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Nationwide 1-866-266-8997
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I make my own virtual tours?
- How do I take the pictures?
- What camera equipment do I need?
- What kind of software do I need to process digital images?
- What is “stitching” pictures together?
- What is a Showcase Agent at Realtor.com?
- What do I do if my tour isn’t showing up?
- I have the link to the tour, why are my pictures are not viewable?
- Why does it take so long to load my pictures?
- How do I get virtual tour pictures without having to stitch them?
- How long are my virtual tours good for?
- How am I billed for my tour packages?
- What is the benefit of using the Pay-Per-Tour service vs. the Annual service?
- Can I keep my existing packages when I subscribe to your service?
- I work with as an agent in a team. What options do I have with your service?
- What is your charge for Realtor.com and the spinning house?
- What other places are my tours sent to?
- How does the 30-Day Free Trial work?
Answers
How do I make my own virtual tours?
The different type of Virtual Tours will determine the process the you will use.
- To take snapshots of the house, you only need a good quality digital camera and you are in business.
- To take panoramic wide angle images, you will need the Kodak Easy Share v705 camera that can stitch up to 3 images together inside the camera, or a software program such as the ArcSoft® Panorama Maker Pro®, http://www.arcsoft.com/products/PanoramaMakerPro/.
An immersive tour requires a spherical fisheye lens for the digital camera. Choices of
good camera / lens combinations are limited cameras that can accept the Nikon FC-E9
lens, or the Coastal 4.88mm 185 degree fisheye lens. Another lens system to consider is
the Sigma 8mm fisheye lens, or the Canon 15mm fisheye lens. The Canon and Sigma lens
systems need to done with a digital SLR Canon camera.
In addition, you will need a rotator that can be adjusted to shooting 2, 3, or 5 images.
These lens systems will allow you to take a minimum of 2 hemispherical pictures and then
stitch them together using a stitching program such as the Realviz® Unlimited®,
http://www.RealViz.com/. This
program is capable of stitching most any kind of images that you would want, including
panoramas or fisheye shots.
How do I take the pictures?
There is no real secret to how to take the best picture. With photography and virtual
tours of homes the best practice is to take as many shots from different angles as
possible, though the first shot should always be from an angle as you first enter the
room. Most large rooms will offer several different viewing angles, while smaller rooms,
such as bedrooms, will usually only offer a view from the doorway.
We always recommend using a tripod so you can have a chance to compose a balanced
picture, and because the camera will always select a slower shutter speed when indoors,
even using a flash. The darker the room, the slower the shutter speed will be, and trying
to shoot the picture while holding the camera will only lead to a blurred picture.
What camera equipment do I need?
-
A good quality digital camera is needed to produce virtual tours and photography
packages that can be delivered on the internet. Generally it best to have a camera with
a minimum of 5.1 megapixels. Additional features such as having a Landscape Mode,
Portrait Mode, Manual Settings, and a flash are helpful.
We recommend the Kodak Easy Share v705 ultra wide angle camera as the easiest camera to produce great pictures and panoramic shots for virtual tours. The Kodak Easy Share v705 can take as many as 3 shots and stitch them together inside the camera. Its a very versatile camera. For more information on this camera go to http://www.kodak.com/. - A tripod. Most pictures taken inside a home need a tripod to make sure the picture is sharp and clear. Handheld shots, even with a flash, can be blurred because of slower shutter speeds used by the camera when indoors.
- A rotator. A rotator allows you to take images that can be stitched together easily. Rotators are mandatory if you plan on producing 360° virtual tours.
What kind of software do I need to process digital images?
There are two types of software that you need to produce professional looking virtual
tours. One for processing and adjusting the overall image, and one for stitching the
images together to make the desired virtual tour.
ArcSoft® has some very easy to use packages that provide many great features for
processing digital images. Prices start at $39.95 for software to make the virtual tour
images, to $79.95 for their digital image processing package. For specific details on
products, features, and pricing, please visit their website at
http://www.arcsoft.com/.
For basic image processing we like the results we get from Adobe® Photoshop
Elements®. At $99.99 is a middle of the road package that performs most tasks as well
as its big brother Adobe® Photoshop® at $599.99. For more details on their
products, go to
http://www.adobe.com/.
What is “stitching” pictures together?
