Why Evan Slashed Zoom for Virtual Leasing and Chose Realync
"I've been virtual leasing for some time, so I was thrilled to begin using a dedicated virtual touring platform. I intend to make Realync a staple in my leasing process!"
Evan Erichsen
Assistant Property Manager, The Townline
The Trailer
Using FaceTime or Zoom to show apartment units virtually?
Evan Erichsen would.
It wasn’t until Evan lost countless battles with Zoom that he realized he had enough.
It was time for a consistent, limit-free virtual touring app. One that would have renters raving—and leasing—for years to come with Evan.
His solution? Realync.
Evan is an Assistant Property Manager at The Townline—operated by Wellington Management, a family-owned property management company.
We caught up with Evan to hear why he slashed Zoom and added Realync to his robust leasing strategy, and the exciting plans he’s plotting for the future with video.
The Challenge
It’s a two-fold reason why Evan chose the multifamily career path: Renters and community.
“It excites me to help people find their next home. There’s something special about helping them find the exact apartment that fits their needs. Plus, I get to do all of that while working in a great team environment,” Evan said.
His dedication to renters is undeniable. Evan takes charge of looking for opportunities to make the apartment search more convenient for his renters.
It wasn’t until leasing at The Pitch—which is another Wellington property—in 2021 that Evan felt the limitations of using standard platforms like Zoom to tour renters virtually.
“Out-of-state renters enjoyed touring virtually. But I kept running into issues with Zoom.”
His biggest annoyance? The 40-minute time limitation on each scheduled meeting. Evan used the basic (free) account which would time out on him and his prospect.
Evan continued, “It prevented me from completing a tour and I would have to call the prospect back to go over any missed items.”
Not an ideal experience. Plus, Evan shared that Zoom didn’t have any special features for apartment touring.
“There are no other features that Zoom had to offer. With Realync, there’s the interactive neighborhood map, a notes section, recording features, one-click to join, no download necessary, and many other benefits to assisting prospects through the entire leasing process.”
It’s as if Realync was built for him and his property…
(Realync’s built for only multifamily).
As Evan faced numerous challenges with out-of-state renters, he knew Zoom had to go.
So Evan and his team doubled down on virtual touring the new way—using Realync.
Evan first used Realync at The Pitch in 2022 and again at Townline in 2023.
Here’s the kicker: He scored a signed lease on his first try with Realync.
So Zoom was left in the waiting room.
The Outcome
Evan continued to lock down lease after lease with Realync at The Pitch well into his transition to his current property, Townline.
Townline was turned over to Evan and his team in May of 2023. With 223 units, Evan’s been busy (per usual).
Although he emphasized virtual touring has saved him a tremendous amount of time.
On average, a live virtual tour is ~14 minutes as opposed to a typical in-person tour of roughly 45 minutes.
Evan’s goal is to capture pre-recorded videos of vacant units to continue saving time in the future.
He’s always thinking ahead.
“Lease ups can be a bit crazy. As the property gets more and more occupied, we need to get in those units and record unit-level videos for leasing in the future.”
The Future Goal
We asked Evan: What’s next?
Now that Evan’s transitioned into a managerial role, he’s been able to teach best practices to their new Leasing Specialist, Joanne.
Strong support from the Realync success team made it easy for Evan to teach Joanne firsthand.
“Using my experience with the platform, I’ve been able to help Joanne with Realync so we can continue virtual leasing at Townline. I have Joanne shadow me as I go through the platform.”
He also emphasized that his dedicated Client Success Manager, Ellen, has also been a sounding board for him.
Evan also shared he’s going to be using Realync for training purposes to reduce turnover turmoils, social media content, and of course, for leasing.
These results—signed leases, time saved, and happy renters—continue to illustrate the value of paying to reach real renters virtually.
Now that’s what we call a robust leasing strategy.
About Wellington Management
As a long-term owner, property manager, developer and planner, we see the big picture. From acquisitions and initial planning to leasing, development and operations, the team at Wellington Management, Inc. holistically understands each facet of commercial and residential real estate. Our stability, manageable size, relationships and deep market knowledge allow us to act thoughtfully and nimbly. Since we are in the business of creative problem-solving, we pursue challenging projects.
About Realync
Realync is a multifamily video engagement platform unlocking authentic experiences that connect and convert across the entire prospect and resident lifecycle. Realync’s all-in-one video solution enables multifamily teams to create memorable experiences, lease efficiently and communicate effectively with current and prospective residents. Realync partners with many of the nation’s largest property owners and managers and is actively being used in over 500,000 units today.
