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• Plans With 360 Virtual Tours

House Plans with 360 Virtual Tours

You've decided that you want to begin looking at house plans to build the house of your dreams, but you keep running into the same problem over and over. It's so difficult to visualize what your home will look like with just a few drawings of a plan and some blueprints. How can you get a better idea of what your nonexistent home will look like once it's built? Enter virtual house tours.

Looking at house plans with virtual tours before a house is even built offers many benefits that can significantly enhance home-building. Here's why:

• Easier visualization. 3D virtual house tours provide a three-dimensional, immersive property perspective, allowing prospective homeowners to explore the planned layout in detail. This brings the flat, two-dimensional house plans to life, offering a better understanding of the rooms' size, spatial relationships, and flow.
• Helps in decision-making. Through virtual tours, prospective you can make informed decisions about design aspects before construction begins. This includes the layout of rooms, placement of windows, or the flow between spaces. Seeing the house in 3D can highlight potential issues or improvements that may not be obvious from 2D plans.
• Personalization of the space. Virtual house tours allow for property personalization even before construction starts. Users can visualize different finishes, colors, or furnishings, helping them to plan and personalize their future homes.
• Cost and time savings. Catching potential design or layout challenges for your family through a virtual house tour might save time and money in the long run, as changes can be made before construction begins, avoiding costly adjustments during the build.

Virtual house tours provide a robust, interactive, and highly informative tool when looking at house plans. By offering an immersive view of the house before it's built, they aid in visualization, decision-making, personalization, and communication, potentially saving time and resources and increasing satisfaction with the final result.

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360 virtual tours faq, what is the difference between a virtual tour and a 3d house plan.

Virtual tours and 3D house plans are valuable tools in real estate marketing and property development and have distinct characteristics and uses.

A virtual house tour provides an interactive, panoramic view of a property, allowing prospective buyers or renters to walk through a space visually. Depending on the complexity, a virtual tour might be a series of high-quality photographs or a 360-degree panoramic view.

The key aspect of a virtual house tour is that it depicts the property as it is, including the current decoration, furniture, finishes, and so forth . This realism helps potential buyers or renters get a feel for the property and visualize themselves living in it.

3D house plans, on the other hand, are a type of architectural drawing . They present a three-dimensional view of a property, typically showing the layout of the property without including details like furniture or decor unless it's precisely part of the design presentation.

3D house plans are particularly useful in construction and remodeling, helping builders, contractors, and homeowners understand and communicate the property's design. For potential buyers, a 3D house plan can clearly understand the property's layout, size, and flow.

The critical difference between a virtual house tour and a 3D house plan lies in their purpose and presentation. A virtual tour offers a realistic, interactive view of an existing property, helping viewers visualize the space as it is. In contrast, a 3D house plan provides a structural and spatial representation of a property, highlighting its architectural design and layout. While different, both tools can significantly assist in selling, buying, or renting a property.

What is a virtual tour of a house?

Virtual tours of a house can take various forms. At the basic level, they may consist of a series of professionally taken, high-definition photographs of a property's interior and exterior. These photographs are often arranged in a slideshow format to give the viewer a sense of moving through the property.

More advanced versions of virtual tours employ 360-degree panoramic images or even 3D walkthroughs, where users can navigate through the property as if they were there. This interactive exploration of virtual house plans allows viewers to get a comprehensive view of the space, including its layout and unique features.

Users may even interact with the 3D space in the most sophisticated virtual tours. For instance, they might be able to open doors, turn lights on and off, or manipulate furniture. This high level of interactivity provides a very immersive experience and can significantly aid in the decision-making process for prospective buyers or renters.

Do virtual tours help people buy houses?

Yes, virtual tours are an influential tool to help people buy houses. There are several ways in which virtual tours can help people buy homes.

• House plans with virtual tours provide a comprehensive view of the property. High-definition photos, 360-degree panoramas, or 3D walkthroughs allow potential builders or buyers to inspect every corner of the house at their convenience. This level of detailed visual information can significantly aid decision-making, even before a physical viewing is arranged.
• Virtual tours save time and money. People can explore numerous homes from the comfort of their living room rather than traveling to multiple properties, which can be especially difficult for out-of-town or international buyers. This reduces travel expenses and allows potential buyers to narrow their list of prospective homes effectively.
• Virtual tours' immersive nature helps buyers envision themselves in the home. This is particularly true for interactive 3D virtual house tours, where users can "walk" through the property and manipulate elements within the space. The more a person can visualize living in a house, the more likely they are to consider purchasing it.
• House plans with virtual walkthroughs allow for 24/7 property viewing. Potential buyers aren't limited by traditional open house hours or realtor availability. They can explore the property anytime they wish, as many times as they want, leading to a more profound familiarity with the house and, eventually, more confident buying decisions.

How do virtual house tours work?

