Over the last decade, the worldwide shift to online platforms has made things a little more complicated.
The internet isn’t always a bad thing, though. The popularity of remote work opened up thousands of jobs across the world while allowing people to work from home. This made work more accessible and comfortable for employees and cheaper for employers.
The same concept applies to property management.
Virtual tours gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when shelter-in-place orders prevented in-person property touring. Once the virus grew milder and the dust began to settle, in-person touring slowly but surely started up again. But offering virtual tours in a post-pandemic world can set you apart from competitors and attract renters who rely on virtual tours, translating into more leads.
Renters Who Benefit from Virtual Tours
The main argument for offering virtual tours is accessibility. Many renters rely on virtual tours when looking for a rental for various reasons, so not offering virtual tours may remove your property as an option for many otherwise potential tenants.
According to our recently conducted renter survey, 57% of the 16,577 renters surveyed said they would be likely to sign a lease for a property without touring it in person. Here are some of the circumstances that may lead renters to rely on virtual tours when looking for a place to live.
Renters making long-distance moves
If a renter is moving further than a short drive away, they’re likely limited in how many properties they can tour in person or may not be able to tour in person at all. One survey respondent who said they would sign a lease sight unseen expressed this sentiment: “I’m moving from out of state. I don’t have time to fly in and tour all the units I was hoping to see!”
If renters can tour rentals in the city they’re moving to, they might want to narrow down their options to a short list based on the information in each rental listing. Offering virtual tours can help you end up on that short list by allowing them to see more of the property and get a better idea of the layout and amenities.
Renters with inflexible schedules
Whether due to children, pets, or a tight work schedule, many renters may not be able to tour a rental in person. Parents with young children may not be able to arrange for childcare, and renters who work demanding jobs may not be able to tour during normal business hours.
One survey respondent said, “For military families like us who are changing duty stations, we are not able to view the property beforehand, as it's usually across the country or even overseas. Online tours, pictures, and videos are crucial.”
Another respondent said, “I work a lot of hours, so as long as the pictures/videos or virtual tour is comprehensive enough, I am willing to rent sight unseen.”
Instead of having to block hours of their time to drive to your property, tour the rental, and drive back to work or home, renters can set aside less than an hour to jump on a quick video chat with you.
Renters with disabilities
Touring in-person can be a strenuous process for those with disabilities. Many renters may not be physically able to walk through your property for extended periods, so a virtual tour allows them to see your property in real time while accommodating their disability.
One respondent said in-person tours are not physically feasible for them: “Because of my age and lack of a car, as well as difficulty walking, it's easier to apply online.”
A virtual tour also allows renters with disabilities to evaluate if your property fits their accessibility needs. If they decide to tour a few properties in person, they likely want to make sure they’re not wasting their time touring a property they won’t be able to navigate.
Renters who prefer virtual tours
While many renters have specific life circumstances that make it difficult to tour a property in person, some renters simply prefer to tour a property virtually.
How to Offer Virtual Tours
There are three ways to offer virtual tours: video calls, video tours, and 3D tours. Each have pros and cons, but all three can broaden your pool of potential tenants by making it easier for renters to view your property.
Video call
Video calls are the easiest (and cheapest) way to take potential tenants on a virtual tour. Video calling platforms like FaceTime, Zoom, and Google Meet are all free to use and allow you to walk renters through your property in real time.
A video call also allows the renter the opportunity to ask questions, just like during an in-person tour.
Video tour
Video tours are a cheaper alternative to 3D tours. Just as the name suggests, you can create a video tour by walking through your rental and showing a panoramic view of each room. Keep it short—under 2 minutes—so that potential renters stay engaged, and show off the best amenities first.
3D tour
3D tours, or 360° panoramic tours, are another type of virtual tour. With 3D tours, renters can tap through your property as if they were walking around, allowing them to inspect the features most important to them. Unlike a video call, 3D tours are always available on your listing or property website and don’t rely on your availability.
However, creating a 3D tour can be expensive. Professional 3D touring platforms charge anywhere from $100 to several thousand dollars, depending on the size of your rental, which may not be feasible with a small budget.
How to Add Virtual Tours to Your Apartments.com Listing
While video calls are included in a basic Apartments.com account, video tours and 3D renderings require a Premium subscription.
Add video calls
You can enable video tour requests on your Apartments.com Customer Portal. Once you’re logged in, select the property for which you’d like to allow video call scheduling capabilities and navigate to the “Office & Tours” tab in the navigation bar. In the “Office & Tours” section, scroll down until you see “Book Personal Online Tours” and toggle the button on.
Now that you’ve enabled online video call scheduling for your listing, you’ll receive tour requests like normal.
Add 3D and video tours
To add videos and 3D renderings to your listing, you’ll need to upgrade your ad to a Premium listing.
In addition to allowing video and 3D tours, upgrading your listing to Premium will give you a bigger ad, more search impressions, more high-quality leads, and visibility on five websites across the Apartments.com Network. Contact support@apartments.com with any questions about upgrading your listing to Premium or adding virtual tours.
Virtual tours are a great way to appeal to a broader audience and get more leads. Whether you choose to offer virtual tours via video call, video tour, 3D viewing, or all three, adding a virtual touring option to your listing can attract renters who can’t tour your property in person.
