Best Virtual Tour Software

11 Best Virtual Tour Software for Real Estate Business

Integration with information technology in all industries in 2020 is not optional. With millions of people doing their shopping online before they ever step out of the house, it is imperative that all businesses provide as much information as possible about themselves, their products, their business ethics as well as their dedication to their clients. There is no exception when it comes to the real estate industry.

It can be quite a challenge to get a customer to invest in a property which is still in its planning stages. Similarly, it is quite a task to get a client to view several properties in different locations in one day. This is where virtual reality comes in to make things considerably easier.

Virtual tour software allows you to create an accurate, 360-degree representation of all spaces and features of the property. This visual digital representation allows clients to interact with the information through a specially designed headset.

Basic real estate virtual tour software should have the following features.

  • Comes with customizable virtual tour templates
  • Allows image import in different formats
  • Allows the client to zoom, rotate or move in varying directions
  • Allows the real estate agent to brand and personalize the virtual tour

While it is easy to just take any virtual tour software, it is advisable to go for real estate virtual tour software. This is because the latter is specifically designed for real estate. Additionally, it integrates other tools for such tasks as photo editing, marketing and CRM for lead management.

Here are some of the Best Virtual Tour Software in the market today.


1. My360

If you are looking for intuitive, competitively priced virtual tour software that is purposely designed for the real estate industry, you can consider My360 by Plush Global Media. This software is time-efficient, easy to use and it comes with a wide range of inbuilt features.

My360 - Best Virtual Tour Software

The tours you create with My360 can be shared on various portals, MLS sites and social media platforms. Additionally, they can be used as email marketing content or embedded on your business website.

My360 can be used by professionals such as estate agents and dealerships. Additionally, interior designers, photographers and architects can make use of this software to give clients a feel of their products and services. Each group of professionals can get custom features that suit their operations.

How Much Does My360 Cost?

My360 pricing plan is dependent on what you intend to use it for. This is because it is individually customized for each profession. Each plan comes with a 14 days free trial and is billed monthly. Here are the pricing plans, which are available in multiple currency options – US dollars, Euros and Pounds).

  • Real estate version costs $45 monthly
  • The photographers’ version costs $59 per month
  • The interior designers and architects version goes for $45 monthly
  • The dealership version costs $45 per month

You do not need to share any payment details to start your 14 days free trial. All plans come with round the clock live support and a variety of customized features.

Key Features:

Regular features are dependent on the plan you choose. Some of the features that are common across the board include the following.

  • My360 does not need special gear – any 3600 camera will be perfect
  • The software works with any image as long as it is in JPEG or JPG format in 2:1 dimension
  • You can drag and drop to create your virtual tour
  • You can customize the tours, add business logo and insert links
  • You can insert a live chatbox
  • The tours you create can be used on property portals or social platforms
  • You can add audio files or voice over to the virtual tour
  • The software allows scene navigation and panoramas
  • You can add maps and floor plans to the virtual tour
  • It offers conversion tracking

Cons:

  • You need to be thoroughly acquainted with the software before you can create exemplary virtual tours
  • The price is the same regardless of the number of tours generated, which doesn’t work for someone who only needs a few virtual tours in a month

2. LiveTour

LiveTour is designed by iStaging as virtual reality software that real estate industry players can use to create 360-degree visual representations of spaces they have on offer. With LiveTour, you do not need to be tech-savvy or have expensive, high-end devices. All you need is a smartphone that is compatible with the software.

LiveTour - Best Virtual Tour Software

The software uses the smartphone to capture wide span views with spherical views. These are used to create extremely detailed virtual tours of the property, making the viewer feel like they are touring the spaces in person.

LiveTour can be used to create virtual tours of museums, art galleries, hotels and event venues. Photographers, retailers, estate agents, event organizers, hoteliers and interior designers can use LiveTour to allow prospective clients to interact with the spaces as if in person.

How Much Does LiveTour Cost?

LiveTour comes in 3 main pricing plans.

  • You can pay $5 monthly for a free membership and 3 live tours. Additional tour are charged at $2.5 each
  • You can pay $219 per year for 10 live tours
  • You can pay $489 per year for 25 live tours

If you would like custom features for your business, you can always submit your request to iStaging. This is especially useful for businesses with large teams.