Virtual house tours work through a combination of modern technology, like digital photography, videography, and software for 3D modeling and virtual reality. They provide a detailed, interactive, and immersive view of a property, allowing potential buyers or renters to explore it remotely. Here's a general process of how virtual house tours work:

• Photography and Videography. The process begins by capturing high-quality photos or videos of the property. A series of photos may be sufficient for a simple virtual house plans tour. For a more advanced 360-degree panorama or 3D walkthrough, special equipment like a 360-degree camera or a 3D camera may be needed. These devices capture images in all directions, creating a complete view of each room.
• Image Processing. After capturing the images, they are processed using special software. If a 360-degree tour or a 3D model is being created, the software stitches together the photos to create a seamless panoramic or 3D image. Some software can even generate a 3D model of the property based on 2D images, though more advanced tours may use dedicated 3D scanning devices.
• Interactive Elements. Depending on the complexity of the tour, interactive elements might be added. For example, in 3D virtual house tours, viewers may "move" through the property by clicking on different areas of the image. Some tours might also allow viewers to interact with elements in the home, like opening doors or turning lights on and off.
• Additional Information. Once the main visual elements of the tour are ready, further information can be added. This might include text descriptions, voiceovers, floor plans, or information about local amenities. This gives viewers a more complete understanding of the property.
• Online Hosting. The final virtual tour is hosted online on the real estate agency's website, a property listing site, or a dedicated virtual tour platform. The tour is usually embedded in a webpage and can be viewed using a web browser. Some tours might also be compatible with virtual reality headsets for an even more immersive experience!

What are the benefits of 360 virtual tours?

• 360-degree virtual tours offer many benefits, transforming how properties are marketed and explored. They provide a realistic, immersive experience, allowing users to explore a space as if they were physically present. Here are some significant benefits of 360-degree virtual tours:
• Enhanced imaging. Unlike static images, 360-degree tours allow viewers to look in all directions: up, down, and around. They provide a complete view of rooms and spaces, giving potential buyers or builders a realistic feel for the layout and size of the property.
• Increased engagement. 360-degree tours are interactive, allowing users to control their property exploration. This engagement can lead to potential buyers or renters spending more time on the property's listing, increasing their interest and likelihood of taking further action.
• Convenience and accessibility. House plans with virtual walkthroughs can be accessed anytime, anywhere, and on any device with an internet connection. This makes it easy for out-of-town or international prospects to view the property or plan, expanding the potential market.
• Time and effort savings. By providing a comprehensive view of a property, 360-degree 3D virtual house tours can help potential buyers or renters decide whether the property meets their needs before arranging a physical viewing. This can save the realtor and the potential buyer significant time and resources.

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VIRTUAL HOME TOURS

Experience 3D Walking Tours of Our Most Popular Home Designs

It’s the next best thing to being there in person. In fact, it’s better because within a matter of minutes, you can take virtual walking tours of dozens of incredible home designs. Explore houses room by room, and find the perfect design for you.

To get started, choose your state and select a thumbnail to launch your virtual walking tour!

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Virtual House Plan & Home Tour Videos

Featured House Plan with VR Video

This charming country farmhouse house plan ...

An increasingly popular request from our clients is videos of our house plans. These can include:

• 360 degrees of the exterior using a drone flyover
• Video walk-through of the interior
• Even a photo-inspired video showing the home's layout from room to room.

More recently, we've begun to offer virtual reality house plan videos (VR) of select houses on an exclusive basis. These VR videos provide a truly enhanced walk-through experience like no other!

An Interactive Experience

By utilizing interactive tours of both the inside and outside of your future home, you get to experience the layout before you move in. You can feel the livability of your house, discover the flow from room to room, and feel comfortable with your decision without ever breaking ground. We're happy to be at the interactive forefront of home building and strive to offer the best customer experience possible.

We will continue adding house plan videos to this collection as we receive them . If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us . We appreciate your input and suggestions.

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Plan: #142-1204

Plan: #142-1242

Plan: #195-1216

Plan: #106-1325

Plan: #123-1102

Plan: #141-1166

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Plan: #194-1010

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Plan: #175-1073

Plan: #142-1417

Plan: #198-1060

Plan: #142-1123

Watch the video introduction.

From the design book

Breakthroughs in vr technology make it affordable and accessible for house plans.

Imagine Walking Through Your Future Home – Before Its Built – Right Now!   Perhaps you first saw it in a sci-fi movie like The Matrix – and were blown away by the concept. While much of it may be far-fetched, the idea of plugging into a virtual environment and having a rich and almost lifelike experience is getting closer thanks to advances in virtual reality headsets and software. Unfortunately, the most technologically advanced commercial VR systems can cost thousands of dollars, and even the highest end on the

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Virtual Home Tour

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The COVID-19 economy has pumped up consumer demand for virtual home tours. These presentations, created using 360-degree and 3D tour technology, provide an immersive experience for viewing homes while limiting in-person contact.

Virtual tours give buyers a perspective on the home’s layout and flow that can’t be achieved with still photos, says consultant Jeff Turner of Santa Clarita, Calif. The tours help buyers weed out houses that are in their price range but that don’t fit their style, says Turner, a consultant to virtual-tour provider Immoviewer and entrepreneur in residence at Second Century Ventures and Reach , the National Association of REALTORS®’ strategic investment arm and award-winning technology accelerator. “Consumers are hungry for the opportunity to have a better online shopping experience, and to me, that’s the promise of 3D, 360-degree virtual tours.”

Data shows that virtual tours drive sales, says Amir Frank, a content manager at Matterport in Sunnyvale, Calif. Matterport studied MLS transaction data from the South, Southwest, Northwest, and Midwest from November 2016 to November 2019. The results showed listings with a 3D tour sold for up to 9% more and closed up to 31% faster than listings without them.

