Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How do I prepare for my Virtual Tour?
Answer:  Ask us about our Tour Preparation Tips Sheet or just see the last item on this page.  We will be happy to email or fax to you upon request.   

Question: What is a Virtual Tour?
Answer:  OUR answer is that a virtual tour is a series of up to 12 photographs seamlessly stitched together to present a up to 360° rotating image. This image will turn around at a speed you can control to see every aspect of the room. All of the images combined give a true, accurate image for viewers to feel the illusion as if they are present in the area.   The rest of the Virtual Tour industry does not always agree with us on our definition. Some of them will sell you a slide show solution as a virtual tour.

Question: Are tours expensive?
Answer: No,  360° tours are a very economic way of advertising and/or selling yor property.  Instead of a week in the newspaper, they are online for an entire year, viewed more frequently and are less expensive than a listing in a newspaper.  360° tours are the best way of marketing your property in this century!

Question: How long does it take for a virtual tour to be shot?
Answer: All properties are different so it depends upon the size of the site.  Other factors that can effect the time are whether the property is vacant or occupied and if it was photo ready upon arrival.  One last thing that can take extra time, as harsh as it might sound, is a friendly or concerned owner or Realtor.  The fastest way to get through it is to just let the photographer go through and shoot the property.  It takes two trips through the property, one for the stills and one for the panoramic shots.

Question: How long after I call can I have the tour photographed?
Answer: We can usually set-up a tour for you to be shot within 24-48 hours.  Although this is not a guarantee due to the multitude of requests that we receive daily.  We do our best to coordinate the most appropriate time for you.  Another factor to consider is the weather.  We want to show the property literally, in the best light possible and to it's greatest advantage. 

Question: How quickly will my tours be online?
Answer: Virtual Tours are typically processed within 24 hours of being photographed. There may be a delay if your tour is shot over a weekend. 

Question: When is payment due?
Answer: Payment is due upon completion and delivery of the tour.  We are currently accepting payment by check or money order.  In the near future, we may be set-up for payment through Pay Pal but do not feel that we have the security necessary for credit card processing at this time.  We reserve the right to instantly eliminate online tours if a check does not clear.

Question: Will you upload my tour for me?
Answer: Yes.  We will upload your tour to MRIS free of charge. We will also supply links to your tour, in case you would like to place them on your personal website or send them to clients.

Question: What is your cancellation policy?
Answer: BWVT must be notified by phone 24 hours in advance.  Any cancellation with less than 24 hours notice, will be charged a fee of $50.

Question: Do you have a refund policy?
Answer: Yes, we are so confident that your property will sell within 180 days we  will offer a 100% money back guarantee. Your property must be listed with Realtor.com and must remain actively hosted within the 180 day period.  Any change of agents or a decision not to sell voids the guarantee.  If your property does not sell within the 180 days you may choose to waive your refund and we will continue hosting your online virtual tour until it does!  Refund is only offered to Residential or Commercial Real Estate properties for sale and does not apply to commercial advertising.

Question: Are your tours MLS compliant?
Answer: Yes. We offer multiple viewing formats for each virtual tour. The different formats are viewable by clicking on unique links that we can provide. Each type of tour has a varying degree of feature restriction so as to allow you to use the tour with the most features while still meeting the requirements of your local MLS.

Question: When will my virtual tours expire?
Answer: Your virtual tours will each expire after a 12 months period of time. Each virtual tour can be renewed on an annual basis.

Question: How many scenes can be included in each tour?
Answer: The tour window supports 30 scenes in any combination of full 360, partial 360 or still images. The number of scenes included will depend upon the package you selected.   It is possible to exceed the 30 scene limit for an extra charge.

Question: Can I change the skin and text colors of my tour windows?
Answer: Yes, you can leave it up to us or choose any color you wish for the skin and text colors of your tour windows.  We can also match the colors of your tour window to the colors of your logo and/or website.  Please tell us before we put the tour together if this is what you would like to do.

Question: If I change my company or contact information, do I have to recreate my tours?
Answer: No. If you change your contact information, you simply need to let us know and we will update the changes in your online profile. All of your tours will automatically update and the existing links to the tours will remain the same.