If you are not sure you have the right equipment or device to get excellent virtual tours, you can always purchase the iStaging kit at $50.

Key Features:

  • It is affordable and easy to use to create, edit and publish virtual tours
  • All LiveTour packages come with VR editor & marker and 360-degree camera import
  • The business gets the chance to custom brand virtual tours, include a floor plan, and incorporate Google street view in the virtual tour
  • You do not need special equipment to work with LiveTour, but you can buy the kit for $50
  • Allows businesses to manage teams and tours
  • The LiveTour dashboard provides essential analytics for lead management
  • The software offers property database and listing management to estate agents
  • The software comes with a variety of helpful tools such as drag & drop, social media integration, voice-overs or audios, and cross-device publishing

Cons:

  • The software compresses images. Therefore, you need a good 360 camera so as to get good images for the virtual tour
  • You need to keep paying for the software to keep tours online. Choosing a cheaper plan or the free plan will keep very few tours online

3. Matterport

If you are looking for immersive 3D virtual property tours, Matterport is one of your best bets. Matterport gives clients an inside view of the property as you navigate through. Additionally, if preferred, you get a dollhouse view of the property’s spaces and see the bigger picture of how everything comes together.

Matterport - Best Virtual Tour Software

Matterport gives interactive 3D virtual tours of properties using VR headsets. The client gets to see detailed views of the property including the floor plans, grounds and street views. If you would like to give the clients more details about the spaces or properties, you can include menus, price lists and brochures to the information tags.

How Much Does Matterport Cost?

There are 6 broad Matterport pricing plans. There are additional charges that come with using Matterport other than the usual subscription costs. These costs include processing (converting images to 3D tours) fees and other add-ons such as floor plans and street views.

  • The Free Plan allows you to host only one space
  • The Starter Plan allows 5 hosted spaces for $9.99 monthly
  • The Basic Plan costs $49 monthly for 100 hosted spaces, with $57 monthly processing credit value
  • The Professional Plan costs $99 per month for 200 spaces and $133 monthly processing credit value
  • The Business Plan goes for $149 per month for 300 spaces with $290 monthly processing credit value
  • The Enterprise Plan is available for businesses that need custom solutions

The processing charges, which refer to the process of changing uploads into immersive 3D virtual property tours, are dependent on the camera used to capture the scans. The processing fees are as follows.

  • For standard spaces, it costs between $19 and $29 for up to 100 spaces
  • For larger spaces, you’ll pay between $38 and $58 for more than 100 scans

Add-ons are charged separately. If you want to incorporate any of the following add-ons, here are their charges.

  • Schematic floor plans cost $14.99 per plan, and this is not available in free or starter plan
  • Additional hosting blocks cost $19 per month per block, available in all plans except starter and free plans
  • Google street view is not available in the free plan but is available in the starter plan at $19.99 per space and $14.99 in all other plans

You are allowed very limited Google street view edits for each space.

Key Features:

  • The software shows accurate measurements
  • Matterport gives high-quality images and virtual tours
  • The interface is easy to use, just scan the property and upload the image, you’ll get a 3D model
  • Matterport software allows you to customize your 3D models to suit your preferences
  • All your virtual tours will be available online and they’ll be hosted on Matterport’s cloud account
  • The software allows you to measure all aspects of the property such as furniture, windows, and doors among others
  • You get automatically generated HD images when using Pro2 camera
  • You can auto-generate virtual tours that highlight specific attributes of the property
  • Matterpak is a group of tools that allow you to integrate 3rd party programs
  • Mattertags embed media and annotations that highlight the property’s key features

Cons:

  • All the data you capture after you purchase the Matterport camera is owned by Matterport and you have to keep paying premiums monthly to access and use it
  • You cannot download any file. All are stored in Matterport servers, and you pay monthly for the hosting
  • The prices for equipment, hosting and additional services are high

4. Kuula

This is one of the most famous virtual tour platforms of this time. It offers a range of features that allow professionals to make 360-degree virtual tours of the property. Tools such as drag and drop and social media integration make it easy for real estate businesses to interact with their clients.