The cost and complexity of virtual tour technology have come down in recent years, making these tours more accessible for real estate professionals. To help you create exceptional virtual home tours, here’s a step-by-step guide to gathering equipment; preparing to shoot and edit the photos; uploading and editing the images; creating the tour from walkthrough to exit on an online platform; and publishing and marketing the tours.

Step 1: Choose Your Equipment and Platform

“We’re in the golden age of 360-degree cameras,” says Turner. “I’ve got within my grasp, right now, six different 360 cameras. All cost between $250 and $500. The cost shouldn’t be a barrier for anyone who’s doing any volume of home sales. I have a 3,400-square-foot house here in Southern California, and I can capture and turn this into a usable tour in less than 20 minutes.

“These are one-click tools,” he adds. “You don’t have to focus them. And the quality of these low-cost cameras has been improving over time dramatically.”

“To shoot a 2,000-square-foot home, it takes this [Ricoh Theta V] between five and 10 minutes,” agrees Peter Schravemade of Maroochydore, Queensland, in Australia, relationship manager for Box Brownie, a company that offers turnkey photo editing, virtual tours, and other services for real estate pros.

Besides its affordability and speed, says Schravemade, the Ricoh camera allows you to “bracket” to create the best possible images. Bracketing means taking the same photo multiple times, each with a different exposure, which helps ensure your tour includes exceptional interior and exterior views. He recommends shooting from three to five different exposures, then editing them together to create a bracketed image.

Matterport’s higher price results from its function as both a camera and a scanner, taking 360-degree tour photos, then creating a dollhouse-like floor plan. The floor plan is the major advantage, says Bill Lublin, CEO of Century 21 Advantage Gold in Philadelphia. Using the “dollhouse” format, viewers can go from room to room easily. However, it takes one to two hours to upload the Matterport tour, so it’s a slower process than what the Ricoh products offer.

Whatever 360-degree camera you use, you’ll also have to download a smartphone app or invest in a hosting platform for your tours. You’ll upload your photos to that platform for storing, editing, and sharing.

Step 2: Organize Photography, Lighting, and Camera Placement

Before you start shooting, open your photography app or hosting platform, and then place your 360-degree camera on your tripod. “I like to take photos exactly how I would move through a house,” says Turner, “starting with the exterior.” Take one photo from across the street and another in the front yard. Photograph both sides of the house if there’s room for your gear; then move around the house, and capture the backyard. When you’ve finished shooting the exterior, open the front door and photograph the entryway. Before taking interior shots, open doors and turn on all the lights. Open blinds and curtains, unless the view detracts from the image. “Then navigate through the house and take photos, as many as is necessary to allow people to flow through it.”

Inside, place the tripod in the center of each room with the camera set at eye height, above furniture and countertops. Then leave the room to take the photo using the smartphone app. You can take one photo per room, unless you’re bracketing your exposures or the size of the room requires more. Large rooms may need two or three images from different positions.

A Matterport camera requires a different workflow. The camera scans every corner of the room, creating a 3D dollhouse-like floor plan. Frank suggests starting at the lowest level and working your way up. Position the camera to take shots from the center of hallways and at each room’s entryway. Then put your Matterport camera in each corner of the room to create a feel for room size; the number of photos will assist the software as it forms the 3D dollhouse model.

Step 3: Upload the Tour

There are hundreds of 360-degree tour providers and hosting platforms, including Matterport, Ricoh360 Tours, Ogulo, Immoviewer, Box Brownie, Giraffe360, and EyeSpy360, says Schravemade. Many have apps that upload your photos as you take them. Editing tools on many of the platforms will stitch your images together for a seamless tour experience.

Costs vary by platform and complexity. Immoviewer has a subscription model that runs from $69 per month for five active tours to $159 per month for 20. Box Brownie uses a pay-as-you-go model in which a tour with up to 15 photos costs $16, one with 16 to 25 photos costs $24; options for image enhancement start at $1.60, and 360-degree virtual staging is priced at $64. The more complex Matterport tours fall in the $250 to $400 range.

Step 4: Create the Tour, From Walkthrough to Exit

Many editing programs, including Box Brownie and Immoviewer, will put your photos in the right sequence as they upload; as long as you take your photos in the order of the flow of the home’s floor plan, they’ll be properly arranged for the virtual tour.

If you’re using Matterport’s software, after you upload your photos, they’re processed into the 3D model in the correct order. You can then start adding “Matter Tags” and highlight reels, embedding videos and brochures, and labeling rooms and dimensions, says Frank.

If you have the editing skills to stitch the images together yourself, Schravemade recommends programs such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, available as an online subscription for $9.99 per month as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud package. (A subscription to the full Adobe Creative Cloud costs $52 per month, but most users need only those two apps.)

With Immoviewer, “those tours are live the moment they’re uploaded. So if you’ve got a good [wireless] connection from the house and you use the app, the moment those images are uploaded, that virtual tour is live and ready to go,” Turner says.

Matterport’s detailed scanning and photography process can take a couple of hours to finish uploading. Once that upload completes, it then takes 24 to 48 hours to process. That’s when you’re able to start tagging and adding specs and points of interest. Box Brownie uses manual stitching for its photo editing process and has a 24-hour turnaround, says Schravemade.

Step 5: Publish and Market the Tour on Multiple Channels

Platforms such as realtor.com®, many MLSs, and social media are ideal places for publishing your virtual home tour. You can embed the tour link in email campaigns and text messages or drop it straight into Facebook, says Schravemade.

