Getting Started with. Property Panorama Virtual Tour. Property Panorama Virtual Tour. Slide Show or Virtual Tour? Automatic Slide Show Creation

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1 Getting Started with Property Panorama Virtual Tour Property Panorama Virtual Tour Property Panorama is a simple, easy to use Virtual Tour solution provided to you at no charge by FMLS. Now you can enhance your listing without affecting your bottom line! You can create a virtual tour with as many photos as you d like 16, 32, 64 or more. You can add still photos and use the auto-stitch feature to create scrolling 180 or 360 panoramas. You can also include an unlimited amount of text to describe every important feature of your listing. Several tour templates and background music choices are available to truly personalize your virtual tour! High resolution photos are supported and with very fast load times! Property Panorama virtual tours are easily uploaded to REALTOR.com (only normal REALTOR.com charges apply none from FMLS or Property Panorama!), as well as to other popular real estate sites and even YouTube! Slide Show or Virtual Tour? Property Panorama can provide your listing with either a Slide Show or a Virtual Tour. To make the most of the Property Panorama membership provided by FMLS, it's important to understand the differences between a Slide Show and a Virtual Tour: A Slide Show is automatically created for your listing once you ve uploaded a minimum of 3 photos to that listing. The Slide Show includes all the listing photos you ve uploaded so far (up to the current maximum of 20), and the photos are presented with a smooth fade-in/fade-out to transition between photos. Basic listing information and the Public Remarks are featured. A Slide Show only includes the photos you ve uploaded to your listing in 1st Connection; if you d like to add additional photos beyond those in your listing, you ll need to create a virtual tour. A Virtual Tour requires some input on your part, but increases your options dramatically; Virtual Tours are not created automatically by Property Panorama. These Virtual Tours allow you to upload an unlimited number of high-resolution photos (beyond the maximum of 20 for a Slide Show) to your virtual tour; using high-resolution photos significantly increases the quality and professional appearance of a virtual tour. You re also allowed to add unlimited additional text and photo descriptions, as well as choose your color scheme and background music from the available options. If you choose to create a Property Panorama Virtual Tour, please note that this Virtual Tour replaces the Slide Show previously created by Property Panorama. Only one Property Panorama product Slide Show or Visual Tour can be present on an FMLS listing at any time. While there are two virtual tour slots available on your listing, only one is available for Property Panorama products; the other slot is reserved for an optional virtual tour from an outside vendor (if that is your preference). Automatic Slide Show Creation Property Panorama automatically creates a slide show for you, using the photos you upload with your listing as long as you upload 3 or more photos. It is important to note that the slide show will be created some time after midnight of the day you input the listing. If you add your listing with only 1 photo, intending to add additional pictures at a later time, the slide show will not be created until such time as you add three or more photos. After that, 1

2 any time you upload additional photos to your listing, the slide show will be updated with those photos again, some time after midnight of the day you add the photos. You will find the Property Panorama slide show link ( PPVT ) on your listing to the right of the Media link on many of the report formats provided in 1 st Connection, including the Agent Full Report, and the Buyer Full Report. If a virtual tour created by another company has been uploaded for the listing, its link ( VT ) will follow the Property Panorama slide show link on the reports. In addition to the photos of your listing, the automatically created slide show will include the text from the Public Remarks section of your listing information. Getting Started With Property Panorama Tours Before you begin to create a virtual tour for your listing, it is important to complete the following steps to prepare your computer and to get your personal information into the system. You will also want to know how to take photos so that they may be stitched together for 180 or 360 panoramas. If you have previously completed the steps in this section, proceed to page 7. 2

3 Accessing Property Panorama 1. Login in to FMLS.com. 2. Proceed to 1 st Connection. 3. Open My Sidebar by clicking on the blue tab at the left of your screen. 4. Click on MLS Links in the My Sidebar section 5. Click on Property Panorama 6. When the new browser window opens to the Property Panorama site, click on the Members Area link. 7. Continue with the steps below for downloading necessary software and adding your Profile Information. 3

4 Downloading Necessary Software to Your Computer (one time setup - per computer) 1. Click on the Help & Information link under My Tours. 2. Follow the instructions for How to Install Photo Uploader ActiveX Manually. Setting Up Your Profile Information (one-time setup) 1. Click on the Members Area link on the Property Panorama site. 2. Click on the My Profile Information link under My Account. 4

5 3. Use the boxes provided to add or update your personal information. 4. Click on the Update button to save your personal information. Adding Your Profile Photo (one-time setup) 1. Click on the Members Area link on the Property Panorama site. 2. Click on the My Portrait link under My Account. 3. Use the Browse button to locate your photo on your computer. 4. Click on the Upload Portrait button to finish. 5

6 Adding Your Company Logo (one-time setup) 1. Click on the Members Area link on the Property Panorama site. 2. Click on the My Banner link under My Account. 3. Choose your logo from the list in Option 1, OR 4. Click on the Browse button in Option 2 to upload your logo from your computer. 5. Click on the Upload New Banner button to finish. 6

7 Tips For Taking Photos The Property Panorama website offers a tutorial that will be helpful as you prepare to take photographs for your virtual tour. While some of the most important tips are listed below, please visit the website and take advantage of the entire tutorial. 1. Click on the Help & Information link under My Tours. 2. Click on the Photo Taking Tutorial link. IMPORTANT TIPS While any digital camera may be used, 5MP or higher is recommended. Camera Settings: Flash OFF Auto Focus ON Auto Number ON Date/Time Stamp OFF Aspect Ratio 4:3 Order. Start at the left side of the scene, then move to the right side. Overlap. Each photo for a panorama must overlap by 50% to 75%. Find an object close to the end of the first picture and make that object be close to the center of the second picture, and so on. Timing. The time between each photo for the same panorama can be no more than 14 seconds. Timing. Wait 30 seconds between the end of one panorama and the beginning of another. Also wait 30 seconds between the end of a panorama and the next still shot. File Management. All photos for your virtual tour must be in the same folder on your computer. You will want to create separate folders for each of your listings. 7

