How To Put On The Best Apartment Tour For Potential Residents

By Gretchen Kernbach on July 10, 2016

If all college students are alike in some way, it is their inability to make quick, sure decisions. That is why, as a property manager, you should make it your goal to put on the best apartment tour you can give. Your potential tenants are already hesitant by nature, as all young adults are. There are so many doubts and what-ifs; therefore, it is nearly impossible to fully commit to something on the spot.

However, if you put on a nearly perfect tour of your space for rent, those timid potential residents may not be so timid anymore. It takes pressing all the right buttons in all the right places.

Image via beabetterguide.com

Be prepared.

To start off, prepping for tours is necessary. It is unsettling to walk into an apartment and not know what to expect. According to Zillow.com, “Maximize the light. Open the blinds, curtains and drapes or turn the lights on — you want your unit to feel bright and homey.”

Also, show them apartments that look presentable. Whether it is empty or staged, make sure it at least looks clean and organized. The setting can set the mood for potential residents on tour.

Control the size of your tour group.

In addition, do not show a group of four students a two-bedroom apartment. That is clearly what they are not looking for. Showing the wrong sized apartment is the quickest way to lose someone’s attention.

Do not bring a huge crowd into an apartment for visiting. It will make the place feel smaller, and the chance of renting feel more pressured. Consequently, making your space look not-so-welcoming.

How do you control that? Take one group of residents at a time. By that, I mean, take a group of friends that have already planned to live together for the next school year. It is not a good idea to mix groups. However, if you are pressed for time, it would be smart to only take two to three groups, depending on their sizes. I would not bring more than seven or eight kids on a tour.

Smaller groups feel more personal, allowing potential tenants to open up to you. According to blog.apartments.com, “First impressions are lasting impressions. Greet prospective renters with a smile and a handshake to start things off on the right foot.”

When you build a stable business relationship, prospective residents will inquire more about the living space. Bringing us to our next aspect of touring: answering questions.

Get ready to answer — and ask — questions.

Always be honest. Always. You may think you can throw in a tiny white lie here and there, but more than often it will get thrown back in your face. And remember, the majority of these students have parents who won’t hesitate to get lawyers involved.

mdc.edu

In addition, if you do not exactly know the answer to a question, do not make one up. Ask for the student’s email and get back to him or her later. Word will get around year to year if a certain complex’s tour guides lie to students about certain amenities or other aspects. Better to be safe than sorry.

On the other hand, do not expect students to dominate the tour with their own questions. It is your job as a guide to know the property and show off all its “must-haves.” Even you can ask them questions. That way if an objection occurs, you can counter it with a working alternative. According to hy.ly, “Probe with questions like, ‘Tell me about your furniture … how would it fit in this room?’ or ‘Would you place your bed on this wall or facing the other direction?’”

A balance of questions and answers with additional points made by you makes an informational tour.

Allow potential renters to wander on their own.

After you have made all of your glorious selling points, allow the interested renter to do some wandering of their own. According to Zillow.com, “Don’t breathe down his neck, but stay at a close enough distance so that he can ask any questions he might have. Volunteer useful information about the apartment’s features or the surrounding community.”

Never expect an apartment to sell itself. “You never want to release any keys to the property prior to the lease-signing, much less during a tour. This is a terribly lazy and irresponsible practice, which happens more than you’d expect.” Said hy.ly, “Without an informed agent to make the sale, there is no opportunity to sell anything.”

Another concern brought on by letting students tour the property themselves is the fear of stolen items or the keys never being returned. Also, the apartment could be left unlocked leaving it vulnerable to vandalism.

As a review, the first step in giving the best possible apartment tour is preparation — know what you are showing. Make sure there is a lot of natural light shining through, and, please, clean up.

Second, control the size of the group to make the tour more personal for everyone. And remember to greet everyone nicely.

Third, answer all questions respectfully and correctly. Lying will do no one any good.

Fourth, make sure you do most of the talking, although not all. Hit the basics about the space and then ask your interested renters about what they would like to know.

Fifth, give them time to look around themselves but make sure you are there too. Don’t give the keys to anyone.

Lastly, according to hy.ly:

Follow-up is critical in this business. Even if the prospect decides not to rent the apartment, you can still follow up with them; thank them for visiting and offer to assist them in the future if needed. Ask the prospect what the best method to contact them is. By establishing your interest in the prospect, you set the stage for future contact.”

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