Once the images and 3D model have been created, Frank says, the Matterport system “automatically generates photos it thinks are usable in your marketing campaigns, as well as a few short teasers, which are great; you can easily download a GIF or MP4 [video] file and use it in your marketing campaigns.”

Make virtual home tours part of everything you can, whether it’s inexpensively with Immoviewer or Box Brownie or more fully immersive with detailed Matterport tours, Lublin advises. “People are more hesitant to enter properties now, but there’s a tremendous demand, and providing them the ability to see and choose to eliminate properties online is a powerful tool,” he says. “You always want to be seen as tech-forward. Now it’s easy to be tech-forward.”

Turner estimates 95% of listings still don’t have a true virtual tour, even amid the pandemic. “I wish [agents] wouldn’t be so hung up on perfect image quality, especially with a virtual tour,” he says. “Do one, get it up there, and give consumers this experience they’re looking for. A 360-degree camera is going to do a really good job of capturing an above-average image of the room.”

What You Need to Create 3D Home Tours

• Camera: $250–$3,500. Experts interviewed for this article recommended a range of options, including the Ricoh Theta V ($380); Insta360 One X ($456); Ricoh Theta Z1 ($1,000); and Matterport Pro2 ($3,400).
• Tripod or monopod: $25 to $50
• Extra battery: $30 to $40
• Battery charging station: $20 to $40
• App: Virtual-tour providers have apps that enable you to upload 3D photos to create tours.

On a Budget

For about $15, you can get a selfie stick, attach your smartphone to it, and walk through a listing, narrating as you go and pointing out features people might otherwise see more readily in an in-person tour. It’s not a true virtual tour, but it’s an economical way to create a tour to post to social media and aggregator sites.

Hear From the Experts

The National Association of REALTORS®’ recent three-part TechEdge series took a deep dive into virtual tours. The June 30 session, “The Virtual Agent,” was hosted by broker-owner Bill Lublin and featured Jeff Turner and Peter Schravemade. REALTORS® can purchase a recording of the session for $14.95 at nartechedge.com .

Mandy Ellis

Related content, 10 tips for looking your best on video, 6 steps to running a virtual open house.

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Karen Cannon

3d virtual tours.

Karen Cannon, Realtors provides 3D virtual tours of every house we sell so buyers anywhere in the world can tour our listings as if they were actually walking through your house. Our 3D virtual tours offer such an immersive experience that only the most serious buyers visit our listings in person.

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From photo realistic renders to virtual model homes to lifestyle video, we bring your visions to life in ways that professionally represent your brand and instill buyer confidence. Our premium architectural renders are so indistinguishable from photographs that most people can’t tell the difference. Can you distinguish virtual from reality?

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Create And Display Virtual Tours In 360º and VR

CloudPano 360° virtual tour software empowers you to create 360° virtual tours. With a few clicks, you can upload, connect, and publish a 360° immersive experience and host a 360º video chat call. No coding required. Get started today, its free. Sign Up Now.

How CloudPano Works

Create a 360° virtual tour with our easy three-step process.

Use any 360º camera, video or the CloudPano mobile app

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What is a 360º virtual tour.

A 360º virtual tour on CloudPano is a marketing and sales tool to view and share a space in an immersive 360º environment. With a smartphone, the CloudPano viewer responds to your movement. This creates a responsive and immersive view of the property or interior space. Create your first 360º virtual tour in 5 minutes or less.

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When you publish a 360º virtual tour on CloudPano.com, you will automatically receive a code based link. You can embed your tour right onto your website. We host the tour, you show it off to the world.

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Enterprise Level Integrations

Boosted listing exposure with our exclusive 3rd party integration network

Your CloudPano 360º tours automatically integrate with realtor.com, Zillow, Apartments.com, Zumper, Hotpads, Trulia, Dealer.com and more!

If you are marketing real estate, you can embed your 360º tours on 3rd party listings and your website.

The CloudPano team is constantly innovating with industry leaders.

Simple 3D Tour Creation

Create your first tour in under five minutes.

Upload photos using a drag-and-drop interface. Click a single button to set an initial view for each scene. Add hotspots to navigate your tour.

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Share In Full 360º and VR

Share and display on any smart device out of the box.

Give meaningful experiences to your viewers. Built-in motion sensing capabilities and VR-goggle modes work right in the mobile browser. Reach your customer on any platform. Simply share your virtual tour with a single URL link.

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Customize Your Tour Branding

Add logos, embedded media, google analytics, and more.

Use linked hotspots to teleport between scenes. Add your logo and establish your brand. Embed video, raw HTML, chat bots - anything.

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Use your own website domain.

Remove all references of CloudPano.com. Use your own logo and keep your website domain. Easily use your own URL. Add 360º virtual tours into your business and keep our name hidden.

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Create Google Street View Virtual Tours

Business owners can upload 360º photos directly to Google Street View and keep their Google My Business listing up-to-date. When you create a Google Street View virtual tour on CloudPano, you integrate your 360º virtual tour with Google Maps. ‍ Boost local SEO and create a walkthrough experience inside your Google Maps and Google My Business listing.

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Our market-leading 360º video chat lets you hop into a 360º sales environment with one click. Share your screen and guide your participants through the CloudPano virtual tour. Quickly turn a 360º virtual tour prospect into an active and engaged lead thats ready to buy now .

