How does a virtual apartment tour work?

A virtual tour lets you move through a home on a screen, room by room, as if you were there. It's made either by scanning a real apartment with a 360° camera, or by building it in 3D when the apartment doesn't exist yet or hasn't been designed.

Two kinds of virtual tour

1. Tour of an existing apartment. A 360° camera takes panoramic photos in each room. Software links them, so you click to move from one room to the next. Agents use it to show properties to buyers who can't visit.

2. Tour of a 3D design. The apartment is built in 3D software, furnished and lit, and then rendered as 360° panoramas or as a real-time model you can walk through. Developers use it to sell before the building is finished. Homeowners use it to see their renovation before works start.

Ways to view a tour

• In a web browser, on a computer or phone: drag to look around, click to move.
• On a phone, by turning it to look around.
• With a VR headset, for a feeling of real space and scale.

What it's good for

• Buyers and tenants: visit from anywhere, at any time, and shortlist before travelling.
• Developers and agents: sell from plans, reach buyers abroad and cut down wasted visits.
• Homeowners: feel the volume of a space, not only see a picture.

Tour or still renders?

Still renders are better for showing the best views in high quality, for a brochure, a listing or a decision on materials. A tour is better for understanding how rooms connect and how big they feel. Many projects use both: a few renders for impact and a tour for exploring.