Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions. To see the answer to a question, just click the question. Click again to hide the answer. Please call us or send us an email if you still have questions.

  • Details on the new FPO 2.0 Tour
    2.0 Tour Explained
    The FPO 2.0 tour is a completely new virtual tour format for FloorPlanOnline. It was redesigned from the ground up. The new format is more like a single property website, with the ability to customize many parts of the tour, including:
    -the background color
    -the text color and font
    -adjust what Media shows as default - the FloorPlan, Photos, Video or the new Dashboard view (only on FloorPlan Tours)
    -add property features via a "pick list" as well as add your own
    -add custom resource links, such as to local schools, the city's website, your blog and more!
    -upload property documents, such as an inspection report or plat map
    -add a custom disclaimer

    All property content is integrated into a content window that is bigger and better than before. The photos are larger and wider screen. The floor plan is larger and you can now zoom in, a great feature if the property is large. The RoomPlanner is integrated, and added on every new tour. The map now includes Google Street View (where available) and shows by default so the online buyer can get a good feel for the neighborhood as well as the home. Also included is local information (provided by Sperling's BestPlaces), weather (Provided by Weather.com), its WalkScore (Walkscore.com), a mortgage calculator and local Schools (provided by GreatSchools.org). We can even translate the tour into over 50 languages!

    We continue to provide great viral sharing tools, such as the ability to email the tour, embed the tour or post the tour to many social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Plaxo, and MySpace.

    This is the first version. We already have more enhancements planned. We will also add more templates over time, including some brand specific templates!

    Can I convert my old tours into the new FPO 2.0?
    The short answer is Yes.

    The long answer is....Right now, we can do this for you upon request - just email us at orders@floorplanonline.com and include your order ID and the request to "Convert this tour to the new FPO 2.0". Please email us vs call so we can systematically work on the request. The cost is free for a simple conversion using the old tour content "as is." If you want the old tour enhanced so the floorplan can be zoomed in without any quality loss, we can do that for a $20 charge per tour. We will include the RoomPlanner tool as part of this $20 upgrade fee (if it does not have it already).

    We are working on a tool where you can convert your old tours to the new format (or future formats) with the click of a button. Please stay tuned for details on how to convert all of your old tours into the new tour format. You can preview how your tour might look by pasting this link in a browser window and replace the xxxx with your tour ID. http://vifp.com/presentation_v2/presentation.php?order_id=xxxx

    Please Note. Currently there is an issue with the floorplan size and photo icons if you convert an old tour to the new format and then convert it back. So once you convert the tour, it should stay in the new format.
    Can I set what tour format is my default?
    Right now, no. Any tour orders on or after May 1, 2010 will be in the new format. In the next month we will add a tool under Edit Profile that will enable you to select a tour format for all of your tours - both old and new. We will also add this to the order form for each tour, so you can select the right format that fits your property. Over time, we will add more templates as well to allow you to customize and really stand out from the competition!
    Do I need to Edit Profile for New Features?
    Yes. We decided not to automatically add certain tools and features for your tours since they are new from when you might have first registered with us. To add the various tools and additional resource features to your tour, login to your account, select Edit Profile at the top on lower right, and then scroll down to Content Display Options and check the boxes for the various items you want to show on your tours. These changes will be made for new tour orders. Note you will be able to add custom Features and Resources when you place an order, and they will show in the profile once you do this.

    We will work on a better way to add features and resources through the Edit Profile option as well as apply your changes to older tours in the near future.
    Do I need to re-upload my Logo & Photo
    No. However, the personal photo and logo are separated on the new tour, so if you do upload a new photo and logo, the photo will appear over the Contact Info button, and the logo will appear on the top left. When a user clicks on Contact Info, or when the tour first loads, your photo will also show if your information. So it is a nice way to customize your tours. Please not if your logo and photo have been combined for the old tour, you will need to upload both the photo and the logo.

    If you have a co-listing account and you want the photos of both of you on the tour, the only way to do that right now is add it to the logo. Please contact us at orders@floorplanonline.com if you need help customizing a co-listing account (see other FAQ on this topic as well).
    Has the order process changed?
    It’s basically the same with a few added features and choices you have with the new tour frame, such as:
    -Tour Title
    -Property Features - Interior, Exterior and Area
    -Customize Additional Resources
    -Add property documents

    You can customize as much or as little as you want. If you do not put in some of the information, no problem...the tour will still work. It will just not show that information missing on the tour. But the more information you put, the more details a browser has and the chances of converting them into a buyer go up!

    Note: For older tours, you can edit each tour to add a Tour Title, Property Features, etc by going to Manage Orders and then select the Edit Tour link and Edit Property Details button.
    How do I create a co-listing tour?
    Right now, the way to create a co-listing tour is to create a new account and put both agent's info in the different fields. We can do some back end customization as well. If you want both of your photos to show, we need to add that to the logo and show on the top left of the tour. We may also need to customize some of the contact info. Please contact us at orders@floorplanonline.com if you have a co-listing account.

    We will be working on a much better/easier way to do this soon...
    How do I Create a video for YouTube & Realtor.com?
    We automatically produce a video file of the Virtual WalkThru Video and automatically upload the video to the FloorPlanOnline YouTube Channel or your (or your company's) YouTube channel. It is an exact replica of the video, including music, transitions and any text you may have added to the video scenes. There is no upgrade request - it just happens, and it is FREE!

    How do you add YouTube Videos to your account? For new tours, the only thing you need to do is login and go to Edit Profile, then select the Edit Linking Info button and check the box for either the FloorPlanOnline YouTube Channel or Your own YouTube Channel linking option under Automated Website Distribution Service. Then save at the bottom. Once the tour is approved, the video will be uploaded within approximately 24 hours or less. As part of the video on YouTube, we include a link to the complete tour, the marketing description, and the contact information of the marketing representative. There is nothing else you need to do, and on future listings, just make sure the right box is checked to link the video to YouTube as you create the tour, and will will all happen for you, automatically!

    As an added bonus, we also provide the video file for download under Marketing Materials. Just click the link under Marketing Materials and then select the Download Video button. You can use this file to upload to your own YouTube channel manually, or use it to upload into your Realtor.com Showcase listing (note - Realtor.com does not allow us to upload the video file to them...so something you must do). You can even use a third party program, such as the Windows DVD Maker included with Windows 7, to burn it to a DVD and play it on a TV connected DVD player.

    We provide 3 file formats. For YouTube, any version should work for uploading.
    - Download AVI File - good for Windows Media or Windows DVD Maker
    - Download MP4 File - Windows or Apple users
    - Download MOV File - QuickTime video file for Apple users

    What happens if I change the video or I want videos for my older listings?
    If you change a video, a new video file will be created and added to your account under Marketing Materials within 1 to 2 hours (the actual time may vary based on the size of your video and other videos that are concurrently being processed). To create a video file for old tours, including ANY tour that has been renewed, just login, and make sure your profile for linking has first been changed to one of the two above YouTube Channel options. Then, go to Manage Orders and select the Edit tour link, then the Edit Property Details button. Scroll down to the bottom to the Link To Website area and select the option to link to the desired YouTube Channel. Save. Then, select the Edit Tour link for the listing in question after the page refreshes back to the Manage Order page. Then select the Edit WalkThru Video & Photos button, select the Save & Close button (or you can do some edits if you'd like). This will queue the video for rendering, and it will show up in your account under Marketing Materials within 1 to 2 hours, generally (actual time may vary based on the number of videos in the processing queue).
    How is the FPO 2.0 Tour Priced?
    The base price for the Interactive FloorPlan Tours remains the same at $59 and $179 for self service and full service, respectively. This is the standard price for most areas, with the exception of California, parts of New York and around Naples, Florida. This price is good for properties up to 2000 square feet. For properties over 2000 square feet, we bill for each additional 500 square foot increment at $25 per each 500 sq ft increment (higher in these other areas mentioned). The billing is also based on the MEASURED area, not the tax or gross living area you may have. Garages, basements, enclosed porches, patios, and other areas drawn and measured can increase your measured area, and therefore the cost. We do have ways for you to opt out of having some areas drawn and measured. The policy is we draw and measure everything under the main roof of the property....so attached garages and basements would be included unless you specifically exclude that on the order form.

    Self service photo tours remain at $29 a tour. Stay tuned for some exiting enhancements coming for this product option.

    Full Service Photo Tours will be priced at $119 in most areas, and includes approximately 20 photos...and of course, the great FPO 2.0 tour!
    How to add a Custom Video (e.g., YouTube)
    We now have the ability to add in a custom video to your tour two ways.

    One is on the floor plan view itself, you can add a button that will open a new web page to any website, including a video hosted elsewhere, by using the Website Hotspot tool. Just go to Edit Tour on the Manage Orders page, select Edit Photos on FloorPlan and down on the lower right below the Pictures Library is the Website Hotspot tool. Clcik on the icon and drag it on the floor plan, then select the type of icon you want, add the website address (not embed code) and a description (which shows on mouse over on the icon), and hit save. This adds the icon to the tour under the FloorPlan view. When clicked, it opens a new web page on top of the tour.

    The other way is to embed the video under Media. You can embed any video from any video provider (YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler, etc) as long as they can provide you with "embed" code. To embed a video, select the "Edit Tour" link on Manage Orders and then Edit Property Details (or the "Edit" link under Order Form from the Manage Orders page), then scroll down to the Custom Video section. Then go to the site where your video is hosted and find the EMBED code. This is NOT the link to the video - it needs to be the EMBED code. On YouTube, there is an "embed" button that shows right after the video is done playing, or if you are logged into your YouTube account go to My Videos and the link "view video on page"). We suggest adding a black border, do not check the box to show related videos (which eliminates all the other junk videos that are not yours) and pick a larger size, like 853x505. However, we do some behind the scene adjusting for different screen sizes.