Question: Is there an additional charge for the setup of real estate tour templates/skins by your logo staff?
Answer: There is no additional charge for the setup of real estate tour templates or skins.

Question: How much does an audio narrative clip cost?
Answer: Free streaming audio clips are available. Pricing for professional audio narration on a virtual tour varies by length.

Question: Can I place a link to school reports and city information on my tours?
Answer: Yes. You can have both a link to school reports as well as a link to city information on each of your tours.

Question: Can I place a link to a map of the property location on my tours?
Answer: Yes. A link to a map of the property is automatically generated as well as a link to a satelite view of the neighborhood. 

Question: Can I place a floor plan on my tour?
Answer: Yes. You can add a floor plan image as a separate feature button below the view screen on the tour window or you can include a floor plan as one of your images within the view screen on the tour window.

Question: Can I place a printable flyer on my tour?
Answer: Yes. If you have your own flyer, you can e-mail it to us and we can attach it to the tour for you or for additional price we will customize one of our templates for you.

Question: Where do you link the tours out to?
Answer: We will supply you with the links to your virtual tours so that you can place them onto your website and Realtor websites. If the virtual tour is a real estate tour, it is automatically sent to Homes.com, Homeseekers.com at no additional charge as long as the MLS sends their listings to those sites. PicturePath is available for an additional fee which pushes the virtual tour to Realtor.com, Homestore.com, Aol.com, and MSN.com.

Question: What is the charge to post tours to Realtor.com using PicturePath™?
Answer: We use a virtual tour technology that is an approved PicturePath™ member of Homestore, Inc the operator of Realtor.com. This means that we are authorized to send virtual tours from our servers to the following websites: www.realtor.com, www.homestore.com, www.msn.com. Homestore, Inc applies a charge for each tour sent to the sites listed above. We pass on this charge to you. The cost is $29.00.  All companies that post virtual tours to the Homestore network of sites are charged to do so. Companies that are not an approved PicturePath™ member are unauthorized to send virtual tours to the Homestore network of sites. We can also send your tours to www.homeseekers.com and www.homes.com at no charge to you.

Tour Preparation Tips

• Prior to our arrival, please move vehicles from the driveway and/or in front of the home.
• Please put away trash cans, garden hoses and children’s toys. (Try to schedule the shoot on a day when trash and/or recyclables are not being picked up)
• Landscaping: Grass should be mowed and hedges trimmed, fresh annuals according to the season are a plus.
• Please remove the For Sale sign. Displaying the sign in the MLS is not IDX compliant.

• Anything in the property that you would not like to see should be placed out of view, a closet or a room that will not be included in the tour.
• Kitchens- Clear the counters, refrigerator, sink, or island of anything that does not allow the viewer to see the details of the kitchen.  Limit the counter top to the essentials, microwave and coffee maker at the most. All other personal items, utensils and trash cans should be cleared from view.
• Decorations that contribute to the character of the room may remain in the kitchen or any other rooms but the overall appearance should be clean and uncluttered and should not take the room to far into a specific style. Remember you are trying to appeal to a majority of buyers.
• Please place all toilet lids down.
• Pet dishes, bowls, toys, litter boxes, crates and bedding should be put away. While we are a country that generally likes pets, people don’t want to think that they will have to clean up any offending odors, fleas or fur left behind before they move in. Just seeing a pet bowl in a photo can make a buyer apprehensive about seeing your property in person.
• Shower curtains should be closed unless the inside shows character or brand new upgraded tiles and fixtures.
• Everything in the house should be scrupulously clean and uncluttered. The camera will pick up every detail, so it is important to make sure that it is not giving the wrong impression.

• Turn all inside lights on and open all window blinds and/or curtains.   The lights will help give the room a nice warm glow and will help balance out the light from the windows.
• Move anything that could block the view of the room.
• Please make all beds of all bedrooms that you would like to be captured.
• Open doors between rooms to give an open feeling. If you have a certain room that is not included in to the tour, you may want to choose to close this door. Please put a note on the door or tell the photographer not to photograph this area/room.