After checking out the virtual tour, you'll have the necessary info to decide whether the home is suitable for you. And if so, you can make an offer online or set up a time to see it in person.

Although our tour is easy to navigate and self-explanatory, this guide shows you the most important parts of it, allowing you to learn about the home quickly and in a memorable way.

Even though the tour you'll be examining may not be the one in our example below, the concepts are the same.

When you first see the tour, your eyes will probably focus on the eight buttons and the photos. The first button (1) has a different color from the other ones to indicate it's the active button and displays the photos shown.

The Parts Of The Photo Section:

A. The active photo.

B. The thumbnail (small size) of the active photo.

C. The Title.

D. The Description.

E. The counter indicates the above photo is one of 30.

F. The Next button, which displays the next photo (#2). When the active picture is the last one (#30), clicking this button shows the first image (#1).

G. The Previous button, which displays the previous photo. When the active picture is the first one (#1), clicking this button will show the last image (#30).

H. This button displays the next five photos.

I. This button shows the previous five photos.

J. This button displays the photo in its original size, which can be in full screen.

K. This link shows the photos with an interactive floor plan, which is one of the most useful parts of our ultimate virtual tour™ that will allow you to understand the layout and flow of the rooms and areas in the home quickly and effortlessly.

Let's discuss some of the items in detail.

Clicking the magnifying glass (J) displays the original size of the photo in a new browser window:

Viewing the large photo gives you a better understanding of each room or area. (This picture has been reduced to fit into our website template. When you look at it from the tour on your monitor or TV, you'll see it in full screen.)

Click the Info icon (1) displays the title and description of the photo.

If you don't see a description, it means there isn't one for this picture. Click the x to close the window.

Clicking the title (2) or the down arrow (3) displays a list of the rooms or areas. Selecting a particular room will show its photo.

Clicking the Previous button (4) displays the previous photo and the Next button (6) shows the next picture. The counter (5) tells you there are 30 photos and the one shown is the first picture. Clicking the Play button (7) displays the photos automatically every two seconds. To change the pause time between the photos, click the arrows (8).

Clicking the full screen button (9) exits the full screen mode. Clicking the "Show floor plan" button (10) displays the floor plan. Click it again to hide the floor plan. As its name implies, clicking the "Return to the tour" button (11) takes you back to the home tour. The watermark (12) indicates the URL or link of the tour.

How To Save The Photos

Clicking the right mouse button displays the following:

Choose "Save image..." and select the location you want to save the photo to and click the "Save" button. Because the photo has a watermark of the link or URL of the virtual tour (12), you don't need to write it down.

To print the photo, choose "Print image..." If it doesn't print properly, such as only a part of the picture is printed, save the photo to your hard drive first and then print it from there.

After you've finished examining the pictures in full screen, click the "Return to the tour" button located at the top of the photo (11) to go back to the tour.

One of the most unique and useful features of our home tour is...

The Interactive Photos With The Interactive Floor Plan

Clicking See the interactive photos with an interactive floor plan (K) displays the following:

The green camera (1) is the active one and it corresponds to the photo on the left (2). A thumbnail of the same picture (3) is shown below the larger one. The thumbnail has a box around it to indicate it's the current photo.

The green camera (1) is pointing toward the front of the home and the photo (2) shows the same direction. The blue camera icons are pointing in various directions to show the paths of the physical camera when the pictures were taken. This allows you to understand the rooms and areas of the home and how they relate to each other.

Most real estate sites display the photos and the floor plans separately. When you look at a picture of the room or area, such as the bedroom, kitchen, or garden, you can see the location of it on the floor plan. But the drawback is that while you know the photo is for this specific room or area, you can't tell the direction it was taken. This limits your understanding of the flow of the rooms and the layout of the home.

Our distinct virtual tour solves this problem by showing you the photos with an interactive floor plan on the same page.

Clicking the green camera (4) displays the photo of the room in two sizes: (5) and (6). The camera is pointing to the back of the living room so you know this is the angle of the picture. After a photo has been displayed, its camera is shown in red.

Just like clicking on the magnifying glass on the photo (7) displays it in full screen, clicking the magnifying glass on the floor plan (8) also will show it in full screen.

Clicking another thumbnail, such as the Kitchen (9), will display the photo and its corresponding camera. Clicking the Previous button (10) will display the previous photo and clicking the Next button (11) will show the Next picture.

If you don't get the above results, this means your computer doesn't have Adobe Flash 10.1 or newer installed on it or you're accessing our site on your iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, or another mobile device. If the former applies, check out the free programs that will let you benefit the most from our unique home tour. If the latter, you can see the smaller photos of the home right now and visit the tour the next time you're online at home or office. Just remember to record the link of the tour ID (such as dreamhomescenter.com/tour/1) before you leave our site.

After you've finished exploring the interactive floor plan with the photos, click the Back button (12) to return to the tour.