    If you want to ONLY show your custom video, uncheck the box under Tour Media for the WalkThru Video and just make sure the Custom Video is checked. You can also leave both showing. The FloorPlanOnline tour video shows up as WalKThru Video. Your Custom video shows up as Video under Media - both use the video icon.

    At this time, we do not support you uploading your own video file to us. We may add this capability in the future.

    Please also respect the copyright laws - a video to sell or rent a house is a commercial transaction, and ANY use of music needs to be licensed. Using brand name artists music for personal purposes is ok....but not to sell a house. And it is not cheap to get a license for a real license. If we get contacted by any music company claiming copyrights to any music we will need to remove the custom video. And please note there are statutory fines of $750 or more for each occurrence....so it is not worth it.

    Why do this? If you have a real video tour shot by a video production company, you can use our single property website to include all the content in one place. If you upload something to YouTube, it gives you more SEO (search engine optimization) umph....And it is more content. The more, the better.

    Example embed code from Youtube is below - this is what you would paste into the Custom Video box.
    <object width="1300" height="765"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J5ZNiD5cXyk?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999&amp;hd=1&amp;border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J5ZNiD5cXyk?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0x3a3a3a&amp;color2=0x999999&amp;hd=1&amp;border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="1300" height="765"></embed></object>

    Good Luck!
    Photos & Videos Now Tied Together?
    With the new FPO 2.0, the Photo View and the Video View are tied together....so the order you have on the Edit Photo & Video page will match both views., and if you select a photo to not show (you uncheck its box on the top left of the thumbnail image), then it will not show in both views. If nothing is selected, then the Photo View will be blank and there will be no Video View on the tour....so make sure you have the check marks on the photos you want displayed.

    In the past, the Photo view was tied to the FloorPlan View.
    The Top 5 Ways to Customize the FPO 2.0 Tour
    There are several ways to customize your new tour. From the Manage Orders page, go to Edit Tour, then Edit Property Details to customize. Here are a few suggestions:
    1. You can select the default media to show on your tour. For Interactive FloorPlan Tours, the default will be the FloorPlan View. Options are: FloorPlan View, Photo View, Video View or the new Dashboard view. To make your selection, just click the option you want under the Content Display Option section. For Photo Tours, the default will be the Photo View. The Dashboard View and FloorPlan View are not available for Photo Tours.
    2. Add a Tour Title. Examples: Elegant [area] Estate. Great Buy Opportunity. In City Living....whatever is a great tag line for the property works. Just do not put the property address in the Title or your personal contact info....as this title does show on the unbranded tour, and you can get fined by your MLS if you put this information in this field. For older tours, you can add a title too! If no title exists, the area at the top/middle is blank.
    3. You can add different property features to the standard list. Once you add a new feature, it will show on your list for future tour orders.
    4. You can add custom resource links. We suggest you add links to the local schools for the property in question, your website and blog, and any other website that can help customize the tour and provide more information. Just select the Add Custom Resource button and type in a display name and then the website address....like www.mywebsite.com. There is no limit to how many links you add. Once you add a resource link, it will be there for your next tour order. Please note...right now, we do not have a way to reorder the links...so think about how you want them ordered and enter them in that way. We will add a sorting tool later. Also, don't forget to put a link to your tours and your Featured Listing Page on your website. The more we share links between your site and ours, the more search engine benefits we both get! See your marketing materials for your Featured Listing Page.
    5. Create an Area Tour....then add it as a Custom Resource Link. You can easily create a Photo Tour of your town or community, and then add it to your tours. If you work in multiple areas, create different photo tours for each, and then add them in. You can even use a map as the floor plan area by creating an Interactive FloorPlan Tour. See www.weatherbylake.info as an example. Note...we are going to add a "map" template in the future to make these kinds of tours look even cooler!
    What issues with my Logo & Photo?
    The new tour format has the logo and personal agent photo separated, with the logo on the left and the photo on the right above the Contact Info button. If the photo shows above Contact Info it will also show on the Contact Info detail pop-up. However, for existing accounts, the photo may show on the left with the photo. If you would like your photo to show above the Contact info button, please re-upload both your photo and logo, which will separate the two in the system.

    Otherwise, the tour will look fine as is. Please note for co-listing accounts, if you want both of your photos to show, the only way to do this right now is combine it with the logo. See the FAQ on co-listing accounts for more.
  • Overview of Products & Services
    Can I phone in an order?
    Sure! Just call us at 866-810-3816 and select option 3 for customer care. We can input the basic information for the order. Please note, in order to avoid delays with your tour, we do need a valid credit card on file at the time you place the order, so please either update your account before then (go to Edit Profile, then Edit Billing Info) or be prepared to have one of our customer care folks input the card for you.
    How can I use FloorPlanOnline to get the Listing EVERY TIME?
    Many of our customers tell us they have incorporated FloorPlanOnline.com into their listing presentation, and walk away with the listing every time! You can to. Just read our Listing Tips under Tools to learn more. It has some great information!
    How many photos do you include in your tours?
    A Service Provider will take around 15-20 photos. For Interactive FloorPlan Tours, you should expect around 3 additional photos for each additional 500 square feet.

    Even if you use our Full Service program, you can still upload your own additional photos into the tour if you would like.

    For Partial and Self Service tours, there is no limit to how many photos you can upload, but we recommend to keep the number to 50 or less.
    How much do tours cost?
    The price of a tour is based on the product you order, the type of service you need, and the approximate measured area shown on the floor plan.

    Use our price calculator to help you estimate the cost of a tour. Access the calculator by selecting the "Pricing" tab on our homepage.
    What are the FREE Marketing Tools Included with each Tour?
    With each tour you order, you get a wide variety of marketing tools and capabilities in our system at no extra cost:

    - DOWNLOAD OUR PICTURES TO YOUR COMPUTER - All of the materials we use to produce your tour (photographs, floor plans, flyers) are available for you to download to your computer for your use like updating your MLS listing.

    - SAVE YOUR TOURS TO YOUR LAPTOP - With the tour on your computer or laptop, you will not need an Internet connection to be able to show potential clients the tools and features of our online virtual tours. This makes it easy to demonstrate the tour without worrying about your ability to access the Internet.

    - MAKE CD's - Consider having CD's at your open houses or distribute them through the neighborhood. Simply use our "Burn CD" feature along with free CD creation sofware you can get on the Internet.

    - MANY STYLES OF READY-MADE AND CUSTOMIZABLE FLYERS - For every tour you order, we take the photos and property description and load it into seven different flyer templates. You pick which flyer you would like online viewers to see. You can customize the flyer by changing background colors, selecting different photos, and adding more text. Then you can save your flyer to your computer to print in your office or take to a commercial printing center.

    - UNIQUE WEBSITE ADDRESS - Your account comes with a Featured Listing Page that shows all of your FloorPlanOnline tours. Add this page to your website and email tagline (like "Click here for my current listings").

    - EMBEDDABLE CODE - We provide you a variety of formats of embeddable code so that you can add your tours to many different kinds of websites. This includes code for the floor plan part of the tour as well as the video.

    -MOBILE - Each tour is now mobile enabled and should work on most mobile phone browsers. There is no short code to enter or application to download. We automatically recognize that the device trying to view the tour is a mobile phone, and render a mobile version of the tour to the user. Therefore, it is important that you get a sign rider with the domain, or you have a flyer at the sign with a link to the tour. Note that not all of the functionality is in the mobile site. Some devices, like the iPhone, do not have flash, which is a vital component to the desktop version of the tour.

    Talk to one of our customer care team members or a sales person to learn more about effective ways to exploit all of the tools included with your tours.
    What is your turn around for a tour?
    For Full Service Tours, turn around is typically 5 to 7 business days. It can vary. To speed the process, get the order into the system as soon as you get the listing. You can place an order without having an MLS number. In fact, you can even place the order without the listing...if you do not get it, you can cancel the order at any time without charge as long as it is not within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment. This will give you more time to get an appointment scheduled and things set up, including getting the property ready for photography. Once we get materials uploaded, we will process them and typically turn around the tour within 1 to 2 business days. We need a valid and authorized credit card on file before we can finalize your tour, since we charge your card at the time we email you with the tour for review.

    For Self Service Tours, turn around is typically 1 to 2 business days. We usually do not start working on the tour until all components have been uploaded. So, if you are creating a floor plan tour, and all we have is a floor plan sketch, we typically wait for photos to be uploaded. Email customer care if you want the floor plan before the photos are uploaded. We need a valid and authorized credit card on file before we can finalize your tour, since we charge your card at the time we email you with the tour for review.

    Credit Card needed - your tour can be delayed if there is no credit card on file or it has expired. Please update your card if you have no card on file (we will tell you this) or if you think your card has expired. Go to Edit Profile, then Edit Billing Info to update the card.

    Once we produce the tour, we send you an email with a link to review the tour. We also charge your account at this time. On this email is also a link to your Invoice. Note the Invoice can also be found under Manage Orders, and then click the view link under Marketing Materials.

    Edits. You will be able to made edits to all parts of the tour. The ONLY part of the edit process that is not real-time is changes to the floor plan. All other components can be changed and edited immediately. If a floor plan correction is in process, the link under Tour Editor will say Corrections In Progress. We typically turn around corrections within 1 business day.

    Approval. The service provider has a chance to approve the tour - when they do, it will say Tentatively Approved under Tour Editor. You can click the link to then Preview or Approve the Tour. Once you approve the tour, we will automatically link it to Realtor.com (takes about 5 minutes to show up), select MLSs that have automated linking (can take 24 to 48 hrs to show up) and some company websites. We will also email you the tour links so you can link it to other places. We provide some simple code for linking to Craigslist, for example on the tour linking page. You can also find your tour links by going to Manage Orders, then click the "view" link under Marketing Materials.

