If you are in search of a new rental home, you are aware that touring the units is an important part of selecting that perfect fit. But struggling to arrange showings with Suffolk property managers can be a horrible experience, especially in our stressful lives. Advances in digital technology have found listings with several photos and even virtual walk-throughs, but these tools are often not sufficient to get a complete sense of the property. This could explain why 83% of renters prefer self-guided property tours over all other options. There are lots of advantages to self-guided rental home tours, but there are also a couple of drawbacks. It is vital to measure the positives and negatives of a self-guided tour during your Suffolk rental home search.
Pros
Self-guided tours are preferable for many renters because of the benefits they offer people with busy schedules. Unlike a traditional tour, where you would need to arrange to meet a landlord or rental agent at the property, self-guided property tours are set up so you can access the property at your convenience. You request a convenient time slot, receive an access code, and then go to the property when you’re ready. Once you have a time slot, another advantage is that you don’t need to worry about other applicants showing up while you’re there. Due to security reasons, self-guided tours are never double-booked, which ensures you won’t have uncomfortable encounters with people against whom you might end up competing for the same rental house.
Once you reach the property, several renters prefer that you are free to explore the rental home without a landlord or rental agent looking over your shoulder. It is unnecessary to feel pressed for time or to hide your honest reaction to the property if you are not happy with it. Additionally, some renters choose not to have someone there trying to ask critical questions or forcing them to decide there and then. Many people don’t want to be rushed into decisions, especially not ones as big as where you will be living for the next few months or years.
Cons
Surely, there are also certain disadvantages to self-guided property tours. Before providing you access to a property, the likelihoods are that the leasing office will first ask you to complete an application or a quick screening check. If you don’t pass these checks for whichever reason, there’s little hope of ever reaching the front door. You may not even hear why you are denied unless the landlord or leasing agent is available to talk about it with you.
Another potential drawback to self-guided rental house tours is that you cannot ask questions while going through the property. Even though you can always text or email someone about it after, you may have questions during the tour that you will fail to notice to ask later. You may also miss out on learning a lot of helpful information about the neighborhood, nearby amenities, etc. This is information that a professional Suffolk landlord or leasing agent should be able to explain to you when you inspect the property. If you are on your own, you may not know about these things until much later in your search process.
It is ultimately up to you to decide which type of property tour works for you. While both traditional and self-guided tours have pros and cons, you can still use them to your advantage until you secure your next rental home. If you’re in the market for a new place to live, Real Property Management Complete offers flexible touring options for great homes near you. You can view our listings online.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