Kuula - Best Virtual Tour Software

Kuula works well with mobile devices and a host of other platforms.  It takes DSLR photos or images from any 360-degree camera to create a panoramic virtual tour. It is easy to use and comes with a variety of customization options.

How Much Does Kuula Cost?

Kuula is available in 3 broad pricing plans.

  • The Basic Plan is free of charge and allows up to 100 public uploads monthly
  • The Pro Plan costs $12 monthly for unlimited tours and custom branding with no ads
  • The Business Plan costs $36 per month for everything Pro in addition to enhanced privacy and detailed analytics

Kuula also sells cameras to those without, and are on discount to those with paid plans.

Key Features:

  • It is budget-friendly which is perfect for startups and small businesses
  • It is easy to use and comes with a drag and drop feature
  • You can add links, texts and background audio to tours
  • It offers social media integration and tools to share and embed the tours
  • The software comes with tools such as virtual tour editor, maps, floor plans and voice-overs
  • You get to create customized private tours for your premium clients
  • The software offers a host of custom branding opportunities
  • The software gives detailed analytics and whitelisted social posting

Cons:

  • While this does not happen often, sometimes uploaded images are not saved

5. EyeSpy 360

If you are looking for self-service virtual tour building software, you can consider EyeSpy 360. It is easy to use; just capture panoramic images of the property and all the spaces, upload and you’ll get your 360-degree virtual tour file.

EyeSpy - Best Virtual Tour Software

The virtual tour files can be shared on multiple platforms online. Your clients can easily access these virtual tours via any mobile device. The best thing about the software is that it is interactive; you can add a video chatting and voice narration to the virtual tour.

How Much Does EyeSpy 360 Cost?

EyeSpy 360 pricing strategy is simple. A 3D virtual tour with floor plan costs $15 for up to 360 photos and an extra $1 for any additional 360 photos. This is in addition to a $19.99 monthly subscription for each user. The price gives you access to all features as well as unlimited hosting.

Key Features:

  • It is easy to use EyeSpy 360; just upload photos and you’ll get your virtual tour videos
  • It is affordable and hence suitable for businesses with smaller budgets
  • You can create 3D models and floor plans of the properties you want to showcase
  • Easy to use VR tour editor that is compatible with mobile OS
  • The software is intuitive and facilitates very fast uploads
  • The software allows social media integrations and VR tours can be shared on email
  • All virtual tours by EyeSpy 360 can be viewed via Google Cardboard VR headsets
  • You can create interactive narrated virtual tours
  • You can add information labels in the form of videos, text, images or Google Street view
  • Virtual tour videos can be custom branded
  • You get detailed analytics of the VR tour viewers

Cons:

  • Lacks 3rd party feature interactions
  • You need to take some time to learn how to link the photos to create a seamless virtual tour

6. 3D Vista’s Virtual Tour Suite

Virtual Tour software by 3D Vista is professional-grade and is available in Pro and Standard versions. The standard version is designed to help beginners with their virtual tour building. Professionals who are looking for a tool to create virtual tours can use the Pro version.

3d Vista - Best Virtual Tour Software

The software uses 360-degree videos and panorama photos to create VR tours. It also allows you to embed voice narrations, photos, videos, music and floor plans. Additionally, you can customize the frames to suit each client’s needs.

Virtual Tour Suite software has a free version that you can download and install in your PC. The resultant VR tours are compatible with a range of tools such as the CAD’s 3D walkthroughs and VR gadgets.

How much does 3D Vista’s Virtual Tour Suite Cost?

You can buy the Pro version with a one-time fee of 499€. Once you make the purchase, you are free to create unlimited interactive 360 degrees VR tours. The software comes with free optional 3D Vista hosting for 3 months which normally costs 30€. The package also comes with free Stitcher 4 which costs 99€.