    What types of tours do you offer?
    Our most comprehensive product is our state-of-the-art INTERACTIVE FLOORPLAN TOUR, which is an online virtual tour featuring a detailed floor plan of the property with click-able photo hot spots embedded in the diagram; a gallery of photos; a virtual walk-through where photos are played in video-style fashion with music; and buyer tools like satellite area maps, printable flyers, and printable floor plans.

    We also provide an INTERACTIVE PHOTO TOUR which is an online virtual tour featuring a gallery of photos; a virtual walk-through where the photos are played in video-style fashion with music; and buyer tools like satellite area maps and printable flyers.

    Go to our home page and click on the blue "Products" tab at the top of the page to see samples of our different types of tours.
    Who creates the floor plans and takes the photos?
    We can create the floor plan and take the photos if you need us to. We have different service levels depening on how much help you need.

    For INTERACTIVE FLOORPLAN TOURS, we offer three different service levels.

    1. Premium - Our authorized Service Provider (SP) will go to the property to sketch the floor plan AND take the pictures. The SP will submit the images to us so we can produce your tour.

    2. Plus - You can provide us either a rough draft of the floor plan OR the photos, then our Service Provider will go to the property to take care of the rest.

    3. Basic - This is the do-it-yourself option. You upload the photos and a draft of the floor plan to our system and we create the tour for you.

    For INTERACTIVE PHOTO TOURS, we offer two service level options.
    1. Premium - Our authorized Service Provider will take the pictures of the property and submit them to us.

    2. Basic - This is the do-it-yourself option. You take the picture of the property and upload them to us and we create the tour for you.
    Who do I talk to about Sales Opportunities
    We have regional sales representatives that will be happy to introduce you to the company and discuss special offers and programs. Please contact the sales representative for your state.

    - Eastern Region: Gerry Zagorski, 866-810-3816 ext.107 or Gerry@floorplanonline.com. (ME, MA, RI, CT, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV, PA, NY, VT, NH)

    - Southern Region: Gerry Zagorski, 866-810-3816 ext.107 or Gerry@floorplanonline.com. (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX, OK, AR, TN, VI, PR)

    - Midwest Region: Marlin Cone, 866-810-3816 ext.102 or Marlin@floorplanonline.com. (MI, OH, KY, IN, WI, IL, MO, IA, MN, ND, SD, NE, KS)

    - Western Region: Marlin Cone, 866-810-3816 ext.102 or Marlin@floorplanonline.com. (WA, OR, CA, NV, ID, UT, AZ, NM, CO, WY, MT, HI, AK)

    We also have local sales reps who can come in and do office presentations. Please contact the regional sales person and they can connect you with our local sales rep. If you are interested in becoming a sales rep, please contact the regional person as well!
    Why is the FloorPlanOnline Virtual Tour the BEST?
    Our tours allow anyone with a computer or mobile phone to see property details, photos, floor plans, videos and more! It is a complete Real Estate Marketing system because It's The Next Best Thing to Being There! After all, most buyers want to see the floor plan of the property...because photos only show how the current owner lives in the property, but the floor plan shows how the potential buyer can live in the property!

    We do not usually include 360-degree or panoramic photos as part of our standard tours (we can however upon request). We use still digital photos and a video-style walkthrough in our "Virtual WalkThru" video to showcase the property. See an Overview Video under Tools/Help Videos. We feel this approach is superior to most other virtual tours for a variety of reasons:

    - Photos embedded in a floor plan through our photo hotspots give prospective buyers a better overview of the entire home.

    - Our "Virtual WalkThru" feature takes you through the entire home in a video-like presentation rather than limiting the tour to a few 360-degree spots. You can edit the music, add text, change photo display time and change the photo movement to really customize the video.

    - Digital pictures eliminates distortion and the fish-eye effect. It doesn't leave a viewer's head spinning!

    - Digital pictures allow you to view the individual photos and the "Virtual WalkThru" in a much larger screen format without sacrificing load times or picture quality. In fact, usability studies show the longer someone has to wait for a web page to load, the quicker they are to abandon the page!

    - Real video is 1. EXPENSIVE, 2. INFLEXIBLE and 3. MOST real estate videos are pans of areas that look just like the pan across a photo...and a photo can provide the spot with better lighting. Our video is instantly editable - Upload a new photo, change the transition and add text, and save it to add to the video. And starting at $29, our tours beat the $500 and up price of most videos!

    If it is important to you to include 360-degree panorama photos, we do provide that service or allow you to upload your own panorama shots. Just contact our customer care department to turn this feature on in your account.
  • Getting Started – Registration & Placing Orders
    A Quick Overview on Getting Started
    Your first step is to create an account with us. There is no cost to create an account and no commitment to buy a tour. Once you create an account, we will create a sample tour for you. This will have your information on it and can be used at your next listing appointment. Go to Manage Orders when you are logged in, then click the view link under Marketing Materials to see the Demo House and some of the marketing tools at your disposal.

    See the Help Videos under Support for a series videos on how to register, customize accounts, place an order and do tour editing.

    After the base registration, you will have an opportunity to customize your account further with your logo and photo. You can also add your tour linking info, such as linking it to Realtor.com and your MLS.

    To create your account, go to our home page (www.floorplanonline.com) and select the link to register as a customer, or the "Order Now" button next to the photo area. Then select "Register." You will be guided through the process of entering your contact, MLS and billing information.

    How can I add an Assistant to My Account?
    Yes. You can automatically route FloorPlanOnline communications to an additional person in your office.

    Add that person's name, phone and email in the Alternate Contact fields when you register and then select which emails you would like the main contact and the alternative contact to receive. This is under Email Settings under Edit Profile.

    To update this information, log in to your account and select the "Edit Profile" tab at the top of the page. Update the Alternate Contact information, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select which emails to receive, then select save.
    How can I create Corporate, Office, and agent Sub Accounts?
    We support multiple account structures, so you can create a corporate account, office sub accounts under the corporate account, and then agent sub accounts underneath each office account.

    To get started, create the Master Corporate Account. Then, create a new corporate account for each office. Once you do this, you will need to tell us to move another corporate account under your main account. Once you have created the office account, there is a link on the right hand side that says Manage Sub Accounts. Click this and you can add (or delete) agents underneath this office account.

    If you have multiple agents, we can pre-register them for you. Just email us a Microsoft Excel file of your agents and the information needed for each agent (see the registration form for specific required and helpful fields), and we can bulk register your company! email the file to orders@floorplanonline.com and include the corporate account ID the sub accounts should be registered under.

    Benefits of a Corporate Account Structure: If there is one person in each office that helps and manages tours for agents, all that person needs to do is login to the office account and they can place orders, edit orders and manage sub accounts (add or delete agents under the office). So, you only really need one login to that office account to manage multiple agent accounts. When you place an order, there is a field on the order form that has a drop down for the sub account list. Just select the right agent and you are placing the order for that agent, in their account.

    To edit tours, just go to Manage Orders, put the order ID in the search box and you can get right to the tour in question. You can also edit property details (price, flyer text, walkthrus, etc), and upload photos. These functions require login (vs the email we send you where other things can be done without logging in).
    How do I place an order?
    Once you have created your free account, you can begin to place orders by following these steps:

    - Go to www.floorplanonline.com.

    - Select "Log In" from the top right-hand side of our home page and enter your login email and password when prompted.

    - Select "Place an Order" from the Order Management Main Page.

    - Enter the Listing number (if not available, use the street address) and enter the address for the property.

    - Then you are prompted to select the Type of Tour you want and the Type of Service. If we do not have full service coverage for an area, only a partial list of options will be displayed.

    - Finally you enter Property Details such as square footage, bedrooms, etc.

    When you place your order, you are given an order number and the opportunity to continue entering information about the property such as the property description. You can enter this information later, too, when you receive your draft to review.

    You will receive a confirmation email that your order has been placed. If you requested Full Service, an authorized Service Provider will contact you within 2 business days to schedule an appointment at the property.

    When we receive all the information to create your tour, we will send you a draft tour in your email to review. Once you approve the tour, we will send you the finalized tour and we will begin the linking process.
    What is the Tour Creation Process?
    For Full/Partial Service Photo Tours and FloorPlan Tours, we automatically route your order to the local Service Provider who will contact you within 1 business day to schedule the appointment. Once you both agree on a mutual appointment time, the service provider will visit the property, take photos and/or draw the floor plan sketch. The Service Provider will then upload materials to our system generally within 2 business days or less of the appointment date (let them know if you need it sooner) and the FloorPlanOnline Production department will create a draft tour within 2 business days or less. You will receive an email with a link to review the tour. Typical total time is 5 business days. If you need it quicker, get the order in as soon as you get the listing and try to be flexible with appointment times. Also, please have the property ready for photography...the service provider can't move furniture or clean the property before a photo shoot!

    For Self Service tours, we produce the tours within 2 business days or less from the time you upload the materials.

    After you approve your tour, we will link it to Realtor.com per your request and we will send you information about adding your new virtual tour into your MLS listing.
    Why do you need my credit card information?
    We need your credit card information to bill you for each tour. You can register without a credit card, but if you place an order without a credit card, the order will be put on hold. This includes sending one of our authorized service providers out to the field. Even if you have a coupon from a sponsor (such as your company), we need a valid credit card on file because the coupon only covers the cost of the tour (not tour upgrades like Realtor.com linking).

