There is something called a remote hosted virtual tour. It sounds worse than it is, and it important to know that it can be done.

Suppose you want to have the virtual tour embedded on your own web site -- and not run in a pop-up window. The solution to this design issue is to ask for a remote hosted tour. The tour will run on your server. As a web page is loaded, the virtual tour executes.

For most real estate agents, they will not want this type of tour. The reason is simple: it takes a good web designer with some programming experience to embed the tour on a web page. Agents with their own websites might want a remote hosted virtual tour to show their potential listing clients the types of tours they use. Another application might be for a large commerical building, a housing development, or some other similiar marketing project.

To see an example (actually 4) of embedded remote hosted virtual tours, look at my redesigned web page at http://www.virtualtourscompany.com. You'll see the remote hosted tours running -- you can even use the hot buttons to "walk" through the tour.

This embedded virtual tour is not possible with many "do-it-yourself" virtual tour products being marketed to real estate agents today.