Key Features:

  • Clean, intuitive interface
  • Animated panorama feature allows you to insert a narrator and the viewer has the option of making them move or talk at will
  • The software hotspots allow viewers to click on any part in the tour for more in-depth information
  • Live panoramas give a 360-degree interactive time-lapse video that shows the spaces in different conditions such as lighting
  • The animated transition feature ensures smooth, natural movement
  • You can use CAD-created files to generate VR tours with this software
  • The software has pre-set frames that you can customize
  • You can incorporate floor plans with hotspots that your audience can click for quick access to areas that appeal to them
  • Virtual tours can have maps and a compass
  • You can embed media from external sources such as Google Maps and YouTube. You can also embed booking systems to your virtual tour
  • To ensure privacy and security, you can protect then VR tours with a password
  • 3D Vista offers optional personal cloud hosting

Cons:

  • It is not the easiest software to navigate especially for newbies though it’s great for professionals
  • The software doesn’t have enough tutorials

7. Klapty

Klapty is a free online tool that you can use to create 360-degree virtual tours of various spaces. The software makes it possible for you to create the tours you need as well as share them out or embed them as desired.

Klapty - Best Virtual Tour Software

Klapty has a robust network of professionals to whom you can reach out if you need any assistance. While the software is easy to use, you can hire a photographer to help you with quality shots that will be used to create the virtual tour.

How much does Klapty Cost?

Klapty is free for life. Sign up and create all the tours you want and share them out with your prospective clients.

Key Features:

  • Klapty is free and easy to use, making it perfect for businesses with small budgets
  • The software has social media integrations for sharing
  • Simply log in and start creating 360-degree virtual tours
  • The 360-degree virtual tours are accessible on mobile devices
  • The software allows you to create unlimited VR tours
  • Klapty sells equipment and offers buying guides if you do not know which equipment or accessory you will need
  • If you are a professional such as a photographer seeking to offer services, you can set your price

8. Roundme

Roundme is a cloud-based platform that authors panoramic tours and publishes virtual reality. The software works well with mobile OS, which makes it easy to create and share 360-degree virtual tours.

Roundme - Best Virtual Tour Software

VR tours created with Roundme are interactive. They also can contain helpful elements such as maps, audios, links, hotspots and portals. It is one of the easiest platforms to use and it supports all images in the form of JPEG and TIFF with 65.000 pixels.

Roundme is popular with professionals in real estate, events, interior design, travel and photography industries among others that need to use virtual reality to market their products and services. The software allows you to customize various aspects of your VR tours.

How much does Roundme Cost?

Roundme has several pricing plans. These are as follows.

  • The Pro Embed Plan costs $15 per tour for life and it allows you to control the appearance, functionality and branding of the virtual tours
  • The Privacy and White List Plan goes for $10 per tour for life with extra security and privacy settings
  • The Custom Maps Plan costs $5 per tour for life and it allows businesses to upload images to create VR tours
  • The Pro Account can be billed at $8.25 monthly or $99 annually
  • A Basic Account is free of charge and allows up to 15 uploads weekly

Key Features:

  • The software is easy to use, and it comes with multi-resolution support
  • Virtual tours can be shared on social platforms and embedded on the business website
  • The virtual tour videos are available offline
  • The software allows data export and import
  • The software comes with tutorials, guides and customer support

Cons:

  • Roundme doesn’t offer integrations with other apps although it allows sharing on social platforms
  • The tours tend to look the same, the developer can allow more customization control

9. RTV’s Fusion

Fusion is a virtual tour system that is designed for businesses that need to showcase their products and services using virtual reality. Professional photographers are especially targeted as the ideal Fusion client, especially if they intend to offer their services to businesses in the real estate industry.

RTV - Best Virtual Tour Software

RTV provides private-label VR tour hosting, which allows professional photographers to offer quality VR tours to clients. If you decide to use the system yourself without outsourcing any service, you will need to upload at least 1080HD videos, 360-degree panoramas and stills so as to create high-quality virtual tours.

How much does RTV’s Fusion Cost?

You can get a 30 day free trial of the software. Once you are satisfied with its functionality, you can get the Fusion virtual tour software at a one-off fee of $99.