    We use PayPal's Payflow Pro system to process credit cards through a full secure website session. We do not store your credit card information. It is managed by the credit card processor, First Data Corporation.
  • Pricing
    How are Tours Billed / What other charges can I expect?
    Today, each tour is billed on a Pay Per Tour basis. We will be working on a subscription product in 2010. We do not bill you for the tour at the time you place an order. We bill you when we produce the tour, which is the time you get an email to review the tour. The price charged depends on the type of tour created and the type of service level (Full, Partial or Self Service) selected.

    For Full Service:
    -FloorPlan Tours - billed at a base rate of $179 for up to 2000 sq ft and then $25 per additional 500 sq ft. We bill based on the MEASURED AREA, which includes basements, garages and any other spaces "under roof" of the main property. Please note the Measured Area likely will different from any Gross Living Area square footage you have, since that terms specifically excludes basements (anything below grade, regardless of whether it is finished or not) and garages. You will have an opportunity to exclude or include areas when you place an order. Note, Pricing in some areas is higher (NY Metro, California Metros, Naples Fl).
    -Photo Tours - billed at a flat rate of $119 and includes 20 photos typically. Note, Pricing in some areas is higher (NY Metro, California Metros, Naples Fl).

    Self Service:
    -FloorPlan Tours - billed at a base rate of $59 for up to 2000 sq ft and then $5 per additional 500 sq ft.
    -Photo Tours - billed at a flat rate of $29.

    For other tour/service combination's, please see our Price Calculator under the Pricing tab on our main website. We will also provide an estimated cost if you complete all of the details in the Price Calculator.

    Renewals. The initial price paid for the tour includes hosting of the tour on the FloorPlanOnline servers for 1 year from the production date. You can renew the tour at any time in the future for an additional year by paying the then current renewal fee. The renewal fee covers hosting for another year, any changes and complete customer support, both phone and email support. We do not charge for customer support, which can and often does include general "How to use a computer" support. If you created a tour 4 years ago and you are now relisting the house, you can simply renew the tour. You do not need to create a new tour and pay the full service price. If you want us to reshoot photos, we can do that as an additional trip charge fee for up to 20 photos. Additional photos or additional work, such as to draw a guest house, would be handled via the Change Request Form. Your local service provider will have this form.

    Realtor.com. We can link your tours to Realtor.com. It is a free service if you are a Showcase member of Realtor.com. If not, Realtor.com requires we pass along a $20 linking charge.

    If you request a Service Provider to take your pictures and/or draw your floor plan, there is a $75 charge if you have to cancel within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time. And there can be an additional trip charge if you request the service provider to return to the property to take additional photos.

    Tour Upgrades.
    We also provide upgrades such as "Vanity Domain" names (the street address of the property), sign riders, CDs. Please see Tour Upgrades from the Manage Order page for current pricing.
  • Editing and Approving Tours
    Approving a tour
    You must approve your tour in order for FloorPlanOnline to produce your finalized links and to add your tour to Realtor.com.

    You approve your tour from the Tour Editor. Log in to your account, select "Manage Orders", find your tour on the Order List then select the link under the "Tour Editor" column. From the Tour Editor menu, select "Click here to Preview or Approve Tour." When you are ready to approve your tour, select the red "Approve" button.

    FloorPlanOnline will then begin the linking process. We will also send you an email with your finalized tour and branded/unbranded links.
    Can I make changes to the tour after it has been approved?
    Yes. You can continue to edit approved tours. All changes you make to an approved tour (except for floor plan changes) will appear immediately on the tour and in any place on the Internet your tour has been linked (Realtor.com, the MLS, your corporate website, etc.).

    If you request changes to the floor plan itself, we need about 24 hours to make the modifications. We will send you the corrections via email where you can review and approve or re-approve of any floor plan changes. Please note that you need to re-approve any changes made to the floor plan file itself.
    How do I make corrections or changes to my tour?
    The "Tour Editor" is your access point to change any part of your tour. You can make changes to a draft tour and then approve it, and you can make changes to a finalized tour. All changes you make to finalized tours are immediately reflected online except for changes to the floor plan which take up to 24 hours for us to complete.

    Please see our Help Videos under the Support tab for a video tutorial of how to use some of the Tour Editor pages.

    To access the "Tour Editor"page, you can click on the email we send you that contains a draft of the tour. Or you can log in to your account, select "Manage Orders", then find your tour on the Order List and select the link under the "Tour Editor" column. This text link will change based on where the tour is in the process - it will say: Edit, Ready for Review, Tentatively Approved (our service provider reviewed and approved the tour) or Approved (you approved the tour and it is ready for linking).

    Select the following options to make changes to your tour. Be sure to select the "Save" or "OK" button in each area to save all your changes along the way. Then approve the tour as the final step.

    - EDIT PROPERTY DETAILS - to update the MLS ID, change the list price, or change any other facts about the property, such as description, Video Intro text, etc.

    - EDIT PHOTOS ON FLOOR PLAN (for Interactive FloorPlan Tours only) - to rearrange, add or remove photos from the floor plan. You can also place new photos to the floorplan that you may have uploaded.

    - EDIT FLYER - to specify which style of flyer you want viewers to see - we have several one or two page flyer templates to choose. You can change which photos appear on the flyer, update flyer text and customize the color scheme.

    - EDIT FLOORPLAN (for Interactive FloorPlan Tours only) - to request changes to the drawing of the property such as room names and dimensions. This is the only edit tool that is not real-time. Please allow up to 24 hours for corrections to be made. You will receive a correction email when complete. Note you will need to re-approve your tour if you already approved it after a floor plan correction has been made.

    - EDIT WALKTHRU VIDEO/EDIT PHOTO SEQUENCE (this label depends on the type of tour) - Use this area to rearrange, add, remove photos from the video-style walk thru. You can also change the music background and add text that will display as a banner across each photo. And you can add a Photo Name to display under the photo in the still Photo Gallery.

    - UPLOAD EXTRA PHOTOS - to upload additional photos to your tour. Once you have added the new photos, we will add them into your tour for you. Or if you would like to make the modifications yourself, please send us a note in the "Comments" section as you complete your upload.

    - EDIT MAP - to change where the property is plotted on the map.

    Once you have made your changes and saved them each step of the way, select the "Click here to Preview or Approve your tour" link at the top of the Tour Editor. Select the red Approve button. If floor plan corrections are in progress the Approve button will not be available.
    How long does it take for you to make changes in my tour?
    All changes you make under Tour Editor are immediate, except for any changes to the floor plan under Edit FloorPlan. If your tour is already approved, all changes you make in the Tour Editor (except floor plan changes) are immediately reflected everywhere your tour is located online, such as Realtor.com, MLS, and your corporate website. Floor plan changes (like renaming rooms or changing square footage information) take our team about 24 HOURS to complete. We will send you an email when those changes are complete.

    If your tour is still in draft mode, changes you make in the Tour Editor (except floor plan changes) are immediately made to the draft. Our team needs 24 HOURS to make your requested floor plan changes. If you approve your tour and no floor plan changes were needed, we will immediately send you the finalized tour.
    How will I be notified when the tour is complete?
    We will send you an email announcing your tour is finalized. That email will contain branded and unbranded links to your tour.

    A BRANDED link is a version of your finalized tour which includes your logo, picture and contact information. FloorPlanOnline uses this version when we link your tour to Realtor.com. You might want to
    ask your sellers to email this link to all of their friends and neighbors as a way to communicate about selling their home.

    An UNBRANDED link is a version of your finalized tour that does not include your contact information. Multiple Listing Services do not allow Realtor contact information so we provide a sanitized version of your tour to add to the MLS.
  • Linking Tours
    Can you send my tours to the person in my office who adds all of our tours to the MLS and our corporate website?
    Yes, can can send your finalized tours to someone you designate in your office so they can do the linking step for you.

    Tell us who that person is by logging into your account and selecting the blue "Edit Profile" tab at the top of the page. Then select "Edit Linking Profile." Scroll down and enter the email address for whom you want to receive the final tours.
    Do you provide Branded and Unbranded Tour Links?
    Yes! We create two versions of your tour. Once you approve your tour, we display your tour links online, we email you the tour links, and you can always find them under Marketing Materials (go to Manage Orders, Marketing Materials).

    The Branded version includes all of your contact info, logo and photo - basically, what is in your Profile. The branded tour link is automatically posted by us to Realtor.com (if you selected this option), certain company websites, Google Base, and anywhere else you decide to link the tour. You can put the branded link anywhere you want - on your own website, your blog, Craigslist (see links for some posting code), etc.

    The Unbranded version does not have any of your branding. This is typically posted on your MLS. For situations where we do the tour linking, it will be the unbranded link. MOST MLSs require the unbranded tour link. The main reason is buying agents may forward your listing to their buyers, and they do not want your information on the tour...so, ultimately you want more people seeing the tour, so it is a good thing! You can also use the unbranded tour to email to agents in your office or MLS. Use the Send Link button or use your email program to email it to your agent contact database.
    How a Tour Gets Linked & Where
    Once you APPROVE YOUR TOUR, we can automatically send your tours to Realtor.com and to Google Base. We will not link it anywhere until you approve the tour for distribution. In your account profile (go to Edit Profile) under the Linking Details button, check the "Link to Realtor.com" box, and then check this box each time you place an order. If you are a Showcase member of Realtor.com, there is no cost to link to Realtor.com. Otherwise, there is a $20 charge for this linking. Please note, for most companies (some Coldwell Banker operations excluded), we as the virtual tour company must post the virtual tour link. There is no way for the agent to do this...

    Some MLS's allow FloorPlanOnline to automatically add your virtual tours into your listing. But, many do not. To see if your MLS allows automatic linking, just scroll down on the Linking Detail page. We automatically show the MLS(s) for your state. You can see all MLSs we follow by selecting the button to display all MLSs.

