Click on the questions below to see the answers.

1. Does Tour Now create the tours for me?
2. What do I need to get started?
3. What is included with a Tour Now virtual tour?
4. How long will you host my Tour Now virtual tour?
5. Can I have full 360° images in my Tour Now tours?
6. I've noticed many of the images in your examples move. Were these taken with a video camera?
7. How do I create panoramic images?
8. How many images can I have in one tour?
9. What if I need help?
10. What type of digital camera can I use?
11. How long does it normally take to create a tour?
12. How does my Agent Photo get placed on my tours?
13. Is my tour posted to my site or to the Tour Now Network?
14. Can I link my tours to REALTOR.com*?
15. How can I customize my tours so that they match my brokerage image?
16. What's the catch? Why are your tours so affordable?
17. What's the big deal about Virtual Tours? Why are they important?

1. Does Tour Now create the tours for me?
No. Tour Now provides a system that makes it easy for you to construct tours yourself. If you can take pictures and type, you'll be able to create tours in minutes. With Tour Now, you call the shots, and the tours cost significantly less. Creating Virtual Tours is very easy. Click here to learn how.




2. What do I need to get started?
You will need any computer with any 4.0 or higher web browser. Also, you will need any Digital Camera, or a regular camera and scanner. In order to create panoramic images for your tours (which is completely optional), you will also need image stitching software. We recommend PhotoVista by MGI. It's extremely quick and easy to use, and can be purchased for under $50. When you create an account with Tour Now, you will be given a 30 day free trial of the software. If you decide to purchase it, you can buy it from us directly. To access your Tour Now control panel and start creating tours, you will need a login name and password, which you can get for free by clicking here.




3. What is included with a Tour Now virtual tour?
A whole lot is included. Click here for a complete list of features.




4. How long will you host my Tour Now virtual tour?
Up to 6 months without interruption. After 6 months, you can either delete the tour, or pay $9 to extend your time another 6 months. You will be reminded via e-mail when your tour is about to expire. If you accidentally let your tour expire, there is a 30-day holding period during which time your tour will be inactive, but will not be deleted. During this time, you may pay to have the time extended, and the tour reactivated, or you may delete the tour. After this 30-day holding period, all untouched tours will be deleted.





5. Can I have full 360° images in my Tour Now tour?
Yes. Click here to see a virtual tour that incorporates static, wide-angle, and 360° panoramic shots.




6. I've noticed many of the images in your examples move. Were these taken with a video camera?
No. All of the images were taken with a regular still digital camera. The wide pictures are stitched together, and our tour viewer system scrolls over the picture making it appear as if it's a movie. However, the still image is much clearer, downloads much faster, and is much easier to create than an actual movie file. Click here to see how these "moving" pictures are created.





7. How do I create panoramic images?
Click here for a complete explanation with screenshots.




8. How many images can I have in one tour?
Unlimited.




9. What if I need help?
Tour Now was built for the Internet novice, so every button and feature is clearly labeled with directions. Still, if you get lost, there are two ways to go. First, we have designed a "Quick Help" system, which can be accessed by clicking the help button in the top right corner of the Tour Now control panel. This system will automatically load detailed information and instructions about the features you were using when you clicked the help button. If this information doesn't get you back on the right track, there is a button on the bottom right of the screen that will put you in touch with a customer service representative, who will be able to answer your question quickly and effectively. Click here for details on our ease of use and customer service.




10. What type of digital camera can I use?
Any digital camera (or scanner) can be used. Purchasing an expensive, fancy digital camera with lots of features is not in any way necessary.




11. How long does it normally take to create a tour?
Typically 30 minutes or less, not including taking the photos or traveling to the property site. Creating tours is very simple. Click here to learn how.




12. How does my Agent Photo get placed on my tours?
You can use your digital camera or scanner to create a digital picture of yourself. Then, Tour Now's built-in system software can resize and crop your photo for you automatically.