Key Features:

  • It is affordable; one-off payment gives you a lifetime of service
  • You do not need to be tech-savvy to download your files for sharing
  • You can incorporate other tools such as floor plans, audios, speech to text, hotspots among others for a better touring experience
  • You can have your voice-overs and other audio files stored in a cloud library for easy retrieval
  • You can choose from a variety of preset elegant VR tour screens, layouts and themes
  • MLS data allows viewers to access all information about the property they are touring
  • The highly responsive HTML 5 VR tour player perfectly displays various formats of HD full-motion videos, panoramas and stills
  • Astrozoom shows the viewers the view of the property from space and zooms into the property
  • Freedom Zoom allows the viewers to zoom into any feature that sparks their interest
  • The software generates flyers and e-brochures that can be used in the virtual tour video
  • RTV widgets such as lead grabber give insights into the potential clients’ details

Cons:

  • You need to take your time to learn how to use the software
  • It is not the easiest software to use for those who do not have any tech experience

10. Cadsoft’s Envisioneer Software

Envisioneer is a multipurpose 3D building modeling platform designed by Cadsoft. It is designed to help professionals to conceptualize, design, develop and construct a building, most specifically, residential properties. The software seamlessly integrates with existing systems.

Envisioneer - Best Virtual Tour Software

This home design and building information modeling software leverage virtual reality to give the users immersive 3D experience. Anyone involved in the design, modeling and construction of property appreciates the software’s ability to model the finished product while still in the conceptualization stage.

How much does Cadsoft’s Envisioneer Cost?

Cadsoft offers 2 pricing strategies for the software; monthly subscription fee or a one-off payment. Here are the pricing plans.

  • The Personal Architect plan is available at a one-off fee of $99
  • The Pro Architect costs a one-off fee of $995 or a monthly subscription of $60, or $499 annually
  • The Building Essentials costs $1,995 one-off fee, $129 monthly subscription or $995 annually
  • The Construction Site’s one-time fee is $2,995, $169 monthly subscription or $1,350 annually

Key Features:

  • Envisioneer allows building designers to explore different concepts and designs to get the best
  • The software allows export of design drafts for faster workflow – you can easily extract construction documentation
  • The software comes with a library of designs and details that you can use as inspiration
  • The software allows designers to catch estimation mistakes in drafts so that the final design is accurate and flawless
  • Envisioneer automatically generates property features such as floors, walls, roof, and framing depending on the measurements used to create the model
  • The software easily integrates with 3rd party applications that the business already use
  • You can import files such as Sketchup models into the software

Cons:

  • You will need to learn how to use the software if you are not tech-savvy
  • You will need to upgrade the software periodically if you opt for the one-off fee plan

11. CloudPano

If you are looking for a platform that will help you create and publish immersive 360-degree virtual tours, think about CloudPano. This software is designed for easy and fast use, with simple features such as drag and drop and motion-sensing capabilities. You can share the virtual tours with a single click.

CloudPano - Best Virtual Tour Software

How much does CloudPano Cost?

CloudPano has 3 simple pricing plans.

  • The free plan allows you unlimited branded 360 images that can be shared on any platform
  • The Pro plan costs $10 per tour for life, and you get to delete the CloudPano watermark from your virtual tours
  • The Pro Plus costs $33 monthly, billed annually for white label VR tours

Key Features:

  • It is cost-friendly, making it a good choice for businesses with smaller marketing budgets
  • Easy to use with features such as an intuitive dashboard and drag and drop tools
  • You can include information packs such as hotspots into virtual tours
  • Offers social sharing features and the virtual tours can be embedded on websites
  • It offers custom branding, private & white labeling and custom URL
  • Enhanced security – you can password-protect pages
  • CloudPano offers in-depth analytics as well as ROI tracking
  • You can also have your tours cloud-hosted with guaranteed high-speed retrieval

Cons:

  • While the 360-degree view is amazing, it could be smoother
  • The point of view when leaving any room during the virtual tour could be more aesthetic – currently looks like one is backing out of the room

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a virtual tour?

This is the use of 3D, 360-degree videos, panorama photos and other tools such as audio narrations to simulate a property or space. Other tools such as floor plans, maps and sound effects can be added to the virtual tour to give the client the feeling of actually viewing the space in person.

Virtual tours are very helpful in showing viewers any spaces or views that they may not be in a position to access from their current location. Virtual tours are used to save time, logistics and to make it convenient for viewers to get information.

