Virtual tours enable prospective buyers to examine every property space and interact with a home in more detail without physically visiting it. The best virtual tour software can help your real estate listings generate more interest and boost the sale price. To find the right option that fits your needs, we evaluated several virtual tour software based on ease of use, quality of the virtual tour, customization options, third-party integration, mobile compatibility, affordability, and customer reviews.
See what each virtual tour software is best for, their overall score, highlighted features, and starting prices in the table below. Then, read on as we dive deeper to share detailed information and our expert opinion about each interactive 360-degree video software.
Best Virtual Tour Software at a Glance
Best for Live 360-degree Video Chat
Best for Marketing Solutions to Generate Leads
Best for Schematic Floor Plans & Measurement Mode
Best for Cross-linking Tours
Best for Extensive 360-degree Camera Compatibility
How We Evaluated the Best Virtual Tour Software
Since virtual tours have become more popular, real estate brokers and agents have access to various effective tools for showcasing a property’s full potential. To identify the top five best virtual tour software, we assessed each software based on pricing, capabilities, features, usability, user reviews, and customer support.
CloudPano emerges as the overall winner with a total expert score of 4.95 out of 5. It features a free-forever plan and a robust live 360-degree video chat that lets you hop into a 360-degree sales environment. CloudPano also has an exclusive third-party integration with top real estate sites like Realtor.com, Zillow, and Apartments.com. It proves to be the best overall virtual tour software for real estate agents seeking professional and effective virtual tour services.
Here are the criteria we used to evaluate the best virtual tour software:
35% of Overall Score
The primary feature we looked for is the ability to use hotspots, voice-over, and mobile compatibility to create images that the software will stitch together into a virtual tour. Additional features like design customization, third-party integrations, navigation options, and collaboration tools were also noted.
20% of Overall Score
Virtual tour software is either priced on a subscription model or downloaded onto a computer for a set price. We included both pricing formats and evaluated each software’s value instead of its price tag alone. We also considered whether providers offered a free trial or a free version.
15% of Overall Score
Virtual tour software and applications range from easy-to-use to complex, with advanced features like 3D model embedding. For consideration in our review, each solution had to be simple enough for a novice to learn. Some offer more complex features, but these don’t hamper the ease of basic use.
10% of Overall Score
Customer service for the virtual showroom software on our list is available through phone, email, or chat during regular business hours to help users with technical and operational issues.
10% of Overall Score
Based on customer feedback for each program, with particular attention given to reviews of the product and popularity of the provider, to certify the course meets user satisfaction.
10% of Overall Score
Expertise in the field and firsthand experience with the providers allow us to evaluate the standout features, value for the money, and ease of use of property management software.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Virtual tour software is used by many different businesses, including those in retail, hospitality, restaurant, and automotive. However, the most well-known sector using virtual tour software is real estate. Creating a virtual tour of a home, apartment, or other property makes it simple for future homeowners or potential tenants to see the area in detail before visiting in person.
To create an effective and high-quality virtual tour for real estate, you must follow the steps below:
- Determine the best type of virtual tour to offer
- Choose the right equipment and software
- Select virtual tour software
- Plan the shots for your virtual tour
- Clean and stage each room
- Level the tripod
- Take test shots
- Take all photos on your image shot list
- Compose your virtual tour
- Share your virtual tour on social media or your website
There are three main types of virtual tours. These are the following:
- Walk-through: It is a video showing the home as the agent or photographer walks through the property, or in other words, a guided walk-through of a property.
- 3D virtual tour: These interactive experiences allow people to navigate a property by clicking through 3D photos. They are made by shooting numerous shots of each area using a panoramic camera lens, then stitching the images together using virtual tour software.
- Interactive 360º virtual tour: These offer an immersive and true-to-life experience of walking through a home, similar to wearing a VR headset.