    If your MLS does not allow us to link to it, then you will need to add the link yourself. We email you the virtual tour links for your tour once it is approved. The links include both branded links (has your logo, photo and contact info) and unbranded links (has FloorPlanOnline info and not yours). MOST MLSs require the unbranded tour link to be used on the MLS. You can use the Branded link anywhere else. To add this to your MLS listing, log into your MLS and add the tour links in the appropriate field for virtual tours or virtual media. If you select the MLS in your Linking Profile, we will send you generic instructions with the right tour link for the MLS selected.

    We will be working on distributing the tour and/or the video part of the tour to different sites like Zillow, Trulia, etc in 2010. However, please note most of these other websites have a ranking of what listings they show, and any entity that tries to add a listing for the same property that is below in the hierarchy ranking will get bumped. Zillow for instance, adheres to the following priority ranking:
    1. Agent Listing
    2. Office/Broker Listing
    3. National Office Listing
    4. MLS Listing
    5. Virtual Tour provider Listing

    So, it is best to get your broker to provide a feed to Zillow and other sites and include the virtual tour fields in the data push to these sites....otherwise, we can link all day, and we will always get pushed out of the way. We can help if you need technical expertise to do this work! Please contact Care for more information.
    How do I add my tour to a Craigslist ad?
    Here is a quick and easy way to add your tour to a Craigslist advertisement. All you need to do is first create the ad on Craigslist. In the body of the Craigslist posting, just add some HTML code that includes your tour link. You will find this HTML code in your account under Manage Orders, Marketing Materials (click the view link), and then the button for Tour Links (or see the email we sent you when you approved your tour to a link to the Marketing Materials page).

    Two options work:
    1. To show a text link with the words "Property Virtual Tour! use this HTML code (where xxxxx is your tour/order ID):
    <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seetheproperty.com/xxxxx">Property Virtual Tour!</a>

    This will show as a link that says Property Virtual Tour! You can change this text to anything you want and it will show as a text link.

    2. To show the tour as a FloorPlanOnline Virtual Tour icon, use this HTML code (where xxxxx is your tour/order ID):
    <a href="http://www.seetheproperty.com/xxxxx" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://vifp.com//img/logo_animated3.gif" alt="FloorPlanOnline Virtual Tour"><br>click here</a>

    This will display our logo and also the words "click here" under the logo. Again, you can change the "click here" text to any text you want displayed.

    To put a line space between this code and other text, all you need to do is put <br> before and/or after the HTML code. The <br> is an HTML tag to add a line space.

    Unfortunately, Craigslist does not have an HTML editor, so you have to know a little HTML to make it look ok. Hopefully this helps!

    We are working on a nicer flyer poster to Craigslist and hope to have this available in early 2010!
    How do tours get linked into the MLS?
    FloorPlanOnline has automated linking to many Multiple Listing Services. To see if your MLS allows us to automatically link to it, log in to your account and select the blue "Edit Profile" tab at the top of the page. Then select "Edit Linking Profile."

    We have automated linking arrangements with several MLS's. Look for the "Show All MLS Options." If your MLS is NOT on this list, then we do not automatically link to it and it is your responsibility to link the tour to the MLS. Once you approve your tour, we email you an unbranded link for this purpose since most MLS will not allow any company or agent branding on MLS listings. You can also find the links to your finalized tours under the "Marketing Materials" link on the Order List.

    PLEASE NOTE: You need to Approve your tour in order for us to automatically link your tour to Realtor.com and the MLS. Please go to Manage Orders, then check the link under Tour Editor for status. if it says Approved, the tour should be linked, as long as your profile and the order has your linking preferences selected.
    How to add the tour to Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media sites
    We provide a really simple way for you, your home owner and others to add the tour link to your Facebook pages, Twitter Tweets, and more! On the tour, there is a Share button with icons to the most popular social media sites, like Facebook. Just click one of the icons and login to your Facebook or other site account. Mouse over Share and there are other options for blog sites, and more.

    Note you will need an account with these other sites before you do this. You can edit the display text and add a personal message. Once complete, it will add it to the site! It is a great way to virally share a tour for distribution among your social circle.
    What is a branded link? What is an unbranded link?
    A BRANDED link is a version of your finalized tour which includes your logo, picture and contact information. FloorPlanOnline uses this version when we link your tour to Realtor.com. You might want to ask your sellers to email this link to all of their friends and neighbors as a way to communicate about selling their home.

    An UNBRANDED link is a version of your finalized tour that does not include your contact information, logo or photo. MOST Multiple Listing Services do not allow Realtor contact information so we provide a sanitized version of your tour to add to the MLS. We suggest you add to the agent remarks some verbiage that the tour is unbranded so no risk to the buying agent to share with their client.
    Where do I find the links I need to add my tour to my website or my MLS?
    There are two places to find links to your approved tours. We send you an email with the branded and unbranded links once your tour is approved and finalized. Also, for all finalized tours, you can find the branded and unbranded links by following these steps:

    - Log into your account, select "Manage Orders", the select the "Marketing Materials" column for your tour which brings you to the Marketing Materials menu.

    - Select the "Tour Links" option to access your tour links.
    Why is my tour not linked anywhere?
    Your tour may not be linked for several reasons:

    - The tour does not have a valid MLS number. To update the tour with a valid MLS, login, go to "Manage Orders", click the link under the Tour Editor column, select "Edit Property Details", then update the "Listing #" field with the MLS number. Click "Save" at the bottom.

    - Your linking profile may be empty. Add linking details by logging in, clicking on "Edit Profile" on the top of your FloorPlanOnline account, and then select Edit Linking Profile. Select the options applicable to you. Then, you need to edit any existing tours that have been approved. Go back to Manage Orders and then click the Edit link under Order Form, scroll to the bottom and check the boxes for those websites under Linking Details.

    - You need to link the tour yourself. We may not be able to link your tour to the MLS automatically so you will have to link it in.

    - Your credit card may have expired. We cannot process your tours if your credit card has expired. Use the "Edit Billing Info" button under Edit Profile to enter a new credit card.
  • Realtor.com Specific Issues
    How much does it cost to link my tour to Realtor.com?
    Linking to Realtor.com is free for Showcase members. A Showcase member is someone who pays a fee to Realtor.com to enhance their listings. This could be an individual agent or it could also be done by your company on your behalf. If you are not sure, just go to Realtor.com and search for your listing by MLS number under Advanced search. If the listing has a Showcase banner, it is free! If not, we can still link the tour there for $20 per listing. If you would like to talk to Realtor.com about a Showcase account (or a listing that you thought was showcase), please call them at 1-800-878-4166.
    Multiple MLS Numbers and Realtor.com Issues
    In some cases, you may have more than one MLS number for a listing. We can link your tour to up to 2 MLS numbers. Just put the additional MLS number in the Secondary MLS field on the order form page. Do not put the same MLS number that you have in the main MLS field. In some cases, one MLS number may be Showcase status and another listing may not. In this case YOU need to call realtor.com at 1-800-878-4166 BEFORE you approve the tour and link the other MLS to your Showcase account. Otherwise, you will charged $20 to link the tour. The linking is all automated and we charge based on the status of the listing Realtor.com provides to us. Therefore, please confirm the status on Realtor.com. No refunds can be given because Realtor.com charges us immediately for ANY non-Showcase linking and there is no refund process with them.
    Showcase status not properly reflected
    In some cases, usually where you have a listing that crosses multiple MLS boundaries, you may have a listing that you think is Showcase, but we end up billing you for a non-Showcase listing. The reason is you have not told Realtor.com to link this other listing into your showcase account. Unfortunately, ONCE WE LINK the tour, Realtor.com charges us, and they do not provide refunds, so we can't issue you a refund. Unfortunately, this is just how their system works. The linking process is all automated, and once you click Approve, we link the tour to Realtor.com in a matter of 5 minutes. Sometimes, the Realtor.com system kicks the listing out and we can make a manual adjustment, but this is usually when the main MLS number in our system is a Showcase status and the Secondary number is not.

    Therefore, if you have multiple MLS numbers across different MLS boards, please ensure Realtor.com has your Showcase status for all of your MLSs you might be a part of. To do this, you will need to call Realtor.com at 1-800-878-4166. We cannot do this for you. Once this has been cleared up, please email us and tell us to link your tour to Realtor.com.
    Why is my tour not linked to Realtor.com?
    There are several reasons why your tour may not be linked to Realtor.com, as follows: 1. You do not have Realtor.com added as part of your Linking Profile and/or you did not check the box on the Property Detail page to link the tour to Realtor.com. To do so, just go to Manage Orders and click the link under Tour Editor, the Edit Property Details, and scroll down and check the box, then save. 2. We do not have the right MLS number - again, just edit the Property Details with the correct MLS number. 3. You have not approved your tour. We do not link to Realtor.com until you Approve/Publish your tour. 4. There is a miss-match in the data between Realtor.com and us. For example, the zip code could be off from what is shown on Realtor.com and on the Property Details. Just edit the details to match what is on Realtor.com and it can then be linked.
    Why should I link my tour to Realtor.com?
    Link your tour to Realtor.com and get it seen by more people on any other website! Realtor.com gets millions of visitors each month and it is one of the best places showcase your tour. According to Realtor.com and Nielson NetRatings, 78% of the searching for properties online happens at Realtor.com. Plus we do all the work for you, just check the box and then approve your tour, and the tour will show up automatically on Realtor.com within 5 minutes. Buyers just click on the Featured Tour icon under the photos on the property detail page, and the tour will pop-up complete with YOUR information...so even if you do not have an enhanced listing on Realtor.com, the potential buyer can find you via the tour.

    In addition, if buyers search for listings with only virtual tours, your tour will be included in the list. Eighty one percent of home buyers say photos and detailed property descriptions are the most important features when searching online for homes - followed closely by Featured tours(1). The need for REALTORS® to take advantage of these preferences and differentiate themselves as Internet marketing specialists has never been greater. Featured Tours give you the ability to take full advantage of the traffic that is driven to your listings on REALTOR.com® so that consumers don't pass you by.