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Add immersive 3D dollhouse floor plans to your virtual tours. With a few clicksyou can create and customize 3D floor plans that connect and engage inside yourvirtual tour experience. If you are looking for 3D floor plan software, CloudPano is the perfectvirtual tour solution.

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CloudPano.com is a Virtual Tour Software built for entrepreneurs, photographers and real estate agents, brokers, car dealers, RV dealers, manufacturers and sales teams. You will be empowered to create world class 360º/VR virtual tours quickly, market at a high level AND keep your brand on the front of tour. If you are looking for a 360º virtual tour software built for the business owner - you are in the right place.

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“ This technology changes the game. My customers are very excited about it. And I know when my customers are excited about it, I am going to make some more money . ”

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"360 tours are an easy way to upsell my clients on location. Plus, it only takes a few minutes to create a virtual tour on CloudPano.com."

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“ CloudPano has a crisp and clean design . Plus the platform hosts the 360 virtual tours for me, so I can create tours quickly and get back to shooting."

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I appreciate your team helping me out along the way and answering all questions that I have had so far. I am excited to continue to grow my business with the help of you and your team."

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Which 360 Camera is Best for Real Estate Virtual Tours (2023)?

If a picture speaks a thousand words, then a 360 photo is the whole book. There is no better way to visualise the internal area of any real estate than with an interactive 360 photo, and now it’s possible for anyone to shoot super-high quality 360 photos for real estate. Virtual tours are becoming an increasingly popular tool for realtors to show off their most impressive listings, but how easy is it to create these VR tours and what camera should you use?

There are now dozens of all-in-one 360 cameras that make shooting 360 photo and video extremely simple, but if you’re not familiar with the product category you may find it hard to choose the right one. Thankfully I’ve used an tested pretty much all 360 cameras and I can tell you now that you only need to choose between two.

The 360 Cameras Most Suitable for Real Estate Virtual Tours (Updated April 2023):

Best Quality: Insta360 1 Inch 360-Edition

Sharpest  Images: Ricoh Theta X

1/2 Inch Sensors | 60MP Photos | HDR auto Bracketing | Easy to Use

Cheaper Option: Trisio Lite 2

Why these cameras you ask? They each have specific features that make them excellent for taking photos and a few others that make creating virtual tours easier too. Most other 360 cameras focus heavily on video , which is great, but not really important when creating virtual tours for real estate.

In this post you’ll see example images shot with a variety of cameras; this will allow you to see the quality you can expect from them. You can also improve photo quality if you are proficient at editing.

At the end of this post you’ll see an example shot with a DSLR 360 panorama rig. DSLR panoramic rigs were traditionally how 360 photos were created prior to the all-in-one devices. These rigs are quite expensive, require a lot of shooting and editing time and need specialist software, however the quality is excellent if you get it right.

Can the all-in-one cameras like the Insta360 1 Inch 360 Edition match up to the DSRL panoramic rig in terms of quality? Probably not, but creating a virtual tour with one takes far, far less time and is do-able for anyone who knows how to work a smartphone. Let’s have a look at those comparisons between the different systems, their positives, negatives and total cost.

Insta360 1 Inch 360 Edition

Difficult: Medium

Price : $$$$

Time for Each Panorama: 15 Mins

Equipment Required: Camera, Tripod

Software Required: Adobe Lightroom, Insta360 Studio

Example 360 Photo: 

Analysis 

The Insta360 1 Inch 360 Edition is only the second all-in-one 360 camera to feature dual 1-Inch sensors, which make it far more suited to photography than other 360 cameras. Not only this, but the Insta360 can shoot DNG RAW images, features an AI photo enhancer and a workflow that’s reasonably simple to pick up.

The 1 Inch 360 Edition can shoot higher resolution 360 images than it’s closest competitor and features a touch screen for easy manual control. This is a very easy to use camera and anyone who has a modern phone should be able to master all its functions. 

To get the absolute best quality out of this camera you will need to shoot in the DNG RAW mode with HDR also activated. This will allow you to edit your images in Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop to massively improve dynamic range, colour, contrast and noise.

But if you are not keen on subscribing to those apps, then the Free Insta360 Studio is able to automatically apply these improvements with the Pureshot feature, however you won’t be able to adjust any individual settings. 

The image quality is second to none with the Insta360 1-Inch Edition and is pretty much the best you are going to get out of an all-in-one 360 camera right now. 

• High Quality 360 Photos
• Easy to Use
• Pureshot Mode
• One Inch Sensors 
• Free Software
• High Quality Video
• Can Overheat 

What about the Ricoh Theta Z1

Equipment Required: Ricoh Theta Z1 Camera, Tripod

Software Required: Adobe Lightroom

The Ricoh Theta Z1 was for a long time the perfect all in one 360 camera for shooting virtual tours. It also features two 1 inch sensors and can shoot RAW DNG allowing for greater editing potential, Ricoh have even developed a plugin for Lightroom to allow you to stitch and edit in one program. You also also have the option of automatic HDR which requires even less editing but still produces great results.

However compared to the Insta360 1 Inch 360 Edition the Theta Z1 has a poor design with no Micro-SD Card slot, no touch screen and lower resolution images. 