2. How do virtual tours work?

Virtual tours basically show the viewer all aspects and features of a space they are looking at. The tours incorporate information packs such as hotspots where the viewer can click to get more information about any feature that interests them. The virtual tours are created using platforms and software that turn photos into virtual reality videos.

Virtual tours can either be 360 degree or 3D virtual tours. 360-degree virtual tours use panoramic images to give the viewer the ability to feel like they are in the room and can perform any task while in said room or space such as turning around, entering and exiting rooms, etc. 3D virtual tours take the viewer through the property via still shots.

3. What do I need to create a virtual tour?

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to creating virtual tours. This is because the requirements largely depend on the kind of virtual tour you want as well as the requirements of the software you are using. However, here is a general guide to some of the things you should have when preparing to create a virtual tour.

a. The right software and equipment
You will find that some software developers recommend specific equipment to be used with their product for best results. Such equipment includes HDSLR or 360-degree cameras and accessories such as tripods. Therefore, start your journey at picking the right software then look for the right equipment.

b. List of shots and images
You will need high definition stills and videos for each space you wish to showcase. Get the best angles and highlight the best features for each space. Make sure that there are no obstructions on the images and videos you want to take.

c. Create a virtual tour
Follow the instructions on the software for guidance on how to create virtual tours. Some software options will only require you to upload your files and customize the settings and they’ll do the rest. Others, however, may require you to know how to work the software to get the best virtual tours and utilize all features available.

You can always reach out to the software service provider for more information on how to create virtual tours. Alternatively, you can engage professionals to create the tours for you.

4. What is a virtual showing?

This refers to an event where the estate agent shows the potential buyer the property, virtually. Virtual showing can be done through live streaming, virtual tours or a pre-recorded 3D walkthrough video. Basically, it is a normal property showing, only that it is online and not in person.

5. Why should any real estate business use virtual tours?

There are several reasons why businesses in the real estate industry should embrace using virtual tours.

Here are some of the most common reasons why virtual tours are preferred.

a. They are convenient for all parties and they save time. You can show the property to a potential client who may not be in a position to view in person

b. The businesses cuts costs as one virtual tour can be shown to several potential clients instead of arranging logistics for physical viewing for each of those clients

c. The virtual tours can be embedded on the business website thereby increasing organic traffic as well as giving the business a chance to develop analytics and lead management

d. Virtual tours are quality backlinks to your business website

Exemplary virtual tours are excellent lead generation and social marketing tools. If you do not know how to create top-notch virtual tours, you can always reach out to professionals.

6. How much does it cost to create a virtual tour?

The overall cost will depend on a range of actors, top on the list is the cost of the software. Other than the software, you will need to budget for compatible equipment and accessories. Look out for additional charges such as hosting.

If you would like to outsource the service, you will need to budget for that too. You can get someone to do everything for you, from photography to the actual virtual tour creation. In such a case, you need not invest in equipment or software.

7. Which virtual tour software should I use?

This will depend on your budget, your skills as well as the features you need in the software. If you want to use virtual tours as a marketing tool, you may want to go with software that allows you to download and share the tours on email, websites and social platforms.

Features such as dollhouse views, street views, maps and floor plans are not available in all VR tour software options. Therefore, research on the features and functionalities you’d like in the software then pick the best based on your budget.

8. What should I look for in virtual tour software?

Virtual tour software developers are in competition on who will give the best. As such, new software options are cropping up daily and the existing ones are constantly upgraded to enhance functionality.

Here are some of the basic things to look for when choosing virtual tour software.

a. The cost versus the features offered
b. Ease of use of the software in relation to the skills available
c. Quality and aesthetics of the resultant virtual tour videos
d. Control over branding and customization of the virtual tours
e. Third-party integrations if that is essential for you
f. Ability to self-host the tours as opposed to paid hosting; the costs add up pretty quick


Final Thoughts

Virtual tours are increasingly gaining popularity in the real estate, travel, hotel, interior décor, and event industries among others as the world embraces technology. This is because it is a low cost, convenient solution to some of the most expensive and time-consuming tasks in the industry.

Your choice of software will determine the quality of your virtual tours. As such, research widely and read a lot of reviews to get a feel of what is available in the market. You can always engage a professional to assist you if need be.


Create a basic virtual tour | My360 Virtual Tour Software