Landlords need to come to terms with the reality of not being able to meet their potential tenants many times because they (tenants) have their hands in several pies. Also, tenants might not even live in the same city as the property and be able to travel to view the property. At the same time, since they’ve selected the rental for viewing, they need to see it so that they can decide about living there.
Last but not least, the last year and a half has brought us face to face with an unprecedented global pandemic, where social distancing has become the norm. In a showing, the two parties that must be present are the landlord and the tenant. With the restriction of in-person meets, landlords were compelled to find an alternative using a bit of technology. That’s when they turned to the concept of virtual rental tours to make the most of their tour requests.
Those who’re old-school should know that virtual tours are faster and effective, not to mention cheaper. If you’re among them, This article will make you better equipped to deal with future tour requests and get your business moving.
Here are 9 tips and best practices to make you better equipped with rental virtual tours:
1. Virtual rental tours aren’t complex
Sometimes, when landlords list a house for rent, they add a virtual walkthrough facility to it so that potential tenants can view it according to their convenience at all hours of the day. But it’s not a common practice among all landlords. At the same time, if face-to-face meetings are restricted, landlords should take the onus of conducting separate tours for any potential tenant who expresses interest in their property.
While technology plays a part in virtual meets, they don’t need much expertise or knowledge to operate. For instance, Facetime or Google Hangout on your smartphone don’t have complex technology, so use them to your benefit.
In a word, the idea is for the tenant to be able to see the rental clearly and hear the landlord while they explain the various features of the property.
2. Spend time practicing the virtual tour
How do you become an expert in something? With practice, of course! Running a virtual tour is no different, so before you run it, spend some time practicing it the way you’d conduct an in-person tour. Assign a structure to the tour and follow it while rehearsing. Make a list of a few basic questions you want to ask the tenant once the tour of each house section is over. Ensure you pause and check for their understanding every step of the way. Do what it takes to have an effective internet connection to avoid any disturbances.
Keep two other equally important points in mind. One, move the phone up and down from time to time instead of retaining it at eye level so that the tenant gets to view the ceiling fixtures and the floors. And two, restrict yourself to slower movements to prevent the phone from shaking too much and help the tenant to view every inch of the rental clearly. In the end, run some mock sessions with family or friends and see how it goes. Seek feedback from them and incorporate them into your practice sessions before running them again.
3. Strike a rapport to remove the initial awkwardness
Virtual conversations can be tricky and you might come across a non-responsive tenant if you aren’t alert. It’s essential to retain their attention and keep them engaged. Else, you could end up losing a prospective tenant. Right from the beginning, work on creating a rapport with them and making them feel like you care, which is a lot easier done in person. It might be wise to indulge in a little small talk to get acquainted and make them feel at ease. Initiate the conversation and let it flow organically.
That way, besides getting to know them, you also get an idea of the kind of personality your tenant possesses through their eye contact, tone, and words. Let them know that they’re free to express their thoughts and pose questions in between. If you have a Q&A planned after the tour, tell them that so that they can clarify any concerns they may have related to the application process, security deposit, guest and pet policies, among other issues.
4. Share as many details as you would in an in-person meet
We all agree that it’s a lot easier to conduct a showing in person than to do it virtually. But because it’s being conducted virtually doesn’t make it any less important. So, as a landlord whatever details you share in an in-person meet must be shared with a potential tenant virtually as well.
Before the showing, make sure the house or unit’s spruced up and looks spic and span. Ensure the showing’s conducted during the morning or afternoon hours because natural light plays a significant part in capturing everything on video authentically. Also, keep the rental application forms or relevant paperwork handy and share them via email. Online application forms and digital leases seem to work well in today’s scenario because we’re moving toward an increasingly paperless world!
Finally, potential tenants might appreciate it if you remind them to think of questions to ask about the property on the day of the showing.
5. Cover every corner of the rental during the virtual tour
As a successful landlord, you need to be responsible for ensuring you cover every inch of your property during the virtual tour. Everything from common spaces to elevators and facilities such as gyms, laundry rooms, lobbies, and the exterior of the property should be shown to the tenant. It’s also critical to include the tinier sections of the property that are easily overlooked. So, remember to walk tenants through fixtures, closets, cabinets, and other storage areas, if any.
Although it might be wise to spend more time on kitchens and bathrooms because these are deal-breakers, don’t leave out any part of the house just because a potential tenant is in awe of the massive bathroom or the upgraded kitchen!
Last but not least, the one downside of such tours is that a tenant can’t open the refrigerator or turn on the faucet to check whether everything’s in working order. So, if they make any such requests, be gracious enough to do it for them. They’re just trying to make sure, like anyone else, that what’s promised is being delivered.
6. Share high-quality pictures after the virtual tour
Keep a repository of high-quality pictures of your rental property. Make sure these photos cover more details than the ones in your rental property listing. Share them with the tenant after the virtual showing.
Under normal circumstances, tenants would’ve had the freedom to click some photos but now that they can’t, you can share the ones you have. The gesture would certainly be appreciated. In addition, see if you can add a floor plan for your property too. While you may cover every corner of your rental, the floor plan will help a perfect tenant form an idea of the overall property space, the size of each room, as well as the common areas.
7. Ensure your speech is clear
Depending on your internet connectivity, there might be a time lag when either you or your tenant speaks on the virtual tour. So, it’s important to speak audibly and clearly and wait for your tenant to respond before you proceed further.
Not being able to hear what either of you is saying and misinterpreting things might lead to unnecessary complications. To ensure that technical glitches are kept to a minimum, we recommend multiple practice sessions with loved ones and seeking their feedback on the quality of the video call.
8. Remain vigilant about rental scams
Today, rental scams happen like clockwork and it’s not just tenants who need to be worried about being taken for a ride. First-time landlords can also fall into the trap. So, both landlords and tenants need to be vigilant about such fraudsters.
As a landlord, it’s important to be watchful and leave no stone unturned concerning the screening of a tenant. You should know what action to take if you notice any red flags. Remain transparent and share just as much information with the tenant as you’d like them to share with you. After all, trust is a process that needs to work both ways.
9. Send a follow-up email
Prospective tenants come and go, so you have to know how to hold onto them before they lose interest. Don’t allow them to forget your property.
Give the business relationship a personal touch by sending them a thank you note and preempting any questions they may have by sharing additional information, such as a sample guest or pet policy. Or you could share interesting facts about community events held at your place or around your pool area to keep them hooked. Even better, share pictures of such events!
Finally, remain approachable by being open to answering any question they may have missed asking during the virtual rental tour when they contact you.
Conclusion
So, are you all set to conduct virtual rental tours for your potential tenants and see their impact on your business? We bet you are! While a virtual tour may seem daunting at first, follow the tips shared here to make it a learning and rewarding experience both for yourself and the tenant!
