Conversions rates from live virtual apartment tours are spiking for owner/managers who were quick to implement and train their onsite staff on a variety of platforms to meet the residents’ technology preferences.

Gates Hudson, which owns or manages 22,000 apartment homes across 86 communities in the mid-Atlantic Region reports about a 25 percent boost. It has conducted a staggering 1,262 tours since mid-March and is converting at a 43.9 percent clip in a portfolio just outside of Washington, D.C. (pictured, Crystal Square, Arlington, Va.)

“We’ve been able to maintain a steady occupancy throughout the majority of the portfolio, compared to last year despite all of the Covid-related [challenges],” Gillman says. “We’ve been able to manage our occupancy, which is currently in the mid 90s.”

Its Director of Marketing Shane Gillman calls his leasing teams’ performance phenomenal.

“We pivoted quickly,” he says. “It’s taken a lot of work – especially in the beginning – by our Marketing, IT, Education & Training and onsite teams. Everyone really embraced the change. Our strategy was to put in place these tours on as many technology platforms as we could to give our prospects a way to tour in the manner that they were most comfortable.”

Not wanting to waste a moment in March – even as there were a lot of unknowns about Covid-19s repercussions—Gates Hudson quickly moved to create a training guide on how to conduct tours on each platform. His company’s education and training team taught the finer points at each site, including some one-on-one instruction, where needed.

An early sticking point for the properties’ staff was the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity for its tablets. “We got by with our staff using their smartphones as hotspots on the tours,” Gillman says.

Gates Hudson’s YouTube channel features tours (about 2 to 4 minutes in length) from all of its communities, including the most popular floor plans. Its leasing staff shot the footage and it has used 3-D tour imagery applications from Matterport as well as hosting them on each community website.

Its “live” virtual tours are what score best. Prospective residents can choose from Facetime, Zoom, Skype, Messenger, Google Duo and WhatsApp. (Gillman says their popularity rank in that order).

“Based on our conversations with our prospects, we’re able to get enough information to put together a unique and specifically tailored tour based on their interest,” Gillman says. “They really appreciate that.”

Gillman looks forward to having his full staff back onsite for work this week, and relaxed protocols in some markets will enable them to consider using hired third-party video companies to help them to shoot recorded and live virtual tours in June.