It’s certainly true that the Theta Z1 is powerful enough to be used to create very high quality virtual tours, and the results rival that of some DSLR’s. But the camera is fairly old now and you still have to pay a premium price. I’m still including it in this line-up as some people may prefer Ricoh products and I want to be clear that it’s still a decent option. 

• Auto HDR Mode
• One Inch Sensors Superior
• Lighroom Plugin
• Lower Resolution than Competitors
• No MicroSD Slot

Ricoh Theta X

Difficult: Easy

Price : $$$

Time for Each Panorama: 2 Mins

Equipment Required: Ricoh Theta X Camera, Tripod

Software Required: None

The Theta X is literally designed to be the perfect workhorse virtual tour camera. It lacks the higher quality sensors of the Z1 but adds so many user friendly options. The large touch screen, MicroSD slot and removable battery make this a very easy to use camera.

The Theta X can shoot very large 60MP images, the highest of any consumer 360 camera. Using the auto HDR mode results in great looking, sharp images that captures a lot of details. The smaller sensors means the images aren’t as attractive as the Z1 however the Theta X can capture more detail, which might be more important in some situations.

The Theta X has been marketed as a high quality virtual tour camera that’s as east to use as your iPhone and for the most part it achieves this.

• Highest Resolution Images
• Very User Friendly
• No Software Required
• Lots of Memory
• Smaller Sensor Size

Trisio Lite 2

Time for Each Panorama: 4 Mins

Equipment Required: Trisio Lite 2, Tripod

Software Required: Trisio App

Example 360 Photos

The Trisio Lite 2 camera is slightly different than the other camera on this list. The camera features just one lens compared to others that include two. The Trisio works by turning on its axis, shooting images as it goes along and then stitching them together automatically.

This ingenious design allows the camera to be cheaper than its competitors while retaining high quality images. The max resolution is 32MP which is enough to capture plenty of details, there is also an auto HDR mode which boosts the dynamic range of your images.

On the downside there is no option for shooting video and very limited photo options too. You won’t have much control over how your images look.

• High Resolution Images
• Cheaper Option
• No Video Mode
• Limited Options

The above options are probably the three to choose from as of 2022. Depending on your budget and why you need to shoot Virtual Tours you could happily use either of these three. For high quality VR tours for larger houses then the Z1 is still the best.

For other professions, like the construction industry for example, or real estate for smaller units, the Theta X is the best option and it’s by far the easiest to use. The budget option is the Tiriso Lite.

Other Options

Time for Each Panorama: 5 Mins

Equipment Required: QooCam 8K, Tripod

Software Required: QooCam Studio, Kandao Raw +, Photoshop/Lightroom 

The QooCam 8K is the first consumer 360 camera that can shoot 8K resolution video. While this is impressive it doesn’t help those who want to create virtual tours with 360 photos. Thankfully the QooCam is also a bit of a powerhouse when it comes to shooting photos.

The QooCam 8K can shoot DNG 8 photos with excellent results. This mode stacks 8 DNG photos together to create very high dynamic range images that look great in virtually all types of lighting. This mode will allow you to capture more detail than ever and avoid over exposed light areas.

Working with these file types can be a bit tricky and you’ll need to download a special desktop program to combine all the images together. You may also need a program like Photoshop of Lightroom for the finishing touches, but within a few minutes your 360 images should be ready for uploading to a virtual tour.

The QooCam features larger sensors than most consumer 360 cameras which allows it to capture more detail and avoid blurred images. Compared to the Theta Z1 the QooCam doesn’t match up in terms of hardware but it does have more shooting options and an easier workflow.

Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere

Equipment Required: Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere Camera, Tripod

Analysis: 

The Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere is a fairly cheap 360 camera that can shoot impressive 24 megapixel images. The camera has been widely praised for its photo taking abilities which is why it’s one of the two options for shooting real estate virtual tours. The Mi Sphere shoots 360 photos with just the tap of a button and no manual stitching is required.

The above photo was created using three separate images, shot with the bracketing mode feature on the camera. This mode forces the Mi Sphere to shoot a dark, normal and bright image, you then combine them to create an overall superior quality panorama. Unfortunately the camera itself can’t combine the images together, so you’ll need to do this manually with a program like lightroom.

The quality of the image is a downgrade from the DSLR rig and there is some blurriness in the background, but overall it does a decent job and someone who is a better editor than me could easily make this a much more dynamic image, but again this is more editing time.  For just over $200 the Mi Sphere is certainly the most cost effective way to create indoor virtual tours.

• Bracketing Option
• High Resolution Image
• Some Blurriness
• Less Dynamic
• Merging of Photos Needs External Software

DSLR Panorama Rig

Difficult: Hard

Price : $$$$$

Time for Each Panorama: 30 mins +

Equipment Required: DSLR, Wide Angel Lens, Tripod, Panoramic Tripod Head

Software Required: Adobe Lightroom, Stitching Program (PTGui) 

The quality of the image is undoubted, not to mention the brightness and colour accuracy. DLSR rigs allow you to create such high quality panoramas because the lenses are very good at capturing light and detail. You are also taking 8-10 separate photos and manually stitching them into a single one, which means there is no loss of quality.

Some drawbacks to this, apart from the large amount of time it takes, is that there can be stitching errors visible in the image. You can spot a few here if you look carefully, for example at the bottom of the door. These errors are caused when you haven’t quite lined up two images properly, most of the time they can be fixed but require you to spend more time in editing. If you have a lot of photos to take in your tour, you could find yourself spending hours editing and stitching images together.

