyle Real Estate Agent, Coldwell Banker Executives Realty, Vernon, BC |
| Google role | Google Trusted Photographer (Street View), Business View program, for eight years |
| Background | Programmer; built tools on Google Maps and added many locations to the map |
| Photos on Google Maps | 7,738 across three contributor profiles (Google Maps counters, October 25, 2026) |
| Total views | 43,995,344 (Google Maps counters, October 25, 2026) |
| Milestone photo | Swan Lake Motors, Vernon, dated September 3, 2017: more than 1.4 million views (Google milestone notice, September 18, 2026) |
| Another example | JC Bradley Jewellers, dated September 5, 2017: 100,000+ views, 1,000+ views a week in September 2026 (same Google notice) |
| Projects | Virtual city galleries for chambers of commerce and tourism departments, including Virtual Vancouver, Virtual Vegas, Virtual White Rock and Virtual Big White |
| Big White | Every property marketed and rented through Big White Central Reservations’ owner relations group; many properties at SilverStar Mountain Resort |
| Today | Builds free local tools: hill-aware walking and e-biking ratings for homes, and a tool that shows the listing behind a for-sale sign nearby |
Check the numbers yourself
Every photo and view count here comes from Google’s own records. Nothing is estimated.
Google’s milestone notices
Sean’s public Google Maps profiles
Browse the photos and contributions on his public profiles:
- Sean Phillips on Google Maps (main contributor profile)
- Sean Phillips on Google Maps (second profile, Local Guide Level 7)
See the live totals
Google shows the full view counts inside the account. Sean is happy to show the live totals on screen, by video call or in person, during an interview.
Quick answers for your story
What is a Google Trusted Photographer?
A photographer recognized under Google’s Street View Trusted program to shoot and publish Street View imagery, including indoor virtual tours that appear on businesses’ Google Maps listings. Sean did this work for eight years.
Where do the numbers come from?
The totals are Google’s own view counters on Sean’s three Google Maps contributor profiles, checked October 25, 2026. The 1.4 million and 100,000 figures come from Google’s September 2026 milestone email, shown above. Sean can show the live totals on screen during an interview.
Can readers see the photos?
Yes. His photos are public on Google Maps. Links to two of his profiles are above.
What are the free tools?
A hill-aware walking and e-biking rating for homes, and Nearby Homes, which shows the listing details for a for-sale sign you’re parked beside. Both are free to use.
Photos of Sean
For any story that quotes Sean. Credit: Courtesy of Sean Phillips.
Larger files on request.
Interviews
Sean Phillips
Okanagan Lifestyle Real Estate Agent
Coldwell Banker Executives Realty, Vernon
236-599-5898
Sean Phillips is an Okanagan Lifestyle Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Executives Realty in Vernon. He can talk about the Google Maps years, the virtual tour projects, and the free tools he builds for Okanagan buyers, skiers and families.
Interview options: by phone, by video call, or in person in Vernon (at his office or on location).
One-line bio: Sean Phillips is an Okanagan Lifestyle Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Executives Realty in Vernon and a former Google Trusted Photographer (Street View).
Call or text: 236-599-5898
Email: [email protected]
Book a time: calendly.com/chaletsean
Monthly Vernon real estate statistics are on the media page.
Last updated October 27, 2026 by Sean Phillips, REALTOR®, Coldwell Banker Executives Realty.