Nearly everyone working in multifamily has either seen or created a virtual tour that just didn’t quite hit the mark. It felt too…produced. Maybe it didn’t show the parts of the property the prospect really wanted to see. Or it was far too expensive an effort to not 100% hit the mark. Or, and this is a big miss, it wasn’t mobile compatible. Yikes.
No matter what the virtual tour software used, the headaches can add up. If you’re looking for how to take the headache out of virtual tour software, there’s really only one answer.
Don’t use it!
Seriously! Don’t use it! For all the reasons above, generic virtual tours won’t be successful, no matter what software platform you use. Even the best virtual tour software in 2019 can’t give you what you need to be successful as a multifamily leasing agent. As a multifamily marketer, maybe. A leasing agent? Nope!
The only way for a virtual tours to have the impact you’re looking for is for them to be real, authentic, and customized for individual prospects. So, rather than take the headache out of something that doesn’t work anyways, let’s take a look at how multifamily video tours can be the answer.
Friendlier on the Budget
Whether the virtual tour software helps to create a 3D virtual tour, a 360 tour, is virtual reality, or a live video tour, it’s going to have a price tag. Whether that’s a high or low price tag is the question. It’s important to make sure you’re choosing the best option for your dollar. Virtual tour software, no matter how inexpensive, isn’t going to stretch your budget the right way. On the other hand, the right video tour platform is going to have better results with prospective renters as it is much more dynamic and able to be personalized for individual prospects. Video leasing platforms will also allow leasing agents to easily create their own tours and share the videos with just a few quick clicks. The kicker? The right video leasing platform will require nothing more than your smartphone or tablet to create the tours! The best video leasing software will hit the technical check marks of being easy to use, shareable, and mobile friendly.
Customizable for the Audience
Does every prospective resident look for and want exactly the same things? Of course not. Each has their own checklist of things that are important to them. They know what is a nonnegotiable versus what is nice to have. Even with a 360 virtual tour created with the best virtual tour software around, they can’t see exactly what’s important to them. Those sort of experiences are point-in-time. They’re canned. They are one tour created to appeal to a vast majority versus an individual. For some prospects, the layout of the unit itself is less important than the area around it or the amenities. For others, a large closet is a must. With a video tour or live video tour, leasing agents can zero in on exactly what prospects are wanting to see and can make the tour custom for their needs. Live touring software makes that level of personalization easy and manageable for large amounts of prospects. Then, they can save and revisit the video when it comes down to decision time!
Live Tours are Authentic
While budget and customization are important. There’s one thing in today’s market that will reign even more important when it comes to your leasing and touring solutions. Ensuring authenticity and instilling trust are critical when it comes to the overall prospect experience. People are disenchanted with experiences online that seem fake, photoshopped, or somehow misrepresented. Prospective residents want to feel that what they are seeing and experiencing is an authentic representation of the actual space and is matched with a trustworthy connection with the community they are potentially choosing to call home. A live video tour creates exactly that. Looking at canned tours created with the most high tech virtual tour software doesn’t come close to going live with a prospective resident when it comes to building trust. Authenticity can mean showing the good along with the…not as good. But that’s how those prospects begin to trust you.
Find virtual tour software that will minimize the headache and maximize consumer satisfaction
At the end of the day, people want to know what to expect. A smaller kitchen can be fine if they know that’s what they are getting. However, if a virtual tour doesn’t adequately and accurately show the space, they may not see the size until they are moving in. And that is not the thing to surprise them with. Resident retention starts from the very first experience with the community and extends through move-in and all the way through renewal. Start your resident retention on a high note by managing expectations properly to set your prospects up for success in knowing exactly what they are moving into by simply using video leasing or hosting live tours.
Other multifamily virtual tour software leaves too much room for misinterpretation or misrepresentation, and will cost an arm and a leg to make it. That is why so many people are so invested in forcing use on the virtual tours they do have — because they invested so much to make them happen. And that just makes that ROI point even higher and harder to reach.
By this point, it should be pretty clear. The only way to check all of those must-have boxes when it comes to effectively leasing your multifamily space is to forget the flashy and expensive virtual tour software products and simply turn to video leasing and live touring software instead!
Want to learn more or discuss how video leasing could be a game changer for your team? Contact sales@realync.com or click here!
Until next time…keep it real!