8 Creating A Virtual Tour Once you have downloaded necessary software to your computer, set up your profile information, added your profile photo and company logo, you can begin creating your virtual tour. It is not necessary to repeat those steps each time you visit Property Panorama. Accessing Property Panorama 1. Login in to FMLS.com. 2. Proceed to 1 st Connection. 3. Open My Sidebar by clicking on the blue tab at the left of your screen. 4. Click on MLS Links in the My Sidebar section 5. Click on Property Panorama 8

9 Step 1 Property Information 1. When the new browser window opens to the Property Panorama site, click on the Build A Virtual Tour link. 2. Type your FMLS listing number and other information in the boxes provided. Also type a detailed overview and property features in the boxes provided. 3. Click on the Proceed to Step 2 button to continue. 9

10 Step 2 and 3 Uploading Your Photos 1. Locate the folder on your computer where the photos for your listing are saved. 2. Click to highlight the folder. 3. When the pictures display on the right side of the menu, click on the Select All button to include all photos in the virtual tour. Or, you may click to place a check in the boxes for individual photos. 4. Click on the Send button. 5. Please wait while the photos are uploaded. Click OK on the Upload confirmation box. 6. Please wait again while the photos are sorted and stitched together, if necessary. 7. Select a Primary Scene photo by placing a check in the box at the bottom of that photo. 8. Use the box on the right to type your own label for each photo, or use the drop down box to choose from a list. 9. Notice that you can upload more photos or delete photos on this screen. 10. Click on Proceed to Step 4a to continue. 10

11 Step 4a Selecting a Virtual Tour Type 1. If you would like to review an example of the virtual tour, click on the link provided. 2. Be sure to leave the dot in the spot next to Thumbnail Tour. 3. Click on Proceed to Step 4b to continue. Step 4b Arranging Your Photos and Adding Descriptions 1. Use the Up and Down arrows to arrange the photos in the desired order. 2. Type a description of each photo in the box provided (up to 90 characters). 3. Click on the Proceed to Step 4 button to continue. 11

12 Step 4b Customizing Your Virtual Tour 1. In the Virtual Tour Background section, click to choose a template for your tour. 2. In the Additional Skin Options section, choose font colors, if desired. NOTE: These choices will only appear in the branded virtual tour created by Property Panorama. 3. In the Virtual Tour Music section, click to choose the music for your tour. 4. In the optional Online Advertising section, place checks in appropriate boxes to send your tour to Realtor.com, YouTube, Trulia or others. 12

13 5. Click on the Finalize Tour button to continue. 6. Please wait while your tour is processed. 7. Click on Exit to continue. Working With Your Virtual Tour 1. Your Virtual Tour is complete! Click on the View Your New Virtual Tour link, if desired. 2. Note that your virtual tour will be posted on your listing in 1 st Connection within 24 hours (usually within 2-3 hours). This unbranded tour will not reflect your choices for color, etc. The choices will be shown in your branded tour. 3. Click on the Return to the Members Area to find the URL for your branded tour for posting on REALTOR.com or your own website. 13

14 4. Click on My Tours in the Tour Manager section. 5. Click on the Linking link for the appropriate virtual tour. 6. Highlight and copy the Virtual Tour link in the Branded Virtual Tour Link box. 7. Use this link for REALTOR.com or for posting on your own website. 14

15 8. Click on Members Area at the top left of the screen. 9. Click on Log Out to leave Property Panorama. TurboText Feature in Property Panorama Property Panorama's MobileMedia Tours are created each time you make a Virtual Tour. This cutting-edge marketing tool works on literally every video-capable cellular phone in the world! Now with the award-winning TurboText feature, consumers can send a short 6-digit text message and instantly receive a reply containing your MobileMedia Tour! This service provides instant listing information to potential buyers while they are right in front of the property! And, because the phone number and name of the buyer (when possible) is captured, that information is sent to you via text message and instantly. When you create a Virtual Tour, a specific six digit number is assigned to that tour (for example: ). Special sign riders are available in the FMLS Store so that you may prominently display the TurboText number on your yard sign. PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR 6-DIGIT TURBOTEXT NUMBER WITH YOU WHEN YOU COME INTO THE FMLS STORE TO PURCHASE YOUR SIGN To locate your Tour ID number: 1. Navigate to Property Panorama 2. Click on the My Tours link in the Build a Virtual Tour section. 3. Scroll to find the appropriate Virtual Tour. 4. Click on Linking under Tour Options for that Listing. 5. Scroll down to find the TurboText ID number

16 Here s how it works: 1. Place TurboText sign in yard. 2. Homebuyer texts the code from the sign to the TurboText hotline. 3. Homebuyer receives listing information via text message. 4. You receive notification of the text message along with a phone number and name (if available) Other Marketing Options in Property Panorama Property Panorama offers several additional advertising options for your listing. Virtual tours created in Property Panorama are Realtor.com compliant and can be uploaded directly from the PPVT website (the Realtor.com $21.95 fee will be charged if you do not have the Showcase Listing enhancement). Online video tours are available for YouTube, Google Video and AOL Video, and a quick check in a box will send your listing to Trulia and Zillow, as well as Google Base. Property Panorama will also prepare a CD Tour Download for your use! Need Further Assistance? support@fmls.com, call the FMLS Technical Support Desk at , or contact FMLS Technical Support through the online chat option, 1 st Support, available on FMLS.com. 16