    Home buyers clearly recognize the value of Featured tours, with the "Featured Tours First" display option clicked on more than 120,000 times each day on REALTOR.com® (2). However, you're not just catering to home buyers - you're also strengthening your marketing proposals with home sellers.

    * Build your personal brand awareness with your photo prominently displayed
    * Make each listing a link for leads to you
    * Differentiate how you market homes
    * Reach Internet consumers with Featured tours on the #1 real estate site (3), REALTOR.com®
    * Home buyers and sellers spent 80% of the time they searched for a home online on REALTOR.com® (3)
    * REALTOR.com® is used by over 5.7 million prospective home buyers and sellers a month (4)

    The best part, if you are a Showcase member with Realtor.com (meaning you or your company has an account with them) then the linking of the tour to the listing on Realtor.com is FREE! Otherwise, there is a $20 charge per listing. Being a Showcase member does cost money, so there is a trade-off based on the number of listings you might have in a year. Please call Realtor.com at 800-878-4166 for more information on their Showcase membership.

    (1)2006 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
    (2)Homestore, Inc. June 2006 internal analysis of total unique searches vs. searches with Featured tour sort
    (3)Media Metrix – Number of unique users on REALTORS® each month of 2007
    (4)Media Metrix. Based on average of unique users each month from February 2004 to January 2005
  • Marketing Materials
    How do I Create a video for YouTube & Realtor.com?
    We automatically produce a video file of the Virtual WalkThru Video and automatically upload the video to the FloorPlanOnline YouTube Channel or your (or your company's) YouTube channel. It is an exact replica of the video, including music, transitions and any text you may have added to the video scenes. There is no upgrade request - it just happens, and it is FREE!

    How do you add YouTube Videos to your account? For new tours, the only thing you need to do is login and go to Edit Profile, then select the Edit Linking Info button and check the box for either the FloorPlanOnline YouTube Channel or Your own YouTube Channel linking option under Automated Website Distribution Service. Then save at the bottom. Once the tour is approved, the video will be uploaded within approximately 24 hours or less. As part of the video on YouTube, we include a link to the complete tour, the marketing description, and the contact information of the marketing representative. There is nothing else you need to do, and on future listings, just make sure the right box is checked to link the video to YouTube as you create the tour, and will will all happen for you, automatically!

    As an added bonus, we also provide the video file for download under Marketing Materials. Just click the link under Marketing Materials and then select the Download Video button. You can use this file to upload to your own YouTube channel manually, or use it to upload into your Realtor.com Showcase listing (note - Realtor.com does not allow us to upload the video file to them...so something you must do). You can even use a third party program, such as the Windows DVD Maker included with Windows 7, to burn it to a DVD and play it on a TV connected DVD player.

    We provide 3 file formats. For YouTube, any version should work for uploading.
    - Download AVI File - good for Windows Media or Windows DVD Maker
    - Download MP4 File - Windows or Apple users
    - Download MOV File - QuickTime video file for Apple users

    What happens if I change the video or I want videos for my older listings?
    If you change a video, a new video file will be created and added to your account under Marketing Materials within 1 to 2 hours (the actual time may vary based on the size of your video and other videos that are concurrently being processed). To create a video file for old tours, including ANY tour that has been renewed, just login, and make sure your profile for linking has first been changed to one of the two above YouTube Channel options. Then, go to Manage Orders and select the Edit tour link, then the Edit Property Details button. Scroll down to the bottom to the Link To Website area and select the option to link to the desired YouTube Channel. Save. Then, select the Edit Tour link for the listing in question after the page refreshes back to the Manage Order page. Then select the Edit WalkThru Video & Photos button, select the Save & Close button (or you can do some edits if you'd like). This will queue the video for rendering, and it will show up in your account under Marketing Materials within 1 to 2 hours, generally (actual time may vary based on the number of videos in the processing queue).
    How do I upload a video to my own YouTube Channel?
    If you would like to take the WalkThru Video we create as part of the tour and upload it to your own YouTube Channel, you can do it two ways.

    One. Automated upload. If you would like us to automatically upload the video to your own YouTube Channel, just login, go to Edit Profile and click the Edit Linking details button. Check the box for the Link to My YouTube channel. Enter your login name and password, go to the bottom and save! We will ask you if you want your videos upload.

    Two. Manual upload. If you would like to manually upload the video to your own YouTube Channel, just follow these steps:

    1. Login at www.floorplanonline.com.
    -If your tour was created after August 29, 2010, go to Manage Orders and select the VIEW link under Marketing Materials. Then select the Download Video button. You have 3 file types...anyone should work for uploading to YouTube, but we suggest the first option, AVI file.
    -If your tour was created before August 30th, you first need to generate the video file. Any older active tour can have a video file created. To do this, from the Manage Orders page, select the Edit Tour link for the tour, then select the Edit WalkThru Video & Photos button. Select the Save & Close button...and this will then queue up the video for rendering. Once the video has been rendered, the video should show up under Marketing Materials, generally within 1 to 2 hours...but it could vary based on how many other videos are concurrently in process. So check back later under the Marketing Materials section, then download the video file to your computer.

    2. Upload the Video to YouTube.
    -If you do not have a YouTube account, create one first. We suggest you create a channel for your business so you can separate personal from business videos.
    -Login to your YouTube account. When you get to YouTube's homepage, click the "Upload" link on the top of the screen. Click the "Upload Video" button then fill in the required details of the Video:
    We suggest title (street address), add the tour link first so it will show - www.seetheproperty.com/xxxxx or the vanity domain, description, category, your contact info, tags.

    You can fill in the Broadcast Options - Date, Map Options, Sharing Options.

    Select a category. We post our tours under the Entertainment category. The other option is How to & Style. There is no real estate option at the time of this writing.

    Then select "Save".

    Congratulations....you just uploaded a video to YouTube.
    Marketing Materials - Features
    Your marketing materials, such as your flyer and your virtual tour links, can be found in the Marketing Materials area of our Order Management System. Follow these steps to get there.

    - Log in to your account, then select "Manage Orders." Select the "View" link under the "Marketing Materials" column which brings you to the Marketing Materials menu. This menu is slightly different depending on what type of tour you ordered and if you have customized your online flyer.

    Here is an overview of your options:

    - VIEW TOUR. You can view your tour here.

    - TOUR LINKS. Branded and Unbranded links appear here for approved tours. Use these links to add your tour to your MLS, to forward the tour to other agents and to the seller.

    -EMBEDDABLE OBJECT. You can use this tool to put both the floor plan part of the tour and the video into your own website, a blog post, etc. Many company sites now allow you to paste in embeddable code. This is similar code to a YouTube video embed code. Check with your IT help desk to make sure it will work. You can configure the object to show a button to the full tour, change the button and text colors, etc. It is a great tool to make the tour a more seamless part of your own website or blog.

    - SAVE TOUR to PC/BURN a CD. Select this option to save your tour to your PC or make a CD of the tour.

    - FEATURED LISTING PAGE. Select this option if you want to see and/or copy the special website address we create for you that lists all of your active tour. You can also add a button to your website of emails to promote all of your FloorPlanOnline tours.

    - DOWNLOAD PHOTOS. Select this option to save the photos to your computer. You have options to download a "zip" file of all photos, in different sizes, or download individual photos in different sizes. If you are downloading the zip file, how you do this depends on the type of operating system you are using (Windows vs Apple) and whether you have installed any third party file zipping program (like Winzip) or not. Normally, you click the button to download the zip file - after several seconds, a window should appear that has icons on it. Look for a menu option that says EXTRACT ALL FILES or something similar - click that, find a place to save your photos on your computer, such as My Pictures, and walk through the steps.

    - DOWNLOAD FLYER. This option opens a smaller PDF of the flyer, which is the same version found on the tour when you click the Print button.

    - DOWNLOAD HI RES FLYER. This option appears if you requested to save a High Resolution Flyer when you edited the online flyer in the Tour Editor function. Select this option if you want to save the High Resolution Flyer to your computer.

    - DOWNLOAD FLOOR PLAN as PDF or JPEG. Select one of these options to save the floor plan to your computer.

    - DOWNLOAD HI RES FLOOR PLAN. Select this option to save a high resolution floor plan to your computer. Individual files are provided for each level.

    - VIEW INVOICE. Select this option to see a copy of your invoice for this tour. There is a date stamp for different charges and all charges associated with the tour are shown on the invoice. This can include tour renewals that happened in a different year.
  • Tour Reporting
    Can I use Google Analytics (or another tracking service) to create reports?
    Yes! In our new tour system, you can paste your own Google Analytics tracking code into the tour. If you do not have a Google Analytics account, just go to www.google.com/analytics to sign up. It is free.

    If you have a Vanity Domain (like 111anystreet.com) you bought from us or another domain provider, just create a new website profile for your domain in Google.

    If you do not have a Vanity Domain, you can create a website profile for www.Seetheproperty.com but...you need to create a filter to track the directories. Please see the Help tool in Google Analytics for the most up to date help info on how to do this, but as of April 9, 2010, this is their FAQ on the subject:
    How do I track unique areas within my website separately? If there are certain subdirectories of your website that you would like to track, you can create a filter to only report on traffic to that directory:

    1. Click Filter Manager
    2. From the Existing Filters list, click Add
    3. Enter a unique Filter Name
    4. From the Filter Type drop-down list, select Include only traffic from a subdirectory
    5. In the Subdirectory field, replace mydir with the subdirectory you would like to track, leaving the ^/ and / in place. For example, if you would like to report on www.example.com/motorcycles, enter:

    ^/motorcycles/

    6. Select the Available Website Profile to which to apply this filter and click Add
    7. Click Finish to create and apply this filter, or Cancel to exit without saving
    Reporting for Tours
    Each tour has reporting information collected, which includes hits, unique visitors, referring sites, etc. To see reporting, login to your account and then click on the Main button on the top navigation bar (if you are somewhere else). Then click the Reporting Link. Once there, click Show for a particular tour. Because of the intense nature of the graphics, this page does take several seconds to load.