To achieve this you’ll need to invest in some software packages, particularly a stitching program such as PTGui. This along with the price of the equipment makes this an expensive as well as time consuming way to shoot real estate virtual tours, but certainly produces the best results. For this shot I used a Samyang Fish Eye Lens , which is actually one of the cheaper fish eye lenses suitable for 360 photography.

• Highest Quality Image
• Not Overexposed or blurred
• Time Intensive
• Requires Skill to Get Right
• Tripod More Visible
• No Video Option

So which 360 camera is the best for real estate virtual tours? It depends what you want to achieve. If you need to absolute best quality then you’ll still need to use a DLSR rig. If you can sacrifice a bit of quality, then the Ricoh Theta V is an excellent option that will save you a huge amount of time. If cost is an issue then the Mi Sphere will do a decent job for a very low price.

If I had to choose, I’d pick the Ricoh Theta V as an excellent compromise between quality, time taken and price. You can get the Theta V from Amazon for around $429 and it can also shoot 4K 360 video.

No matter which camera you choose, the investment will be worth it. I’ve had countless enquiries from real estate agents asking about 360 photo, video and virtual tours and I think it’s going to become a standard part of the industry within the next few years.

See Also: How to Start a Virtual Tour Business 

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Tags: Real estate Virtual Reality

The 360 Guy

Owner of threesixtycameras.com. Writer, photographer and videographer. You can see my YouTube channel for guides of how to shoot 360 video. I've written for The Times, Digital Photography School and Sunday Express. 

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Hey 360guy, sooo looking at the Mi vs the Ricoh, im surprised to see the Mi’s spherical being softer than the Theta?

But if one want to take the next step up. whats the most impressive 1-click spherical files?

What would be the best camara for 360 videos??

I got into real estate 360 virtual tour thanks to you, since I am on the budget I was lucky to get me a Ricoh Theta S (older model) for $150.00, for pictures still good. Now i need more clients to save some bucks to get a better camera that can take 360 videos for indoor low lights and outdoor sports such as biking.

Thanks looking forward to hear from you soon.

Keep the good work.

Which program can I use to make a final virtual tour with Ricoh Theta V?

Stitch with PTGUI and upload to Kuula for simple tour!

Awesome article, thank you for taking the time. I’m getting ready to enter the real estate market in Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island and want a way to make my future clients listings really stand out. With my technical background and the affordable cost of these 360 cameras it seems like a good move. The Ricoh Theta V seems like a good bet for my needs. Do you have any better recommendations now that this article is several months old?

Hi, what about Matterport camera? What is your opinion? I am interested in buying it. Thanks

I’m looking at the Matterport samples. They allow you to travel/surf through a building or apartment to view the entire building instead of just doing a 360 view. Are the cameras you review on this post able to do the same thing? If so is it a lot more work than if I just purchased a Matterport?

The Ricoh Theta V is discontinued. It appears the SC2 has replaced it. Is the SC2 comparable to the V and would you recommend it for real estate tours?

I’m a big fan of 360 cameras for real estate tours. I’ve tried a few different models and the one I like the best is the Ricoh Theta S. It’s easy to use and has great resolution.

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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

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Moscow metro underground small-group tour.

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Key Details

• Mobile Voucher Accepted
• Free Cancellation
• Duration: 3 Hrs
• Language: English
• Departure Time : 10:00 AM
• Departure Details : Karl Marks Monument on Revolution Square, metro stop: Square of Revolution
• Return Details : Metro Smolenskaya
• If you cancel at least 4 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
• If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
• Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Go beneath the streets on this tour of the spectacular, mind-bending Moscow Metro! Be awed by architecture and spot the Propaganda , then hear soviet stories from a local in the know. Finish it all up above ground, looking up to Stalins skyscrapers, and get the inside scoop on whats gone on behind those walls.

Know More about this tour

We begin our Moscow tour beneath the city, exploring the underground palace of the Moscow Metro. From the Square of Revolution station, famous for its huge statues of soviet people (an armed soldier, a farmer with a rooster, a warrior, and more), we’ll move onto some of the most significant stations, where impressive mosaics, columns, and chandeliers will boggle your eyes! Moreover, these stations reveal a big part of soviet reality — the walls depict plenty of Propaganda , with party leaders looking down from images on the walls. Your local guide will share personal stories of his/her family from USSR times, giving you insight into Russia’s complicated past and present. Then we’re coming back up to street level, where we’ll take a break and refuel with some Russian fast food: traditional pancakes, called bliny. And then, stomachs satiated, we are ready to move forward! We’ll take the eco-friendly electric trolleybus, with a route along the Moscow Garden Ring. Used mainly by Russian babushkas(grannies) during the day, the trolleybus hits peak hours in the mornings and evenings, when many locals use it going to and from their days. Our first stop will be the Aviator’s House, one of Stalin’s Seven Sisters, followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — and you’ll hear the legends of what has gone on inside the walls. Throughout your Moscow tour, you’ll learn curious facts from soviet history while seeing how Russia exists now, 25 years after the USSR.

