Common Questions

• What are Virtual Tours?
• What happens after I place an order?
• How is my Virtual Tour delivered?
• What is a Web Tour?
• What is an EGallery Tour?
• How do I add my virtual tour to my MLS listing?
• How do I add my virtual tour to other websites?
• What is the difference between the iPIX Technology and the Panoramic Technology?
• Are plug-ins required to view a hometour?
• Do I need to own a digital Camera?
• I have 20 listings can I get a discount?
• Why can't I see out the windows in some of the rooms of the house?

What are virtual tours?

A hometour360°™ Tour, or virtual tour, is a set of images of a particular property that are linked together. Each image is generally of a different location on the property and they are put together in a set to provide an overview of the property to a prospective buyer. Tours can be standalone EGallery tours, that provide contact information and a photo of the listing agent, and are viewable on most current Windows-based PCs, or HTML-based tours that are viewable on the Web.

If you are a first time client, a representative from the office will call you, within 24 hours, to confirm your order and obtain your billing information. After your order is confirmed a photographer will call you, by the end of that business day, to schedule your photo shoot.

When your virtual tour is completed, you will receive an email message from us, with the subject line: Virtual Tour Completed. This message contains a hyperlink to your virtual tour. Click on it to view your tour and copy/paste this link to place your tour into online weblistings. See this page for more details about placing the tour on the mls website and your other websites.

A Web Tour is a virtual tour saved as a series of Web pages. Let's say that you receive your virtual tour as a Web Tour and as an hometour360°™ EGallery. The Web tour contains the same information and pictures as the EGallery virtual tour, except the file is viewed in a Web browser. Web Tours use the iPIX Java Viewer, and require a Web browser capable of using Java, like Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer.

iPIX hometour360°™ EGalleries are virtual tours, or linked series of iPIX images, that do not require external viewing software. The viewer is built into the EGallery, making these virtual tours a convenient means for distributing tours by email or on floppy disks. hometour360°™ EGalleries have many features, including image rotation controls and multiple image capabilities. EGalleries can include the agent's picture and contact information with one or more locations. You can send an entire virtual tour of a property as a single email attachment.

When you receive your completed virtual tour email your tour has already been placed realtor.com, and if applicable, your company website. Most realtor websites have a the option to add a virtual tour. Look for it under revise, update, or add property listings. Often it is an option within Add/Update Photos, Photo Gallery or Virtual Tour. Call us, if you need help,and we will do our best to guide you over the phone.

iPIX - Is immersive technology that provides a complete, 360°x360° view with the ability for the viewer to pan up and down, as well as right and left to view an entire room in an immersive experience.

No. A hometour360°™ uses a small program called an "applet". This applet is sent to your computer when you view the Web page that contains it. Fom there, the applet retrieves the tour you want to view and takes just a few seconds to display. Our tours are compatible with any Windows 95, 98, or NT system, using Internet Explorer version 3.0+ and Netscape version 3.0+ (must have Java-enabled). Also on Macintosh systems running OS 8.1 or later, with Apple Macintosh Runtime for Java (MRJ) version 2.0 or later.

That is okay. With our service we provide a professional photographer with a hi-resolution digital camera. We will take care of capturing, creating, and web hosting of your virtual tour.

Yes you can!! You can prepay your virtual tours and get a discount. For more information call Cheri Westphal in the sales department at 206-870-0968 or email at sales@nwpimaging.com.

Our cameras adjust to the indoor light in a given room rather than the bright light coming through a window. That produces the best possible indoor shot. For an additional fee, one scene, or the entire tour, can be digitally enhanced to show more detail out of the windows. Let us know either before, or at the time of your service, so your photographer can take the appropriate shoots.