    Definitions. The following are definitions of some of the terms used on the reporting pages:
    -UNIQUE VISITORS - defined as a unique IP address (typically a house). Because a house could have a wireless router or multiple computers connected through one Internet connection, it is impossible to tell individual computers, so the IP address is the best level of detail. There is no other detail since we do not require a login by the person viewing the tour (may add a lead generation tool later to save a tour).
    -PAGE VIEWS - How many times the server was hit for different pages. For example, if a user clicks on the icons for all the photos on the floor plan level, it is considered 1 page view. If they navigate to another floor or click on Flyer, Video or another button, that is considered another page view. So, there can be multiple actions on one page view. This may differ from other tours since a lot of content can be included on one page. You can see more detail reporting by clicking on the link for the old reporting system detail under the time period as well.
    -SEARCH ENGINES - means the user typed in a search criteria and found the tour via Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.
    -REFERRING SITES - the website where the user clicked on the tour link. If the referring site is FloorPlanOnline.com, SeeTheProperty.com or VIFP.com, it means the user directly inputted the tour address into their computer or mobile device browser. They could have gotten the link from a sign rider, a flyer, etc.
    -LOCATION - the location of the IP address. If you click the Country, you can see the Cities of the users as well. Sometimes, the location is not known and will display as UNKNOWN.

    There are several tools for reporting.
    -TIME PERIOD - you can select time periods to show...Day, Week, Month, Year. Just click the time period to display your desired time period. You can mouse over the graph points to see specific number of unique visitors, for example. Click the icon that looks like a calendar right next to the words Show Stats for: to pick a previous month.
    -EMAIL - you can enter in an email address of someone (you, your seller) and we will automatically send an email with a link to the report on a scheduled basis based on the frequency you select. To cancel the email, just click the link at the bottom of the email we send to unsubscribe. The recipient is the person that needs to unsubscribe at this time.
    -EXPORT - you can export the data to Excel via the CSV option. Just click the icons in the lower right corner of each data section. You can also export the images of the graphs, so you can make your own report to send to your seller, if desired.
    -GRAPH VIEWS - you can change the display of some of the data to Pie graphs or other forms. Just click the icon on the lower right of the data you are viewing. Mouse over each section to see the detail.
    What kind of reporting tools do you provide?
    We provide a fairly comprehensive reporting tool that tracks unique visitors, hits and other information on your tour. You can even click on the location of users and drill down to see the city they are located. To access our reporting, login to your account, and from the Main Menu, select the Reporting option. You will then see a list of your tours. Click on the "Show" link to see the report.

    You can also set this report up to be emailed to you or someone else on a periodic basis. Just use the email report tool to generate the emails. You stop the emails to the entered recipient by clicking on the link in the email they get from our system.
  • Your Account Profile
    How do I add or change my credit card info?
    You can add or change a credit card that is on file with us by selecting the Edit Profile button from the Main page when you are first logged in to your FloorPlanOnline account. From there, select the button at the top that says Edit Billing Info. Click on this button to get to the credit card update page.

    Enter in the basic credit card info such as the number, the security code (Visa/Mastercard - 3 digits on back of the card, AMEX - 4 digits on the front of the card), expiration date and name. Also, you need to enter the billing address for this credit card. This is likely your home, where you have the credit card statement mailed. The address needs to match in order for the update to be successful.
    How do I change my account information, like to add a new agent photo or change my cell phone number?
    When you are logged into your account, you can select either the Edit Profile button in the top navigation bar, or select one of the account management links which are always displayed on the bottom right-hand side of the screen.

    - EDIT PROFILE - Select this option if you need to change your contact information (such as address, phone number, address) or if you want to upload a picture or logo for the first time. If you already have a logo or photo in your account and need to change it, you can just use the browse button to upload a new photo or logo. NOTE: in some cases, the logo and the photo may have been combined to make things look better. In this case, you may get two photos. To fix this issue, you can simply upload a new logo as well as a photo and it will change your account. You can also email us to request the fix. Custom changes to your profile will take 24 hours to be updated on your existing tours.

    Other options on the Edit Profile Page:

    - EDIT BILLING INFO - Select this option under Edit Profile if you need to change your credit card information.

    - EDIT LINKING INFO - Select this option if you need to change your Realtor.com preference or change your MLS.

    - CUSTOMIZE TOUR - you can check or uncheck the different boxes next to some of the other tools that show on your tour.

    For Corporate accounts, there is an option on the lower right to manage subaccounts.
    - MANAGE SUBACCOUNTS (only present in corporate accounts) - Select this option if you are the corporate account administrator and need to change corporate level information.
    Invoice for Charges
    Every tour created has an online invoice for the amount charged and the billing method for each charge. This is all online. To access a tour invoice, just login, go to Manage Orders, and then click the "view" link under Marketing Materials. The last button on the page is View Invoice. Click that and you can see the charges (there is a date stamp next to each) and print the invoice for your records (note a link to this is also in the email we send you when we first create the tour as well as if you select Edit Order on the Manage Order page).

    If you have an older tour, you can always see the invoice, even if the tour has been archived because it is older than 1 year. You can either go to one of your more recent tour invoices and replace the "order_id=xxxxx" with the older ID for the older tour, or use this link and replace the order_id= and the member_id= with your information (where the x's are).

    http://vifp.com/order_invoice.php?order_id=xxxxx&member_id=xxxxx

    The invoice should then show on the web page. You can then print.
    What is AddThis?
    We have added a social media sharing tool called AddThis on every tour. This allows users to easily bookmark and share your tour with others. For example, if someone clicks the
    "F" icon, they can easily add the tour to their "wall" within Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, you can add the tour into your account as well. These are simple yet effective viral marketing tools, provided at no cost.

    If for some reason you do not want this tool to show, just go to Edit Profile, uncheck the box, and save.
  • Tour Renewals & Transfers
    Can a tour be transfered?
    Yes! A tour can be transferred from one agent to another, however, we need to get permission from the original agent that paid for the tour. Most agents are willing to accommodate such a transfer. We do charge a $29 transfer fee, which is effectively a renewal fee, in order to effectuate the transfer to the new agent and change the branding, etc.

    In situations where the other agent is not willing to transfer the tour over, we typically require new photos to be shot and added into a new tour. Please discuss your need with one of our customer care personnel if you have this specific situation.
    Can I reuse a tour that has been created in the past?
    Yes! If a tour is over one year old and has been archived because a renewal fee has not been paid, you can always activate it and make it active again...at any time in the future. We have had lots of people get a new listing on a house they may have sold years before. The buyers remembered the tour on the house, and the agent who provided it...so it is a great sales lead tool for you too!

    You do not have to pay for a whole new tour - you can just reactivate the old tour. If you need new photos, we can take new ones for the then current Trip Fee for up to 20 more photos. This can save you significant money by just paying the renewal fee vs a new Full Service Tour Fee. To renew a tour that has been archived, login, go to Manage Orders, find the order (search for it in the search box or use the page tools). Then click the "renew" link under Order Form. After a few minutes, the page will refresh and your tour will be available for editing. by paying the renewal fee you have access to all of our customer support tools as well - phone, email, chat.

    Also, if you are marketing a development that has homes that are using the same floor plan throughout different homes, we can create duplicate tours for these properties and set them up for the current duplication fee vs creating a whole new tour from scratch. Our policy is any property that is a separate and distinct legal parcel of land must have a separate tour associated with it. Usually, you will want different MLS numbers for these different properties, they will be linked to Realtor.com and the MLS, etc, so it makes the process flow much smoother as well. Also, linking tours to multiple (more than 2) MLS numbers becomes problematic and a manual process. So if you have multiple properties that have essentially the same tour, we can create duplicates. Contract our sales or customer care to discuss your specific need.
    What about Tour Renewals?
    The virtual tours are valid for 1 year from the date they are initially produced (not when you approve them). Tours may be renewed for another 1 year period at any time in the future by paying the then current renewal fee. Just like a website, a virtual tour site consumes storage and bandwidth costs, you can edit any active virtual tour at any time by uploading new photos, making floor plan edits, etc, and you can call customer care and discuss any tour issues at any time. Because of this, we charge a renewal fee to support the tour beyond the initial hosting period. If a tour has been archived (it will say Renew under the Order Form Column), you can always activate it in the future, when you need it. You do not need to pay for a whole new tour - just the small renewal fee at the time you need it.
  • Reseller Account Set-up
    How do I add subaccounts or my clients?
    After the corporate (reseller) account is set up. You will login to your order management system and click on manage subaccounts.

    You will then enter your clients information that will be used for their presentation frames.

    When creating sub accounts, put a 1 in their email to prevent us from sending the welcome email to their customer. E-mail customer care at orders@floorplanonline.com to remove it. Include customer ID (s) that need to be edited.

    Always include the resellers e-mail address as the alternate e-mail so that all e-mail communication regarding the account and order are sent to the reseller

    After the account is set up, Edit the subaccount so that the email settings do not have any e-mails set to go to your subaccount, only to the alternate which the Reseller.
    How do I become a reseller?
    Just select the link on the home page that says Register as....Reseller.

    Choose "Corporate Account" so that your are able to manage and see your team of agents orders. At the Corporate Account level, a company administrator will be able to enter and edit tours for every Sub-Account in their group.

