6 Ways to Re-Introduce the In-Person Apartment Tour

After a full year of restrictions from COVID-19, what was once a full-fledged transition to digital options is now re-transitioning back to in-person business.

And with caution being the number one priority right now, strategizing a safe and informative in-person tour for apartment communities may not be that easy.

If you work in multifamily real estate and plan to re-open public touring options, take a look below for six safe and effective ways to re-introduce the in-person apartment tour.

Demonstrate awareness and application of safety precautions

Similar to the way many apartment communities re-opened amenities and social spaces throughout the pandemic, applying and promoting safety practices for in-person tours will ensure prospects feel safe visiting your property.

Here are six ways to prepare and execute the re-introduction of in-person apartment tours.

1. Through your website

There are many ways to do this, but a good start would be to address any new protocols on your business listings and as soon as someone visits your website.

For example, this image is used as a pop-up on apartment community, Cityfront Place, to automatically let prospects know how their community is handling these uncertain times.

It’s both simple, yet effective, and it helps protect both employees as well as tenants and future prospects.

Create a graphic in Canva to easily and effectively establish safety precautions.

2. Through additional platforms

Your website is obviously a great first start for reintroducing the in-person apartment tour, but strategies that include social media and out of home marketing can be just as effective.

Make a post, add to your bio, create a story—there are endless ways to promote this new transition on all social platforms. Not to mention, it’s a great way to gauge the opinions of potential prospects/tenants on reintroducing in-person tours.

As for out of home marketing, stick a sign up outside of the community or hand out pamphlets to inform local prospects of their touring options.

3. Create a video

Video content is all the rage in marketing right now. Utilize this medium to promote your re-introduction of apartment tours by creating a mock video of a guided tour.

This can be as easy as a step-by-step guide of how leasing agents will prepare for and conduct an in-person tour (without going through the entire thing) so that prospects have a visual for reference. 

Not to mention, video content is easier to retain, so there’s a better chance of it staying top of mind.

4. Produce a "safety checklist"

Once a tour has been scheduled, sending prospects a “safety checklist” containing protocols for entering a community will ensure a seamless experience.

This can include any mask policies, maximum capacity regulations, or even information regarding how to enter.

If you’d prefer prospects to call when they arrive to minimize exposure, jot that down and have them bring a copy to carry around during the tour for reference.

5. Leverage calls to action to generate more tour leads

If you have a virtual or video tour that’s being leveraged as an alternative, placing a call to action within that tool for scheduling an in-person tour can be a quick and easy way of letting prospects know you now offer them again.

This can be made even easier with Panoskin virtual tours advanced features that can take renters to a separate landing page with just a click of a button.

6. Schedule out days on a community calendar for in-person tours

If any tenants are wary or uncomfortable having strangers around, creating a calendar with specific days and times that tours will be conducted can prepare everyone else in the community.

This can be done digitally, on your website, and/or physically in the lobby and social spaces of a community.

Whatever safety precautions your community plans to take while re-introducing the in-person apartment tour, these few tips will help get you started in informing the public about your current state of operations.

When in doubt, provide options

The best part about re-introducing the in-person apartment tour is that no one has to choose this option if they don’t want to. Having digital tools as alternatives are still in action, and can be utilized in place.

However, if a prospect so-chooses to come on site, these six tips and tricks will guarantee a seamless experience for all involved