Touring an apartment is arguably one of the most important parts of your apartment hunting process. Photo listings and 3D models have changed the virtual apartment search for the better, but seeing your potential new home in person just can’t be beat.
However, a busy work week, family duties, and the overall stress of moving can make it difficult to schedule an in-person tour. Thankfully, there’s a new approach to apartment tours that’s changing the game: self-guided tours.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Self-Guided Apartment Tour?
- How Do Self-Guided Tours Work?
- Pros and Cons of Self-Guided Tours
What Is a Self-Guided Apartment Tour?
During an in-person rental tour, the property manager or leasing agent will show you around the property during a scheduled time. Self-guided tours, on the other hand, allow you to tour the rental all on your own.
How Do Self-Guided Tours Work?
Renters can book a self-guided tour online, just like an in-person tour, and property managers typically require qualification with an ID or a credit card before you can access the property.
Once you arrive at the rental, you’ll access the unit you’re touring through a lockbox or a smart lock. This allows the property to restrict access to the unit and change the password after a prospective tenant tours the property. Your visit may be monitored by cameras inside or outside the unit to prevent damage or theft.
Property managers often use self-guided tour mobile apps for scheduling and screening and to guide prospective tenants through the property. This allows renters to get the most out of their self-guided tour experience while providing guardrails that protect the property.
Pros and Cons of Self-Guided Tours
Like most things, self-guided tours have plenty of benefits and drawbacks to consider.
Advantages of self-guided tours
Flexible scheduling
Because a property manager or leasing agent will not accompany you on a self-guided tour, your schedule is the only one that matters. You can tour whenever you’re free without having to cross-reference your schedule with a leasing agent’s availability.
Remote access to the unit also means that many property managers will let you tour after hours, so you have a broader window of opportunity to tour the rental.
Less pressure
No one likes feeling like someone is watching over their shoulder, especially when you’re trying to decide on your future home. It’s easy to feel intimidated during an apartment tour. Are you allowed to open the cabinets and look at the space? Can you test the water pressure or open the windows?
During a self-guided tour, you have the freedom to explore the space any way you want—without damaging it, of course. You won’t feel rushed through the tour or pressured to apply as soon as possible.
No double-booking
There’s nothing more frustrating than showing up to a rental showing only to discover that you’re one of two parties there to see the same rental. Now you’re looking over a stranger’s shoulder to see the bathtub or the walk-in closet. Having multiple people on a rental tour just makes it more difficult for everyone to see their top priorities in detail.
It can also feel like you’ve been thrown into a bidding war with the other people there. If another potential tenant is ready to move into the unit then and there, what defense do you have as someone who’s equally interested but needs another week to decide?
Disadvantages of self-guided tours
Missed information
Because a self-guided tour means you’re walking through a property on your own, there’s no one there to point out renovations or special features you might not notice or know about.
Are they renovating the pool area? Are all the units getting new appliances? If you’re touring a model unit, how will your unit be different? These are things a leasing agent would mention on an in-person tour that you might miss out on.
No one to answer questions
One of the biggest benefits of a traditional in-person tour is being able to ask questions as you think of them. You can always reach out to the property manager after a self-guided tour with a list of things you’d like to know, but it’s easy to forget your questions when you’re trying to process everything about your potential new home.
Missing out on specials
Many properties offer “look and lease” specials that may not apply to self-guided tours. A look and lease special is a rent concession that may offer discounted rent, waived fees, or a reduced security deposit to encourage renters to sign the lease on the same day they tour a rental. Because a property manager or leasing agent will not accompany you on a self-guided tour, you may not have the option to look and lease.
Searching for your next rental is never easy, especially when you’re trying to juggle your own schedule and touring potential new homes. It’s up to you to decide whether a self-guided tour or a traditional in-person tour is the best way for you to explore a rental, but knowing the difference between the two and each of their advantages and disadvantages can enhance your rental searching experience.
This article was originally published on June 27, 2020, by Jake Margle.
FAQs
What's the difference between self-guided tours and virtual tours?
Both self-guided tours and virtual tours are flexible touring options that prioritize a renter’s schedule and allow renters to explore a property at their own pace. The main difference is that self-guided tours are in person, while virtual tours are fully online.
Self-guided tours only differ from traditional in-person tours in that they don’t require the presence of the property manager or leasing agent. A renter can walk through the property on their own time and at their own pace without being constrained by the leasing office’s schedule.
Virtual tours take many forms, but the most popular are 3D models and video tours. 3D models offer a digital representation of a property that you can click through as you please. Video tours are pre-recorded walk-throughs of a property that show off the floor plan and amenities.
I prefer 3D tours. How do I find 3D tours on Apartments.com?
Property managers can easily show off their rental with Matterport 3D Tours, and renters can easily filter for properties with 3D tours. Navigate to the “Sort” menu and select “3D Tour,” and Apartments.com will only show you listings that contain 3D tours.