The Photo Gallery

Clicking the Gallery button (2) shows all the pictures in the gallery format.

All the photos are shown on the page so you can choose to see them in any order you want, giving you full control. Clicking the magnifying glass icon on each picture will display a larger image of it in a separate window:

In this photo, 1 is the title of the room, 2 is the description, 3 is the counter telling you there are 26 photos and the one displayed is the second picture, 4 is the Previous photo button, 5 is Next photo button, 6 is the View original photo icon, which, if clicked on, will show the picture in its original size, and 7 is the Play button, which, if clicked on, will display the photos in sequence automatically. Clicking the X (8) will close the window and return to the tour page.

The Video

Clicking the Video button (3) displays the following:

Click anywhere on the video to play it. Clicking View Scenes/Chapters (1) shows the following:

If you want to see the kitchen or bedroom, simply click the appropriate Play button (1). Slide the scroll bar (2) down to view all the scenes or chapters. You can pause the video by clicking anywhere on its screen. Clicking it again will resume playing.

When the video is playing, putting your mouse pointer anywhere on the screen displays the controls. Slide the button (3) to the right to fast forward and to the left to rewind. You may need to wait 10 to 20 seconds after the video begins playing before you can fast forward because this is the approximate amount of time it takes the video to stream (download) to your browser.

Slide the volume button (5) to the right to increase the volume and to the left to decrease it. Click the full screen button (4) to play the video in full screen.

If the smaller video was playing when you clicked the full-screen button, the video will play in the same position when you switch to the full-screen mode. Click it again to pause.

You have the same options in the full-screen mode as in the smaller-size one. Placing your mouse pointer anywhere on the screen will display the controls.

Slide the button (1) to the right to fast forward and to the left to rewind. Click the full-screen button (2) or press the Escape key to exit the full-screen mode. Slide the volume button (3) to the right to increase the sound and to the left to decrease it. Click Hide Scene/Chapters (4) to conceal the scene or chapter labels shown on the right side of the screen (5). The text (4) will change to View Scenes/Chapters and clicking it will bring back the scene labels.

The scenes or chapters allow you to view any room or area quickly. For example, clicking Living Room (6) jumps directly to that scene. If clicking on a scene doesn't show it, it means that part of the video hasn't been streamed or downloaded to your browser. So wait a few seconds and try again.

The Interactive Video With The Interactive Floor Plan

The most exciting feature of our tour is the interactive video with the interactive floor plan.

Clicking See the interactive video with an interactive floor plan (2) displays the following:

You can play the video by clicking anywhere on the screen. A few seconds after it begins, you'll see one of the camera icons flashes on the floor plan (1) to indicate the location of the scene. When the next scene plays, its corresponding camera will flash, and this process continues if you watch the video from beginning to end.

After a scene has been played, its camera is shown in green.

You can click on a camera to play the scene for that particular room or area. For example, clicking the camera for the Kitchen (2) shows the following:

The camera in the kitchen turns into a flashing circle while the scene is being played. Being able to see the room and its location on the floor plan at the same time allows you to understand the flow of the rooms and the layout of the home.

Most real estate sites don't offer video tours. And for those that do, they usually force you to watch the video from beginning to end. Although you can scroll through different parts of the video by moving the control bar to the left or the right, it's difficult for you to locate specific scenes in the video.

While some real estate videos have play lists that let you jump to particular scenes just like our videos do, without the interactive floor plans, you still don't understand the flow of the rooms and the layout of the home as you watch the video. So you have to check the floor plans and then view the video again to figure out where the rooms or areas are located on the property. Worse, if there are no floor plans at all, watching the video may not give you the necessary info you need to decide whether it's worthwhile to see the home in person.

Although there's no substitute for a physical tour, our one-of-a-kind video tour with the interactive floor plan gives you the next best thing to being there in person. Seeing the location of each room on the floor plan as you watch the video allows you to imagine being at the home. And, if you want to see any room again, you can do so quickly, easily, and effortlessly.

If you don't see a video or can't play it properly, this means you don't have Adobe Flash Reader 10.1 or newer installed on your computer. If you're on somebody else's computer or a public one, or if you're accessing our site on your iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, or another mobile device, you will not be able to watch the video and experience some of the cool features and functions of the tour. So we urge you to visit our site the next time you're online at home or office. If you're using your own computer right now, check out the free programs that will let you benefit the most from our tour and site.

The Floor Plans

The next feature of our ultimate virtual tour™ is the Floor Plan button (4). Clicking it displays the following:

The links for 1 and 2 are self-explanatory and we've discussed them with you in detail. Clicking the magnifying glass (3) displays the floor plan in its original size.

If you want to download the floor plan to your computer, place your mouse pointer on any part the image, click the right mouse button, and choose Save Picture as or Save Image As. Because the floor plan has a watermark of the link or URL of the virtual tour (5), you don't need to write it down.

