Acceleration vs. Innovation: Self-Guided and Virtual Tours
In the last 90 days, marketers in the multifamily industry are flocking to new ideas, excited about the changes that are happening. People are calling it “innovation” but really these solutions have been sitting on the wayside, begging to be integrated. The impact that COVID-19 has had on the industry hasn’t created disruption or innovation, it has simply accelerated marketing and business tactics that were long overdue.
Virtual Tours
These are simple to implement and compared to other marketing tactics out there, they cost pennies on the dollar. By leveraging free tools like Facebook Live, Instagram Chat, or an inexpensive tool like Zoom or Skype, you can show your apartment to prospects from the palm of your hand. Prior to COVID-19, only one in three apartment marketers that we polled used this simple, inexpensive approach to showing their space. Now nearly half of the people we polled are using Virtual Tours as part of their marketing stack and that number is growing. Again, proof that the state of the world hasn’t disrupted our industry, it’s simply moved things forward at a faster pace.
Self-Guided Tours
Another easy way to show apartments, but it does take a little extra bit of work. Making sure there is proper security protocol in place, as well as following any local mandates or protocols for disinfecting and cleaning should be considered. Keep in mind that numbers have dropped from last year; about 57% of apartment shoppers do not want an in-person tour so it’s important to make sure they have a way to tour the apartment. One survey respondent commented, “I’ve been wanting to do self-touring for 2 years and this has pushed our company forward!”
Again: Acceleration, not innovation.
Now is the time to think about those marketing tactics you’ve been wanting to implement and wiggle them into your stack.
Not sure where to start? Here is a simple checklist to get your digital footprint in a good spot before you begin trying new things.
Want help tackling this? Drop us a line, we’re here to help.