Blog Series: Growing Your Residency One Tour at a Time
When it comes to Property Management, tours are one of those things that can’t disappoint. That disappointment leads to an unlikely chance that the prospective resident will ever come back again.
No matter the current condition of the tour, any property can elevate the experience to have the prospective resident leaving better than when they first arrived.
A Complete Set Up
There are often some questions about whether an apartment tour should include a staged apartment or an empty one. Quoted from HomeAdvisor.com “While each rental property is different, staged rentals spend 33% to 50% less time on the market than non-staged rental properties. Combine that with the fact that staged rentals go for 20% higher rent than their non-staged counterparts, and it makes it quite clear: for the majority of cases, staging a rental property is well worth the expense.” The success of staging comes from allowing potential residents to visualize the potential of space. Often empty spaces are overwhelming to look over because, the perception of furniture size compared to room size is hard to equate. Staging takes some of the pressure of memory perception off and by adding in a “similar” item to relate to.
When staging, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help possible residents see potential vs feel overwhelmed by presentation.
First, keep the apartments’ theme neutral. Every potential resident that walks through the door is a person with their own taste and preferences. If they see colors, furniture, or designs that make them feel uneasy, that feeling will last through the rest if the tour – even if they tell themselves that they can change it if they move in. Focusing on neutral colors allows the tour to average the most positive outcome
Second, highlight the units’ top selling points. If the best part of the unit is its kitchen, then build the stage around it. Create its best design and then move it throughout the unit. No matter what you are looking to showcase, make the design foundation for the rest of the unit.
Third, keep up with it. Sometimes keeping up with your stage means putting the couch back in place after it’s shifted over time. Sometimes it means taking out the trash which has built up from the free snacks and drinks given out on tours. Sometimes it means adding small additions to the stage that get renewed over time, such as candles/scents, flowers, snacks, or property pamphlets, flyers, applications, etc. Whatever the case, be sure that every property tour leaves a potential resident dreaming of what a “dream life” could be if they leased at your property.