If you have a hard copy of a professional photo you've had prepared, and would prefer that we place it on your tours, simply mail it to us at the following address:

The Tour Now Network
P.O. Box 4071
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Please allow us a week to process this request. When sending your picture, please write your login name on the back. For added account security, we also ask that you send us an e-mail at photos@tournow.net to affirm your request.




13. Is my tour posted to my site or to the Tour Now Network?
Technically, the tour is posted on the Tour Now Network servers. However, the tours are linked directly to your site, and they appear to be hosted on your site as well. You can either link to the tours individually (click here for an actual example), or you can use our dynamic inventory list that provides an updated list of tours to your website automatically (click here for an actual example).




14. Can I link my tours to REALTOR.com*?
YES, if you have an agent i-LEAD* account with REALTOR.com*. Click here for explicit linking instructions.




15. How can I customize my tours so that they match my brokerage image?
One of the big features that separates the Tour Now Network from the rest of the virtual tour alternatives is the ability to completely customize the look and feel of your tour viewer. We offer two options for the professional interested in this custom look:

The Basic Tour: For no additional charge, you can have access to our basic tour options. There are 30 different tour designs that are included free with the Tour Now system. Each tour is further customized with your agent photo, your contact information, and your name both in the viewer and in the title bar. All customizing is menu driven, so anyone can do it, and you can change the design of your tours as many times as you like at no cost. Experiment with the system, and find the style that suits you best.

The Custom Tour: For $99, we will have our digital image designers consult with you on the phone, utilize your logo, colors, custom images and anything else you chose, to create a tour viewer that is entirely your own. This is a one time investment, and the custom design can be applied to all of the tours you create with the Tour Now system.

Learn more about both options, and view some examples by clicking here.




16. What's the catch? Why are your tours so affordable?
We are not a large corporation; we are a small, Limited Liability Company. We do not have thousands of stockholders to answer to, only a very few, hardworking partners that care deeply about the business and about helping people. From the beginning, the mission of our company has been to create affordable solutions that can actually make a difference. We make our systems affordable, because we want everyone to use and enjoy them. Our ultimate goal is to make Virtual Tours and Internet marketing a reality for every home sold in America, and we believe that keeping the prices low helps convince people to give us a try. Using Tour Now to create Virtual Tours is completely risk-free. Click here to open a Tour Now account today.




17. What's the big deal about Virtual Tours? Why are they so important?
Using Tour Now Virtual Tours can help you make sales faster, generate more listings and leads, and improve customer satisfaction.


Working with Sellers:

• Customers interested in listing their home typically look for the Real Estate professional who does the most to generate leads. Telling a prospective client that you will have a virtual tour of their property created by the end of the day is a powerful incentive to list with you.
  
• Including a virtual tour with every listing shows potential clients that you go above and beyond your competitors that only post 'front of house' photos on their websites.
  
• E-mailing a new seller a virtual tour of their property increases customer satisfaction.
  
  

Virtual Tour Uses - Working with Buyers:

• Online listings with Virtual Tours are viewed more than those without (Blanche Evans, Realty Times, May 1, 2001), so failure to use virtual tours causes fewer eyes to see your listings, and generates less leads.
  
• Clients relocating from out of town do a good deal of online research before traveling to view homes in a new area. Creating and sending a virtual tour of your community to these valuable prospects, can help entice them to become your customers.
  
• To keep your listings fresh in their minds, prospects engaging in advance house-hunting trips can be e-mailed virtual tours of the homes you've shown them.
  
  

Internet Home Buying Statistics:

• Nearly four in 10 U.S. homebuyers used the Internet last year to shop for a house, an 18-fold increase in four years. And 37% of last year's surveyed homebuyers used the Internet to facilitate homebuying. (National Association of Realtors' 2000 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers)
  
• Two-thirds of homebuyers expect to use the Internet in their next home purchase (2000 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Survey)
  
• Jupiter Research estimates that 50% of homebuyers used the Internet for research during the home buying process in 2000. The research organization anticipates that 80% of homebuyers and renters will use the Internet as a search tool by 2005.
  

With the Tour Now Network, creating impressive Virtual Tours that help you better communicate with both current and prospective clients is quicker, easier, and more affordable than ever!

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