Twenty years ago as a green leasing agent I did something that at the time would have probably gotten me into a lot of trouble - had I been caught. 😉

It happened after I was touring a couple. Every time I turned my back to them, I felt like they were using hand signals to silently communicate with each other while I was walking ahead, showing them a feature of the apartment. The second I would turn around to look at them, they would freeze like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and nod their heads like they were listening to me but it was clear they weren’t.

What was going on?

It wasn’t until after they left that I figured it out. They wanted to talk about the apartment freely but weren’t comfortable with me, their salesperson, in the room. But they also didn’t want to be rude and ask me to step outside so they could talk. They ended up telling me they’d think about, but I never heard from them again and my follow up calls ended up unanswered.

I hated losing the lease so I devised a little plan and a few days later when another couple came in, I was ready to try it out.

I walked and talked with them as we got to the model unit but this time, I said, “I don’t mind waiting outside while you look at the apartment if you prefer?” Their eyes widened and a big smile came over their face as they said, “Are you sure?”

BINGO!

From the outside of the unit, I could hear this couple talking animatedly, laughing and when they came out, they said, “We’ll take it!”

It almost felt like cheating…it worked so easily. I wasn’t sure how my manager would feel about me letting them basically tour alone, but I knew we needed leases, so I decided to keep trying my new strategy.

In my little experiment over the next few months, when I would allow groups of 2 or more to tour alone they almost always leased. If I didn’t, and they said they’d “think about it,” I would often lose the lease.

Fast forward to when I became a property manager. I would train my teams to step outside for all tours for a few minutes so the prospect could “really get a feel for the space.” That became our secret leasing weapon! Little did I know then that self-guided tours would become a standard 20 years later.

Self-Guided Tours Just Make Sense

Is it any wonder that self-guided tours are gaining in popularity? Social distancing aside, check out a few reasons why self-guided tours make sense:

• People like the space to tour at their own pace without any pressure or need to make small talk with a stranger. It removes the back and forth of scheduling to tour.

  • It’s not uncommon for them to pull up competitors’ information while they are in the unit. In this way, they are crossing their t’s and dotting their i’s.

  • They are checking to make sure the internet speed meets their needs.

  • They are visualizing themselves in the apartment, perhaps even measuring out the living room to make sure their sectional fits.

  • If they are viewing with a significant other or roommate, they are working through their own objections to decide if this space is right for them.

• Self-guided tours create an increase in capacity for onsite teams to focus on follow up, resident retention, and overall customer service. This is an opportunity for our leasing teams to really hone their customer service craft.

• Self-guided tours help standardize the leasing process and limit issues in regards to Fair Housing, etc.

• Now being short-staffed doesn’t have to prevent you from leasing apartments. With a self-guided tour program in process, you can lease apartments even when your office is closed.

Marketing your apartment’s Self-Guided Tours

People need to know that self-guided tours are an option for your community, but they won’t know unless you market it everywhere!

Here are a few ways to let them know:

1. If you are in a high foot traffic area, add a double-sided A-frame sign to encourage passersby to come in and tour at their pace.

2. Convert more drive-by traffic by adding signage along your fence and at your entrance that announces that self-guided tours are available.

3. Promote your self-guided tours on your social media, website, advertising channels, and email signatures.

4. Consider including a little self-guided tour pitch when you answer the phone. For example, “Thank you for calling Sprout Apartments where we now offer self-guided tours!”

5. Include these in your follow up. Perhaps someone toured with you but hasn’t decided to lease yet. Invite them to come in and tour again on their own.

MAKE SELF-GUIDED TOURS A BREEZE

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Provide instructions for how you will facilitate self-guided tours.

  • Is everything done alone and through a lockbox or will a prospect need to come into the office to show ID & receive a key?

• Draft an email template with instructions so you can just plug and play when someone schedules a tour.

DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE:

• Have directional signage every step of the way. Think of this as a museum tour where you are choreographing the experience.

  • Place signage on how to find your leasing office if they need to come there first.

  • A-frame signage to help start the tour.

  • Floor decals are a great way to tell prospects where to go.

THE “BRIGHTS” SELF-GUIDED TOUR COLLECTION >>>

DIGITAL BROCHURE:

Think of your digital brochure as your modern-day tour guide outlining stops in the tour routes, things they should take note of, and highlights of your surrounding neighborhood. See an example below.

>>>Like what you see? Order your digital brochure from us! We have several styles with customization options.

MAKE SURE YOUR TOUR UNIT IS SHOW-READY:

A few of the same rules apply whether you are there or not:

• The unit should be clean and fresh

• Lights should be on

• Put on inviting, universally-appealing music

Keep a checklist as part of your leasing binder to make sure you never skip a step.

Take it up a notch:

• If you know what time your prospect is coming, leave them a welcome pack:

  • Handwritten welcome note inviting them to refreshments in the fridge

  • Your business card

  • A goodie pack to go. See a few options below.

Don’t forget to follow up:

Just because they’ve self-toured, doesn’t mean they’ll automatically lease. While follow up is always important, it’s especially important with self-guided tours. Make it your goal to follow up within a few hours of a tour to answer any lingering questions or alleviate concerns. Check out our foundational follow up guide to learn more.

In summary : Self-guided tours work if you craft the experience

Take the time to craft the prospect’s experience from start to finish, Beyonce-style. By paying attention to the details, putting yourself in their shoes, and going through the process to uncover any frustrations, you will have a high-converting, self-guided tour program in place in no time.