    During the registration process you will need to check the box that says, "Pay for Sub Account Orders" and you will need to enter credit card information.

    Also, please send an email to Amy Hayes at amy@floorplanonline.com and she will go through other account set-up processes.
    I have registered to become a reseller, what is next?
    There are a few administrative things that need to be done by FloorPlanOnline. Please contact Amy Hayes at 866-810-3816 x109 or amy@floorplanonline.com to discuss the set-up process.

    We will set you up officially as a reseller. This will allow us to upload your reseller logo in the bottom right box of the presentation frame if you choose to include it. It will remove the FPO disclaimer and branding.

    With this, you are on your way to placing orders.
  • Customer Specific Issues
    Allen Tate Tour Linking
    Allen Tate agents need to link the tour to the company website. To do so, follow the below steps. Note for the Charlotte MLS, you will need to also add the virtual link there manually as well.

    Once you approve your virtual tour, FloorPlanOnline will send you an email with the branded and unbranded virtual tour links. Note, you can also see your links by logging into www.floorplanonline.com, select Manage Orders, and then click the View link under Marketing Materials for the tour in question.

    To add the virtual tour link to the AllenTate.com website, right mouse click on either BRANDED tour links in the FloorPlanOnline email and select Copy Shortcut. You want the Branded link since this contains your contact information, logo and photo (if you uploaded it).

    Next, go to the Allen Tate Intranet, select Online Office, then Online Forms, then Listing Preferences link. Enter the property MLS#, right mouse click on the field called Virtual Tour URL and select Paste. It should paste the virtual tour link in this field. Click Save.
    MRIS Tour Linking
    We automatically link the unbranded (restricted version) of the tour to MRIS. The tour then shows up on the HomesDatabase.com website as well.

    MRIS provides a basic slideshow. Sometimes their basic slideshow will show as the default tour. This can be changed. Below is the response we got back from the MRIS help desk as of the Winter 2009....so please check if things have changed.

    To display a specific virtual tour first, the agent must log into Keystone to change the sequence of the tours. For better assistance, please contact our Support Center at 301-838-7200 or toll free at 1-888-838-8200. A Customer Support Representative would be happy to assist with this issue.

    The priority of the virtual tours is a first-come, first created process, but the agent has the ability to change the priority in Keystone if they wish. When the agent adds multiple photos, the MRIS Slideshow is created automatically. If the agent uploads these photos before we have uploaded the link to the virtual tour, then the MRIS default slideshow gets first priority. MRIS has coded the MRIS slideshow so that if the agent has added other virtual tours, the slideshow will contain links to those tours. Other vendor tours do not have that link.

    If the MRIS slideshow is the first created and the agent wishes another tour to be the primary tour, they can access Keystone and change the priority of the tours so that it becomes primary. But the agent should be aware when they do this that since vendors do not have access to the data stored in our database, they have no way of coding their tours to display any additional tours, so they will lose the ability to view any other tours other than their primary if their primary tour is not the MRIS default slideshow.
    Reece and Nichols Virtual Tour Posting
    If you are a Reece and Nichols agent, you can easily post the branded virtual tour to your listing. Just login to your admin site at Reece and Nichols, then go to Agent Programs, then select the Post a Virtual Tour. You will be prompted to enter the MLS number, and then the tour link. You can find the tour link under Manage Orders, then click the view link under Marketing Materials. From there, click the Tour Links button. Use the branded tour link so all of your information is on the tour. The tour link should be something like http://www.seetheproperty.com/xxxxx where xxxxx is your order ID.
    Windermere Tour Linking
    Windermere IT has removed the back door way to link tours with HTML code. Now what must be used is the embedded media option as part of the Edit Listing, Photos/Media tools. The good news is we have an embedded floorplan and video option that fits in the embedded media tool. All you have to do is go to the Marketing Material page for that order (Manage Orders, then the "view" link under the Marketing Materials column) and then click on the Embeddable Object button. Here, you can change the colors of the buttons (if the property is 2 floors or less we show floor buttons, if more, we show a drop down for the levels), show or not show a button to the Full Tour, and pick different sizes. Hit the Apply button to update the object with your changes, then click the Click Here link and right click to copy the code to your notepad. We also support a separate embeddable object for the WalkThru Video (for photo tours, this is the only object). You can even select to have the video play automatically vs having to click the play button. One you have configured the object, go to the Windermere site to edit the listing and add virtual media. Just paste the code you copied into the applicable field.
  • Do it yourself Guide
    How do I upload photos?
    There are four places in our system where you can add images (photos and/or floor plans) into your tour:

    1. The final step of placing a new order.
    2. Within the Tour Editor, from "Edit Photos on FloorPlan."
    3. Within the Tour Editor, from "Upload Additional Photos."
    4. Within Manage Orders, from the "Uploaded Files" column for your tour.

    Each of these areas works the same way. You can upload up to 10 files at a time. Simply repeat this process if you need to upload additional files. If you prefer, you can upload a compressed folder which contains all of your photos and floor plans.

    - Log in to your account, select "Manage Orders" then select the link under the "Upload Files" column (or select one of the other areas you can upload new images.)

    - Look for and select the "Upload New Files" button.

    - On this page, you will see a few instructions for uploading images as well as File 1 through File 10 with the "Browse" button next to each. When you select "Browse", the file directory for YOUR computer will be opened which allows you to find the right images on your computer. Click on an image, which adds the image to the Upload box.

    - Use the "Comments" box to tell us if you want our team to take the new images and place them in your tour OR if you want to do that work yourself. If you leave this area blank, our team will attempt to place the new images in your tour in the most logical way possible.

    - Once you have selected all the desired images and added your comments, select the "Upload" button. Wait until your computer says the upload is complete AND you see a confirmation screen from our system too. If you exit this process to soon, we will not receive your images.

    You can now wait for our team to update your tour or you can begin placing the new images into your tour yourself using the Tour Editor.
    How do I upload the floor plan I sketched?
    First you need to create a computerized image of your sketch by either scanning it into your computer or taking a clear digital picture of each page of your the sketch and saving it to your computer.

    You upload a floor plan sketch just like you upload photos. There are four places in our system to do this:
    - Log in to your account, select "Manage Orders" then select the link under the "Upload Files" column (or select one of the other areas you can upload new images.)

    - Look for and select the "Upload New Files" button.

    - On this page, you will see a few instructions for uploading images as well as File 1 through File 10 with the "Browse" button next to each. When you select "Browse", the file directory for YOUR computer will be opened which allows you to find the right images on your computer. Click on an image, which adds the image to the Upload box.

    - Once you have selected all the desired images and added your comments, select the "Upload" button. Wait until your computer says the upload is complete AND you see a confirmation screen from our system too. If you exit this process to soon, we will not receive your images.

    Once we receive your sketch, we will take 2 business days to create a professional floor plan. We will email you the full tour to you to review.
    What advice do you have to help me draw a sketch of the floor plan?
    It is easier than you may first think to make your own sketch of a floor plan. Here are some ideas to help you. Suggested Tools - You will need an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper for each floor of the property. You should use additional pieces of paper for outbuildings (detached garage, pool house, etc.) Put each floor on a separate sheet and scale them the same. You can also use our Drawing pad.
    Select Tools, then the FloorPlan Drawing Pad to use our pre-printed drawing background.

    - Work in pencil.
    - You will need a measuring tape.
    - You will need either a scanner to scan in your final product or a digital camera to take a picture of your final product. If you do not have access to either, you can fax us your sketch if needed.
    - Get a copy of the property's appraisal. Use the appraiser's sketch of the property's footprint as your starting point.


    START YOUR DRAWING
    - Position the paper horizontally (also called landscape.)
    - Start by sketching the exterior walls of the property. When possible, the front door of the property should be drawn near the bottom of the paper.
    - Once you have the outline of the property, you may want to make a few copies so you have extra sets if you need to start over.
    - Measure each room to the nearest foot. This will give you an idea of the proportions you will need to sketch.
    - Using a pencil, begin to sketch the walls and doorways for each room. The proportions of each room do not need to be exact but try to make them to scale as much as possible.
    - After you are satisfied with the placement of the walls and doors, walk into each room and draw the following features:

    Doors - show the type of door (French, single, double, pocket) and the direction they open. Windows
    Closets
    For bathrooms - draw the placement of the toilet, bath, shower, counters, and sinks.
    For the kitchen - draw the placement of the counters, key appliances, sink, island, and pantry.
    Other selling features
    Draw the stairways and the directions of the stairs.

    - In each room, write down the room name and the room dimensions.
    - Somewhere on the paper, write down the order ID, your name and the property address.
    - Take pictures of the property and save the images to the computer. Name the images with a sequential number and room names (1_doorway, 2_hall, etc.)
    - We suggest you resize yours photos to a minimum of 800x600 pixels or to a maximum of 1600x1200 pixels for the best results.
    Create a File of the Floor Plan If you already have an order ID from our system, ensure it is written on every piece of paper. If not, write the street address and your account ID on the floor plans. Label the papers such as first floor, basement, detached garage. Either scan the papers into your computer and save as a PDF file or take a digital picture of each piece of paper and upload to your computer as a picture image.
    What is a Self Service Tour?
    "Self Service" means you are providing all the input for your tour. For an Interactive FloorPlan Tour, you are providing both the sketch of the floor plan and the pictures. For an Interactive Photo Tour, you provide the photos.

    We then take your images and create a tour for you to review and approve.
    What is the time-line to create a Self Service tour?
    Once you upload all the images, we then take 2 business days to draft your tour. We will send it to you to edit and approve. Once you approve it, we can immediately send you the finalized tour.

    Be aware however that if you need to make changes to the floor plan itself (change dimensions, room names, etc.) it will take us 1 business day to make those kinds of changes before we can finalize your tour.