How to Create a Virtual 360° Tour (Step-by-Step)
Learn how to create professional 360° virtual tours for real estate in minutes. Upload 360 photos, add hotspots, and share interactive tours instantly.
TL;DR: Take 360 photos → upload to Pedra → link the rooms yourself or let the AI do it → Generate → share or embed the link. Viewers don't need an account and tours load fast.
Try it now: pedra.ai/virtual-tours
Working from your phone? You can build the same tour in the Pedra app without a computer: how to make a real estate virtual tour from your phone.
Who is this for?
Real estate agents, brokers, photographers, and marketing teams who want fast, professional 360° virtual tours to win more listings and sell faster—without expensive hardware or complex software.
What you need
- A 360 camera or source of 360 images (any brand that exports standard equirectangular JPGs: 2:1 aspect, e.g., 8,192×4,096 or 4,096×2,048).
- A Pedra account (free to start): pedra.ai/virtual-tours
Pro tip: Stand the camera at ~1.4–1.6 m height, keep it level, and place it near the room center. Avoid mirrors and close doors to areas you don't want shown.
Virtual tour creation, step by step
1) Capture your 360 photos
Shoot one 360 photo per room/area (living room, kitchen, bedrooms, hallway, balcony, exterior).
Keep line-of-sight between rooms you want connected (e.g., living room ↔ hallway) to make navigation feel natural.
2) Create a new tour in Pedra
Go to Pedra → Create project → Create a Virtual 360 Tour.
Upload your 360 images (drag & drop is fine).
3) Link the rooms: by hand, or with AI
Manual linking is free and quicker than it sounds. Click the spot in the photo where a visitor should move, then pick the room it leads to. Pedra jumps you to that room and offers to place the return link, so you build the whole property in a few minutes.
Auto-linking with AI does it for you: Pedra compares your 360 photos, works out which rooms connect, and places the hotspots. It costs credits and works for tours up to 70 photos. Sequential mode links each room to the next, which suits a walkthrough shot in order. All-versus-all compares every pair, which suits properties with several ways through.
Either way you can drag a hotspot to move it or delete it afterwards, for free.
4) Generate your tour
Click Generate Tour. Pedra stitches your rooms and navigation into an interactive experience.
5) Share, embed, and track
Play the tour instantly, or copy the link.
Share on portals, messages, email, WhatsApp, or embed on your website.
No sign-in required for viewers. Tours are optimized for fast loading on desktop and mobile.
Stage and renovate rooms inside your tour with AI
Once the tour is generated, you can change what's inside it. Describe what you want in a prompt and Pedra edits the 360 image itself: furnish an empty bedroom, clear clutter, or renovate a dated kitchen. The tour keeps working the same way, so visitors move between rooms as before.
This is the part most 360 software doesn't do. Everything else here is stitching photos together. Explore a live staged tour.
Virtual tour photography: shooting checklist
✔ Turn on all lights and open blinds; shoot at daytime if possible.
✔ Hide clutter: cables, bins, drying racks, personal items.
✔ Keep consistent camera height across rooms.
✔ Close doors you don't want included; open doors you want linked.
✔ Take an extra shot of hallways or transitions to improve navigation.
Embedding your 360° tour
Websites: Add the share link in an iframe (your CMS usually has "Embed"/"HTML" blocks).
Portals/MLS: Most accept links; some support iframes. If iframes aren't allowed, just paste the Pedra tour URL in the listing "virtual tour"/"external link" field.
Social & messaging: Paste the link—Pedra loads fast and plays smoothly on mobile.
Common issues & quick fixes
Images appear warped → Ensure your files are equirectangular 2:1 JPGs.
Hotspot goes to the wrong room → Delete that hotspot and place a new one pointing at the right room.
Jump feels disorienting → Add a hallway/transition image between rooms or adjust hotspot placement nearer to the actual doorway area.
Tour loads slowly → Use images under ~10–15 MB each; upload at consistent resolution (e.g., 4096×2048).
I can't embed → Use the share link if iframes aren't supported; most portals at least allow an external URL.
FAQs
What cameras are supported?
Any 360 camera that exports standard equirectangular JPGs (2:1). Popular models include Insta360, Ricoh Theta, GoPro Max, etc.
Do viewers need an account to see my tour?
No. Your share link is public; anyone with the link can view.
Can I update the tour after sharing?
Yes. You can add or fix hotspots and re-generate. The link remains the same unless you create a new project.
How many photos do I need per property?
Typical apartments: 8–15 images. Larger homes: 15–30. Include hallways and stair landings for smooth navigation.
Can I create a virtual tour for free?
You can create a Pedra account and build a tour without paying up front. Publishing and hosting unlimited tours is part of a paid plan. There's no per-tour charge, which is what most 360 platforms bill you for.
Can I brand the tour?
You can include your logo and contact info on the page where you embed the tour (website, landing page) and in your listing description alongside the link.
Is the tour mobile-friendly?
Yes—Pedra tours are optimized for fast loading and smooth navigation on phones and tablets.
Why use Pedra for 360° tours?
Fast: From photos to live tour in minutes.
Simple: Point-and-click hotspot creation (no complex mapping).
Shareable: Link works anywhere; no viewer login.
Optimized: Loads quickly; great on mobile.
All-in-one: In the same workspace you can also create listing videos, photo enhancements, and virtual staging.
