Live Video Tour Checklist

Step 1: Visualize the Tour Path

• Do you want to start your live tour from the leasing office then proceed to show them the clubhouse, outdoor amenities, and then on to the unit(s)? Or do you want to start the live tour from the unit itself? These are key considerations to think through first to ensure a smooth, cohesive tour experience.
• Know how you plan to walk through the unit, what you will focus on and showcase, and how much time you’ll spend in each general area in order to keep the tour flowing.
• Be mindful of the time you scheduled for the tour. Run through your agenda for the tour so you aren’t rushing at the end.

Step 2: Walk the Tour Path and Prep the Area

• Are the spaces clean (just as they would be for an in-person tour)?
• Are the lights on, toilet seats down, relevant doors open, and blinds adjusted?

Pro Tip: Depending on the weather or the time of year, you might want to have blinds tilted up or down to manage light flare. Don’t close them all the way though as you want natural light coming in to best capture the space. Any relevant doors you want open, go ahead and open them prior to starting the tour and prop them open if they self-close so that you’re not struggling to hold the device and open the door at the same time.

Step 3: Start the Tour

• Whether you want to or not, turn the camera to selfie mode at the beginning of the tour and greet the prospect. Introduce yourself and what you’re going to show them. Let them know that the tour is going to be recorded and sent to them after the tour is completed.
• Walk Slowly (But not TOO slowly!) You want to make sure the person on the other end is having a really great viewing experience and can see all they want / need to see!
• Don’t just highlight the property, but location, location, location. Because that is still what people are buying for!

Pro Tip: Go in and preset pins on the map before the tour to highlight perk partners, hospitals, parks, schools, coffee shops, etc. that you know your prospects are interested in.

Step 4: End the Tour

• After you have shown them the space, turn the camera to selfie mode again to thank them for joining the tour, answer any remaining questions, and communicate the next steps.

Step 5: Follow Up Immediately After the Tour

• Follow up to ensure your tour attendees received the video recording via email. 
• If you didn’t go through all of your amenity spaces during the live tour or weren’t able to tour each floor plan of interest, make sure to send your community overview videos and unit videos after the tour.
• Congratulate yourself for a job well done! That was easier than you thought, right?

Now more than ever, meeting prospective residents where they’re at in the leasing cycle, with the tools and flexibility they demand, can be the difference between another window shopper and a new resident. Why risk a missed opportunity? With a live virtual tour, you can ensure that no matter the time or the place, that first interaction with your prospective resident is as real and personal as an in-person consultation.

Live video technology really isn’t as scary as our minds perceive it to be and innovation has made it possible for all of us to take advantage of it in minutes. All it takes is a smartphone or tablet, a little bit of practice, and some tips and tricks to get off and running. Below we dive into the do’s, the don’ts, and everything in between that you’ll want to know when hosting a live tour.

What is a live video tour?

A live video tour is when a leasing agent uses a video leasing solution to connect in real time both visually and audibly with their prospect to walk through their community. These live tours have the freedom to move around the property and tour through the amenity spaces, and show the exact floor plans and units that the prospective resident is interested in and are relevant to them.

Why is a live tour beneficial?

Countless reasons. It could be that a prospective resident can’t physically come and tour the property in person. It might be because they currently live in an area that’s too far of a distance for them to drive or fly to tour. It might be that they live really close to the property, but their schedule doesn’t allow them to tour during open office hours. Or it could even be that they just don’t want to visit the property in person prior to leasing. So whether it’s time, distance, or just personal preference, a live video tour is flexible enough to allow any leasing agent to connect with their leads on a lunch break or really whenever could work best for them.

What advice do you have for someone who is hesitant to host a live video tour?

Even in this day and age when we have a lot of people who are on social media and actively doing Facebook Live and Instagram Stories, we definitely still see some of that hesitancy to hop on a live video stream. Whether that’s because of shyness on camera, feeling like they don’t have time, or scared of the wifi or LTE dropping, the fears are real.

The first thing the Realync team wants to remind everyone is that our industry still pushes super hard to have prospects come in and tour, and when those prospects walk through that door, they are going to see you, hear you and interact with you. This is truly no different being online and connecting with a prospect versus having someone walking through that front door. You are going to meet at some point and you don’t get to hide behind anything in person then, so just embrace it and treat it similarly how you would with someone walking through your front door.

If your fear is about the quality of the live stream, our biggest recommendation is to practice! Run a signal strength test at various points throughout your community to test the quality and strength of your wifi or LTE to ensure the highest quality stream possible. Practice makes perfect!

At the end of the day, one of the biggest keys to success with live video tours for your apartment community is simply to start offering them. As soon as someone calls in and you identify they aren’t able to come in for a tour quickly, offer a live tour instead. Prospects likely will not think to ask for a video tour of the property and will take whatever you offer to them. So, step out and offer live tours. By doing so, you’ll be sure to get to that application faster. Remember, offering live tours frequently will get you to lease application quicker. It’s not up to us to decide what someone can or can’t do, or what they do or don’t want. It’s up to us to offer the opportunity.