How to Create Engaging Virtual Tours for Multifamily Units

Virtual apartment tours have become an indispensable tool for leasing agents, offering a digital walkthrough of properties that allows prospective residents to explore layouts, amenities, and the overall atmosphere remotely. Virtual apartment tours focus on showcasing the property to attract interest and engage residents. 

By providing an immersive experience, virtual apartment tours help streamline the leasing journey, enabling agents to highlight the property’s best features and connect with prospects more effectively. This blog will outline the practical strategies to help you turn your virtual apartment tours into successful lease conversions. 

Virtual Apartment Tours 

Virtual apartment tours have revolutionized how prospective residents explore multifamily properties. By offering a digital walkthrough experience, tours allow residents to view units remotely, saving time while still providing a clear sense of the property’s features. They are a powerful tool for showcasing apartments to a wider audience and ensuring potential residents can explore options that fit their needs. Here, we will dive into how virtual apartment tours can be categorized by size and style to create a tailored experience for residents: 

• Virtual Apartment Tours by Size 

Studio and tiny apartments have transformed into desirable, cleverly designed spaces that make the most of every square foot. To highlight their appeal, it is crucial to market them creatively. Use engaging apartment video tours or 360 virtual tours to showcase their smart layouts and versatile features. Highlight standout elements like hideaway beds, outdoor spaces, or innovative storage solutions. Pair these visuals with enthusiasm and practical suggestions to inspire residents and help them envision how the space fits their lifestyle. 

This approach works equally well for larger units, like three-bedroom apartments or luxurious penthouses. Penthouses, often targeted by out-of-market and selective audiences, require personalized marketing to stand out. Offer exclusive video tours that provide a compelling first impression and help qualify leads before scheduling live or in-person tours. By tailoring your tours to highlight unique features, you will connect with prospects effectively and boost lease conversions. 

• Virtual Apartment Tours by Style 

The multifamily industry is more competitive than ever, with new construction and communities competing for attention. So, how do you set your property apart? Through style and design. From floor plans and interior aesthetics to amenities and lighting, style defines your community’s unique appeal. 

If your virtual apartment tours do not showcase your community’s personality and flair, you are missing a key opportunity to stand out. Virtual tours should spark interest and make residents eager to learn more. If 3D tours or stock photos are not cutting it, empower your team to create personalized, do-it-yourself video tours. Whether your style is minimalist, industrial, bohemian, or modern, video tours allow you to convey emotion and tell your property’s story effectively. 

For international prospects, live video tours are invaluable. Cultural preferences vary, and connecting through a tailored tour helps you understand their needs, showcase your space, and ultimately convert leads into leases. 

Virtual Tour Embedding Tips for Multifamily Marketers 

Effective marketing strategies help multifamily marketers stay ahead of the competition, and virtual tours play a pivotal role. These tools create immersive experiences that offer potential residents a realistic view of your properties, attracting highly qualified leads. Here are the best practices for embedding property virtual tours to help multifamily marketers maximize their impact and attract more residents effectively. 

• Embed on the Gallery Page 

A great strategy is embedding your virtual tour on your gallery page and adding a prominent call-to-action (CTA) on your homepage that directs visitors there. This not only entices them with the promise of more content but also boosts user engagement and increases the time they spend on your website. 

• Mobile Optimization 

With most of the search queries originating from mobile devices, ensuring your virtual tour is mobile-friendly is essential. Follow these best practices to achieve this: 

1. Use a responsive container for your tour, ensuring it adjusts seamlessly to different screen sizes and provides an optimal experience on all devices. 
2. Embed the tour rather than using an iframe. Embedding allows you to track user engagement with Google Analytics and insights, giving you valuable data on how people interact with your tour. 
3. Apply percentage-based values for sizing, such as 100%, instead of fixed pixel sizes. This ensures the tour adapts to any device, filling the screen appropriately. 

• Above the Fold Placement

“Above the fold” refers to the visible part of your webpage without needing to scroll. This is prime real estate for your virtual tour, ensuring visitors see it right when they land on your website. The content above the fold grabs attention immediately, making it the perfect spot to encourage engagement with your virtual tour. 

• Clear Call-to-Action 

Make sure your website visitors know exactly how to engage with your virtual tour. Keep the call-to-action (CTA) clear and action-oriented. Phrases like “View Virtual Tour” will guide users to explore the property virtually. A straightforward CTA encourages visitors to take action and boosts engagement with your virtual tour. 

3 Ways to Create Virtual Apartment Tours That Convert to Sales 

Leasing agents can drive conversions by strategic planning, creating engaging content, and using effective follow-up tactics. Here are three essential steps to maximize the impact of your virtual apartment tours and increase leasing success: 

1. Highlight Key Features Clearly and Concisely 

Effective virtual apartment tours emphasize the property’s top features to engage potential residents. Leasing agents should focus on what matters most—spacious layouts, updated appliances, high-end finishes, natural light, and unique amenities like fitness centers or pet-friendly areas. Tailor the tour to the target audience and keep it concise, ideally between 90 seconds and two minutes, to maintain attention. 

Strategic framing and pacing can also enhance the tour by showcasing spaciousness. Wide-angle shots and pauses in key areas, like a sunlit living room or remodeled kitchen, allow viewers to appreciate the space’s appeal and feel more connected. 

2. Offer Engaging Narration and Personal Insights 

Narration in virtual apartment tours adds depth, creating a stronger connection between prospective residents and the space. Leasing agents can provide context for each area, share how the space can be utilized, and offer personal tips that make the property feel like home. 

By mentioning nearby attractions or local amenities, agents can connect the property to the surrounding neighborhood, making it more memorable. Adding personal narration builds trust, helps residents emotionally invest in the unit, and addresses key concerns, ultimately streamlining the leasing process. 

3. Provide Seamless Follow-Up and Virtual Leasing Support 

Leasing agents should ensure a clear, immediate path for follow-up after virtual tours to keep leads engaged. This can include adding clickable links in the video for scheduling in-person tours, applying online, or chatting with an agent.  

Offering virtual leasing options like online applications and lease signings streamlines the process, encouraging commitment without delays. Personalizing follow-up communications, such as sending timely, tailored emails or SMS, strengthens engagement. By simplifying and personalizing follow-ups, leasing agents enhance the virtual tour experience and drive higher conversion rates. 

Boost Your Leasing Strategy with Effective Virtual Tours 

Creating an engaging and efficient virtual apartment tour process drives leasing success. By showcasing your property’s unique style and features, offering seamless follow-up options, and incorporating virtual leasing support, you keep prospective residents engaged and encourage conversions. Personalized communication, such as video follow-ups, strengthens your connection with leads and ensures they feel valued and informed throughout the leasing journey. A well-executed virtual apartment tour strategy not only highlights your property’s appeal but also smooths the path to lease signings, making it easier for both agents and residents to connect. 

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