The Maps

Clicking the Map button (5) displays Google Maps, which shows a regular map as the default. The other three types of maps are Street View, Satellite, and Hybrid.

Since you're probably familiar with the Satellite and Hybrid formats, we'll discuss only the Street View feature. Clicking the Street View button (A) brings up the following:

As you may be aware, Street View is a feature of Google Maps that provides views from various positions along a road or street.

Many home buyers find Street View valuable because they can see what the house they're considering purchasing looks like from the street and its nearby properties and amenities.

Street View offers transparency and can save time, effort, and money for the buyers and the sellers (and/or their agents).

For example, let's say you're a buyer and, after checking out the virtual tour of a home, you feel it could be suitable for you. Before you set up an appointment to see it in person, you decide to learn as much about it as you can from its online tour. While exploring the map section, you come across the Street View, which shows the house is located on a corner lot. The seller's agent didn't disclose this fact anywhere on the tour.

Since you don't like corner lots, you decide not to see the house physically, saving you time and money on gasoline. The seller also saves time because they don't have to spend hours preparing the house and looking for baby sitters if they have kids, only to have you come and reject it because you don't like it being on a corner lot.

If you're a real estate agent and the above virtual tour belongs to you, you're probably glad you don't have to waste time showing the house to a prospect that has a high probability of not making an offer just because it's on a corner lot. You can use this valuable time to serve the potential buyers who are more likely to make an offer after inspecting the house in person.

If you're an agent who has been in this business for several years, you probably have driven some clients to properties that they refused to go inside just because they didn't like some aspects of the exterior or the neighborhood. Their actions had wasted time for you, for them, and for the seller or their agent. Google Street View will prevent this frustrating event from happening in the future.

The Email To Friends Function

After checking out the interactive floor plans, the photos, the video, and the maps of this home, if you like it and want some of your friends or clients to see it, you can click on the Email to Friend button (6) and the following page will appear.

You can use this form to send the tour to four people at a time. And, if you check the box "Send me a copy," you will also receive the message you sent to your buddies or clients.

If you're a purchaser and you think this home may be ideal for you, you can click the "Add to Favorite" button (7) to save the tour in your Member's Area on our website. This allows you to find it quickly and easily later. As the buyer or his or her agent, you can become a member for free.

The Print button (8) lets you print the tour, which you can show to your spouse, children, relatives, friends, or clients.

Besides the powerful visual aspects - photos, video, interactive floor plans - our ultimate virtual tour™ contains other valuable info about the property, such as the description, the rooms and dimensions, details about the interior, exterior, and community features, as well as the area amenities.

The Rooms And Areas

Click the View link under Photos for the Kitchen (1) displays the following:

The counter (1) shows there are two photos for the Master Bedroom and the one shown is the second picture. Clicking the previous button (2) displays the first photo. To see the picture in its original size, click the enlarge icon (3), and to close this window and return to the main page, click X (4).

The Features Of The Home

Besides learning about the rooms and areas of the home, you'll probably want to know about its interior and exterior features, right?

Not only does our ultimate virtual tour™ gives you the main interior and exterior features of the home, it also shows you photos of many items. Clicking the camera icon beside Chandeliers (1) displays a photo of it.

The Inclusions

Wouldn't it be wonderful to see not only a list of the items that come with the home but also their pictures?

Our ultimate virtual tour™ lets you do so better than any online home tours.

Clicking the camera icon beside Dish Washer (1) shows a picture of it.

The Area Amenities

This section displays the amenities close to the home.

Clicking the camera for Richmond Christian School (1) shows the following:

Placing your mouse pointer over "Richmond Christian School" (1) displays the text in blue ink to indicate this is a link or URL, which you can click to go to the school's website. Click the Enlarge icon (2) to see the photo in larger size, and click the X (3) to close the window and return to the tour.

You now understand the primary parts of our ultimate virtual tour™. After checking it out, you'll likely agree it's different and more powerful than any other online home tours you have seen. As mentioned, ours provides potential buyers with all the info they need to decide whether the home is worthwhile to see in person or to make an offer online.

In short, our ultimate virtual tour™ will save a lot of time for the seller, the buyer, and the listing and buying agents. It's the next best thing to being at the property in person.

Whether you're a buyer, a seller, or a real estate professional, you can benefit enormously from our one-of-a-kind virtual tour. After visiting the tour, click the appropriate menu button to learn how you can use our technology to buy or sell real estate the quick and easy way.

How To View The Tour In Different Languages

If you're an agent or broker who has clients or potential purchasers that want to look at the tour in a different language, such as Chinese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Russian, click Select Language below and choose from the available languages. The page will be translated by Google's software within 15 seconds. While the translation isn't as accurate as a human translator, for the individuals who understand little English, they can learn about the home in their native languages.

Back to the tour page.