This industry is far from stagnant so you’re aware you have to stay on your toes to constantly source new creative ways to perform well. You know this means you need to stay up to date on industry trends, conversations, changes, and the market. There are certain skills that every leasing agent should have at a minimum and skills that can help you excel in your role.
At a minimum, leasing agents should:
- Be informed
- Build relationships beyond the community
- Embrace the latest technology
- Be persistent and proactive
- Stay competitive
- Listen first
- Be an active problem solver
- Know how to take criticism
☝️ We give additional context to those eight skills that successful leasing agents should have here.
Now, to go beyond the minimum requirements of a leasing agent, you can elevate your career by becoming a video-maker and great storyteller. We dive into how you can develop those video-making skills, how you can replicate a world-class virtual tour like Evan Erichsen, Assistant Residential Operations Manager at The Pitch, did, and Evan’s additional advice to other leasing consultants out there for creating virtual tours.
Let’s dive in.
How to Develop Video-Making Skills in Multifamily
To get started, watch a few multifamily videos — virtual tours, amenity pre-recorded videos, resident engagement videos, or personal branding videos (Andrew Hudson, a Training and Development Specialist, does a fantastic job with recording himself on video!).
Next, you’ll want to record yourself and get comfortable on camera. This may take some time if you’ve never recorded yourself before, so be consistent — you got this!
When you go to create a virtual tour, you should prepare the space — walk your space/turn on lights, open blinds, and turn on the fan (it makes the space look more real). Then, decide on your talk track – think through what you’re going to say just like you would for in-person tours.
Asked and Answered with Evan Erichsen
I asked Evan, “What skills do you feel make you equally as great at converting virtual tours as in-person tours?”
Evan, said, “I would say for conversion rates one of the most important skills to have is understanding your specific company’s policies and procedures while also having the ability to relay this information in a clear and concise manner on video. Showing empathy can go a long way and taking each appointment as a unique opportunity to get to know each prospective renter is also very important; everybody’s situation is different and it is important to keep the facts of each individual close while you are trying to understand what they are looking for in their next home.”
“I would also say that a very important factor is following up with everyone that is virtually shown around your community; since these prospective residents are generally from out of state this keeps us as the main frontrunner in their apartment search.”
Then, I asked Evan, “What skills do you think leasing teams should develop to give a great virtual tour experience?”
“For developing a strong virtual experience the most important aspect is simply understanding the leasing process, along with your specific company’s policies. Showing compassion for the industry and truly enjoying what you do not only provide the satisfaction of assisting those actively seeking housing assistance but also a great experience that each prospective resident will be sure to enjoy.
“Having confidence in yourself is another step that I would say is necessary in order to put yourself in a position where you feel comfortable relaying all of this information and providing a superior leasing experience.”
How to Record a World-class Video
- Record horizontally
- Use a stabilizer
- Go slower than you think you need to and check in with your prospect — can you see everything okay? do you need me to go back to anything?
- Make sure you have a great signal whether using wifi/data — be sure to do a test run before your first one with a prospect
- Ask your prospect how it went/if they have any suggested improvements?
If you’re using Realync, you can even customize your follow-up email to include a survey link!
Now, the best type of virtual tour starts when you hop on that phone and start recording. With these tips and your willingness to learn (since you made it this far in the article), you are well on your way to creating a world-class virtual tour. If you need assistance or a multifamily-specific video platform, you know where to find us. You can continue learning about multifamily video best practices and insights by subscribing to our free newsletter — The Reel.
