Years ago, searching for an apartment was painfully tedious for prospective residents. With limited marketing pieces available that highlighted various communities, they had to call and schedule multiple in-person tours to discover if any apartments appealed to them.
Their search for an apartment used to take up an entire weekend if they were lucky—and the pain didn't only affect those individuals looking at multiple communities. Leasing agents frequently performed showings to prospects who made it clear within seconds of entering a unit that they weren't satisfied with it.
Thankfully digital marketing, specifically apartment video tours, erased those challenges as prospective residents can now see and tour most apartments on their iPhones from the comfort of their couches.
We've known for many years that walkthrough video tours of apartment units would make renting apartments easier for you and your prospective residents. The COVID-19 pandemic certainly heightened the necessity of virtual touring options on apartment websites. However, a 2022 Zillow survey of renters made apartment video tours more critical than ever.
23% Of Renters In 2022 Took Zero In-Person Tours Before Signing A Lease
This statistic indicates that more apartment operators are prioritizing their digital marketing presence and providing prospective residents with enough visual content and information to feel comfortable signing a lease without seeing a unit in person. That 1 out of every 4 renters didn't take an in-person tour is a massive endorsement for walkthrough video tours!
Many prospective residents are tired of calling leasing offices and scheduling multiple showings. They want the ability to select an apartment without that hassle, making walkthrough video tours the most compelling feature on your website. They grab attention and help website visitors build trust and familiarity with your apartments.
Example of an apartment walkthrough video tour by RentVision.
To prove this, we conducted an internal study in 2021 of website pages with and without walkthrough video tours. We discovered that pages with walkthrough video tours had 2.5x as many views as pages without videos. We also found that the average time spent on pages with walkthrough video tours was 2 minutes and 22 seconds. Given that the average length of a RentVision walkthrough video is 2:25, the time on page equaled 98% of the average video length. Meanwhile, the time on pages without video tours was only 1:15. Clearly, website visitors watched the entire video when there was one available for them to see. You can access this data in our ebook, The Essential Guide To Apartment Video Tours.
40% Of Renters In 2022 Reported Taking At Least Two In-Person Tours
We're witnessing changes in renter behavior. Consider that nearly 20% of renters in 2019 took 5+ tours—only three years ago! The number of total tours renters take before signing a lease is slowly diminishing, meaning that the apartment search, in general, is becoming increasingly competitive.
You need helpful features like walkthrough video tours on your website to stand out. They can give your apartments an advantage over other communities in your area. As the marketplace becomes increasingly competitive and fewer in-person tours take place, offering an online option like a walkthrough video tour is vital.
Conclusion
The days of prospects visiting apartments to see them for the first time are over. We believe if there's an opportunity to watch an online walkthrough video tour on your website first, that will result in more prospective residents ultimately choosing your apartments. And the recent renter survey data regarding tours further emphasizes this outcome.