Stitching images is where you combine 2 or more images together to make one larger image. Stitching is used to produce the wide angle panoramic images, 360° virtual tours and the 360°x360° immersive virtual tours seen in most real estate packages.
What is a Showcase Agent at Realtor.com?
A Realtor.com Showcase Agent is someone that has subscribed to Realtor.com to have the additional pictures and additional features added to their listings. With our service, Showcase Agents can have their virtual tours posted on Realtor.com for no extra charge.
What do I do if my tour isn’t showing up?
Each virtual tour must be posted to each multiple listing service that they use, as well as individual websites, and relator.com. We post your tour to the main internet portals, Realtor.com, when ordered, and many of the MLS systems throughout the country. Individual websites, and MLS services that so not accept automatic links are posted by the agent. We provide the link to your virtual tour with every package.
I have the link to the tour, why are my pictures are not viewable?
Everything that moves on the internet is driven by some sort of a viewer. In the case of our virtual tours, you can select from several types of viewers. In some instances, the viewer on your computer may need to be updated to work properly. Most of the time a window will appear telling you to update your viewer. If you see the update window appear on your machine, just follow the instructions and update the necessary files automatically.
Why does it take so long to load my pictures?
Loading a picture on the internet is a function of the physical size of the picture, in Kilobytes, and the speed of your internet connection. So the larger the picture, the longer it will take the picture to load.
How do I get virtual tour pictures without having to stitch them?
The Kodak® v705 is an excellent choice for a digital camera. It is capable of making
regular snapshots, or wide angle shots up to 180° by using its internal photo
stitching mode. This a great camera that can handle all of your photography needs without
the expense of a digital SLR.
In addition, the camera can take the necessary shots to do a complete 360° virtual
tour, though you will need to have an adequate tripod setup and camera rotator to
accomplish the task.
How long are my virtual tours good for?
Individual tour packages, virtual tour packages that are purchased individually without an
annual subscription, expire six months from the time of posting. Each individual tour can
be renewed for additional 6 month periods for $19.95 each.
Tours for Agents currently subscribed to our system can be renewed for an additional six
months for free as long as the agent maintains their annual account. When an agent chooses
not to renew their account, all tours expire at that time. Each agent has the option to
continue individual tours in their account by paying the current individual tour package
price for each tour they wish to continue. Tours are then renewed for a period of six
months. Additionally, tours can be renewed in additional six month intervals as necessary.
How am I billed for my tour packages?
All orders are paid for when you sign up for the service. Annual accounts will be notified prior to your account’s expiration via email.
What is the benefit of using the Pay-Per-Tour service vs. the Annual service?
The Pay-Per-Tour service is good for those people that plan on using our service for a smaller number of tours per year. If you do not renew any tours past their original six months, than this can be advantageous for you if you post 18 tours per year or less. If you plan on having 19 or more tours per year, the advantage is to use the Annual Service Package. The subscription service allows you to list as many tours as you like not exceeding 30 ACTIVE tours at any given time. You can also extend individual tours beyond their six month expiration for free indefinitely.
Can I keep my existing packages when I subscribe to your service?
Yes, all of your tours will remain active on your account and would be converted to the unlimited service model giving you the ability to extend them for free.
I work with as an agent in a team. What options do I have with your service?
Team members are an integral part of our service. Teams are charged at a $29.95 per month annual fee level, and each team member is charged at $14.95 per month. Team members can be added to the account at any time, and will expire at the same time as the other team members. Team members have the option of changing their account to a single account by notifying us at 1-866-266-8997.
What is your charge for Realtor.com and the spinning house?
If you are a Realtor®, your tours can be posted to Realtor.com for $24.95 each tour, for 12 months. Some Realtor can have their tours posted and refreshed for free as long as they are a Realtor.com Showcase Agent at the time.
What other places are my tours sent to?
Your tours will be sent to Realtor.com® (when requested), MSN® Real Estate, Google® Base, participating local MLS systems, IDX where applicable, and most major franchise websites. You can also link to all of your tours to your personal website.
How does the 30-Day Free Trial work?
We believe that if you try our service and see how easy it is to use, you will continue to use the service for your virtual tours and photography packages, so the first 30 days are FREE, no strings attached. After 30 days you will be prompted to pay for each tour posted you wish to keep at the regular rate, or to enter into a subscription service. If you choose not to continue with our service, your tours will be dropped from our posting and you are then able to post with any service you wish.