There is a lot to think about in terms of how a prospective resident tours a property for the first time: virtual tours, self-guided tours, guided tours… where do you begin? With all the changes that 2020 brought us, one of the most important for property managers to plan for in 2021 is virtual tours.
Even with the pandemic outlook looking more promising, and getting back to “normal” life feeling closer, the general mindset of many consumers has shifted to a more remote/virtual-based experience. With the rules surrounding in-person meetings constantly changing, now is a good time to make sure your virtual tours stand out from the competition.
By now, you may have already implemented virtual tour strategies. Here are some additional tips to consider when thinking about your prospective residents’ virtual tour experience, and the “new normal” we are all adjusting to:
Filming your own virtual tours
It’s imperative that you have virtual tours available for prospects inquiring about specific units. If you don’t have virtual tour content yet, not to fear. The latest iPhone technology and Apple iMovie make it easy to film and create your own virtual tours without hiring an expensive crew. iMovie has an intuitive interface that lets you enhance your videos with things like adding music and photos, creating titles, and slowing down/speeding up clips. These videos are a great way to show off your property and also make a positive addition to your digital library on your website. If you want to lean on the experts to do this for you, you can work with a partner like Dwelo or SmartRent for the creation of virtual tour assets.
Personalized recorded tours
Another great tip for enhancing the virtual tour experience is filming personalized walk-throughs in your vacant units. Talk to your prospect as if they were there, using their name and pointing out features in the apartment that can really make it feel like a home for them. Remember, if you can create a memorable and personal experience for your prospects, they’re more likely to pick your property. You can send these out in email or easily upload to YouTube and send them a link to view.
Optimized property website
Maximizing your website and web content will complement your virtual tour experience. Make sure you’re taking advantage of SEO and using the right keywords, on top of optimizing your overall copy, theme, and layout.
Talk to regional managers who are spending day in and day out on the property, and get their input on what to feature and what key selling points are actually working. They can also help run through a competitive analysis with other local properties to make sure you’re advertising all of your property’s strengths and competitive advantages. We also recommend that your regional and property managers communicate with each other often to sharpen each others’ skills and learn what’s working or not working in their respective markets.
You can also take advantage of interactive functionality on your website like AI-powered chatbots, interactive floor plans, augmented reality, etc. to really up your property website game.
Utilize Chatbots
Speaking of chatbots, it goes without saying that your chatbot tech should assist, not hinder your teams’ workflows. Rent Dynamics chatbot, powered by BetterBot, helps with your onsite teams’ efficiency, answering the basic availability questions so your team can focus on converting qualified leads and handling more pressing tasks.
Keep up with customer expectations
Shortened response times and timely follow-ups go a long way. Now more than ever, it’s important to remain responsive to prospects, who expect just that. Look for technologies that can help by setting automatic follow-ups and/or alerts for your onsite team. Rent Dynamics CRM has an automated follow-up schedule so your teams can rest assured knowing they will not miss an opportune prospect touchpoint.
2020 may have brought us some challenges, but it also gave us time to reflect on what business initiatives can bring the most return. Implementing a few of these tips can help you stay competitive and stand out in 2021. To hear more on this topic, you can listen to a podcast episode discussing the topic of virtual tours here.
Questions? Interested in learning more about how Rent Dynamics can help improve your teams’ operational efficiency? Reach out to sales@rentdynamics.com — we’d love to hear from you.