Local English-speaking guide

Pancake snack and drink

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Tips and gratuities for the guide

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Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Dress standard: Please wear comfortable shoes for walking. For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people

Traveler Reviews

This tour exceeded our expectations. Nikolai (Nick), our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, thorough, and has a great personality. He didn't take shortcuts and really covered everything that was on the agenda in great detail. We saw beautiful metro stations and learned the history behind them, including many of the murals and designs.

We did the tour with Anna her knowledge and understanding of the History surrounding the metro brought the tour alive. Well done Anna!

This tour was amazing!

Anna was a great tour guide. She gave us heaps of interesting information, was very friendly, and very kindly showed us how to get to our next tour.

Amazing beauty and history.

An excellent tour helped by an absolutely amazing guide. Anna gave a great insight into the history of the metro helped by additional material she had prepared.

great tour and guide - thanks again

great will do it again, Miriam ke was very good as a guide she has lived here all here life so knew every interesting detail.a good day

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For many commuters around the world, a subway journey means speeding from one drab station to the next, surrounded by too many uncomfortable, impatient bodies. Completely different story was in USSR and now in Russia. In Moscow, St Petersburg, Kiev and other big cities metro stations were designed as architectural wonders. Taking the subway is akin to walking through a national heritage sit.

Depending on where you get off, you'll receive a crash course in such diverse architectural movements as Baroque, Art Deco, Futurism, Modern or Hi-tech, and face from stained glass windows, marble columns, crystal chandeliers, gilded mosaics and painted scenes from Russian history to modern iron and glass.

Russia's first metro system was part of Joseph Stalin's first Five-Year Plan to rapidly industrialize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The main idea was to show its citizens and the world the power and possibilities of socially oriented state. All this magnificent underground palaces were build as a transport system for the ordinary people.

Now Moscow Metro is the busiest metro system outside of Asia, the world’s busiest by daily ridership and the 6th longest in the world (200 stations, route length is more than 350 km).

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Overview and HistoryMoscow takes its name from the Moskva river, where Slavic settlements began around 500AD. They adopted Christianity from the Byzantine Empire in 988 A.D., and it would last as the national religion for a thousand years.By the 15th cent. Moscow had become the capitol of the Russian state under the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which had been busily assimilating smaller feudal territories while battling the Golden Horde of Mongols. The city was raided and burnt down by the Tatar-Mongols at least three times.Consolidation of many smaller territories under Moscow's power set the stage for Ivan III to adopt the title of "Ruler of all of Russia." His son Ivan IV, or "Ivan the Terrible", become the first crowned Tsar of Russia.The succession of Tsars lasted from Ivan IV until Peter the Great, who proclaimed the Russian Empire in 1721, with St. Petersburg for its capitol.The Russian Empire survived the "Times of Troubles" which saw chaos, invasion and several uprisings of the people. Napolean Bonaparte came within 25 miles of capturing Moscow during his disastrous invasion of 1812, but was turned back after thousands of his starving troops were ambushed and killed by peasant guerilla fighters.By the beginning of the 20th Century, Moscow was capitol, this time of the largest country in the world.The Industrial Revolution came later to Russia than to Western Europe, partly due to Russia's institute of serfdom which kept peasants bound to the land. Soon enough however, the emergence of the Socialist political movement was loudly advocating total revolution, and by 1917 the Soviet Union replaced the Tsar and his autocratic rule. This began the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), which lasted until 1991.After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow continues to be the capital of Russia, or the Russian Federation as it is now known. It is still the largest single country in the world. People and CultureMoscow is in the grips of a western renovation, with consumerism and ostentatious displays of wealth parading everywhere. As of 2008 it is the city with the most expensive cost of living in the world, home of the most billionaires, as well as being the largest city in Europe. Getting ThereMoscow is laid out in five major sections in concentric pattern, with the Kremlin smack in the middle. The Kremlin is the administrative seat of power, and its name means "fortress." Its walls delineate the 15th century boundaries of the city. TransportationYou can find information about getting to and from the airports here . Click here for some great tips about the fantastic metro system Here is some more useful overview stuff about the metro, trams, trolleys etc. Things to doThere are many galleries and museums in moscow but here are two favorites:First is Modern Art Museum . and second is Winzavod - it means wine factoryIn addition to these, you can visit the Museum of Geology, Museum of Aviation and Astronautics, Museum of History of Moscow.For art lovers, try the State Tretiyakovskaya Gallerry - with a huge collection of Russian art and icons - one of the most famous russian museum after the State Hermitage in St.Petersburg.There's also a beautiful Zoo, comparing to others in russia.. As for restaurants and clubs there's nice cafe just near the red squre - F.A.Q. Cafe - if you can read russian.There's an old good club 'Propaganda' - it's almost 10 years but still one of the best places to go out every night! Others which are not bad are:  Ikra Solyanka Fabrique RecommendationsWhat to look for in general: Red Square, the Kremlin, the Lenin Mausoleum, the Cathedral of St. Basil, and Bely Gorod which is a shopping district.One more beautiful old place to see in Moscow is - Novodevichiy monastery (was built in 1524 and Ivan IV became a czar there).A good place to visit for outdoor activities is also Vorob'evi Gori (hills) - it's kind of recreation zone on the moskva river with a park and Moscow state university's main huge soviet building on the top.Another thing you can do is go for a walk down Old Arbat, a pedestrian street with ethnic flavour of Soviet times and buildings from the time of the Russian Empire.Text by Steve Smith.