Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why should I consider adding 360 virtual tours to my website?
A. Panoramic virtual tours are a great way to display an environment to someone at a distant location. Give your customer a way to "virtually walk around" a room and they will be more inclined to come and visit in person.

Q. Are 360° Virtual Tours only for real estate agencies?
A. We work with northern Vermont real estate agencies but FSBO's (for sale by owners) are also welcome! We also provide virtual tour photography for any other types of businesses or individuals.

Q. How does it work?
A. 360 panoramic virtual tours can be displayed on web browsers in Java. Java has the advantage for loading time and is available on most web browsers as a plug-in.

Q. Can I come along and indicate which room(s) I want to include in the virtual tour?
A. Absolutely. In fact, we recommend that you accompany us and direct us to take exactly the shots that you wish.

Q. I am a real estate agent. Is there anything special that I should be aware of?
A. Yes. If at all possible, the homeowners & pets should not be in the home when the photos are taken. If this is not possible, they should stand by in a location that is not being photographed. MLS does not permit children in the photos so please make sure that the homeowner is aware of this.

Q. Does 360° Virtual Tour photography require any special lighting conditions, etc.?
A. We recommend that interior lights are turned on for best results. The best times to shoot are on overcast days as bright sunlight tends to cause a washout effect through windows. Early mornings are best for outside shots on sunny days. Flourescent lighting seems to work best as indicated in some of our industrial photography.

Q. Are there any "pros and cons" to using 360° Virtual Tours?
A. The advantages are mainly cost. 360° Virtual Tours are meant to be a simple representation of a walk through a home. Costs depend upon travel time to the location, etc. and can range from $150 and up. They are not high end photography. Digital photography has limitations in terms of sun glare and brightness, interior lighting, etc. We cannot control those factors and do not guarantee a perfect, high end photography session. We have found, as mentioned above, that best results are obtained very early in the morning, just before sunrise. We can also work with you and return to the location on multiple visits to photograph in a variety of settings and environments. Hourly rates do apply and each session must be paid for at that time unless other arrangements are made.

Q. How long does it take for the 360° Virtual Tour photography?
A. Approximately 1 hour for an average residential listing, which typically includes several exterior shots and 5 to 10 interior shots.

Q. When can I expect the virtual tour to be completed and how do I place the files on my website?
A. Your virtual tour will be ready for display on your website within 24 hours. All photos are edited, optimized and programmed for your website. The virtual tour pages and contents will be emailed to you in a compressed format, ready for your webmaster to link into your site. If you do not have a webmaster, we can also assist you by placing the files on your site, upon request.

Q. Are 360° Virtual Tours available on CD?
A. Yes. We can provide you with all the files you need to create "autorun" CD's of your 360 ° Virtual Tour. There is no extra charge for this. If you want us to create custom CD's for you there is an extra charge based on the number of CD's needed.

Q. Can you host my 360° Virtual Tour if I don't have a website? Is there an extra charge?
A. Yes we can and there is no extra charge. You can host your Virtual Tour files on our website as long as you need to. We only ask that you notify us when your 360° Virtual Tour is no longer needed.

Q. Are there any other benefits to a 360° Virtual Tour?
A. Yes. One of our sister websites, Vermonter.com receives between 900 to 1500 visitors, per day. We will place a free ad for your tour in the real estate section of Vermonter.com at no extra charge, to help you sell your property. You can also use the free web link we give you to include within your newspaper and other Internet ads.