The Pros and Cons of Self-Guided Property Tours

If you’re on the hunt for a new rental home, you would know that touring the units is a big part of finding that perfect fit. Although seeking to arrange showings with Red Bank property managers can be a maddening experience, especially in our hectic lives. Advances in digital technology have brought us listings with lots of photos and even virtual walk-throughs, but these tools sometimes aren’t enough to get a full sense of the property. Maybe this is why 83% of renters prefer self-guided property tours over all other options. There are many advantages to self-guided rental home tours, but there are a few drawbacks as well. Bearing in mind the pros and cons before deciding on a self-guided tour during your Red Bank rental home search is valuable.

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 embarrassing encounters with people against whom you might end up competing for the same rental house.

Once you are at the property, many renters like that you are free to explore the rental home without a landlord or rental agent looking over your shoulder. Don’t have to feel pressed for time or hide your honest reaction to the property should you not like it. In the same way, some renters enjoy not having someone there trying to ask revealing questions or make them feel like they need to decide on the spot. Few people 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

Of course, self-guided property tours come with a few disadvantages as well. Before you are given access to a property, the chances 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 some reason, there’s little hope of ever stepping in the front door. You may not even know why you are denied unless the landlord or leasing agent is willing to discuss it with you.

A different potential drawback to self-guided rental house tours is that you cannot ask questions while going through the property. While you can always text or email someone about it later, you may have questions during the tour that you forget to ask later. You may also miss out on learning a lot of helpful information about the neighborhood, nearby amenities, etc. These are things that a professional Red Bank landlord or leasing agent should be able to tell you when you view a property. If no one is there with you, you may not know about these things until much later in your search process.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide which type of property tour works for you. Even though both traditional and self-guided tours have pros and cons, you can still use them to your advantage until you find your next rental home. If you’re on the search for a new place to live, Real Property Management Performance offers flexible touring options for great homes near you. You can view our listings online.