Virtual Touring Tips to Stay Connected

Your leasing strategy must evolve for it to be effective in the future.

By CHRISTIN DANIELS, CAM, Buyer’s Access

Technology can make the leasing process easier for both prospects and operating teams but reliance on it alone won’t show increasing returns.

The term “new normal” has had negative connotations, but when it comes to technology, is this new normal so bad? Pandemic disruption to multifamily operations created a desperate need for alternatives to the standard, in-person apartment tour.

Virtual touring and leasing solutions bridged the socially distanced gap, serving as the industry’s lifeline and only hope to keep occupancy from plummeting. Are the virtual tours helping enough to justify its presence after the pandemic? Is leasing activity soaring due to the increased efficiency and convenience? Is it safe to say the virtual realities were needed before the pandemic or are they just an upgrade to an already solid system? Below we take a deep dive into leveraging technology for your advantage, when closing leases and communicating with residents.

Is it working for or against you?

Technology can make the leasing process easier for both prospects and operating teams but reliance on it alone won’t show increasing returns. Using technology platforms without strategizing a holistic approach to resident and prospect interactions will leave holes in your interactions.

When prospects find tours available on the website, it’s easy for them to dodge an interaction with someone, if they are afraid someone might sell them. The downside to this is it robs prospects of valuable information that can only be provided through personal interaction. Using the website data to your advantage whenever possible is a way to leverage technology to close more leases.

Who do you remember? Who do you forget? Not the chatbot! The best leasing professionals in the industry have one thing in common, they know what to say and when to say it. They also know when to stop talking. Why? Because they listen and show interest in their prospect while looking for clues. But this interaction isn’t hap

Urgency is an undeniably effective closing technique that loses some of its relevance with virtual tours. Finding ways to still create that same urgency by leveraging any data collected on your tour platforms and directing outreach accordingly can help create synergy between technology and human interactions.

pening as often with virtual tours and it’s important to still hold urgency in outreach to them even if they seem like they don’t want to talk.

A simple introduction lets them know you are there. You can gain their trust by showing them you won’t be a pushy leasing agent but a trustworthy friend. By a quick email or conversation, you can open the door for them to reach out when they need to or are ready to. And they likely will!

Why is the phone ringing if everything is virtual?

Anyone Home, an industry CRM solution, recently revealed that only 65% of calls into the leasing office were answered between Feb. 25 and March 14. That number decreased to 33% only 10 days later. Ironically, the volume of calls increased during this same period by 30%, meaning that the 33% multiplied in number of calls, leads or missed. In relation to this, LeaseHawk, showed similar trends amid the pandemic, reporting the average call return time of 23.5 hours. If interested prospects or even residents are unable to get in touch with someone, you are giving them more opportunities to go elsewhere. The value of the telephone is still valid and returning calls is a really great way to get virtual tours or better, leases.

Always urgent, never pushy

Urgency is an undeniably effective closing technique that loses some of its relevance with virtual tours. Finding ways to still create that same urgency by leveraging any data collected on your tour platforms and directing outreach accordingly can help create synergy between technology and human interactions. Going back to analyzing any available website traffic can help convert leads into residents when used to personalize the approach. The effectiveness of the contact will be influenced by prior built rapport and your ability to come across as genuine, helpful and unforgettable.

THE TOURS Live tours through video chat

Video chat and the ability to tour prospects instantly opens up a whole new level of convenience without sacrificing personalization. It makes sticking to the time-tested truths in effective leasing activity easy, as the process is comparable to the in-person tour.

Where you can go wrong is by forgetting that the unit itself must be ready for the tour when you show up, so walking units is still imperative to increasing the effectiveness of using technology. Remember to be thorough and listen for buying cues along the way, later using them to gain a new resident.

Self-guided tours

With the use of smart-lock technology, residents are now able to gain access to the apartment available to tour with leasing teams on video chat throughout the process. This is the second most personal way to be able to use virtual touring to personally connect, but there are some things to consider.

To be able to speak to what the prospect is looking at, ask them to turn the camera so you can both see the same thing at the same time. Urgency is easy to implement on self-guided tours because leasing teams can be present. Following up within 24 hours via phone is the best way to continue the process if they don’t lease right away.

On-demand virtual tours and web hosted tours

On-demand lifestyles are here to stay, making the on-demand virtual tour popular for both prospects and onsite teams. The downfall, though, is it eliminates of personal interaction and it makes it easy for people to dodge a conversation that could have led to an application without the prospect realizing it.

Creativity can be your friend. Custom video solutions, personally written emails and telephone follow-ups help bridge the gap. Website traffic analytics can reveal valuable behind-thescenes insight that can be used to personalize your approach even more. Designing web based virtual tours so that contact information is required in order to unlock access can assist in converting follow-up interactions. If your marketing traffic system can track a prospect’s user interaction experience through the IP address, you can gain key insights about their tastes before they even realize you exist. Don’t give away your secret though, use it to your advantage and allow them to continue to elaborate on their needs, making the process easier than ever, for both them and for you.

The Formula

The value of technology during the COVID-19 pandemic is undeniable. Technology has saved many properties amid social distancing restrictions. With all the positives it brings, leasing strategies must evolve in order for it to be effective in the long term.

Tossing aside all the time-tested practices of the past isn’t the best way to leverage resources right now. Strategize, test and craft an approach using both technological advancements and tactics that have worked for years to build the ultimate virtual apartment community touring experience for you and your new residents.

Christin Daniels, CAM, has been in the apartment industry since 2006. She was exposed to opportunities in the apartment business through industry influencer, Debbie Phillips, who encouraged her to explore the career.

Finishing in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Housing and later a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Economics, Daniels promotes the industry everywhere she goes. She has developed multiple teams, sourced external talent from outside industries and has developed them into industry leaders. After working her way from leasing to community manager at highly valued assets, she wanted to influence the industry on a broader scale and became the outreach content and sales development strategist for Buyers Access. Daniels can be reached at cdaniels@buyersaccess.com.