By Corey DeGeorge, VP Product & Services
6/15/2021
Several weeks ago, one of our clients shared with me that virtual tours are often superior to in-person tours. This came from a salesperson in the multifamily housing industry who was used doing to in-person tours prior to the pandemic, so I was intrigued. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of virtual tour videos and video communications in general, but I wasn't really expecting to hear a salesperson say virtual tours are often better than getting face-to-face with a prospect!
I spent some time thinking about what she shared with me and why/when/how a virtual tour is better than an in-person tour. It all started to make sense.
- While an in-person tour is usually a one time gig, a virtual tour video can be watched and re-watched at any point during the decision-making process. It even makes a great supplement when an in-person tour has already occurred; the virtual tour can be personalized on focused on what the salesperson learned is important to the potential resident.
- A personalized virtual tour video can be shared with the prospective residents, family members, or other stakeholders who were not able to attend an in-person tour due to distance, time, or other constraints.
- A virtual tour video can contain footage of events or apartments that were not available during the in-person tour. For example, a leasing agent can record footage of a fun event in the community or a personalized virtual tour of an apartment that has become available. Imagine sending a virtual tour of a newly available apartment that is on the first floor near parking, just as the prospect wished for. Or for the prospective resident who is looking for an active, friendly community, send a virtual tour that includes footage of the fun, themed happy hour that occurred in the community the day after their in-person tour.
- Tailoring a personalized virtual tour video to something the leasing agent has learned about the prospect, is a powerful way to showcase the community and the level of service they will receive.
While seeing and experiencing a community face-to-face can be really important in one's decision-making process, we have learned during the pandemic (and even after), that sometimes apartments are leased sight-unseen with the aid of personalized videos such as amenity overviews, apartment of choice tours, and even just a simple thank you video demonstrating that the salesperson listened and cares about what is important to the prospective residents, setting that community apart from the rest.