Legend Management Group reached out to Realync to discuss the possibility of a first-of-its-kind project: unit-level videos for all 285 apartments at Elms Fells Point, a brand new premier apartment community in the lively-hip Fells Point district of Baltimore, Maryland. “We knew we wanted something individual by unit because of the uniqueness of every unit at the property. When somebody watches a unit level video, they’re not going to be surprised when they move in. You really get to see what your exact apartment is. We have a lot of people that come from out of town, so they can’t necessarily tour before making their decision. I think this way of virtual touring is best for them,” expressed Megan Adams.

Laurie Shade, Senior Director of New Construction and Marketing at Legend Management Group, continued, “Pictures don’t do it justice. Video gets someone the closest to actually being there.”

When it came to choosing the best video partner to take on this novel challenge, Legend had some priorities: quality, consistency, ease of implementation, and price. Megan shared, “We were shocked with how affordable the video is on a per unit basis. When we told our owners how much it was per unit, I felt like their jaws were on the floor. Then after seeing the quality and consistency of the video content, they bought in immediately.” With the pioneering scope of this project, the timeline for completion was an estimate. What ended up happening will blow your mind…

The Realync team filmed, edited, and published videos for 285 apartments with 42 floorplans in under 7 days. On average, it took the team 12 minutes to create a unique video per apartment, meaning they could produce around 5 videos per hour and 40 videos per day. To estimate the time it would take to create a full video library for your community, use this formula: 

(# of units x 12 mins) / 60 mins = # of hours to create / 8 hours = # of days for the Realync team to film, edit, and publish videos for every unit. 

For example, for 200 units, it would take just under 5 days to complete. The Realync team can make videos QUICKLY. The videos were quickly-made, professional, consistent, AND affordable. What’s the catch? There is none! We’re keeping it real. Check out what the Legend team had to say about their Realync Service experience:

“The experience has been fantastic! The team was enthusiastic, and when we had feedback on the content, it was taken care of quickly. I feel like every single person has been helpful and everything happens fast. A lot of times I feel like we’re waiting on a vendor to get back to us about something, and this was the opposite. You were so self-sufficient, simple, and enthusiastic.” – Megan Adams

Once the videos were published, it was time for integration. After some quick training, the Elms Fells Point Leasing team swiftly integrated the video content into their prospect communications. Meanwhile the Realync team got to work integrating the video content into the property’s SightMap and Apartment.com listings. Megan Adams shared, “Implementing video with Realync was so easy to do. It was minimal lift on our part to capture and integrate these professional videos for our customers and our team to be able to use.”  In a blink, the video content was live and getting engagement across all the channels: website, ILS, social, and email. But, how much engagement was the content truly getting? Keep reading to find out!

Over a period of 100 days, there were a total of 3,931 views. Most of these views, about 3,605, were from Engrain and website video embeds, resulting in 40+ hours of total view time. Assuming an average video tour length of 2 minutes, the 40+ hours of view time translates to about 1,200 virtual tours. If each in-person tour typically takes between 30 minutes to an hour, then the video tours’ 100-day output equates to 75-150 full days of work for a single leasing agent. But, how effective are virtual tours at helping leases close? We ran a 100-day report and found that 37% of signed leases engaged with Realync content. “The videos are really helping customers before they visit because they know which units they want to see. Video truly makes it easier for your on site team to do their job and there is without a doubt a return on investment,” says Megan Adams.

In conclusion, the implementation of video in Elms Fells Point’s marketing and leasing strategies has been a game-changer. The use of unit-level videos has provided potential residents with an authentic and personalized virtual touring experience. The Realync platform made it possible to produce, edit, and publish high-quality videos affordably and quickly. The impact has been significant, with over 3,931 views in 100 days with a total of 40+ hours of view time. Megan Adams states, “Video is an essential tool for showcasing apartments, and it is worth the investment. Therefore, businesses should not wait to start using video as the expectation of customers to be able to see a video of their unit will only increase in the future.” As Legend Management Group expands their portfolio on the east coast, they will continue to look to Realync as their preferred video partner.